ZOHO

Layered spatial and programmatic design

The spatial design respects and connects the DNA of the neighbourhood with new spatial and programmatic interventions. It restores the connection with the surrounding neighbourhoods and creates a gradual transition between urbanity and a pleasant residential environment.

The plan layers and intertwines three living environments: the LAB, LAND and CITY layers. A raised peat landscape is placed on top of the existing industrial “makers’ layer”, crowned by a tower landscape. In doing so, the plan not only stacks different worlds, lifestyles and ambitions, but also interweaves them through distinctive public and collective spaces, such as a covered sports field, a living room, a mobility hub and a public grandstand.

ZOHO CITY – Diverse Housing Offerings

The CITY layer forms the urban backdrop for the neighborhood. The residential buildings rise as distinctive city blocks above the LAND layer. The CITY layer consists of eight different urban blocks with varying grain sizes. Spacious blocks for owner-occupied and mid-range rental housing are being developed, allowing for collective living concepts. In two locations, space is also reserved for social housing. In addition, the Co-living Hotel attracts a target group that strengthens interaction within the Zomerhofkwartier and its connection to the surrounding neighborhood.

ZOHO LAND – Connecting Green Rooftop Landscape

The rooftop landscape of the ZOHO LAND layer forms a climate-adaptive buffer capable of absorbing heavy rainfall and storing water for irrigation during dry periods. At the same time, this green rooftop landscape connects the different layers of the plan.

ZOHO LAB – The Makers’ City

The structure and plot sizes of the commercial buildings are preserved as much as possible. The buildings feature a functional post-war reconstruction architecture dominated by concrete and steel-frame structures, and are built adjacently on a plot-by-plot basis. In the transformation of the existing ZOHO buildings, the current ceiling heights of six to nine meters are utilized to maintain space for entrepreneurial experimentation, social initiatives, and innovative forms of living.

The heart of ZOHO – A vibrant and social place to stay

The plan distinguishes itself through a rich variety of private, collective, and public spaces. The mobility hub, the living room, the collective spaces within the elevated landscape, and the shared areas in the buildings create informal connections between the layers of LAB, LAND, and CITY. The inner world of ZOHO will be largely car-free and is designed with a wide range of social amenities, residential entrances, and lobbies for the various housing blocks. Through a vibrant mix of programmes and an interconnected system of public and collective spaces, a new resilient urban district emerges in the centre of Rotterdam, where everyone is welcome.

Clear and well-defined building lines create a new piece of city that brings together living, working, and social amenities within a low-traffic public realm. These building lines and the new public space strengthen existing connections with the surrounding streets and create new connections.

Programmatic mix

In Rotterdam, lower-income residents and local (start-up) entrepreneurs are increasingly being pushed aside. As a result, the city centre is becoming more of a monoculture, characterised by excessively high housing costs and a limited range of amenities. In the Zomerhofkwartier, we have a unique opportunity to develop a new urban neighbourhood with a healthy programmatic mix — one that is lively and vibrant, and that attracts a much broader range of residents and users through its wide diversity of functions and facilities. The dynamic and innovative entrepreneurship already present in ZOHO is embraced and will also welcome newcomers to the area, strengthening interaction and social cohesion within the Zomerhofkwartier.

Dynamic masterplan

As an urban design office, we work closely together with four architectural firms (see box). Development is based on a dynamic masterplan that builds upon the existing plots and land parcels. This plan defines the main urban structures, the programme, and the visual quality framework. Thanks to the masterplan, development can be ambitious in scale while also allowing for gradual, step-by-step implementation.