Solo Cartesiusdriehoek

Articulation is created by a rhythm of structural columns and vertical posts of different sizes and horizontal lines of railings. The continuous balconies and the load-bearing steel construction reinforce the quality between inside and outside. From the inside, the wide continuous balconies and all-glass facades provide great living quality in the form of daylight and views. The continuous balconies prevent overheating of the homes and the refined steel construction invites greening. Privacy screens are well integrated and the low dense area prevents cluttering.

The rounded corners give the building a soft appearance and all-sided character. The continuous balconies flare out further at the corners, giving the building a rounder and more elegant appearance. This gives the corner houses a phenomenally large outdoor space.

Green
The fresh pale green color on the exterior is a reference to the industrial character and past of the site and has been used more often in large industrial halls and structures around the project site, but is also fresh and distinctive in comparison to the future surrounding buildings. To contrast and complement the fresh and industrial exterior, a warmer softer look with light browns and reds has been chosen in the court. This gives the court a secure appearance with a residential quality, which is reinforced by the central tree and planters around it. By means of wires along the construction, the greenery will also be guided upwards in the court in the coming years.

Structure
The plan is designed from a rational square with an inner courtyard. Dwellings are accessed from the courtyard via the deck and walk-through galleries. Elevators and stairs are placed in the axes of the building volume, allowing a free view of the courtyard from the houses.

On the gallery floors, in the layout of a windmill, the various apartments are located, each with a generous outdoor space across the full width. Basically, the intermediate apartments have an equal position of shafts and facilities. By moving one wall and the arrangement of the kitchen, pass-through and traditional apartments with full-width living rooms were created.The corner apartments with rounded living room give a panoramic view of the park and the city with and very generous continuous outdoor space along the entire apartment.

Matching the target group for the middle segment, the larger Friends apartments are located around the stairwell with a collective living room and kitchen and for each resident their own private bedroom and bathroom. The transparent plinth provides space for commercial (catering) program and high-rise studio apartments for creative starters, surrounded by a margin strip and terraces providing access for visitors.

The front doors of the studio homes are located on the elevated central courtyard. In addition to workspace, the studio homes contain compact living space at court level and sleeping space on the inset volume with wet rooms and storage. Repetition of structure, uniformity in detailing and the stacked construction for balconies and galleries ensured a short construction time of about one year.

Bicycle
Solo is a building for cyclists. Due to its location in the middle of the park and the car-free environment around it, the use of bicycles is central for the residents. The bicycle storage is spacious; all bicycles are at ground level, there is plenty of room for special sized bicycles and electric charging stations.

The semi-underground covered bicycle storage is accessed via a lazy staircase. In the center of the deck is a patio created with room for a mature tree in full ground. Daylight enters through this patio and a beautiful staircase was created as a connection to the central deck.

Photographer: Stijn Poelstra Photography & Video