De Boezem residential building blends into the heart of Rotterdam

In June this year, De Boezem Residential Building was completed in Rotterdam on behalf of Waaijer Projectrealisatie. The 80 flats meet the high demand for medium-rent housing in Rotterdam's city centre. The urban residential block is located on land that has been vacant for years on the Boezemweg.

The residential building consists of two volumes, with an enclosed courtyard between them. The seven-storey volume on the Boezemweg blends into the continuity of the street wall. A distinctive feature is the careful incorporation of the gallery at the front. The volume behind it has three storeys and ties in with the smaller scale of the neighbourhood.

The building exudes the powerful simplicity of Rotterdam's reconstruction architecture with its austere, rhythmic facade articulation and use of concrete and brick. The high plinth along Boezemweg blends in with urban life. The lower three floors of the volume face the street, while residents can enjoy views of the Rotterdam skyline from the upper floors.

The Boezem is accessed in different ways. All flats have their main entrance on Boezemweg, with the ground-floor flats also accessible from the private courtyard garden. The top four floors on Boezemweg are accessed by a gallery subtly incorporated into the street façade behind a screen of prefabricated brickwork.

The complex comprises a mix of sustainable short-stay and long-stay flats, with floor areas ranging from 60m2 to 130m2, all of which have energy label A++. The short-stay flats are fully furnished and unfurnished and are operated by B-Right Urban Living.