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Summary
A Roof for Students
The knowledge workers of tomorrow
Students add depth and colour to Amsterdam. During
the day and at night they contribute to the city’s lively
and dynamic atmosphere, taking full advantage of the
city’s cultural and sports facilities while ensuring constant
rejuvenation of the population. Being the knowledge
workers of tomorrow, students are of even greater
importance to meet increasing demand in the labour
market for highly qualified workers. More importantly,
the presence of students in the city is a major factor in
businesses deciding to establish operations here.
An additional 7,600 student dwellings
Though there is a reliably lively interest in studying in
the Dutch capital, it is difficult for students to find living
space here. There has been a serious shortage of
student accommodation for years already. Students
primarily have to rely on their creativity in the search
for housing, turning to options such as ‘anti-squatting’,
sublets or sometimes even camp sites. If Amsterdam
wishes to remain attractive for students, then it would
be to the city’s advantage to find a swift and effective
solution to this problem. Hence the City Executive’s
desire to eliminate the shortage in student housing during
the current 2006-2010 term of government. In late
2005 the shortfall was 7,600 units. In conjunction with
universities, colleges of higher education and student
housing corporations, the City Council has drafted a
policy that must result in reaching this goal. How these
ambitions should actually be implemented is elaborated
in the Uitvoeringsplan Studentenhuisvesting 2006-2010
(Action Plan for Student Housing 2006-2010), which has
now been ratified by the City Council. It tackles the following
key points:
n Proceed with construction of 2,500 new or renovated
units that have thus far existed only on paper;
n Realize 1,000 student dwellings by converting
vacant offices and business accommodation;
n Stimulate the outflow of former students, freeing up
an additional 120 units;
n Make 800 small dwellings from the regular housing
stock available to students, rented out on a temporary
basis and via ‘campus contracts’;
n Make every effort to retain the temporary container
villages until 2015.
On the basis of the measures in the Action Plan, various
housing corporations and real estate companies have
realized projects that create additional temporary and
permanent student housing. The five successful projects
below are exemplary:
Conversion of Slotervaart council offices
and the Kliq Building Eighty students and artists
are being housed temporarily in Slotervaart’s former
borough council offices and the adjacent Kliq Building.
The temporary nature of the rental agreement (until
2011) meant that the Duwo student housing corporation
was required to make minimal adjustments. Duwo
was able to call on the expertise of a firm specialized in
converting business properties into in student accommodation.
Temporary residential containers in Oost/
Watergraafsmeer Close by the Overamstel
Penitentiary Institution stands a container village that
provides accommodation for almost 1,000 students.
These are self-contained units, without communal facilities
or spaces. The shipping containers, produced in
China for TempoHousing/De Key housing association,
measure approximately 2.50 x 12 metres. Students
have access to a range of amenities, such as a restaurant,
a budget supermarket, a launderette and a sports
park. Students live there temporarily, with a ‘campus
contract’ that terminates within six months of completing
their studies. Students can register online via the
Studentenwoningweb (Student Housing Web). Thanks
to the formula proving popular, De Key is devising
plans for additional container villages for students. The
advantage of this provision is that the whole village
is moveable. If the land where it stands is assigned a
definitive use then the village can ‘settle’ at a new temporary
site.
Conversion of the ‘Berlage Blocks’ in
Zeeburg Since early 2006, 170 students have been
living at the Javaplein in Zeeburg. This is the site of the
‘Berlage Blocks’, a complex of early public housing that
was ripe for demolition. However, the Ymere housing
corporation opted to convert the complex, restoring
the exterior in H.P. Berlage’s original style. Conversion
of the relatively small units within met the requirements
of three target groups: first-time buyers, self-contained
flats for music students and students units with shared
facilities.
A new and expanded 'Casa 400' hotel In
2009 the construction of a new Casa 400 is planned
in the Amsterdam borough of Oost/Watergraafsmeer,
close to the original location. Casa 400 is a hotel that
closes to guests for part of the year, when its rooms
are rented out to students. The formula has been a
success for 50 years already. The new Casa 400 complex
is being financed by BPF Bouwinvest, the property
investment arm of a construction-sector pension fund.
Besides constructing a bigger, permanent hotel facility
for the foundation that operates Casa 400, BPF
Bouwinvest is realizing 380 dedicated student units
with communal facilities. There is also a flexible meeting
and conference centre and a grand café. A project
manager for BPF Bouwinvest explained that this
project was interesting for them because the contract
is fixed for 30 years. This means they are prepared to
accept a return on investment that is slightly lower
than usual.
A campus in the making Construction of the
Meander complex, a campus with more than 700
live/work units for students and personnel, is proceeding
on and around the Amsterdam Science Park in
Watergraafsmeer. Meander is situated close to the
Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam
(UvA).
Meander will provide various self-contained types
of dwelling (1, 2 and 3 rooms), largely suitable for
students as well as visiting academics (short-stay or
otherwise). The plan has been devised so it is possible
to ‘negotiate the housing ladder’ within the complex.
The director of the Duwo student accommodation provider
points out that many projects for student housing
and campuses are loss-makers initially, only reaching
the break-even point after 50 or so years, which also
applies for Meander.
16 PlanAmsterdam