At Amsterdam’s dynamic Zuidas district you'll find The Newton. Designed by Diederendirrix, this development consists of 101 energy-efficient apartments, and connects two residential buildings with a shared rooftop garden, designed by Felixx. The open space that runs through the heart of the development allows natural light and a touch of nature to permeate the space, offering a glimpse of lush green.
Integrated approach as guiding principle
The Newton exemplifies the strength of an integrated approach, in which architecture and landscape design are seamlessly intertwined from the project's inception. Prior collaborations between Felixx and Diederendirrix have consistently resulted in integrated, climate-adaptive projects. For The Newton, this approach has resulted in numerous visible and concealed measures that embrace nature.
Architecture with contrast
The architecture of The Newton plays on hard and soft contrasts, creating two distinct realms. Its exterior features a sculptural, modern structure with crisp lines, composed of red brickwork. Industrial windows with aluminum frames and rods accentuate its facade, and lend a robust appearance. Its design extends an invitation to passersby, offering a glimpse inside its inner world.
In addition to housing units, the building also incorporates commercial space, parcel lockers for residents and an underground parking facility.
New standard for green urban living
Thanks to its landscape, The Newton effortlessly meets the stringent criteria established by the Municipality of Amsterdam for outdoor spaces in new urban developments. It skillfully integrates greenery and water features at multiple ground levels. Suspended above the plinth on the first floor, the communal rooftop garden resembles a verdant oasis that seems to float above the cityscape. This semi-public garden is easily accessible via a wide stone staircase that seamlessly links it to the surrounding public green spaces. Structural lines adjacent to the rooftop garden gracefully recede as they ascend, ensuring ample sunlight permeates the space. The presence of green terrace edges, vertical vegetation, and climbing plants collaboratively transform the interior of the residential block into a captivating sanctuary.
The Newton features a smart water management system, in which rainwater is collected and reused for the irrigation of the rooftop garden. Any surplus is discharged through a “green brook” — a water-retaining green strip located in front of the ground-floor residences. The green facades, composed of climbing plants and planter boxes, provides habitat for bat boxes, bird-nesting boxes, as well as bee boxes, and insect hotels which are thoughtfully incorporated into the blooming rooftop garden.
The rich variety of insect-friendly flowers, perennials, shrubs, and trees promote biodiversity, and offers residents, plants, and wildlife a delightful green habitat. To ensure that it maintains its quality, careful maintenance of this vegetation is a collective effort.
The playful form, lush greenery, pleasant microclimate, and focus on use and experience make The Newton a high-quality, green living environment that enhances the dense urban fabric of the Zuidas.
