YCON is a small-scale residential building, that was commissioned to Dutch architecture practice Studioninedots, located on Leen Jongewaardkade, Amsterdam Buiksloterham, Netherlands.

The IJ Bay off Amsterdam was for centuries a long, narrow area of brackish water (itself a bay of the North Sea) that connected the Zuiderzee and stretched from Amsterdam in the east to Velsen in the west.

On the northern side of the IJ, (what we could consider the southern shore of an island if we refer to the North Holland peninsula), the area known as Buiksloterham, was for a long time a dark area where executions of the city of Amsterdam, passing at the end of the s. XVIII is a thriving industrial area and is currently being converted, over a decade ago, into an active residential area currently in the process of growth and consolidation.
The design of the five-story building accommodates 12 apartments by Studioninedots was developed from the outside in, to function as complete living spaces, regardless of the changing rhythms of the day and the seasons. A vertical landscape with outdoor rooms, alternating with stacked gardens (a generous shared green zone), which change position on each floor.

Folding glass walls can completely close or open rooms, providing expanded living space at all times, making the gardens contribute to cooling and air purification and attract insects and butterflies.

The building's structure is made with prefabricated, demountable concrete elements, so it could possibly be dismantled and reused in the future. To support the facade gardens, the structure integrates a thick, sunken layer of soil sufficient to grow a variety of native plants, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables. Through the roof, rainwater is collected, stored, and reused for garden irrigation, reducing the pressure of excess rainwater on the sewage system.
 


YCON, a residential building by Studioninedots. Photograph by Sebastian van Damme.


YCON, a residential building by Studioninedots. Photograph by Sebastian van Damme.

Project description by Studioninedots

YCON is a small-scale residential building in our circular urban plan Cityplot Buiksloterham in Amsterdam. Designed from the outside in, YCON features a frontage consisting of outdoor rooms, alternating with staggered stacked gardens. This vertical landscape forms a new, green eyecatcher from the surrounding streets and canals, and creates an environment suited to future-proof living in the city.

"The mix of green spaces entices residents to shift their focus from within to the outside, aiming to promote a solid connection with the city's flora and fauna, as well as with the other residents.”

Jurjen van der Horst, associate

We designed YCON's outdoor rooms to function as fully-fledged living spaces, no matter the shifting rhythms of the day and seasons. Storey-high, folding glass walls can fully close or open the rooms, providing extended living space at all times.

Each outdoor room adjoins a generous, shared garden, which changes position on each floor. The gardens contribute to cooling and air purification and attract insects and butterflies. Together, the greenery and the focus on comfort turn the outdoor rooms into the favorite places in the house.


YCON, a residential building by Studioninedots. Photograph by Sebastian van Damme.

The building's structure is made with prefabricated, demountable concrete elements, so it could possibly be dismantled and reused in the future. To support the facade gardens, the structure integrates a thick, sunken layer of soil sufficient to grow a variety of native plants, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables. Through the roof, rainwater is collected, stored, and reused for garden irrigation, reducing the pressure of excess rainwater on the sewage system.

The five-story building accommodates 12 apartments and a communal green courtyard with bicycle storage on the ground floor. As the plot benefits from a waterfront location and sunny orientation, YCON’s green appearance will become increasingly lush for years to come. The dynamic facade and the materials suited to the industrial context of the area make YCON an architectural icon in Amsterdam Buiksloterham.

More information

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Architects
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Project team
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Albert Herder, Vincent van der Klei, Metin van Zijl, Arie van der Neut, Dennis Roest, Jurjen van der Horst, Gerty Daniëls, Anouk van Deuzen.
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Collaborators
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Vink Bouw, De Dakdokters, Cauberg Huygen, AtelierBouwkunde, Visietech, Pieters Bouwtechniek.
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Client
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OntwerpJeWoning, Vink Bouw.
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Area
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GFA.- 1,640m².
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Dates
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Design - realisation.- 2017-2023.
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Location
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Leen Jongewaardkade, Amsterdam, Buiksloterham, NL.
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Programme
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12 apartments with outdoor rooms, stacked gardens, a shared courtyard, and bicycle storage.
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Photography
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Studioninedots was established in 2011 by Albert Herder, Vincent van der Klei, Arie van der Neut and Metin van Zijl as an architecture and urban design practice whose work extends from housing to urban concepts. Their practice excels in projects that transform complex urban sites, interweaving the built environment with the social fabric of a city. They are fascinated by the processes of (re)using or activating these sites; their dynamic contexts often demand unconventional solutions yet inspire new collective ways of living.

When facing urban challenges, they identify opportunities in circularity and, at the same time, embrace beauty and tactility as essential human needs. They team up: they adopt a collaborative approach that inspires, challenges and strengthens our work. Together with their clients and partners, they translate forward-thinking ideas and designs into a realistic framework, creating characteristic spaces that function as catalysts for meeting, exchange and connection.

Studioninedots is a multidisciplinary design practice with professionals working across architecture, interiors and urban planning. Studioninedots is based in Amsterdam, a city that inspires their with its open-mindedness, adaptability and creativity. With this in mind they initiated the Creative Workspace 1-1-1 in the former Stork factory building located along the Gedempt Hamerkanaal in Amsterdam’s north. It has an unfinished quality like its surroundings, thrives in its temporality, balances between rawness and comfort and has an element of unpredictability in its use: Studioninedots own WeSpace.
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