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Two housing cooperatives established in Amsterdam, NieuwLand (2015) and de Nieuwe Meent (2025), prove it is still possible to treat housing as a commons rather than a commodity within a highly pressured housing market. A resident of NieuwLand and co-initiator of de Nieuwe Meent, Selçuk Balamir reflects on the experiences, challenges and lessons behind the development of both projects.

Welcome to ‘I’ Amsterdam

Amsterdam is often cited as one of Europe’s most expensive housing markets. This is particularly tragic given its history: the city was once a pioneer in social housing, shaped by strong public policy and a vibrant housing movement. I arrived in Amsterdam in 2010, the year squatting was criminalized. This was widely seen as the final nail in the coffin of the city’s counterculture, as the turn towards the ‘smooth city’ was in full swing.

I came with a design diploma in my hand and an aversion to practising design in its conventional, commercial form. I wanted to research what postcapitalist design could be: how creatives might contribute to a future that is not organized around extraction, consumption and exhaustion. The irony of looking for this in Europe’s imperial epicentres of colonial trade, capitalist finance and industrial modernity was not lost on me. But Amsterdam still held another city within: a constellation of urban commons infrastructures – some still squatted, others legalized – which showed it was still possible to live, organize and socialize outside the glossy, individualist branding of ‘I Amsterdam’.

Read A tale of two co-ops, NieuwLand and de Nieuwe Meent
Link in bio
The Archined website has no paywall, and no registration is needed

@selj @nieuwland.cc @nieuwemeent @timetoaccess @officeraumplan @rubendariokleimeer @stichtingwoon @cooplinknl @gemeenteamsterdam
#feature #volkshuisvesting #bottomup #wooncoöperatie #collectief
#onafhankelijkearchitectuurkritiek

Photo's Rubén Dario Kleimeer and dNM archive

Two housing cooperatives established in Amsterdam, NieuwLand (2015) and de Nieuwe Meent (2025), prove it is still possible to treat housing as a commons rather than a commodity within a highly pressured housing market. A resident of NieuwLand and co-initiator of de Nieuwe Meent, Selçuk Balamir reflects on the experiences, challenges and lessons behind the development of both projects.

Welcome to ‘I’ Amsterdam

Amsterdam is often cited as one of Europe’s most expensive housing markets. This is particularly tragic given its history: the city was once a pioneer in social housing, shaped by strong public policy and a vibrant housing movement. I arrived in Amsterdam in 2010, the year squatting was criminalized. This was widely seen as the final nail in the coffin of the city’s counterculture, as the turn towards the ‘smooth city’ was in full swing.

I came with a design diploma in my hand and an aversion to practising design in its conventional, commercial form. I wanted to research what postcapitalist design could be: how creatives might contribute to a future that is not organized around extraction, consumption and exhaustion. The irony of looking for this in Europe’s imperial epicentres of colonial trade, capitalist finance and industrial modernity was not lost on me. But Amsterdam still held another city within: a constellation of urban commons infrastructures – some still squatted, others legalized – which showed it was still possible to live, organize and socialize outside the glossy, individualist branding of ‘I Amsterdam’.

Read A tale of two co-ops, NieuwLand and de Nieuwe Meent
Link in bio
The Archined website has no paywall, and no registration is needed

@selj @nieuwland.cc @nieuwemeent @timetoaccess @officeraumplan @rubendariokleimeer @stichtingwoon @cooplinknl @gemeenteamsterdam
#feature #volkshuisvesting #bottomup #wooncoöperatie #collectief
#onafhankelijkearchitectuurkritiek

Photo's Rubén Dario Kleimeer and dNM archive

Two housing cooperatives established in Amsterdam, NieuwLand (2015) and de Nieuwe Meent (2025), prove it is still possible to treat housing as a commons rather than a commodity within a highly pressured housing market. A resident of NieuwLand and co-initiator of de Nieuwe Meent, Selçuk Balamir reflects on the experiences, challenges and lessons behind the development of both projects.

Welcome to ‘I’ Amsterdam

Amsterdam is often cited as one of Europe’s most expensive housing markets. This is particularly tragic given its history: the city was once a pioneer in social housing, shaped by strong public policy and a vibrant housing movement. I arrived in Amsterdam in 2010, the year squatting was criminalized. This was widely seen as the final nail in the coffin of the city’s counterculture, as the turn towards the ‘smooth city’ was in full swing.

