Youth Dwellings Oostenburg

Eyes on the City

Red, robust, rust. With a striking appearance and characteristic identity, the residential tower for students puts a strong accent on the island of Oostenburg. The building is part of a surprising ensemble of residential buildings and an office area on plot 6, designed by three different architectural firms. NEXT architects has a coordinating role in the design process and designs the residential tower with studios for students.
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Bart Reuser, Marijn Schenk, Michel Schreinemachers with Joost Lemmens, Jorn Kooijstra, Michelle Franke, Christiana Chaikali, Giannis Nikiforou

HOH Architecten and Urban Echoes

Exploring different housing segments

For centuries, Oostenburg was the centre of trade and industry. In the coming years, the island in Amsterdam will be developed into a new, sturdy urban district with approximately 1500 homes. There will be a mix of social, middle segment, and free sector rental homes, apartments for sale, self-build homes, catering, and industry. On plot 6 there will be one residential tower, two smaller (residential) buildings, and a commercial space that represents the core values of the island of Oostenburg: sturdy, lively, and rich in contrast. The diverse range of housing in this historic place close to the centre of Amsterdam makes Oostenburg a unique city district for everyone.

Connecting diverse buildings

In commission of Stadgenoot, NEXT architects, HOH Architects, and Urban Echoes are designing 150 social housing apartments for students, 30 for the elderly, and a workspace on plot 6 in Oostenburg. NEXT architects designs the apartment tower with student studios and has a coordinating role in the design process. The collaboration between the architectural firms has resulted in four unique buildings that together form an ensemble, but also have their own character and identity. Designing for young and old offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the creation of a city that is inclusive, where different needs are brought together on the basis of shared values while respecting the different needs of the various residents.

Creating a visual connection to the city

The building has character and its own identity that the young people who will live in it can identify with: tough, powerful, and ‘vulnerable’. The residential tower is constructed as a stack of ‘neighbourhoods’ with collective indoor and outdoor spaces where interaction and meeting between residents are facilitated. The communal outdoor areas have a double-height so that residents from different floors are brought together and interaction is encouraged. The stairs leading up to these spaces and the large windows generate a source of light in the tower. The outside world is continuously visible from the core of the building; a visual connection with the city and its surroundings. A number of special meeting places in the building, with concepts such as a laundry library and various co-working spaces, make the tower a unique place to live.

The detailed facade of rust-brown Corten steel with large, deep windows also fits in with this industrial aesthetic. The robust steel offers an interesting contrast to the surrounding greenery of the planted roofs and the collective outdoor garden.

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