American Reacts to This Town PROVES We Can Still Build Beautiful Cities 

I live in Brandevoort and can awnser your questions. The part in the video is called the Veste(fortress) the blue roofs you mentioned are insulation panels as the houses were still being built. The orange roofs you mentioned, are from “The Buitens” called stepekolk and Brand. Stepekolk has an agricultural and typical old dutch architecture, ans Brand uses the typical colonial architecture. I live in another Buiten, called Schutsboom and it uses a somewhat upscale but also typical dutch architecture, the overhere are black. The brainport is a bit strange, and is supposed to be as ecological friendly as possible, the architecture looks really bad, and i’m glad it’s on the other side of the railroad. Nice video, al the best👍🏻👊🏻

Charlie , as a Dutch guy here 64years YOUNG and still do not know the typical building quirks per Provence in the Netherlands. Yes Noord Brabant has their way of building farmes so does the people in Gelderland and Drenthe but do not ask me to point out the differences..... 🤣🤣

My thoughts on the "black" roofing instead of the orange ones is that when using solarpanels (which we're seeing more and more) do stand more out on the orange roofings. Installing them on black roofing, they blend in more. As said, just a guess.

Houses in the us are like what seems to be the general mentality, the content is more important than the container. USA standards are the McMansions in Sarasota that starts falling apart after ten years, the traditional ways are the old stone buildings that stands for centuries ( to paraphrase a certain Frank Underwood ).

Hi, I live near here and used to work for a contractor for an ISP. I planned the cable laying for two phases of Brandevoort. I'll share a few thoughts about this project. Our project leader actually executing the plans was at his wits end by the end of every phase he did. We had to hire security to keep people from stealing our cables. This was a first for us. And now, there's a higher amount of crime and vandalism there than is usual for Dutch towns. Helmond as a whole ranks 8th in criminality in the entire country, so that's probably a reason as well. Still though, I've been there many many times and have never felt unsafe. And they say my area in the nearby town of Geldrop-Mierlo is also very criminal, but I've never felt unsafe here either. So I'm still not sure what to think of that whole situation. Later, I worked at the ISP directly, and they have an office in Helmond as well. I cycled through Brandevoort to work every day and I absolutely loved the look and feel of the place. It really is incredibly beautiful. That whole bikeride was beautiful, but that bit through Brandevoort was always my favourite. Also, a few of my absolutely favourite neighbours moved to Brandevoort and I really miss them. Sure, I can go there to visit them, but it was nice having them nearby and my kids loved playing with their kids on our street. So, a lot of conflicting feelings for me when it comes to Brandevoort!

There is a similar (but much smaller) project in Sweden, called Jakriborg. Also, some newly built parts of Copenhagen and Malmoe was built using the same thinking. Building stuff in a perfect grid might be more effective, but I am convinced it makes us feel "depressive" on a very basic (unconcious) level. As a species, we where not developed to live in perfect grids. Since ten years I live in the beautiful city of Vienna, and a few things I really appreciate - it is old and rarely straight anywhere (the modern, new areas are straight though). It is mostly not "perfect" anywhere - and it makes me happy. In the older street pattern, it is easy to get lost - which is great, because you always find some stuff/store/bar you have never seen before. As above, I am convinced that this does something good with our minds.

The roofs that are blue need to be tilled up, its still under construction.

Nice video. I’ve never heard of this project, which amazes me because I’m Dutch. I think it’s fantastic. Just like you say: these are buildings with all sorts of modern amenities but with a historic facade. It basically combines the old and new. But why have I never heard of this project before???

The blue roofs aren't finished yet...there are two traditional colours of roof tiles ...the orange ones...and the black ones...

At 18.30 in video. Houses with blue roofs are still under construction. I guess the bleu represents some kind of isolation material. Gr. Ron

Holy shit that's where i live. Brandevooort👍

The designated spots for the more modern buildings can be very beautiful districts in their own way as well, if they are properly designed. One of the most important things is how everything in good districts tends to work with the environment instead of against it, and how much life there is in that place. A city district, or completely new town for that matter, also needs to have a purpose for you to be there, and facilities need to be easily accessible. Whether that's a district with high-rise buildings or not, doesn't really matter...

