Rotterdam-based Orange Architects along with Echo urban design, Moederscheim Moonen, More Architecture, and Studio Nauta, has been commissioned by Rotterdam developers Leyten and Stebru to design the new Zomerhofkwartier (ZOHO) in Rotterdam.

ZOHO is a kind of "city within a city" in the Zomerhofkwartier district located between the city center and the Agniese district in Rotterdam. As a place that has been home to many creative residents and entrepreneurs over the past decade, the area has transformed into a bustling district filled with innovative workspaces.

In the brief for this project, the city of Rotterdam expressed its desire to increase the density of the area by turning it into a mixed-use district while hanging on to its existing creative identity. The goal is to create a district that encourages growth and development that is also a place where it is affordable to live and work.

The core design concept consists of three living environments stacked on top of one another: the Lab Layer, the Land Layer, and the City Layer. the ZOHO LAB will build on the aesthetic of existing commercial buildings in the area, but will allocate space for entrepreneurial experiments, social initiatives, and housing. 

ZOHO LAND will be a park intended to form a climate-controlled buffer to absorb water during heavy rain seasons and facilitate irrigation in dryer seasons. Roofs will be covered in green, offering a layered greenscapes and opportunities for gardening and recreational activity. And finally, the ZOHO CITY layer will contain the residential components that will emerge from the Land Layer.