Sluisbuurt

In May 2023, DUWO has started the construction of new housing for students and young people in the Sluisbuurt area of Amsterdam. In this brand-new neighborhood on the IJ river, two buildings will be constructed, providing a total of 767 homes for students and young professionals. Students and young people will live on separate floors. As in some other DUWO complexes, the shared facilities will be strongly focused on fostering interaction and connection among residents.

DUWO’s development is one of the first projects to be built in this new neighborhood.

The units
The vast majority of the homes will be small, self-contained units known as "studettes." Each unit will have its own front door, kitchen, bathroom, and toilet, with a surface area of approximately 21 m². In addition, there will be a few shared student apartments.

Facilities
Both buildings will include common rooms: one of 200 m² in the first building, and two (200 m² and 100 m²) in the second. These spaces are also intended to be open to future residents from the surrounding neighborhood. All common rooms will be equipped with kitchen facilities to allow, for example, communal cooking.

One of the buildings will also include over 350 m² of commercial space on the ground floor. The exact use has not yet been determined, but possibilities include a coffee bar, café, snack bar, or bicycle repair shop.

To ensure comfort even during hot summers, the buildings will be equipped with cooling systems.

Security
The buildings will be accessible from the public road or an adjacent area. The inner courtyard can be closed off in the evenings, and entrance will be controlled by an electronic locking system.

Surroundings
The new Sluisbuurt neighborhood in Amsterdam is being built at the tip of Zeeburgereiland, on the IJ river. The new campus of Inholland University of Applied Sciences will also be located nearby.

The neighborhood consists of three parts, with its heart centered around the Waterbassin – a public square with shops, cafés, restaurants, Inholland University, and local amenities. Walking paths and seating areas along the Sluispark dikes will offer views over the IJ. The public spaces are designed with pedestrians, cyclists, and outdoor activities in mind. Sidewalks on the sunny sides of the streets are made extra wide to make the most of every ray of sunshine.

Sluisbuurt will be accessible via the IJtram and a planned future bike route to the city center. In the coming years, the public transport network will be further expanded, along with improved access by car and bicycle. From the student and youth housing complex, IJtram line 26 travels to Central Station in just ten minutes. The vibrant Indische Buurt is only a ten-minute walk away.

Sustainability
Sluisbuurt is set to become a remarkable neighborhood with a strong focus on sustainability, nature, and ecology. All buildings will meet strict environmental standards, and future reuse is already being considered during construction.

Buildings will be equipped with bird nesting boxes and/or green façades and roofs to reduce heat stress. The neighborhood will be lush with greenery and designed to withstand heavy rainstorms. Car-light streets will contribute to a more pleasant living environment.

Heating and waste disposal will also be highly sustainable. There will be an underground waste transport system. The area will not be connected to natural gas; instead, it will use district heating, drawing residual heat from the Eastern Docklands to provide hot water and heating for homes.

Design and construction
The design of the student and youth housing is by MEI Architects. Construction is being carried out by BAM Wonen Noord-West. The first pile was driven on May 31, 2023. The first building will take approximately two years to complete and is expected to be ready for occupancy in May/June 2025. The second building will follow about six months later, with residents expected to move in during autumn 2025.

Contracts and rental prices
The student residences will be rented under the standard campus contract. Rental prices can be found in the ads om ROOM.

How to apply
The homes in the first building in Sluisbuurt will be advertised via ROOM. This includes 153 student residences (with campus contracts) and 45 youth residences (with youth contracts). The youth residences will be allocated via a lottery system.