Green light for new building and sustainable transformation former Calvijn College Amsterdam Nieuw-Wes
14/07/2022
Real estate investor and developer Green Real Estate and Belgian property developer ION have won the tender to sustainably transform and expand the former Calvijn College in Amsterdam Nieuw-West.
- The Cornelium in Podiumgebied Lelylaan forms the new cultural heart of the area with 189 homes, a health center, work studio, community room and cultural incubator
- The approximately 20,000 m2 project is more sustainable than required thanks to numerous social functions and innovative techniques
- Monumental school is transformed and connected by a forest to multifunctional new building
The total project includes 14,300 m2 of housing of which a quarter is medium-rent. It also offers various social functions such as a health center of about 1,000 m2, a work studio of about 500 m2, a community room of about 120 m2 and a cultural incubator of about 3,500 m2 including a number of independent living units for artists.
Planning assumes start construction in the first half of 2025 and completion in 2027. The project on Cornelis Lelylaan is one of the last pieces of the puzzle of the Podiumgebied Lelylaan, in a lively Amsterdam neighborhood with many social challenges. Meeting and connecting are therefore central to the design. The development named The Cornelium forms the new cultural heart of the area.
Like many other European cities, Amsterdam is facing the firm challenge of increasing its housing supply while developing as sustainably as possible. The Podium area, near Amsterdam Lelylaan station and close to the Vondel and Rembrandt parks, is part of the Ringzone West. This is one of Amsterdam's densifying locations where many new homes and facilities are being built. The municipality's ambition is to transform this traditionally spacious business and amenity zone into a center-urban environment. This will create a connection between the old and new city.
An enjoyable living environment
In Belgium we have become one of the largest developers in 11 years, but this was the first time we competed for a tender in the Netherlands. That we are now winning it in the capital, the most challenging market in the country and many times more demanding than the Belgian market, is enormously satisfying and shows that we are a pioneer in the field of cultural history and sustainability. Complex stories do not scare us, quite the contrary. By looking across borders and working together, we also learn new techniques. Just think of the ground pipe cooling system under the climate forest, which carries clean air to the apartments and saves a lot of energy.
Green invests in environments where people feel comfortable and at home, where entrepreneurs can be successful, and where a home offers more than just housing. We develop areas where people engage in social interactions and that make them feel included in society. Therefore, we have chosen an open character of the design, where people feel welcome and can meet each other. The plan for a green oasis with a nature-inclusive urban forest between the two buildings is an invitation to residents and neighbors to come together, relax and exercise.
Energy efficient and circular
Smart design choices ensure that energy demand is limited. Deep galleries invite meeting. An additional advantage is that this keeps the summer sun out while the winter sun brings heat deep into the apartments. Natural cooling provides a pleasant indoor climate.
On an annual basis, the new apartment building supplies more energy than it consumes. This is made possible by a combination of limited energy demand, high-efficiency solar panels and connection to the district heating network. This will also provide green energy to the restored block, where there were fewer options.
Circularity and minimal environmental impact are also key points for this development. To ensure the lowest possible MPG (Environmental Performance Building), wood is often chosen as a building material. At the Cornelium, however, circular concrete from New Horizon was chosen. This makes the MPG even lower than wood construction. New Horizon is the only one with a patented technique that allows them to process used concrete into new in-situ concrete at a high quality.
A home in greenery
The Cornelium is an inclusive development, for people, the environment and animals. The diverse social and residential functions ensure that Het Cornelium becomes a place for many different audiences. The many green spaces provide habitat for native animal and plant species. The monument and the new building will be connected by a newly created forest. The former Calvin College, the monument will also be greened by vegetation on the roof.
The architecture of the new, light green building is inspired by sleek modernism and has some distinctive eye-catchers. For example, there is a “gateway” in the center of the building. In the current design, that gateway not only provides a pleasant vista from the street to the monument and climate forest, but is also intended to be a lived-in passageway with terraces, plantings and windows. On the roof of the transformed school is the possibility for a food roof with communal garden room.
The design came about in close collaboration with OZ Architects, landscape architect Flux, sustainability consultant Arup, Jaap Schoufour of Stipo and special professor of historic preservation and urban design at the University of Amsterdam Vincent van Rossum.
