The Knowledge Campus Leeuwarden is located on the north side of Leeuwarden city centre. Living, working and studying present new options for interaction here. The student housing organisation Studentenhuisvesting Leeuwarden commissioned 246 student residences for Dutch students on the Rengerslaan.
As these buildings will set the tone for the architecture on rest of the planned Knowledge Campus, high standards were imposed on the design and detailing. The apartments are situated on a promenade along the perimeter of the Knowledge Campus.
Surrounded by grass and partly set in the water of the Oude Meer, the apartment blocks are each six storeys high. The facades are made of crafted, hand-moulded brown-red bricks that shift in tints from dark to light. Due to this effect, the apartment blocks appear to emerge from the water.
While the playful composition of large windows varies the facade, it also alters the position of the window in every room. A generous feeling of space results in the rooms thanks to abundant daylight and an efficient layout of the kitchen and bathroom.
Shared facilities in each block such as the entrance, bicycle shed and garbage room are placed on ground level. This student housing complex is one of the most sustainable in the Netherlands due to its use of sustainable materials, Energy Performance Coefficient of 0.6 and application of energy-efficient installations.
A flexible layout enables the building to be easily repurposed in the future. Remarkably, the swift construction time condenses the process from concept to completion into only 12 months.