Casa Vita, Pijnacker | Netherlands
Casa Vita is a multi-story residential project, the construction of which consists largely of binderholz CLT BBS elements. The two buildings have 67 condominiums and 34 rental apartments for social housing. This means that people from a wide target group, from single and two-person households to young and elderly people, can find a new home here.
FACTS
Project Residential building with 101 apartments
Location Pijnacker, Netherlands
Completion 2025
Client Giesbers Wijchen Bouw B.V.
Developer Blauwhoed
Construction company Pieters Bouwtechniek Haarlem
Architecture KOW Architecten Den Haag
Material use 2753 m³ binderholz CLT BBS, 53 m³ binderholz glulam, 524 m² binderholz solid wood panels
As part of the project, the binderholz b_project team took on the structural engineering, design engineering, production and delivery of the solid wood components and the associated fasteners, components and connectors. It also supervised the mass timber installation. The timber construction was completed after just six months, while the total construction time was 24 months. The buildings were designed to be embedded in the green spaces by rotating them, so that all existing trees could be preserved during construction.
Wooden construction in a social and green residential environment
The basic principle of Casa Vita is a healthy residential and living community. The 101 sustainable apartments range from studios starting at 47 m² to spacious penthouses with up to 125 m². In addition, a residential environment has been designed that takes trees, shrubs, flowers, and nesting and shelter places for animals, flora, fauna, and the environment into account. The project has a total gross floor area of 14,730 m². The parking garage can accommodate 120 cars and 292 bicycles, including eight charging stations for electric cars. There are numerous opportunities to meet and exercise together in the communal park area, courtyard with greenhouse, and other communal facilities.
With the exception of the parking garage and the ground floor, which were constructed using concrete, all floors are made of wood. Recycled wood from old piles was used for the façade, giving Casa Vita a warm, natural look and making it a circular project. Plant boxes, climbing plants, and nesting boxes for birds and bats complement the picture.
The load-bearing CLT BBS walls are 120 mm thick on the façade and 140 mm thick inside the apartments. Due to fire and sound insulation requirements, a facing wall was used for the partition walls between the apartments. The walls were already fitted with all the recesses for pipes and connections at our binderholz factory. The CLT BBS floors are 240 mm thick and are not covered with fireproof cladding on the underside, so that the wood remains visible. For reasons of fire resistance and sound insulation, a loose sand-cement coating was applied to the floor. The CLT BBS balconies and galleries are partly supported by a beam or column construction made of laminated wood and partly suspended from the CLT BBS wall construction.
The entire concept was implemented as sustainably and circularly as possible, including high-quality, shared, and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. The project shows that building with wood and using sustainable materials can be made affordable. Casa Vita offers a healthy living community for young and old, where timber construction provides a unique, healthy, and comfortable living experience.
Photos: © BASEPHOTOGRAPHY © Giesbers Wijchen Bouw B.V.
Video: © Blauwhoed
