Where in Zuidas
The building will accommodate 101 energy-efficient free-market rental apartments. Construction began in November 2021. The Newton is in Kop Zuidas, the most easterly neighbourhood of Zuidas. The complex is the first part of a housing development triangle at the heart of the district, where there will soon be around 500 new homes. The apartments in The Newton are expected to be completed in 2023. Construction will start on the second section of the triangle at a later stage.
Donor buildings
On 22 March 2022, the first circular concrete was poured for the new apartment complex. The raw materials for circular concrete partly originate from old concrete buildings, known as donor buildings. Although the use of circular concrete is not new, The Newton is still set to achieve a first. The building will be made up of almost 50% circular concrete, an exceptionally high percentage. Tim Luijt from project developer COD: ‘Usually, old concrete is ground down into gravel, making it difficult to reuse. As a result, you can only add a small percentage of it to new concrete.’
1,160 tonnes of CO2
However, to build The Newton, COD is using a new technique that makes it possible to reuse a higher percentage of concrete. Luijt: ‘For this, we’re working with the New Horizon company. It has designed a machine that breaks down old concrete into the basic elements: sand, gravel and cement. Because you can separate the raw materials so effectively, they can be reused to make concrete. This is what makes a higher percentage of circular concrete possible.’ The use of circular concrete will enable a huge energy-saving. The Newton will save around 1,160 tonnes of CO2 compared to traditional concrete. ‘To give you some idea: that’s the equivalent of all the CO2 absorbed by the plants and trees in Vondelpark, over an eight-year period’, says Luijt.
Roof garden and water-retardant green strips
The Newton is fully committed to sustainability, including the outdoor areas. On the first floor of the building, there will be a communal roof garden with evergreen plants. Around the complex, there will be ‘water-retardant’ green infiltration strips that are capable of collecting large amounts of rainwater in order to protect the sewer in the event of heavy rainfall. Zuidas deputy director for area development Monique Soe-Agnie says: ‘We’re working to achieve a healthy, clean, compact and energy-efficient Zuidas. We’re collaborating with a range of different parties on this. At Zuidas, we also encourage developers to develop and build energy-neutral buildings. That’s why I’m so pleased with the sustainable construction of this housing.’
Parties involved
The Newton has been designed by Diederendirrix architecten and its rich brick architecture reflects the architectural style of the adjoining Rivierenbuurt. The urban roof garden is being developed by Felixx Landscape Architects and Planners. The contractor is Pleijser Bouw.
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