I came with a design diploma in my hand and an aversion to practising design in its conventional, commercial form. I wanted to research what postcapitalist design could be: how creatives might contribute to a future that is not organized around extraction, consumption and exhaustion. The irony of looking for this in Europe’s imperial epicentres of colonial trade, capitalist finance and industrial modernity was not lost on me. But Amsterdam still held another city within: a constellation of urban commons infrastructures – some still squatted, others legalized – which showed it was still possible to live, organize and socialize outside the glossy, individualist branding of ‘I Amsterdam’.

Read A tale of two co-ops, NieuwLand and de Nieuwe Meent
Link in bio
The Archined website has no paywall, and no registration is needed

@selj @nieuwland.cc @nieuwemeent @timetoaccess @officeraumplan @rubendariokleimeer @stichtingwoon @cooplinknl @gemeenteamsterdam
#feature #volkshuisvesting #bottomup #wooncoöperatie #collectief
#onafhankelijkearchitectuurkritiek

Photo's Rubén Dario Kleimeer and dNM archive

Two housing cooperatives established in Amsterdam, NieuwLand (2015) and de Nieuwe Meent (2025), prove it is still possible to treat housing as a commons rather than a commodity within a highly pressured housing market. A resident of NieuwLand and co-initiator of de Nieuwe Meent, Selçuk Balamir reflects on the experiences, challenges and lessons behind the development of both projects.

Welcome to ‘I’ Amsterdam

Amsterdam is often cited as one of Europe’s most expensive housing markets. This is particularly tragic given its history: the city was once a pioneer in social housing, shaped by strong public policy and a vibrant housing movement. I arrived in Amsterdam in 2010, the year squatting was criminalized. This was widely seen as the final nail in the coffin of the city’s counterculture, as the turn towards the ‘smooth city’ was in full swing.

I came with a design diploma in my hand and an aversion to practising design in its conventional, commercial form. I wanted to research what postcapitalist design could be: how creatives might contribute to a future that is not organized around extraction, consumption and exhaustion. The irony of looking for this in Europe’s imperial epicentres of colonial trade, capitalist finance and industrial modernity was not lost on me. But Amsterdam still held another city within: a constellation of urban commons infrastructures – some still squatted, others legalized – which showed it was still possible to live, organize and socialize outside the glossy, individualist branding of ‘I Amsterdam’.

Read A tale of two co-ops, NieuwLand and de Nieuwe Meent
Link in bio
The Archined website has no paywall, and no registration is needed

@selj @nieuwland.cc @nieuwemeent @timetoaccess @officeraumplan @rubendariokleimeer @stichtingwoon @cooplinknl @gemeenteamsterdam
#feature #volkshuisvesting #bottomup #wooncoöperatie #collectief
#onafhankelijkearchitectuurkritiek

Photo's Rubén Dario Kleimeer and dNM archive

There are buildings in construction all around in Utrecht Leidsche Rijn, and soon @hommeldorp will join the neighborhood 🏡 Time to Access is working together with the community of Hommeldorp on Utrecht’s first pilot wooncoöperatie!

Recently we went for a tour around Leidsche Rijn Centrum Oost together, guided by urban designers of @jcau_bv. Here we learned more about this newly developed part of Utrecht, and how Hommeldorp could add to the existing urban and social fabric 🧱🙌🏻

Interested in joining? Follow @hommeldorp to stay up to date with info-meetings and invitation rounds for new members!

There are buildings in construction all around in Utrecht Leidsche Rijn, and soon @hommeldorp will join the neighborhood 🏡 Time to Access is working together with the community of Hommeldorp on Utrecht’s first pilot wooncoöperatie!

Recently we went for a tour around Leidsche Rijn Centrum Oost together, guided by urban designers of @jcau_bv. Here we learned more about this newly developed part of Utrecht, and how Hommeldorp could add to the existing urban and social fabric 🧱🙌🏻

Interested in joining? Follow @hommeldorp to stay up to date with info-meetings and invitation rounds for new members!

There are buildings in construction all around in Utrecht Leidsche Rijn, and soon @hommeldorp will join the neighborhood 🏡 Time to Access is working together with the community of Hommeldorp on Utrecht’s first pilot wooncoöperatie!

