Lloyd Yard

A glimpse into the port's past

The name Lloyd Yard wasn't chosen at random. 'Lloyd' refers to the historic shipping company Koninklijke Rotterdamsche Lloyd, which was once located here and after which the district is named. 'Yard' (incidentally, also a sailing term) refers to the adventurous, sheltered courtyard garden accessible to all residents. The port character is reflected in the architecture in various ways: robust forms and materials such as rusty Corten steel and rough brickwork with weathered facing bricks exude a rawness. But facade details and the large lettering on the roof also reference the adjacent Kuehne+Nagel monument and the former warehouses and cranes that once stood here. The homes, mostly double-height and robustly built, also reflect the industrial character.

Diverse housing needs, diverse homes

More and more people with diverse housing needs want to live in Rotterdam. To accommodate this, the homes range from studios and maisonettes to townhouses and spacious homes for sale and rent. Lloyd Yard consists of seven substantial buildings surrounding a green and adventurous courtyard, with a total of 136 sustainable (MPG 0.65) and energy-neutral homes (EPC 0.0). At the corners, like bookends, are the larger apartment buildings with tall windows and generous outdoor spaces. Between them are the special features, such as townhouses with water views, back-to-back homes, and ten self-build plots. The townhouses feature sustainable facade materials such as Corten steel salvaged from old ships and ceramic tiles that convert nitrogen. All apartments have a minimum floor height of 3.2 meters, but some even reach four to five meters or contain multiple floors connected by voids. Both these voids and the wooden floors in the back-to-back apartments and penthouses offer the opportunity to expand or modify the apartments internally. This makes Lloyd Yard a small town in itself, where almost every apartment has a unique character.

Shared outdoor spaces

At Lloyd Yard, the outdoors plays a significant role. First and foremost, each home has a spacious private outdoor space. Fencing is landscaped, and living galleries feature planters. Climbing structures allow plants to climb from the ground up high onto the facades, and rainwater is collected for use when the gardens need it. In the courtyard, raised steel walkways reveal the foundations of the former warehouses. The courtyard is not raked or perfect, but adventurous. It sparks the imagination and attracts insects and other wildlife. A prominent role in the design is played by the Maas window, a large façade opening on the river side, accessible via a Corten steel staircase. The window, with its mirrored ceiling, allows every home to catch a glimpse of the Maas River while simultaneously allowing sunlight to penetrate the courtyard. Everyone can take a seat on the giant swing and enjoy the phenomenal view over the water. The roofs include a rooftop greenhouse and vegetable garden, where residents can grow food together. The roofs serve multiple functions simultaneously: residential use (red), energy generation (yellow), rainwater buffering (blue), and food production (green). This combination of functions ensures that Lloyd Yard contributes to a healthy, future-proof living environment for Rotterdam.