Kenniskwartier – Stepstone – Amsterdam

In collaboration with VU Amsterdam and Amsterdam UMC, the municipality will develop a completely new neighbourhood in this part of Zuidas in the coming years, called Innovation District (Kenniskwartier). Besides around 2,700 homes, the Innovation District will provide space for knowledge-related activities, a primary school, culture and catering. It will be a neighbourhood where health, science and entrepreneurship come together.
Stepstone is currently under construction; an 80-metre-high residential tower that will include 216 social housing units. The complex has a roof terrace with a sports field, a green courtyard garden and a communal living room where residents can meet, organise something together or work. There is storage for bikes and scooters, but no parking spaces for cars. Stepstone is constructed of light materials and glass, with many balconies and vertical greenery along the facades. The execution of the elements creates an alternating play of surfaces that will be enhanced by light and air. It combines the stateliness of an urban tower with the dynamism of a lively residential neighbourhood.