Kavel 6 is an urban ensemble with social rental housing comprising 170 studios for young people and 30 apartments for seniors. It is part of the significant urban transformation of the former industrial area Oostenburgereiland into a new residential district with approximately 1,500 homes in Amsterdam.

The studios for young people are housed in the residential tower 'De Stork,' designed by Next Architects, and residential blocks 'De Sluis' and 'De Werkplaats,' designed by Urban Echoes. The apartments for seniors are located in the corner building 'De Stoomkracht,' designed by HOH Architects. HOH was also responsible for the design of the urban ensemble and the courtyard garden.

The ensemble explicitly connects to the urban context of Oostenburgereiland and its characteristic dense structure of individual buildings. All buildings have their entrance on the main street of the island, the Oostenburgermiddenstraat. In terms of buildings, the residential tower is the landmark visible from the railway on the north side of the ensemble. The long and narrow corner building on the south side connects the ensemble to the robust scale of the INIT building, which houses among others, newspaper De Volkskrant and the municipal cleaning service.

At the same time, Kavel 6 also has an intimate and unique character in the form of the communal courtyard garden. This garden forms a green oasis of tranquility and meeting space for residents, both young and old, amidst the hustle and bustle of this new and vibrant district.

The garden is located on two levels, each with its own character and planting plan: a shady garden with trees planted in the full soil and a sunny garden on the roof of a logistical corridor running across the plot, intended for the municipal cleaning service. The levels of the courtyard garden are connected by a generous staircase equipped with planters, integrating the stairs into the garden. The staircase and corridor are clad with a matte reflective coating, making the relatively small garden appear larger and reflecting as much light as possible into the garden.

By covering the adjacent parking garage with greenery, it is incorporated into the courtyard garden design. This enhances biodiversity, appearance, and acoustics in the heart of the plot, and the garden’s planting plan allows the various seasons to be experienced.

The corner building translates the urban principle of contrasting individual buildings into architectural principles by splitting the building into two parts in terms of function and materialisation, creating a double building.

One part, 3 meters wide, serves as a spacious entrance for the residential building, vertical circulation, outdoor space, and meeting place for residents. This part features a gold-colored entrance portal, an industrial materialisation, and is finished with stainless steel mesh as fall protection, which will be covered with climbing plants on the garden side, blending it with the courtyard garden’s greenery.

The other part, at the corner of the ensemble, houses an open workspace on the ground floor and 30 apartments for seniors on the upper floors, constructed from black module bricks. The large square window openings are staggered within the strict square grid of the bricks, giving the heavy building a playful appearance and allowing the individual apartment to blend into the collective whole.

The compact apartments (usable area 40m2) have a smart layout that is user-friendly for seniors who may later experience limited mobility. A core with a bathroom, toilet, storage, and installations is the central element around which the resident can move freely. The core allows both a flexible layout and a clear separation from the private domain without compromising the functionality and spaciousness of the apartment.