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Parelvisserslaan

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Paul de Ruiter Architects were invited to collaborate with the eco property developer Gideon Goudsmit on a project to turn a vacant office block in Amstelveen into the most sustainable, energy-generating apartment block in the country. The work was to follow the principles of circular construction and our design was to result in an instant landmark. The existing block had already been designated an Energy Plus building, and this contributed to our ambition to push the boundaries of sustainability to a degree never before attempted in a building of this sort. The outcome of our collaboration was a smart and innovative, future-proof apartment block.

Passive House Concept

The transformation will create 109 homes and office spaces, including a vegetarian restaurant. The design is based on the Passive House concept, which prioritizes reuse and positive energy generation. Living comfort is optimized by the sustainable facilities and green features, providing users with a high level of convenience and efficiency. The design also strongly emphasizes sustainable mobility, enhancing user connectivity. For example, 20 electric cars, several electric scooters, and bicycles will be placed in the parking garage for communal use. Furthermore, the parking garage will be available only to residents with electric cars to encourage sustainable mobility. Each parking space will be equipped with a charging station.

Retention of the Main Supporting Structure

The main supporting structure of the existing building will be retained, and the building will be made wider, deeper, and taller. A U-shaped ring of homes will be built around a courtyard garden. The former basement will be expanded into an underground parking garage with 123 parking spaces, storage units, and bicycle racks. The design also includes space for a catering facility. The new building in the U-shaped ring has four floors, while seven additional floors, including the underground parking garage, will be built on top of the existing five-story building. The corner apartments are each slightly more spacious, and the upper corner apartments/penthouses also offer optimal comfort and space. There are also three studios on the top floor, all of which have a roof terrace.

Transparent living environment

To maximize daylight, almost all facades are entirely glass. Therefore, the current facade will be cleverly broken in several places to create an open and transparent living environment. The north-facing facade will become a soundproofing façade to deflect noise from the surrounding roads, while the space on the highly livable galleries behind the glass facade will also provide space for greenery. For example, trees will be allowed to grow across two floors through gaps in the landings.

Venturi principle

The elegant wing with solar panels (PV and PV-T) on the roof of the tall building immediately catches the eye. Remarkably, the wing generates not only solar energy and heat, but also wind energy. The shape of the wing is based on the Venturi principle, whereby the narrowing between the wing and the roof accelerates the wind currents. Energy is generated from these wind currents by 24 wind generators on the roof. The homes within the U-shaped ring will be equipped with solar panels on sawtooth roofs, with a white coating on the roof ensuring sunlight reflection and increased efficiency of the dual-sided solar panels. Remarkably, the wing generates not only solar energy and heat, but also wind energy.

Extremely sustainable amenities

The residential building exudes sustainability down to the last detail. The Energy Plus building focuses on reuse and the building's role as an energy source as much as possible. The optimal positioning relative to the sun and the passive houses create the spatial foundation for the building's role as an energy source. Furthermore, the generous amount of solar panels (4,000 m²) creates a surplus of energy, enabling the building to even supply energy to the neighborhood and the electricity grid. The coffee pellet stove, which generates both heat and electricity using coffee waste pellets as fuel, is also part of the responsible energy production chain. Two 60,000-liter rainwater harvesting tanks provide residents with water for toilets and gardens. Furthermore, all sanitary facilities are water-efficient, and hot water is reused. The mechanically ventilated air conditioning system ionizes the air, ensuring residents enjoy a healthy and filtered atmosphere. The sustainable details, such as the use of LED lighting, home automation, and energy-generating elevators, support the BREEAM Outstanding ambition of the residential building.

An icon of sustainable housing

As a light, green, and healthy building with ample views, the residential building is an asset to the scarce sustainable housing market. Thanks to its extremely sustainable applications, we designed the most progressive and sustainable residential building in the Netherlands, demonstrating how sustainable and aesthetic applications can be effectively combined.