Jury winner – category: Unbuilt Sustainable Residential Project
“Juf Nienke is a circular, nature-inclusive and energy-positive building with a strong urban presence. The timber housing modules are stacked high above a grand staircase to create a large vertical void and signal the entrance to ‘Juf Nienke’. This raised terrace acts as a communal street running through to the other side and connects the 3 housing blocks. Half of the 61 apartments are intended for teachers and other residents who work in the essential services within Amsterdam. The main 15-meter-high wooden structure rests on a concrete base of parking for 246 bikes. The double height transparent plinth will have a café, shops, shared workspaces and tutoring spaces. The materials used are mainly bio based and recycled; they have a low environmental impact and are largely renewable. The prefabricated timber modules are paired horizontally or stacked vertically to create a variety of housing typologies. By varying the depths of the modules but keeping a standard width of 4m, the housing is completely demountable. This means ‘Juf Nienke’ can easily be adapted in the future. By building the housing entirely out of timber we store over 580.000 kg CO2, actively responding to the challenge posed by climate change and contributing to a healthy living environment. By prefabricating the timber housing we lower the amount of waste, minimize the impact on the surroundings and reduce construction time significantly. The planting of both the courtyard and the raised communal deck has been carefully chosen to enrich biodiversity. The deck has niches for bats and birds and high above the entrance staircase the façade is continued to create a bat hotel. The green roof and vegetation within the central courtyard maximise the potential water retention on site. The building is connected to the area’s heating system and photovoltaics on the roof will produce 140KWp.”
By RAU architects , SeARCH