sophie valla integrates solar cells into the façades of this amsterdam apartment building

with an energy neutral design, sophie valla architects has completed the ‘GO buiksloterham’ apartment building in amsterdam north. rising 30 meters tall, the compact volume is defined by its ‘cut-out’ corner, which is designed to maximize natural light. the project also features a number of clean energy strategies to minimize its ecological footprint. 

northeast facing elevation

images by jeroen musch

when approaching the project, sophie valla architects had to consider the impact of a high-rise building that’s due to be erected on the adjacent plot. to combat potential shading on the southwest side, the design team carved a huge chunk out of the corner, creating a cascade of generous L-shaped balconies. in addition to the balconies on the sunny southeast side of the building, every apartment also has a spacious wooden balcony overlooking a garden to the west of the site. overall, each residence benefits from 20-30 m2 of outdoor space.

the ‘cut-out’ corner

the entire building is wrapped in a secondary glass façade. the large glass panels are screen-printed, providing varying gradations from white to transparent. the changing patterns soften the elevational treatment and create a milky-green abstraction, with no sharp cut-outs for the windows. meaning that what’s behind the façades remains private.

east facing elevation

solar cells are incorporated in between the three layers of laminated glass panels to generate clean electricity. in between the two façade ‘skins’, there is also a gap measuring 40 cm wide. this gap becomes an extra space for residents to sit and enjoy the view.

timber construction

on the west facing elevation, the first and the second floor of the building offer a lively interaction with the street. behind the transparent façade of these levels are workspaces with high ceilings, which house an advertising agency, a photo studio, and a dance studio. thanks to the large transparent glass paneling, passersby can even see through the large entrance hall of the building to the garden.

L-shaped balconies

throughout the design, sophie valla architects has tried to minimize the use of concrete by utilizing timber construction instead: from wooden cladding to massive structural elements. the primary façade under the glass is also made of prefabricated timber frame elements that can easily be replaced and recycled.

the apartment building is heated with its own geothermal heat pump that also provides cooling during the summer. solar panels on the roof and integrated solar cells in the elevations provide enough energy for the whole building, giving it a zero energy performance coefficient (energy neutral). and in their mission for a more circular design, the team has left no stone unturned, even the large planters on each terrace store rainwater that feeds into the drainage system. 

entrance garden

west terraces

solar cells in the façade

‘seating window’

screen-printed glass

L-shaped apartment

gap between the first and second skin of the building

project info:

project name: GO buiksloterham

location: amsterdam north, the netherlands

type: participatory housing project (CPO)

program: 17 apartments and working spaces

client: go buikslorterham collective

architecture firm: sophie valla architects

design team: sophie valla, guido schot

BIM team: peter brandsma, wout van vreeswijk

contractor: bouwbedrijf m.j. de nijs & zonen

gross floor area: 32,292 ft2 (3,000 m2)

completion: december 2020

photography: jeroen musch | @jeroen_musch

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom