Compact > City: Young Professional Living

Over the last hundred years cities have sprawled out. Amsterdam despite being one of the denser cities also faced this phenomenon. Today, Amsterdam is very desired by dwellers and it puts the city in a difficult situation. The city can’t expand outwards and need to densify within the city perimeters. However, with the design philosophy of the Compact City there are many attractive opportunities to make Amsterdam a better city through building more qualitative better spaces with high densities. The design proposal adds within a complex urban fabric two buildings that will help to create a new hotspot for development at the outer east side of the Golden Age city expansion area of the city of Amsterdam. The building aims for Young Urban Professionals, a group that stood at the beginning of the current revitalization of the city. There outgoing and ambitious lifestyle were the inspiration for a new typology. One that put its emphasis on the communal realm. For a group that must get their social interaction from friends this space is of most importance. The private realm is a micro-unit that through its design could remain small and pushes the density levels upwards. The building’s design is a combination of maximizing the potential build volume while still connecting to the urban fabric that it stands in. The facades extend the precious green structure that is present at the location and the facades merge with the brickwork found in the older buildings in the surrounding. Touches of the Amsterdam School are found back in the design and windows are designed to offer maximal flexibility of the floorplans inside. Between the load bearing walls that span 7,8 meters there are three variations possible. One that holds one 60m² apartment or in the case of this design with two times a 30m² micro-apartment or three times a 20m² micro-apartment. This flexibility will ensure that the building can adapt to any future changes that may occur and remain sustainable. The building has one of the highest standards of insulation and is detailed to be as airtight as possible to ensure a minimized loss of energy. The CO2 controlled mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, hot and cold geothermal storage, and a dry system floor heating all ensure maximal comfort with minimal energy.Between Standards and IdealsArchitecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Dwellin