126 student accommodation units in the heart of the city: where living, working and socialising come together
How do you transform a former office building in the city centre into a place where living, working and socialising come together? That was the challenge we at Eindje Bouwen set out to tackle, in collaboration with Eindhoven City Council and FAAM architects, for the KP300 project on Kennedyplein. Through this partnership, we are not just constructing a building, but developing a new concept: moving from mixed-use to connected-use.
The heart of the station area
KP300, the former VGZ office on Kennedyplein, is situated in a prominent spot in the city that’s almost impossible to miss. You literally drive right past it from John F. Kennedylaan and walk past it every time you head from the station towards TU/e. It is a crossroads of routes. Together with the council and FAAM architects, we are working to breathe new life into this building on a temporary basis. The scheme comprises:
- 126 student units, offices, flexible workspaces and a central plaza for socialising and events.
A key intervention is the opening up of the façade, which will give the entrance a completely new look. Where the façade is currently still closed off with glass, an inviting and open entrance will soon be created, connecting the building much more closely with the city. The open space at the front draws visitors in, as it were. Furthermore, a continuous structure in the walls and ceilings creates the sense of a natural route towards the plaza and office spaces. As a result, the indoors and outdoors increasingly merge: a place where the building becomes part of the public space and where the city is, as it were, brought inside.
An extremely accessible and connected building concept
KP300 is a building concept for the future-makers of Brainport Eindhoven. It creates an open and vibrant environment where the city, students and the business community reinforce one another.
This concept is based on three interlinked pillars:
- Connection:
It’s all about meeting, collaborating and spending time together. Businesses, students and the city come together here in an active community. Through work events, shared workspaces and study areas, and a strong community-focused approach, a place is created where connections are formed. - Shaping the future
KP300 is an open and accessible building for and by the future-makers of Brainport Eindhoven. The mix of users contributes to the city’s energy and strengthens the connection with the Knoop XL station area. As one of the first visible developments in this area, the KP300 building concept aligns well with the ambitions of Knoop XL: the transformation of a grey, stony office and transit area into a vibrant district where living, working, studying, travelling and staying go hand in hand. The area will soon become the city and region’s flagship. An inviting gateway to the city where liveability, accessibility, quality and hospitality take centre stage. From KP300, this ambition will come to life step by step in the coming years, together with an active community of future-makers. - Flexibility
The building adapts to changing needs. Spaces, functions and programming are flexible in their use. From a multifunctional plaza to scalable units, and from everyday communal spaces to event venues or an extension of the local council.
In the open plaza, this all comes together in a vibrant community and events programme that forms the beating heart of the building. Users gain access to a powerful network of businesses, students and organisations at the heart of the station area.
This creates a place where knowledge, young talent, business and Brainport come together and reinforce one another, and where the future is shaped collectively.
By accessibility, we also mean accessible housing for everyone. Within the residential programme, there is a conscious focus on different types of students, including specially adapted accommodation units for students with disabilities.
Finding a student room is difficult enough, but for students with disabilities it is often even harder.
That is exactly why we believe it is important that KP300 explicitly makes room for accessible housing for everyone, so that the building truly becomes accessible to all.
Invitation: Share your ideas on the future of KP300
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