Recently we went for a tour around Leidsche Rijn Centrum Oost together, guided by urban designers of @jcau_bv. Here we learned more about this newly developed part of Utrecht, and how Hommeldorp could add to the existing urban and social fabric 🧱🙌🏻

Interested in joining? Follow @hommeldorp to stay up to date with info-meetings and invitation rounds for new members!

There are buildings in construction all around in Utrecht Leidsche Rijn, and soon @hommeldorp will join the neighborhood 🏡 Time to Access is working together with the community of Hommeldorp on Utrecht’s first pilot wooncoöperatie!

Recently we went for a tour around Leidsche Rijn Centrum Oost together, guided by urban designers of @jcau_bv. Here we learned more about this newly developed part of Utrecht, and how Hommeldorp could add to the existing urban and social fabric 🧱🙌🏻

Interested in joining? Follow @hommeldorp to stay up to date with info-meetings and invitation rounds for new members!

There are buildings in construction all around in Utrecht Leidsche Rijn, and soon @hommeldorp will join the neighborhood 🏡 Time to Access is working together with the community of Hommeldorp on Utrecht’s first pilot wooncoöperatie!

Recently we went for a tour around Leidsche Rijn Centrum Oost together, guided by urban designers of @jcau_bv. Here we learned more about this newly developed part of Utrecht, and how Hommeldorp could add to the existing urban and social fabric 🧱🙌🏻

Interested in joining? Follow @hommeldorp to stay up to date with info-meetings and invitation rounds for new members!

🟡Join us for the next edition of Barcam at @architectuurcentrum_amsterdam - Thursday May 7 2026 - Amsterdam’s monthly architects café bringing together designers, thinkers and city makers.🟡
This edition “Reclaim Architecture” opens up a conversation on how architecture can be re appropriated, challenged and reshaped in response to today’s social and spatial urgencies.Sharp insights, informal exchange and a room full of engaged voices from across the field.

Extra: little arch quiz about workers’ rights.

Do you know your worth?

Panel discussion with:
* @netherlandsangryarchitects
* Andrea Verdecchia – Architect and founder @timetoaccess
* Zamaney Menso – Executive at FNV Construction & Infrastructure (Dutch Trade Union Federation) @fnv_vakbond

🟡 Doors open 18:00 - panel discussion starts at 19:00
🟡 Free entry no registration required

Come for the discussion :)
More info in our bio :)

🟡Join us for the next edition of Barcam at @architectuurcentrum_amsterdam - Thursday May 7 2026 - Amsterdam’s monthly architects café bringing together designers, thinkers and city makers.🟡
This edition “Reclaim Architecture” opens up a conversation on how architecture can be re appropriated, challenged and reshaped in response to today’s social and spatial urgencies.Sharp insights, informal exchange and a room full of engaged voices from across the field.

Extra: little arch quiz about workers’ rights.

Do you know your worth?

Panel discussion with:
* @netherlandsangryarchitects
* Andrea Verdecchia – Architect and founder @timetoaccess
* Zamaney Menso – Executive at FNV Construction & Infrastructure (Dutch Trade Union Federation) @fnv_vakbond

🟡 Doors open 18:00 - panel discussion starts at 19:00
🟡 Free entry no registration required

Come for the discussion :)
More info in our bio :)

✍🏻 De Nieuwe Meent has been covered in the recent issue of @thearchitecturalreview ! For the April edition @markminkjan interviewed Mira and Andrea as a part of the theme ‚Universal Housing’.

„De Nieuwe Meent shows how luxurious amenities are most attainable for the greatest number of people when they are shared”, Minkjan writes.

You can get the magazine on ‘Universal Housing’ through the shop of the Architectural Review! In this edition, various examples are collected that propose alternative financial models and ways of living together.

✍🏻 De Nieuwe Meent has been covered in the recent issue of @thearchitecturalreview ! For the April edition @markminkjan interviewed Mira and Andrea as a part of the theme ‚Universal Housing’.

„De Nieuwe Meent shows how luxurious amenities are most attainable for the greatest number of people when they are shared”, Minkjan writes.

You can get the magazine on ‘Universal Housing’ through the shop of the Architectural Review! In this edition, various examples are collected that propose alternative financial models and ways of living together.

