A student home that activates the neighborhood.

Werkstad OverAmstel is a rough area with great contrasts in use and appearance. This character forms the starting point for the transformation into a diverse living and working environment. Contrast and surprise are part of Werkstad. In Werkstad OverAmstel Zuid, large office buildings (like G-Star and Mediavaert) have been built in various places in recent years, attracting thousands of employees to the area every day. Buildings in the Work City have a lot of variation in volume, from very large to small. Larger buildings or complexes are made up of several recognizable volumes. The individual building volumes are clearly designed and as such readable within the stack. The difference in speed at which the user moves through the area is visible in the scale and detailing of the volumes. We identified and seized the opportunity to bring this area to life 24/7, 52 weeks a year, by developing a building for Student Experience: a hotel for international students.

VDM18 is a student residence that is also open to professionals and residents from the area. The building will house ca. 400 university-related people. By choosing a composite volume, oriented towards the water, it will feel robust yet friendly. The two main volumes are connected by a collective bridge with study areas, laundry and relaxation areas visible from the van de Madeweg by the urban window. The lobby, the café next to the water, the meeting rooms and the sports facilities on the roof are accessible to everyone. The building will be designed in accordance with the four-star BREEAM certificate (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) to match the highest social and sustainable standards.