Strandeiland is the fifth artificially constructed island in the Amsterdam archipelago of IJburg. A total of 8,000 new homes are being built in this new urban district. Commissioned by three housing associations, we were responsible for both the urban integration of the program and the architectural design of 349 flexible homes for the first residents.
Our distinctive design for the relocatable flexible homes on Makerskade not only shows great attention to design and detail, but also to spatial quality, sustainability, and efficiency. In this way, we are not only building a pleasant home, but also a pleasant environment. It is therefore a great advantage that our architects and urban planners work together under one roof. The green courtyards were designed by Dijk&co landscape architecture and the buildings for Ymere by our colleagues at Faro architects. The municipality of Amsterdam created the design for the public space. The result is a beautifully cohesive whole.
In terms of urban planning, a design with 'passable' building blocks was chosen. The openings in the buildings along the edges of the plots provide access to the enclosed, green inner courtyards. These sheltered places for residents to relax offer a pleasant contrast to the vastness of the water and the hustle and bustle of the city. The surrounding public space has also been carefully designed and invites people to take a stroll, play sports, play games, and meet up with each other.
One pitfall of modular construction is that the appearance can become monotonous or 'distant' and industrial. This is explicitly avoided here. The design fully embraces the underlying modular system but adds an extra layer by varying the typology, building height, detailing, and architectural character. The homes share a wooden construction and facade finish, but different architectural styles and attention to detail and color give each building its own character. This gives the plan a sympathetic, human scale and character, creating a fully-fledged piece of city.
The mostly wooden buildings are lined with 'stacked verandas' across the entire width of the homes. This means that the compact homes all have a spacious private outdoor area. An important qualitative addition to the compact homes! Studios, two-room, and three-room homes ranging from 23 to 68 square meters are being built.
The plan includes communal areas and indoor bicycle parking facilities on the ground floor. In order to create fully-fledged urban blocks, the ground floor apartments have their front doors directly on the street where possible.
We firmly believe that when living in temporary accommodation, it is also important to focus on creating a pleasant community. That is why there will be three communal living rooms and a community space for residents to use for activities.
Construction of the flexible homes began in 2025. At the end of the year, the first residents of Strandeiland will be able to move into their new homes. The modular homes will remain in place for at least ten years. After that, the buildings will be moved to another location.
