Fitting within the Masterplan for a new residential neighbourhood to the North of Amsterdam, the project forms a courtyard with the adjacent Alvaro Siza block that faces the river.

The careful massing, stepping of the upper levels, and rhythm of the stonework simply address the courtyard and wider view in a calm, honest way. The Dutch ideal has been embraced and used to great effect. Financially, the project is, by UK standards, extremely low budget at just over €1,000 m². This is achieved by questioning every single component to decide whether it is needed in the building, and being ruthless about these omissions. What this achieves is a sense that everything has to pay for itself and prove its validity which is very refreshing.