Work has been completed on Sluishuis, a residential project in Amsterdam by Bjarke Ingels Group and Barcode Architects. The scheme, which comprises 442 homes, a public green roof garden, and maritime jetties, is defined by a cantilevered form meeting at a high corner.

The architects describe the project as a “remarkable building with a unique volume that seems to float on the water thanks to the double cantilever.” Towards the water, the building’s untreated aluminum facade rises to meet at the cantilever, creating a gateway to the inner harbor at the building’s core. On the opposite side, the stepped form contains a stairway to the rooftop garden and private residential terraces.

The 442 energy-neutral homes, which vary between owner-occupied and rental units, are designed for a variety of income levels and age categories. Typologies include compact studios, water sports apartments, and duplex penthouses. The stepped part of the building comprises apartments with timber roof terraces, while apartments at the bottom of the opposite cantilever contain views of the lake.

The team claims that the building generates more heat than it consumes, with heat requirements minimized by combining high-performance insulation, triple glazing, and heat recovery in the ventilation and wastewater systems. Energy consumption is further reduced by a cold and heat storage (CHS) system in the ground for heating and cooling as well as a connection to the wider district heating system. 

The remaining energy consumption for heating, heat pumps, ventilation, and lighting is met by 2,200 square meters (23,700 square feet) of solar panels contained on a floating island adjacent to the project.

The perimeter and inner harbor of the building contain gardens with local plant species. Other amenities include houseboat lots, jetties for pleasure crafts, hospitality facilities, commercial spaces, and water landscapes with islands for recreation, water sports, and wildlife spotting. 

The team also sought to create spontaneous encounters between residents and visitors through a public walkway toward the rooftop, a children’s playground in the inner harbor, and stepped roof terraces.

“Having spent my formative years as an architect in the Netherlands at the end of the 20th century, it feels like a homecoming to now get to contribute to the architecture of the city that I have loved and admired for so long,” said Bjarke Ingels.

"With iconic architecture, as well as new housing typologies, high-quality outdoor spaces, and breathtaking views of the IJmeer, Sluishuis is a new landmark for IJburg as well as Amsterdam,” added Dirk Peters, Founding Partner at Barcode Architects.

The scheme is one of several recently completed by BIG. In June, the firm’s FLUGT Refugee Museum was opened in Denmark, as was their furniture factory for Vestre in Norway. Also in June, BIG won first place in a competition for Zurich Airport’s Dock A in collaboration with HOK. 

In May, meanwhile, the firm beat OMA and other major firms in a competition to design a new food tech hub in Spain, while also winning the commission for the Vltava Philharmonic Hall in Prague.