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

In our European Tour, we always want to get inspired by built spaces. So the morning after our Amsterdam round-table we went to Amsterdam East, to visit the recently completed De Nieuwe Meent (@nieuwemeent), another prototype among the 3 built to test the new housing coop policies.
Architect Andrea Verdecchia (from @timetoaccess who designed the building) showed us around. This is what we learned:
- The tower is the only part where concrete is used, to stabilize the structure and damp the vibrations from the nearby railway - all the rest is CLT and wood, built using the open-system method, with disassembly in mind.
- There are 2 typologies of apartments: on the groundfloor 11 apartments expanding into the communal courtyard (6 duplexes of 50 sqm, 5 units of 40 sqm); 4 more similar apartments are in the tower, which also has 5 larger apartments for autonomous woongroepen (housing groups), revolving each around a common spine with kitchen and living areas, and each with 5 private rooms.
- Materials are at the core of the design: different bricks clad the exterior, while in the living spaces the wooden interiors are often laid bare; a communal room is plastered using clay, to manage the humidity.
- “Construction cost us 2150 euros per sqm: if we can do it without cutting any sustainability corner, this should be a wake-up call for Dutch developers!”
- The building also includes two commercial spaces, one cafè and a co-working space, that partly contribute to the business case.

We hope De Nieuwe Meent will participate in this award’s Edition, and so can you!
Hurry up, submissions close on the 30 April.

#EuropeanCollectiveHousingAward #collectivehousing #housingcooperative #housing #affordablehousing

Daily life at Bakstayn @cpobakstayn 🌞🧱

📸 Photographs by @rubendariokleimeer

Daily life at Bakstayn @cpobakstayn 🌞🧱

📸 Photographs by @rubendariokleimeer

Daily life at Bakstayn @cpobakstayn 🌞🧱

📸 Photographs by @rubendariokleimeer

@cpobakstayn has two very different façades! 🧱

Towards the street, an intricate play of brickwork, wooden windows and rounded balconies ground the building on Centrumeiland. In the inner courtyard, a more intimate and gentle side is shown, with large balconies and smooth inside/outside pathways.

📸 Photographs by @rubendariokleimeer

@cpobakstayn has two very different façades! 🧱

Towards the street, an intricate play of brickwork, wooden windows and rounded balconies ground the building on Centrumeiland. In the inner courtyard, a more intimate and gentle side is shown, with large balconies and smooth inside/outside pathways.

📸 Photographs by @rubendariokleimeer

Daily life at De Nieuwe Meent @nieuwemeent 🌿☕️

📸 Photographs by @rubendariokleimeer

Daily life at De Nieuwe Meent @nieuwemeent 🌿☕️

📸 Photographs by @rubendariokleimeer

🌳 In de Nieuwe Meent, we aimed to use as much CLT as possible, not only resulting in over 450.000 kg of CO2 being substracted from the atmosphere permanently, but it also creates warm and inviting spaces. You have to experience it to understand it! So come and visit the events organized by @woonruimtecooperatief (together with @nooncoffeeculture ) to feel the coziness of a timber building. 📸 Photographs by @rubendariokleimeer (1&2) and Ioana Enescu (3)

🌳 In de Nieuwe Meent, we aimed to use as much CLT as possible, not only resulting in over 450.000 kg of CO2 being substracted from the atmosphere permanently, but it also creates warm and inviting spaces. You have to experience it to understand it! So come and visit the events organized by @woonruimtecooperatief (together with @nooncoffeeculture ) to feel the coziness of a timber building. 📸 Photographs by @rubendariokleimeer (1&2) and Ioana Enescu (3)

🌳 In de Nieuwe Meent, we aimed to use as much CLT as possible, not only resulting in over 450.000 kg of CO2 being substracted from the atmosphere permanently, but it also creates warm and inviting spaces. You have to experience it to understand it! So come and visit the events organized by @woonruimtecooperatief (together with @nooncoffeeculture ) to feel the coziness of a timber building. 📸 Photographs by @rubendariokleimeer (1&2) and Ioana Enescu (3)

Not one, but two of our projects are nominated for the AAP (Amsterdam Architectuur Prijs), an award for the best building in Amsterdam of 2025 🏆🏆

The award is organized by @architectuurcentrum_amsterdam to celebrate both architects and developers of newly built projects. @nieuwemeent (together with @roelvanderzeeuw) and @cpobakstayn are both up for the award for the most significant and inspiring architecture of Amsterdam 💪🏼🧱

We’re very proud to be nominated together with motivated and engaged inhabitants / developers of these housing projects.

