Canal House

Occupied by a low-density work and retail uses, at 15min biking distance from Amsterdam Centraal, south facing with a long exposure to the water of one of Amsterdam’s quays, the site is an exceptional location for redevelopment in the city under an extraordinary pressure for development.

Proposed concept is symmetrically divided into two gallery flats with a central-core apartment building in the middle. The gallery typologies evolve around two distinct characteristic open spaces: a residential deck placed on a building plinth at the west and a green communal garden at the east. Both of those features serve as interfaces between the residential program and the public space. A variety of commercial uses are proposed in the plinth, stretching along it’s outer edge and being accessible from the street. The required car/bike parking is situated behind.

The building volume is compact and efficient. In order to appear lighter, it is further articulated through strategically positioned view-lines that cut through the project and fine-tuned with setbacks of the building volumes. Street facing façade is made with a high percentage of openings, making the best use of its southern orientation. Materialized in a brick, it helps a relatively massive building volume blend into a new city neighborhood.