Neorationalism
Economic malaise and a growing aversion to quaintness among architects meant the end of expensive, small-scale architecture in the late 1970s. Architecture and urban development became rational and functional again. In Zoetermeer, examples of neo-rationalist architecture can be found mainly in Seghwaert-Noord, Noordhove and Rokkeveen-Oost.
Designs were the dry result of usage requirements, measurable data and the laws of economics. The street pattern became clear and well-organised again, the building lines and the roof landscape straight and unbroken. The main shapes of the buildings were simple, the floor plans functional and the facades elementary and bare, with windows as tightly repeating holes in the wall. The use of materials and colours also said goodbye to the small-scale: cool grey-white lime sand bricks or concrete brick facades took the place of the 'cosy' brown brick. White plastic cladding, a novelty in those days, increasingly replaced the wooden planks of yesteryear. This period is mainly characterised by social housing and offices.
Examples
