Circular City House
Amsterdam | 2022 | office + commercial | Space&Matter
This project was won by Space&Matter through a competitive tender. It is located on a triangular plot at the Omval in Amsterdam East.
The building consists of a double-height plinth housing a restaurant and a range of public spaces, topped by three levels of high-end office space.
The CLT structure is set on a concrete base. The office floors are fully surrounded by balconies, which define the architecture of the building. At the same time, they provide shading during the summer, helping to keep the building cool, while also providing access for façade maintenance. And, of course, they make a great place to have a beer on Friday afternoon.
The balconies are technically the most challenging part of the building. Working with CLT requires a fundamentally different approach to detailing than we are accustomed to with traditional building materials. The triangular geometry of the building adds another layer of complexity and makes the structure inherently inefficient.
To keep the project financially feasible, we searched for the simplest possible detailing while maintaining the intended architectural expression.
I became involved at an early stage of the project, working directly with the architects to explore technically feasible solutions and study their impact on the architectural design.
Link: Space&Matter
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