Waterside II in Rotterdam

UNIQUE STEPPING STONE TO THE LARGER PROJECTS

On the banks of the Meuse River, along the Oostdijk and near the Van Brienenoord Bridge, a special new construction project was completed last summer: Waterside II. This impressive residential complex with its special, stepped construction and high-quality finish is not only an enrichment for Rotterdam and its inhabitants, but also a wonderful stepping stone for STATON Bouw towards the larger projects. "We consider it an honor that we, as a relatively small builder, have been asked for this iconic project and are incredibly proud that - together with our construction partners - we have succeeded in constructing a high-quality building for this target group," says Kees Hoogendoorn jr., commercial manager at STATON Bouw. "This project definitely tastes like more!"

Waterside II consists of 113 rental apartments, 11 town houses and a plinth with commercial and social functions and stands on top of an underground parking garage. The project was realized in a tight construction team with developer Waterside II B.V., Eentien Architects, IMd Raadgevende Ingenieurs and STATON Bouw B.V. The design is distinguished by a special, stepped structure that runs from three floors on Flying Dutchmanstraat to ten floors on the Maas side. "The unique building form makes this building very special and required specific attention in the engineering and construction team phase," Hoogendoorn says. "But also during execution. The dimensions are different on every floor. Up to and including the penthouse on the tenth floor, each residential floor jumps back one or two apartments." Whereas residential buildings normally have one or two roofs, in this project STATON Bouw had to deal with a lot of small(er) roof surfaces, which made this construction particularly complex and challenging. "Thanks to good preparation and working with the right subcontractors, we were ultimately able to meet all the challenges extremely well."

Gold staircases and facade details

"Waterside II is intended for the free rental sector, but in terms of materialization and finishing it is certainly not inferior to for sale," Hoogendoorn emphasizes. As an example, he mentions the gold-colored stairs on the gallery side that, in combination with the gold-colored facade details, provide a special facade image. "Also very beautiful are the balconies, which are finished in white instead of gray concrete. The facades largely feature aluminum (sliding) facades, windows and frames with triple glazing. At the entrance, the windows are additionally curved. In addition, a part is provided with timber frame walls and high-quality aluminum composite facade panels. For example, in the area of the balconies, which gives the building even more dynamism. The building is very energy-efficient and, of course, gas-free. All town houses are equipped with solar panels. In combination with a WKO installation, Waterside II is also very sustainable."

Stage of 15-year anniversary

Almost all rental apartments have a balcony or roof terrace. At the apartments on the Van Brienenoord side, spacious conservatory boxes have also been created; a kind of indoor balconies with sliding glass walls that cleverly overcome noise pollution from the highway. "Also special is the spacious roof terrace cum roof garden, which encourages meeting and - in accordance with the Biophilic Design philosophy - contributes to the biodiversity and nature inclusiveness of the city," Hoogendoorn said. "From the rooftop terrace, residents have beautiful views of both the Maas River and Rotterdam's skyline. That makes this location truly unique." Not surprisingly, Waterside II was also the stage for STATON Bouw's 15-year anniversary celebration last year. "At the end of September 2023, we had just reached the high point. At this point we set up a beautiful rooftop bar, where we toasted the future together. The location and special building shape did the rest."

Following Waterside II, STATON Bouw will also be responsible for the realization of Waterside III in Rotterdam, which will include up to 176 rental apartments in the middle and upper price range. And so there are more large projects for the Werkendam builder in the planning.