Proto-ZOÖP Zeeburg Housing, Amsterdam Real Estate, Netherlands, Dutch Apartments, Architecture Images

Proto-ZOÖP Zeeburg Housing in Amsterdam

30 Aug 2022

Architects: VenhoevenCS and DS Landschapsarchitecten

Location: Sluisbuurt, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Images: B1 Design

Proto-ZOÖP Zeeburg, Holland

Area developer AM has won the tender for plot 4a in the Sluisbuurt on the Zeeburgereiland in Amsterdam with a nature-inclusive plan for an apartment complex with 82 homes and a parking garage. On the ground floor there will be space for shops and businesses. The Proto-ZOÖP Zeeburg project, designed by VenhoevenCS architecture+urbanism and DS Landschapsarchitecten, is characterized by different heights and a wealth of vegetation from native plants. Much attention will be paid to the design of green roofs, terraces and facades that contribute to optimizing the climate and stimulate biodiversity.

Room for flora and fauna
The plot borders the inland waterway of the Sluisbuurt and is located near a public park. Giving a voice to nature in the city, Proto-Zoöp Zeeburg will provide shelter for all five fauna species: building, tree, shrubland, grassland and water bound. Zoöp is the term for an organizational model for cooperation between human and non-human life that represents the interests of all (it derives from “zoë”, the Greek word for “life”).

“We are proud of the nature-inclusive contribution that Proto-Zoöp Zeeburg will soon make to Sluisbuurt and the city of Amsterdam. With the broad, integral design and development team, the municipality and future users, we will continue to develop the building into a place where people, plants and animals feel at home. A Zoöp is a concept that must meet strict conditions and we trust that this plan will receive the official status of Zoöp after evaluation,” says Peter Heuvelink, director of AM Noordwest.

Sustainable living
The apartment complex contains a maximum gross floor area of 10,000 m². This relatively small building space will house 82 small and large homes for families, couples and singles, whether or not in a cooperative context. All houses have a minimum size of 40 m². The design of the apartment complex scores well on sustainability, partly due to the triple glazing, the heat recovery and the solar panels integrated into the design.

Space for shops and business
The two-storey plinth with partly double height on the main street offers 1,500 m² of space for shops and entrepreneurs. The long facade contributes to the attractiveness of the main and cross corner street. This meets the need for more shops in the Sluisbuurt.

Design
The development is characterized by balance and contrast: urban fringes with public facilities along the main street; intimate green-blue ‘inner world’ on the inland water, near the public park. The construction, including materials for the quays, has been well thought out. This ranges from natural blocks with openings, ferns and herbs, to the high-quality green cantilever facade. The building is set at different heights, ranging from 12, 17, 20 to 40 meters, with six roof terraces with different functions for use by residents, nature and water.

“In its nature-inclusive design, Proto-Zoöp Zeeburg is a robust project that reflects our high ambition for sustainability. As far as we are concerned, the result sets the tone for how the Sluisbuurt and the rest of the city should be built in the coming years,” says Jos-Willem van Oorschot, VenhoevenCS architecture+urbanism.

The next step
AM will develop the plan into a final design. Construction of this project is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2024, with the aim of completion in the first quarter of 2026.

Development Sluisbuurt
The Sluisbuurt is located on the western tip of the Zeeburgereiland directly opposite the Oranjesluizen and has a unique location on the IJ. It will be a sustainable, car-free neighborhood with buildings in a combination of high and low-rise buildings and containing more than 5,500 homes and facilities.

Architects: VenhoevenCS – https://venhoevencs.nl/ and DS Landschapsarchitecten