The Rotterdam based architectural office Orange Architects has designed "Floating gardens" All-in-one school and 190 apartments, that located in Sloterdijk Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Architect's statement: Commissioned by Synchroon, Orange Architects has designed an all-in-one school and 190 apartments on the site of the existing SITAoffice on Heathrowstraat in Amsterdam. The project, Called Floating Gardens, made with the city of Amsterdam, proposes an integral development with a school in the plinth and 190 apartments above.
The area around Sloterdijk station is rapidly transforming from
an office district into a mixed-use residential and office district. Sloterdijk Centre will form the heart of a large-scale area development called Haven-Stad.
image © Orange Architects
Sloterdijk is currently an area of remarkable contrasts. It features an international yet monofunctional office district combined with surprisingly soft areas such as Orlyplein and the Garden of BRET.
A second striking characteristic of the area is its location in the middle of the green wedge called Bretten Zone. Sloterdijk is a stony island located between Westerpark and the Bretten nature area, but it has the potential to become a fully-fledged part of this green network. Finally, Sloterdijk offers space for new initiatives.
Vision and commitment are essential components in developing adistrict that, at present, offers little in the way of spatial quality.The contrasts, the green potential and the availability of spacemake Sloterdijk a place of unparalleled potential.
Site plan
With Floating Gardens, we are making a place where pioneers can actively contribute to the development of their building andneighbourhood. A place that highlights the contrast between ‘Small Scale Community’ and ‘Big City Living’. And a place that combines an abundance of greenery with living in a dynamic city. The occupants of the first residential buildings form a select group that will settle in the area and become catalysts that will transform Sloterdijk. A high-quality programme is being developed for this group, the focus of which is sustainability, shared facilities and inspiration.
image © Orange Architects
Floating Gardens is an iconic building that gives Sloterdijk a recognizable face towards Haarlemmerweg and Spieringhorn Park. Construction of the all-in-one school will strengthen Sloterdijk Centre as a mixed-use residential and office district. In view of its location beside the Bretten Zone, special attention has been given to the integration of the project into the landscape and to the green roof landscapes of Floating Gardens.
To this end, the building is deliberately made up of layers of various size, thereby allowinggreen roof gardens to be made on various levels on the building,improving biodiversity in the city and the welfare of residents.
In addition, a large overhang on the entrance side of the school actsas a generous lobby for the entrance to the park.
image © Orange Architects
THE BUILDING IS DELIBERATELY MADE UP OF LAYERS OF VARIOUS SIZE, THEREBY ALLOWING GREEN ROOF GARDENS TO BE MADE ON VARIOUS LEVELS ON THE BUILDING...
Sharing is the latest craze! Situated in the heart of the building,beside a green outdoor space, is The Living Room. An informal meeting point for the residents of Floating Gardens. This is where they can read the newspaper, work on their laptops, eat lunch together, have a drink with fellow residents, or enjoy an evening meal with friends. The Living Room creates a sense of communityand vibrancy inside the building and ensures that the mentalliving space of residents is bigger than that of their own studio apartment. This in turn improves the quality of life inside the building.
image © Orange Architects
THE LIVING ROOM CREATES A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
AND VIBRANCY INSIDE THE BUILDING...
The ‘all-in-one’ school consists of a primary school for 17 classes.There is capacity for about 400 children, a day care centre, pre-school and after-school facilities. The school occupies the first two floors of the building. Collaboration between the various partsof the all-in-one school results in a broad learning environmentduring and after school hours, with the aim of generating maximum development opportunities for all children. Special attention isdevoted to various green play areas and outdoor spaces locatedaround the building.
School
The 190 apartments of Floating Gardens are located on the third to the seventeenth levels. Half of them are mid-segment rental homes and half are private sector homes. That makes the location affordable for a wide range of residents.
Community houses
Terrace apartments
City block
Diagram
Section
Architect: Orange Architects
Location: Sloterdijk, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Client: Synchroon
Landscape: Felixx landscape architects
Project year: 2016
Area: 22.500 m² GFA (3.250 m² GFA school + 17.000 m² housing + 2.250 m² GFA parking)
Team: Patrick Meijers, Jeroen Schipper,Gloria Caiti, Kapilan Chandranesan, Adriano Cirigliano, Casper van Leeuwen, Manuel Magnaguagno, Francesco Mainetti, Erika Ruiz, Elena Staskute, Florentine van der Vaart, Angela Park, Eric Eisma
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