On Tuesday, September 24, Van Wijnen opened the innovative pop-up neighborhood De Loskade in Groningen. De Loskade, on the former Suikerunie site, consists of 14 circular and remountable homes, 32 studios and 40 temporary residents. For the next 11 years, the district will be a living lab for experiments with sustainable housing solutions that also make living more pleasant.
During the opening on Sept. 24, invited guests were able to view the experimental residential district and Alderman Van der Schaaf gave the official go-ahead for the opening. The guests, including the tenants of De Loskade, employees of Van Wijnen and cooperation partners of De Loskade were shown a 5-minute sparkling animation. This showed the rich history of the location and how this circular district adds a new dimension to it. By choosing a different way of building, Van Wijnen is working on solutions to the major challenges facing construction.
Alderman Roeland van der Schaaf: "The Loskade fits completely into the vision of the municipality of Groningen on future-proof building and I am proud that this unique circular district is in Groningen."
The Unloading Quay: real-time experimentation
From sustainable energy solutions with solar and wind energy, such as solar roof tiles, to new facade materials such as insulating stone strips. At De Loskade, there is plenty of experimentation with the building of the day after tomorrow. The temporary residents are literally living in a living lab. The district consists of a completely new line of circular housing products by Fijn Wonen, part of Van Wijnen. These homes are completely remountable. Together with the temporary residents and partners, Van Wijnen will be building space for better living here for the next eleven years. In this way, the company is learning what works well and what does not.
Responsible contractor role
With as much as 17% of drinking water consumption, 33% of CO2 emissions, 30% of waste, and 45% of global resource use, the construction world's impact on the earth is significant. With attention to people, the environment and its surroundings, Van Wijnen looks far beyond its traditional contractor role. For example, with smart housing solutions with a minimal footprint that also contribute to living comfort. In this way, Van Wijnen continually seeks solutions to future challenges.