Located in Amby, Maastricht, a residential development replaces an outdated row of two-storey apartment buildings. Commissioned by housing association Woningstichting Maasvallei, the project delivers a total of 29 new social-rent homes, designed for both seniors and families. Instead of following the traditional approach of building across the entire site and reserving the rear area for parking, the project, designed by Martens, Willems & Humblé Architecten, chooses a compact building footprint. This strategic decision frees up land area for a shared communal garden, with parking relocated to a smaller, landscaped site along the side of the property.

Design and integration with the streetscape

The design approach ensures the buildings are contextually suitable, reflecting the scale and character of the surrounding neighbourhood. The overall volume is divided into 17 apartments within a two- and three-storey block, and 12 ground-floor homes for families. The facades draw inspiration from local architectural heritage, featuring brick piers reminiscent of nearby homes initially designed by Frans Dingemans. These serve as prominent vertical frames for panels of profiled steel sheet, creating a visual link between the ground-floor homes and the apartment building.

Enhancing the public realm, each residence is given its own street-level entrance, complete with a small private space and a concrete bench. These elements are specifically included to encourage informal social contact and contribute to a more active and engaging frontage, fostering a communal, courtyard-like atmosphere on the street. The external spaces were developed in collaboration with Studio BKL, which prioritised the preservation of existing mature trees while introducing new layers of greenery.

Materials, environmental compliance, and technical details

A key consideration in the material selection was durability and low maintenance, supporting a robust and long-lasting development. The primary facade material is red-mixed brick, providing a sense of permanence. This is complemented by green profiled steel sheets used for the facade panels. The facade design strategically breaks down the overall volume of the building into smaller segments, aligning the new structure with the existing rhythm of the streetscape. The construction utilises triple glass throughout the project, significantly enhancing the thermal envelope.

All 29 units are equipped with their own heat pump for heating and hot water supply. Additionally, the ground-floor homes feature three solar panels on each roof, directly contributing to the building's energy balance. The homes were designed to meet the mandatory Dutch BENG (Bijna Energie Neutrale Gebouwen) requirements, ensuring verifiable high energy performance.

The compact building footprint is also a core environmental mitigation measure, freeing up surface area to create the large communal garden. This design choice, coupled with the planting plan, effectively transforms the street from one dominated by scattered vehicle parking into a green public space, enhancing biodiversity and permeable surface area.

This redevelopment successfully transforms Rembrandtstraat, shifting its focus from vehicular dominance to a socially vibrant and green public space. The intentional integration of homes for diverse demographics, along with actively engaged frontages, helps create a more open and socially connected neighbourhood.