Horizons

Signing of Horizons

Carolien Schippers, Director of Land and Development on behalf of the City of Amsterdam, and Onno Dwars on behalf of Ballast Nedam Development have signed the option agreement for plot 5C2 in Amsterdam's Sluisbuurt neighborhood. With its Horizons plan, Ballast Nedam Development emerged as the best candidate for the development of the site, which will include 126 homes, including mid-priced rentals and owner-occupied properties, as well as businesses. Circularity and energy consumption were the main priorities of the tender. Onno Dwars, CEO of Ballast Nedam Development: "With Horizons, we are setting a new standard for sustainable building. This development demonstrates that we can advance this wonderful sector with new innovations and take a leading role throughout the Netherlands and the world. Sustainable building for the future, for people and nature. This will soon be a fantastic place to live." Paul de Ruiter, Director of Paul de Ruiter Architects: "By fully considering circularity, BENG requirements, nature inclusivity, and future-proofing in the architecture, a new standard has been set for sustainable residential buildings."

Horizons: Vijfvoudig duurzaamheidsicoon

Horizons: A 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 marks the beginning of a new generation of buildings that breathe, think, and feel, just as our bodies do as ultimate functioning systems. Horizons breathes through diverse 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 nature's intelligence with human innovation, water and waste are naturally purified for reuse. But above all, it feels good. Through the many opportunities for social interaction, we touch the core of pleasant living, and the abundance of greenery creates a pleasant place for people and animals. The building demonstrates that a positive contribution to Mother Earth is possible, and that we can live based on an abundance of energy, nature, raw materials, and social connection. Horizons is a five-fold sustainability icon, making a positive impact on the planet five times. Horizons prevents loneliness through interconnectedness and an inclusive residential program in which residents literally and figuratively share ownership. The ground floor will not be a fully commercial space but a communal living room. Solar panels have been integrated into the facade, generating more energy than the building uses, and creating rooftop space for the city parks of the future. Horizons is a circular icon, consisting of 62% biobased and recycled materials and 96% reusable at the end of its lifespan. A wooden building that stores nearly 3,000 tons of CO2. A building for nature, where the various roof gardens restore and enrich the biodiversity in the Sluisbuurt neighborhood, and rainwater is collected. A healthy building with clean indoor air where raw material cycles are closed by purifying and reusing its own waste. It demonstrates that people and nature can live together in harmony. A building that sets the standard for the future in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and ultimately the world. In addition to Paul de Ruiter Architects and FLUX Landscape Architects, the Ballast Nedam Development team includes Alba Concepts, Buro Loo, Pieters Bouwtechniek, WAX, CConcept Design, OneGo, Bird Protection Netherlands, JOGG, Ursem, and Heddes.

Horizons: part of Sluisbuurt

The Sluisbuurt neighborhood is located on the western tip of Zeeburgereiland, directly opposite the Oranjesluizen locks, and boasts a unique setting on the IJ River. It will be a sustainable, low-traffic neighborhood with a mix of high-rise and low-rise buildings, offering over 5,500 homes and amenities. Construction preparations are well underway, and this tender also marks the start of the neighborhood's development phase. The full development of the area will take 10 to 15 years.