Borneohof

Borneohof, with 67 owner-occupied and rental homes, is the winner of the Amsterdam New Construction Award 2012. A boost for the neighborhood, according to newspaper Het Parool. A new urban square was created through the building block, serving as the new heart of the Indische Buurt neighborhood. The building replaced approximately 150 small, outdated homes on Javaplein as part of the urban renewal of the Indische Buurt.

The Borneohof is a substantial new construction block that seamlessly fits the nature and character of the Indische Buurt. "This is an asset to the neighborhood," judges Ineke Genee, one of the five jury members who selected the ten nominees in 2012. Her colleague Judith Dekker particularly praises the diversity: a variety of owner-occupied, free-rent, and social housing, all with different apartments. And then there are the exceptionally decorated entrance halls, where designer Piet-Hein Eek has filled one wall with a mosaic of doors from the demolished homes that previously stood here.

The for-sale and rental properties, including four wheelchair-accessible homes, are grouped around, oriented towards, and accessed by a green courtyard. Due to the way this collective space is designed, this courtyard is experienced spatially as three distinct courtyards. This creates an intimate atmosphere that makes it an attractive meeting place for residents. The inner courtyard is accessible through four high gates that create sightlines between the street and the courtyard.