Arons & Gelauff Architects

Creating sustainable and pleasant living surroundings is central to the work of this firm, as is the addition of unique details to functional buildings. Arons & Gelauff Architects have built up expertise in the major cities of the Netherlands in high-rise living, the dynamic city and nature-inclusive, energy-generating, circular and ‘rainproof’ construction. They bring this all together in their sustainable and healthy designs for Bajeskwartier.

The Emerald has been designed by Arons & Gelauff in collaboration with Civic Architects. Read on to find out more. The Starling (including the rented homes of De Alliantie) is also the work of A&G. This building is in the Central District and has a lively ground floor. A large health centre is situated along Amstelstroomlaan and some exciting catering outlets will be found on the corner of the central pedestrian and cycle path. On the square are the two entrances to the 60-metre high residential building, which has apartments in the social sector and owner-occupied homes.

The Starling is one of the two ‘chunky’ buildings around the square. The stepped building volume fills the entire plot, which creates surprisingly empty green spaces in the heart of the building. The highest tower has an atrium with a spectacular spiral staircase leading to the communal roof garden on the second-highest tower. A little further down is an inner courtyard with climbing plants. The low-rise section has a few patio homes, and at ground level there are homes with their own gardens.

Sustainable living

The façade and the grid of the building can be dismantled and readily reused in the future. Concrete elements from the old prison walls are being reused in the ground floor façade, where the homes have been designed with large glass fronts, triple-glazed to keep energy consumption to a minimum. Thanks to thick insulation, energy-efficient lifts, LED lighting in the communal areas and a large number of solar panels, The Starling is almost energy-neutral. Water is buffered on the roofs and used to water the roof gardens, where residents can enjoy the outdoors in the heart of the city.