Imagine Amsterdam Sloterdijk as a residential location; a dense and mixed neighbourhood in an area which is currently dominated by gleaming office complexes and large-scale infrastructure. ‘StadsoaseSloterdijk’ is our answer to the municipality's request to design for a residential segment that has hardly been served in Amsterdam in recent years; the medium-priced rental home. All this in an infrastructural location with little to no small-scale public space and severe noise pollution.
The architectural ensemble, together with the design aims to integrate the building with its distinct location and unite the target group; several different residential buildings of different scales form the perimeter of the plot, enclosing an intimate courtyard within.This courtyardgarden serves as a meeting area and playground, it mediates the surrounding topography and acts as an infiltrationarea for rainwater. The towersform and colours blend in with the existing Sloterdijk skyline and are softened through refined details, green foliage and warm, tactile materials.
The architecture of the highest residential toweris the result of an ambitious scheme that counters problems of wind and noise with spacious family balconies and sound-buffering loggias. Sound buffering façades usually result in avery closedarchitecture or,in the most positive case, a fully glazed double façade.StadsoaseSloterdijk makes these challenges opportunities by creating a lively and expressive exterior. Greenhouses and large balconies are integrated into every dwelling to not only create an acoustic barrier, but also give every house a generous, wind free outdoor space that offers private views across the city.
Brass-coloured window frames and balcony railings combined with plants in the balcony further give the dwelling a warm atmosphere in the middle of an infrastructure heavy, grey environment. With this, Stadsoase Sloterdijk offers generous and affordable homes for families, complete with green outdoor spaces away from harsh noises and wind loads.