As a Groninger (In habitant of the Province of Groningen) here is some architectural features that are different throughout the NL: Farmhouse plans: many provinces have their own type of farm buildings (house plus barn) Groningen primarily has the Oldambster type, Hogelandster type and the driekapsboerderij, Friesland has kop-hals-romp and a few others, North Holland has square barns (stolpen), et cetera Buildings close to german and belgian border seem to often have smaller windows Friesland has a lot of yellow bricks, Groningen has typical red brick, elsewhere has primarily brown/reddish brown Different house types also exist. There is overlap but for example dwarshuizen, krimpenhuizen tend to be found in Groningen and North Drenthe Materials can be slightly different: for rooftile types named 'friese golf' and one named 'platte fries' are common in Friesland and Groningen nowhere to be seen southwards

As children we've been taught architecture of farms in primary school and there's some differences between the provinces like the house being connected to the farm or not, among other things. Tre's a website with some illustrations (not mine) which might be a good starting point to find out more, I tried to send a link, let me know how you want it. About the nostalgia, it's not about seeing the houses, it's about how they lived in those houses and their interiour, I don't know if the new-old is a facade or not.

Love the video. Charlie this is one of the best comment video 👍❤️

Near Den Bosch is a new neighborhood where the buildings look like castles. It’s called Haverleij. Several videos available.

I live in a 1933 house, the electricity is a nightmare. I will have to put new lines in. The watermeter is in a hole in the ground and the gasmeter is on the fitst floor, totally in the way and being a pain jn the backside. I always prefer a house with character, and would choose an old house again. But they do have their (huge) drawbacks. Specially when they were just build on a slab of concrete on the ground like my house is. It subsides like a MFer 😂 Good thing.. if you play with marbles they all end in one corner of the room. 😂 It is a big house and the drawbacks made it affordable. And fixing it up a bit raises the value...

The blue on the roof is insulation. The black shingles are more modern. I suspect they are cheaper, mass produced in Germany. Domestic shingles used to be orange (no idea why). But the black ones were more prevalent, I think. I was raised in a house with random black and orange shingles. That looked a bit like cheap patchwork.

I wish Rotterdam followed this old style after the war and recreated the most beautiful and cozy buildings and streets etc. From before the war back to it's former glory. A few new modern buildings and spaces wouldn't have hurt but now every street corner in Rotterdam you turn you see the same modern buildings. You'll only catch medivel buildings and surroundings in Rotterdam if you visit Delfshaven, Crooswijk, Kralingen, Noordereiland and certain area in the city centre which name I forgot.

I live in Rotterdam and absolutely don't like to be in the city center. Luckily I live on the south side of the river, or 'de boerenzij' (the farmers side).

Key is scale and density. Every plot is narrow, houses are build next to each other, attached. Three levels, in irregular blocks. This gives the streets a 'natural' look. It has been successfully done in cities where an industrial complex was demolished. Imitation of 'old style' isn't required, even gives it a bad look. But let every house have its own identity.

He said; a new city or town build NEAR Helmond. That is not correct. It is a new neighbourhood WITHIN the city Helmond. I know because I live in Helmond 😜 But it is as big as a small town though.

But.... on the hindsight... I can see myself living there , it's new ,looks old school and gives me the vibe of being in a old Dutch village where everything is save and okay.

Thank you

12:58 Downtown Annapolis is kinda like that but yea it's really old. On another not I really wish they'd do this here in Sweden too, here architects live in the old part of Stockholm and designing atrocities for the plebians.

The idea of building new buildings old style is not typically Dutch. During my trips to Great Britain I saw this idea used in many regions. I was told that some regions would even tell you what building materials were obliged when building a house!

Mate, you didn’t have to mention me twice! I’m blushing here :) But ok, message clear. We can scavenge vids for you to see. Will do. I was only in for a minute when I just knew you’d want to see it.

A very inspiring video.

Brandevoort is about 10 miles East of Eindhoven Unfortunately too many egos in the architect branch as well in politics; often they build eyesores into the public space. approved by some politicians with the same ego problem; "we don't mind if those insignificant citizens complain, as long as they talk about my work/decisions and remember my name." When I grew up I lived in the suburbs of Amsterdam, and the city counsel assigned millions for "art" in the public spaces. It was the most God-awful abstract crap that was scattered throughout the suburbs. Complaints by the population were discounted as "the art project wasn't about beautification, but meant to be thought and discussion provoking". they forgot it could also be action provoking as the worst displays got vandalized, firebombed, and even ripped from the ground.

I live there and it's in He

Charlie is your tyre fixed?

Hands of my Rotterdam, okay!! 😂

Helmond is nex to Eindhoven

the blue is plastic, no tiles yet

Its just build to confuse tourists

go react to Moscow subway

America can easily do the same..

one of the reasons is, in Europe you got gun laws... in the USA you just have guns so Europe is way safer and also most of the population isnt American!

America don't have culture/history. They only have capitalism 😅

Funny that the progressive aestethic pleasant buildings are almost always near old city centers. The rest of the progressive eastathic pleasing buildings stand next to progressive eastathic pleasing buildings which makes none of them stick out in a good way.