Horizons

Amsterdam is getting an internationally leading sustainability icon in the Sluisbuurt. Here, the special residential building 'Horizons' is being developed by Ballast Nedam Development to a design by Paul de Ruiter Architects and FLUX Landscape Architects. Horizons is designed with the cycle of nature and the functioning of the human body as a source of inspiration: it breathes, thinks, and feels. The environment in which the residents will soon feel connected to nature is an international example and a step forward towards a sustainable future.

Signature Horizons

Carolien Schippers, Director of Land and Development on behalf of the municipality of Amsterdam, and Onno Dwars on behalf of Ballast Nedam Development have signed the option agreement for lot 5C2 in the Amsterdam Sluisbuurt. With the Horizons plan, Ballast Nedam Development emerged as the best for the development of the site with 126 homes, including mid-range rent and buy, and business activity. Circularity and energy consumption were the main focus of the tender.

Onno Dwars, CEO Ballast Nedam Development: "With Horizons we are setting the new standard for sustainable construction. This development shows that we can use new innovations to move this wonderful sector forward and to take a leading role in the Netherlands and the world. Sustainable building for the future, for people and nature. This will soon be a great place to live."

Paul de Ruiter, Director Paul de Ruiter Architects: "By integrally taking into account circularity, BENG requirements, nature inclusiveness and future-proofing in its design, a new standard has been set for sustainable residential buildings."

Horizons: Five-fold sustainability icon

Horizons is the first building with a positive impact on the earth, people, and animals. A building based on an abundance of innovations in circularity, sustainability, and future-proof construction. It is the start of a new generation of buildings that breathes, thinks, and feels, just as our bodies do as the ultimate functioning system. Horizons breathes through various green landscapes, providing a source of fresh air, oxygen, and health.

With innovations in energy, Horizons knows when there is too much or too little. And by combining the intelligence of nature with the innovative thinking of humans, water and waste are naturally purified for reuse. But above all, it feels good. Through the many opportunities for encounters, we touch the core of pleasant living, and the many green spaces provide a nice place for people and animals. The building shows that a positive contribution to Mother Earth is possible and that we can live based on the abundance of energy, nature, raw materials, and social connection.

Horizons is a fivefold sustainability icon, making five positive impacts on the planet. For example, Horizons prevents loneliness through a mutual connection and an inclusive residential program in which residents have shared ownership, literally and figuratively. The first floor will not be a full commercial space but a collective living room. Solar panels are incorporated into the design of the facade, generating more energy than the building uses, and space on the roofs is created for the city parks of the future. Horizons is a circular icon made up of 62% biobased and reused materials and is 96% reusable at the end of its life. A wooden building that stores almost 3,000 tons of CO2. A building for nature, where the various roof gardens restore and enrich the biodiversity of the Sluisbuurt, and rainwater is collected. A healthy building with clean indoor air in which raw material cycles are closed by purifying and reusing our waste. It shows that man and nature can live together in harmony. A building that sets the standard for the future in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and ultimately the world.

Besides Paul de Ruiter Architects and FLUX Landscape Architects, the Ballast Nedam Development team consists of Alba Concepts, Buro Loo, Pieters Bouwtechniek, WAX, CConcept Design, OneGo, Vogelbescherming Nederland, JOGG, Ursem and Heddes.

Horizons: part of the Sluis neighborhood

The Sluisbuurt is situated at the western tip of the Zeeburger Island directly opposite the Oranjesluizen locks and has a unique location along the IJ river. It will be a sustainable, low-traffic neighborhood with a combination of high-rise and low-rise buildings containing over 5,500 homes and facilities. Preparations for the construction are in full swing, with this tender the realization phase of the district starts. The complete development of the area will take 10 to 15 years.