DenCity Lab

Abstract

Amsterdam is an expanding city, Strategy planning for 2040 emphasises especially the potential for population number increase and significant economic growth. The city has also a very high aspiration for being innovative and sustainable in every area of the development. The transformation of the city is connected strongly with global changes in the economy, technology and social conditions. City future is based on innovations in the production, services and related to their jobs. The mix of the living spaces with the small-scale industry, creative industry, and business is addressed to the very particular area in Amsterdam - Omval, the location which for decades settles the industry functions with warehouse space and overspread parking places. The proposal is based on the future meaning of the creative design process. Idealise, propose prototype, test, launch - those 5 steps of getting the product is going to be realised by people on a whole range of skills and experience by the user innovator approach. The industry 4.0 and Internet of things let create the open network of data where the product could be designed one spot but produced and launched all over the world.Following the future design process, the project contains the program of the Tech Plaza, the mix of high tech 3d printers production on a small scale, specialized mostly in prototyping. Further on the program contains the space for the flexible business. People can occupy the building 24/7h, so they need also the space for living there. That need is realized in two ways. The building contains the hotel for shorter stay and lofts for longer occupation. All functions in the building are connected to introduce the local social value, which means that within the very productive space there is also a strong community of creative, innovative people.Den is a word which describes the informal space for activities related to hobbies, for human interactions. Den mediate between the private living and the public industry functions to create a tool for creative thinking, idealising, prototyping and experimenting with the new ideas related to the future economy and society. Three levels of Den describe the scale of privacy or public relation people to function and the level of possible flexibility within the common space. It makes the building in spontaneous and fluent changes of the functionality inside.