• industrial
• place making
• redevelopment
• waterfront
• public housing

The harbor peninsulas of Borneo and Sporenburg in Amsterdam underwent a massive transformation into a residential neighborhood accommodating about 6000 residents. Constructed between 1996 and 2000, West 8 served as the Masterplan designer and architectural supervisor for over 30 architects, ensuring a diverse and unique development. The original urban planning vision for Borneo Sporenburg in Amsterdam aimed at creating a high-density, low-rise residential area with 2,500 dwelling units at a density three times that of conventional suburban housing. However, market conditions in the mid-1990s favored suburban typologies with front doors opening onto the street. To reconcile this paradox, West 8 proposed a new typology featuring three-story, ground-accessed houses that were inward-oriented, emphasizing private spaces with patio and roof garden designs. This "patio-typology" solution, inspired by traditional Dutch canal houses and villages on the former Zuiderzee, introduced unexpected richness to low-rise housing design. By incorporating voids within 30-50% of parcels, the solution created an intimate atmosphere reminiscent of seventeenth-century paintings. Public spaces were integrated within building walls, resulting in an animated street elevation with diverse dwelling modes, from social housing to exclusive apartments. The low-rise structures were organized in strict banded blocks, creating a rhythmic interplay of voids and density. This design also highlighted the contrast between the densely built neighborhood and the open water, emphasizing a balance between intimacy and vastness. Within this expansive district of three-story back-to-back terraced homes, three sculptural apartment blocks, described as 'meteorites in a sea of houses,' break the continuity. Although the district's streets are relatively narrow, the floor plans are highly varied and innovative, integrating ample light, air, and views. West 8 oversaw the designs of emerging and established architects reinterpreting the traditional Dutch canal house. The playful variation in facade designs resulted in a dynamic street elevation, culminating in the row of privately commissioned houses at Scheepstimmermanstraat. The two realized 'meteorites' include the industrial brick apartment block Pacman (by Koen van Velzen) and The Sfinx/The Whale, featuring a West 8-designed courtyard, a sloping roofline, and a zinc-paneled facade (by ArchitectenCie). Water plays a central role in the public domain of Borneo-Sporenburg, celebrated by two landmark bridges. The essence of the river IJ, with its wind, reflections, and sunsets, is brought into the living environment. Despite the architectural diversity, the public space adopts a 'low-on-design' approach, with streets paved in Dutch brick and large concrete kerbstones. While the 19th-century quay structures underwent simple renovations, a diagonal green strip creates a sightline through Borneo-island. The three bridges of Borneo/Sporenburg contribute significantly to the distinctive atmosphere of the harbor-residential area. Two of these bridges, located on the West and East, span the 93-meter wide Railroad basin, connecting the islands of Borneo and Sporenburg. The third bridge aligns with the East bridge, spanning the 25-meter wide inland port.