KOER is an iconic residential development on Laan op Zuid in Rotterdam. This hybrid building combines robust urban facades with intimate, village-like inner gardens. Sculptural corners, layered compositions, and warm-toned brick create a strong identity. With 167 diverse homes, ranging from apartments to family houses, open corridors, and a green courtyard, KOER contributes to the wider transformation of the area. Circular materials, a mobility hub, and shared workspaces enhance the project's liveability and future resilience, integrating urban and village elements through brick architecture and a green environment.
KOER prioritises circular building design and energy efficiency. The unique detachable ceramic façade elements offer a circular alternative to traditional brickwork, using fired stone six times thinner to reduce material use. The warm-toned brickwork features custom-made patterns, dynamic depth variations, and sculptural corners. The façade also integrates 335 nesting facilities for birds, while the fully circular ‘Villa Residu’ is built with reused materials. New construction technologies enable flexible modifications, and carefully designed custom-made brickwork introduces contemporary detailing, blending sustainability with urban living.
To respond to the changing climate, KOER —being a large-scale development— required significant natural interventions. This began by maximizing green, permeable ground by keeping the underground parking garage as compact as possible. The resulting open soil provides room for large trees and natural rainwater infiltration through a wadi. All built surfaces, such as the garage roof and other rooftops, are used for greenery.
The design also builds on the site’s existing biotopes, for example by placing the original soil on the 'Railway' roof. This soil proved so rich in seeds and nutrients that, before completion, plants were already growing above the roofline. The entire system of green roofs and gardens buffers and slows down rainwater drainage, helping to prevent drought and heat stress.
The gardens are accessible to residents, who collectively take care of them. They also offer space for many other inhabitants of KOER: bats, tits, sparrows, and swifts have their own homes integrated into the façades. With carefully designed nesting boxes incorporated into the façade bands, a total of 335 nesting provisions contribute to the city’s biodiversity
CIRCULAR VILLA RESIDU
Villa Residu offers a tangible example of how circular design and construction can be applied in residential architecture. This semi-detached house in Rotterdam was realised from concept to completion according to circular principles, using carefully selected recycled and reused materials. The project demonstrates that sustainability is not a compromise, but rather an enrichment of urban living.
The majority of the building’s structure consists of recycled or reused materials; only the foundation was built using traditional methods. Thanks to an innovative coating on the façade materials, the villa achieves a high-quality appearance without compromising on circularity
An MPG analysis (Environmental Performance of Buildings) shows that Villa Residu scores 56% better (0.34) than the legal standard (0.8), placing the project well within current sustainability frameworks. Thanks to its circular approach, the homes are also Paris Proof (according to the Dutch Green Building Council standard), meaning it is future-proof in view of climate targets.
