Start signal for realization of The Blox in The Hague Binckhorst

Nature-inclusive residential tower with vertical neighborhoods

The realization of new construction project The Blox in The Hague's Binckhorst has officially begun. On July 12, Gijsbert van Herk (Staedion), Alderman Robert van Asten (Municipality of The Hague, Urban Development) and Hans Meurs (VORM) gave the official starting signal. The nature-inclusive residential building with a rooftop park of 2,100m2 consists of 360 apartments for starters and those moving up, of which over 80% of the homes are affordable rent. VORM Bouw is undertaking the realization of the 130 meter high tower. 

The residential tower will have 38 floors, with 360 apartments rented by Staedion housing corporation. 60% of the apartments will be rented in the social segment, 21% of the apartments will be medium-rent and the remaining apartments in the free sector. Gijsbert van Herk, Staedion board chairman: "The Blox is a special project in which we didn't go overnight. The Binckhorst is a beautiful area development for The Hague. We are therefore proud that we can realize 360 rental homes here, with a generous amount of social housing and space for facilities. This project and this location fit into our strategy to make a significant contribution to housing production in the city. And hopefully The Blox is an example for other housing associations to step forward now, given the social task we have as a sector. With this project we are making a concrete contribution to our ambition to reduce the housing shortage."

Social cohesion

The Blox, designed by LEVS Architects and FLUX Architecture, is a stacked city. A sturdy tower, built from blocks, with so-called "districts. Each district is a neighborhood of a residential community. Each approximately 60 homes together form a specific neighborhood, giving the plan several collective places with their own 'neighborhood' character. Thus, the building will have living spaces for various communities and a large rooftop park, plaza, supermarket and courtyard gardens where they meet. People live close together, greet each other and keep an eye on each other. This social cohesion provides a safe living and working environment.

Councilman Robert van Asten (Urban Development, The Hague): "With the construction of The Blox, the Binckhorst is gaining a new icon. It is great that through collaboration between VORM, Staedion and the Municipality of The Hague the residential program could be adjusted so that construction can now really start. In this way we are increasingly filling up building plots in the Binckhorst and this district is coming to life more and more. We want to make the Binckhorst a lively urban district, which keeps its own character, where people can live, work and relax."

Nature-inclusive living

VORM approaches the building as an ecosystem. As a result, biodiversity has a natural place in the architecture. Good for the well-being of local fauna, but also for the residents. The tower is a hub for flora and fauna and strengthens the ecology in the area.

Hans Meurs, CEO VORM, considers inner-city construction with space for nature of great importance: "nature-inclusive construction means leaving nothing to chance. We know that the first 50 meters are really relevant for flora and fauna. So the first six residential floors are generously provided with greenery and edible plants for animals. We are creating two roof gardens for butterflies and bees with nesting boxes and bee hotels. Everything adds up. Plants capture particulate matter, green facades combat heat stress and the green collective spaces in the open air invite residents to go outside. Healthy and good for social cohesion. And still make every home affordable."

Scaffoldless construction

VORM Bouw, specialist in high-rise buildings with 105 years of experience, will realize the residential tower in the Binckhorst in approximately 36 months. The first 130 meter high residential tower to be built by the construction company without scaffolding. The element façade is industrially developed. The shell is largely developed in precast concrete load-bearing walls and in-situ poured floors. The finishing materials are co-supplied in the apartments at the time of carcass construction, optimizing the number of logistical movements on the construction site. As a result, the building is completed faster, making all apartments affordable. The Blox is projected to be completed in the third quarter of 2027.