Amsterdam opens consultations for first wooden residential area

The buildings will be almost entirely constructed of this material and will blend in naturally with the nearby Nelson Mandela Park

Amsterdam is getting one step closer to building the first residential area in The Netherlands almost entirely made of wood. On the outskirts of Nelson Mandela Park and in the city’s Zuidoost (Southeast) neighbourhood, it is expected to become a sustainable neighbourhood with 725 homes and everything that its residents might need – school, shops, social and cultural facilities.

The stated horizon is 2026, but the city has already released the neighbourhood’s quality plan and is asking for feedback.

A residential area where buildings are almost entirely made of wood

The visual quality plan of what is currently called Nelson Mandelabuurt (meaning Nelson Mandela neighbourhood, but this is only a working title) has been published by the city authorities of Amsterdam. The architectural guidelines and images for the buildings are available on this webpage and are expecting feedback between 6^th July and 27 September 2023.  

As indicated, contributions are welcome over email or post. All comments will receive a response, promise the authorities.

The future wooden residential area will comprise 9 residential blocks with different types of households: about 40 percent rental and 60 percent owner-occupied homes. Of the rental properties, 40 percent will be social housing, 40 percent middle segment and 20 percent free sector. There will also be self-build plots where future homeowners can construct their own homes.

The chosen architectural style has Caribbean influences, such as the Bruynzeel houses in Suriname. This suggests covered verandas and galleries and wooden stairs along the facades.

The plan says that the idea is to use wood on a large scale as a sustainable building material. Its proximity to the park is meant to match its natural look. The buildings will feature green roofs and rainwater storage systems. To a lesser extent, the project will use glass, concrete and steel.

Wood was selected not only because it blends in naturally with the nearby park. This “experimental building material” has many other advantages, the plan reads.

Among them is the fact that it is suitable for reuse. It is lightweight, easy to disassemble, easy to clean and transport and can be cut and reassembled without loss of quality.

Wood also has a positive effect on CO2 emissions, due to the CO2 storage capacity. Wood construction reduces nitrogen emissions and can therefore contribute to a solution for the current nitrogen crisis in the construction industry.

Furthermore, wood regulates heat and moisture in a natural way and its look and feel have a positive effect on the human psyche.