EBBINGEHOF

Ebbingehof is a pentagonal residential block on the site of the former CIBoGo gasworks in Groningen. The 40 apartments and communal spaces are arranged around a semi-public courtyard. We cut away sections to allow in maximum sunlight. This intervention created a lively sculptural form, that shifts in appearance depending on where you stand. The sunny courtyard and two roof gardens are the residents' communal gardens.
Our pentagonal residential community building links the historic city center with the area being redeveloped. We worked on the rhythms, contours and textures of the façade to create a light, sympathetic and vivacious building. This led to a composition of inset windows, wooden panels, dark-gray horizontal bands and "woven" brickwork, which interacts with the street and buildings outside.
Recalling the site's history, the two stone lions that previously stood at the entrance of the old factory building,  now frame the entrance to Ebbingehof's semi-public courtyard.

A group of individuals joined forces to form the Ebbingehof Foundation, which commissioned this project and developed it with the City of Groningen. The Foundation retains ownership of the building and all residents are members of the Ebbingehof Association, which holds 50% of the voting rights in the Foundation. This construction ensures stable living conditions for residents, protected from the threat of third-party speculators, and underpinned the design process. The client is convinced that the design's caliber will enhance the quality of life for both residents and neighbors. The Ebbingehof Foundation, led by Ms Joan Stam, has a strong vision: "Live together independently". This was the guiding principle behind our pentagonal building with its sunny courtyard and two large roof gardens. Diversity and inclusion are integral to the Foundation's program, so we proposed 40 residential units of 60m2 –150m2 with a mix of social housing, mid-market rents and private-sector apartments.

Our client's broad, coherent view of sustainability was the driving force that allowed us to achieve the quality we have. The Ebbingehof Foundation started from a position of social sustainability, underpinned by the structure of the organization and development. The different types and sizes of apartments make Ebbingehof accessible to a wide range of residents, facilitating a variety of communal activities across care, culture, food and gardening, that are both possible and sustainable. The Ebbingehof Foundation insisted on an optimal use of sustainable water and electricity. For water, the building is connected to Groningen's "Warmtestad" thermal storage system. Water from the hot source is brought to the right temperature inside the building using a communal heat pump. Solar panels with a peak output of 280 kw on the roof provide electricity. With our client we selected Platowood for the façade cladding. This is hydro-thermally modified wood from sustainably managed forests.