The NEMAVO Airey system: A wealth of options
L.G.K. Spoormans (TU Delft - Heritage & Design)
H. Zijlstra (TU Delft - Heritage & Design)
W.J. Quist (TU Delft - Heritage & Technology)
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Abstract
After the Second World War there were serious shortages of building materials and trained personnel, the demand for housing was high and construction budgets were low. Together these factors created an environment for the large-scale development of non-traditional residential construction systems in the Netherlands. One of these was the NEMAVO Airey system imported from the United Kingdom and adapted for the Dutch market. This article focusses on the external walls used in this system, a combination of precast concrete columns and precast concrete cladding panels arranged on a grid, which give the Airey houses their typical appearance. The Airey houses in the Netherlands exhibit a great variety within a recognisable system. This article addresses what aspects of the construction system, historical context, system developments, parties involved, and later circumstances and interventions resulted in the wide range of remaining stock of NEMAVO Airey houses in the Netherlands.