When tasked with building 40 apartments, we began asking ourselves how to bring our principles of inclusion and solidarity to life in physical form. In a cooperative, the transition between private and shared space is central to the design.
For us, this means thinking carefully about the flow of daily life, from the most private corners of a home to the building’s connection with the wider neighbourhood, and back again.
Het Zwaluwnestje will have space for both residential and communal needs, with room for social interaction as well as for quiet retreat. The housing will serve the diverse make-up of our community, with apartments for families with children, shared apartments for friends, and homes for couples and singles.
Communal areas will be woven throughout the building, forming a network that supports both daily routines and spontaneous encounters. These shared spaces – a communal kitchen, a rooftop, a courtyard garden, a tool shed, will encourage collaboration among residents while also connecting the building to the surrounding neighbourhood.
Sustainability for us means more than reducing environmental impact, but also quality of life, beauty, and spaces people genuinely care for. Places that foster movement, connection, and encounter, as well as quiet retreat.
The building will use biobased and recycled materials, with a design rooted in regenerative principles, nature-inclusiveness, and community participation.
The building’s energy system will combine passive heating and cooling with active sustainable solutions.
