A building that reflects the dynamic of the city and facilitates spontaneous encounters
Ever since the summer of 2025, the collective self-built housing complex Bakstayn has been standing proudly on Amsterdam's Centrumeiland, erected from red bricks as a tribute to the recognizable architecture of the ‘Amsterdamse School’. The group of initiators and inhabitants did not merely want to design something beautiful for themselves, but to give back to the city with a social, sustainable and picturesque building. They joined forces with architecture office Time to Access for a co-design process that has resulted in eighteen tailor-made, affordable homes.
The CPO-group is a team of enthusiastic ‘Amsterdammers’ who cherish the city in which they live, work and have their social networks. Although Bakstayn is a collection of eighteen homes, the main initiative started with four of those. Via an intensive participation process, four main pillars of the project were uncovered.
First of all, people from Amsterdam with a middle income had to be able to afford to live in Bakstayn, and this rule became leading in the design. This meant that the price per square meter had to stay below 5.250 euros. The building had to facilitate meetings between inhabitants, but also with the neighbourhoods through a common room on the ground floor. Next to that, the building’s inhabitants had to reflect the diversity that is inherently part of Amsterdam, with people from various backgrounds, ages, and household configurations. Lastly, clear agreements were made on how to live together as engaged neighbors, especially now that they have moved in.
“Our goal is not only to build bricks, to build a community"
A large space on the ground floor, decorated with brick arches and a direct view on the street, serves as a living room for the building, including a shared guest room. Moreover, this space is connected to the collective inner garden, where a pond and a sauna can be found. The building is energy neutral and rainproof. The extra wide galleries allow for spontaneous meetings between neighbors; the semi-open, circular shaped balcony separations allow for small private areas per dwelling, without harsh borders between individual and communal spaces.
As in the architecture of the Amsterdamse School, the building is characterized by its recognizable plinth, body and crown. The red bricks are alternated with red concrete elements, and green glazed tiles in the crown. The window frames are completely wooden, which adds a touch of warmth in between the rocks.
Time to Access acted as a process leader and architect in the project. Together with each inhabitant discussions were held on how to combine personal ambitions with communal goals. The result is eighteen tailor-made homes within a collective shell, a true addition to the rich tradition of housing design in Amsterdam.
