Responsive Suburbia

Abstract

A housing project comprised of 72 units is located in IJ Burg— a new suburb east from the center of Amsterdam. More specifically, the project sits on a man-made island called Steigereiland North, on a ‘left-over’ green strip of land. Two types of dwellings (A and B) are disseminated around the site forming various permeable blocks of living and working units. These apartments consist of free-standing, row, and semi-detached typologies, depending on their arrangement and orientation. The capacity of these units to grow and change over time is a key feature of this project. The project has an additional activity strip between the waterside and the housing fabric border which will aid to serve as a lively catalyst for the neighbourhood. This ‘mat’ consists of landscaping and supplementary functions such as: tennis courts, a soccer field, playgrounds, picnic zones, pergolas, a climbing wall, a dance studio, and storage facilities. The newly-added layer of economical, community-driven activities reinvigorates IJ Burg. Introducing light production as well as the creative and working classes into the urban fabric will also result in an extrovert and well-functioning community.