Come and see our exhibitions for both projects at ARCAM, on show from the 27th of March!

📸 Picture 1 and 2: De Nieuwe Meent
Picture 3 and 4: CPO Bakstayn
All photographs by @rubendariokleimeer

Not one, but two of our projects are nominated for the AAP (Amsterdam Architectuur Prijs), an award for the best building in Amsterdam of 2025 🏆🏆

The award is organized by @architectuurcentrum_amsterdam to celebrate both architects and developers of newly built projects. @nieuwemeent (together with @roelvanderzeeuw) and @cpobakstayn are both up for the award for the most significant and inspiring architecture of Amsterdam 💪🏼🧱

We’re very proud to be nominated together with motivated and engaged inhabitants / developers of these housing projects.

Come and see our exhibitions for both projects at ARCAM, on show from the 27th of March!

📸 Picture 1 and 2: De Nieuwe Meent
Picture 3 and 4: CPO Bakstayn
All photographs by @rubendariokleimeer

Not one, but two of our projects are nominated for the AAP (Amsterdam Architectuur Prijs), an award for the best building in Amsterdam of 2025 🏆🏆

The award is organized by @architectuurcentrum_amsterdam to celebrate both architects and developers of newly built projects. @nieuwemeent (together with @roelvanderzeeuw) and @cpobakstayn are both up for the award for the most significant and inspiring architecture of Amsterdam 💪🏼🧱

We’re very proud to be nominated together with motivated and engaged inhabitants / developers of these housing projects.

Come and see our exhibitions for both projects at ARCAM, on show from the 27th of March!

📸 Picture 1 and 2: De Nieuwe Meent
Picture 3 and 4: CPO Bakstayn
All photographs by @rubendariokleimeer

Not one, but two of our projects are nominated for the AAP (Amsterdam Architectuur Prijs), an award for the best building in Amsterdam of 2025 🏆🏆

The award is organized by @architectuurcentrum_amsterdam to celebrate both architects and developers of newly built projects. @nieuwemeent (together with @roelvanderzeeuw) and @cpobakstayn are both up for the award for the most significant and inspiring architecture of Amsterdam 💪🏼🧱

We’re very proud to be nominated together with motivated and engaged inhabitants / developers of these housing projects.

Come and see our exhibitions for both projects at ARCAM, on show from the 27th of March!

📸 Picture 1 and 2: De Nieuwe Meent
Picture 3 and 4: CPO Bakstayn
All photographs by @rubendariokleimeer

The large balconies of CPO Bakstayn allow the residents to meet each other easily in their outdoor space. The steps lead them down to the communal garden, including a pond and a sauna! And yes, even with this sauna the building is energy-neutral 💪🏻 📸 Photograph by @rubendariokleimeer

🧱 For the design of the CPO-project Bakstayn, both current and future residents were taken into account. The bricks of the facade are a direct reference to the style of Amsterdamse School: a time when bricks were widely celebrated and experimented with. In the project, the inhabitants did not just want to design a beautiful building for themselves, but something that makes the neighborhood and the city a bit more beautiful, sustainable and social @cpobakstayn 🌿 📸 Photographs by @rubendariokleimeer

🧱 For the design of the CPO-project Bakstayn, both current and future residents were taken into account. The bricks of the facade are a direct reference to the style of Amsterdamse School: a time when bricks were widely celebrated and experimented with. In the project, the inhabitants did not just want to design a beautiful building for themselves, but something that makes the neighborhood and the city a bit more beautiful, sustainable and social @cpobakstayn 🌿 📸 Photographs by @rubendariokleimeer

🧱 For the design of the CPO-project Bakstayn, both current and future residents were taken into account. The bricks of the facade are a direct reference to the style of Amsterdamse School: a time when bricks were widely celebrated and experimented with. In the project, the inhabitants did not just want to design a beautiful building for themselves, but something that makes the neighborhood and the city a bit more beautiful, sustainable and social @cpobakstayn 🌿 📸 Photographs by @rubendariokleimeer