Waaggebouw Weighing House Eindhoven, Netherlands

Fact File

Project Name :  Waaggebouw Weighing House

Location :  Eindhoven, Netherlands

Building Function: Social Housing, Community Center

Architects: NEXT Architects

Area :  2970 m 

Year: 2023

Photographs :  Loes van Duijvendijk

What was once considered a disadvantaged neighborhood is now seen as an attractive place to live and work. Waag Woensel-West symbolizes the completion of many unique and long-term projects for the neighborhood. The building is a key part of the new image that the neighborhood's main street, the infamous Edisonstraat, is intended to portray. 

It also marks the completion of the new building project Plan Celcius, based on the original and affordable Da Vinci modular housing concept. Furthermore, it forms the centerpiece of the new square, the final stage of the transformation. The main aim of the project was to create an easily accessible facility for and by the residents of the neighborhood.

The first plans for the revitalization of Woensel-West were drawn up by the various parties involved at the beginning of this century. The cooperation between the municipality and the housing company Trudo initiated a joint development process that continues to this day. The company and the municipality wanted to develop the neighborhood together but with different approaches. In a joint decision, priority was given to adopting a community based approach.

This approach aimed to renovate the housing in the neighborhood, build a school, and provide incentives for small business owners in order to make Edisonstraat a lively and attractive street again. Since investing in local residents requires a high level of human and resource support, priority was given to those who wanted to help develop neighborhood activities when allocating the social housing developed by Trudo.

I n order to ensure that all interventions in the spatial structure of the neighbourhood have something to offer to the existing residents, the primary goal is to invest in the future of the residents. This is a different and people centred approach to the transformation projects carried out in other neighbourhoods in the Netherlands, which often lead to the displacement of the residents.

This unique approach was taken into account in the transformation of the Woensel-West district, and progressed step by step without a master plan or final result. By choosing this approach, a flexible project emerged that was not aimed at a predetermined result but progressed with additions made during the process. The spatial planning approach described as “Because Tastes and Colors Are Different” resulted in a structure that provided a wide area for the development of differences and diversity, thus reflecting the diversity of the neighborhood residents. 

At the same time, the use of the richness of form and color, which is more common in the Mediterranean and Caribbean regions, has a liberating effect in terms of architecture. A gradual transformation was achieved in which the Woensel-West residents and facility users were closely involved in every step of the process.

In terms of urban design, an iconic neighborhood building was envisioned, free-standing and without a clear façade orientation. Although the historical reference was inspired by the traditional public building of the 1800s, the “weigh house,” a seven-story building resulted in a form that was a bit too large and imposing for the site. Nevertheless, by placing the neighborhood activity area on the square on a glass base and placing a green roof garden on the other side, a beautiful and sculptural form was achieved. 

The Waag Woensel-West design stands out with its colors and materials, fully reflecting the diversity of the neighborhood, where half of the residents have an immigrant background.

In order to make this large building look smaller than it is, the extra large windows used are spread over two floors. At the same time, these steel framed windows have different designs on each floor and reflect the characteristics of different layers.

On the ground floor, there is a community activity area, which is an inviting gathering place for the entire neighborhood. All residents can use this space to communicate their concerns, participate in development activities, or simply meet with each other. There are also duplex apartments on the ground floor. Above them are corner apartments overlooking the square. The roof terrace on the building offers a common outdoor living area, while at the top of the tower are apartments with views of Eindhoven.

The building's façade is made of Ecoshapes, a cladding material specially developed as a sustainable alternative to traditional stone façades or plaster. This cladding is an additional highlight that makes the building look even more striking and elegant. Waag Woensel-West marks both the culmination of developments in the area and the beginning of a vibrant future.