Spoorblok Amsteloever

Timber as the primary building material

The project’s low environmental footprint is driven by its nearly entirely timber construction. Solid wood, biobased insulation, lightweight subfloors, and lightweight partition walls result in an MPGA of approximately 0.239 and a GWPA of 163—making Spoorblok Paris Proof. Only the core is constructed in concrete, an intentional and optimized decision: a fully timber alternative would have required disproportionate amounts of material, ultimately increasing emissions rather than reducing them.

Circular concrete and complementing strategies

Spoorblok is part of a broader sustainability strategy across plots 3 and 4. While Spoorblok follows a timber-based approach, the adjacent tower base and the underground parking garage is built using circular, mineral-based materials such as recycled concrete and reclaimed masonry. The 100 metre high tower will have wood floorpackages and a concrete core and columns. Together, the buildings show how timber and circular concrete complement each other to achieve radical carbon reduction.

Designing for social cohesion

Social interaction is central to the design. Spoorblok is organized around an informal inner world focused on encounter and shared use. Meandering access galleries, designed as generous wooden verandas, provide space for meeting and everyday interaction. Oriented towards the park and the afternoon sun, these “living galleries” naturally encourage residents to step outside and connect.

Green space above the parking

A lush roof park sits atop the underground parking garage, forming a calm, green refuge in contrast to the surrounding urban intensity. Nature, water, and seasonal change define this shared landscape, creating an intimate environment for residents. The garage is fully hidden beneath the park, ensuring that the experience of greenery and water is uninterrupted and seamlessly integrated into the urban fabric.

Built to adapt over time

Long-term sustainability is embedded in the building’s structure. Thanks to an open column system, today’s compact studio apartments can easily be combined into larger homes in the future, allowing Spoorblok to respond flexibly to changing housing needs over time.

More than a building

Spoorblok Amsteloever demonstrates how timber construction, circular materials and social design can reinforce one another—resulting in a resilient, low-carbon, and welcoming urban community. The project has now reached its Building Permit stage and is moving toward construction, marking an important milestone in bringing this vision to life.