Terrazza by M3h is a brick residential architecture project on Zeeburgereiland in Amsterdam, combining 122 homes with public courtyards, terraces and a sculptural masonry presence.
The project is interesting because it treats a private residential building as part of the neighbourhood. The courtyards are accessible to everyone, adding green space and social use to a new district.
Project overview
Terrazza is formed from three building parts that rise in steps, responding to neighbouring heights from 12 metres on the north side to taller accents on the south. The result is a building that changes as you move around it.
Street-connected homes, stairs, terraces and generous entrances help the building feel more open at ground level. The design avoids becoming a closed residential block by letting courtyards and thresholds do public work.
What makes the brickwork important
- Horizontal and vertical stacked brick give the facades texture and variation.
- Sand-coloured bricks from Brunsummer clay create a warm, unified palette.
- Frames, roof trim and prefab concrete are matched ton-sur-ton with the brick.
- Staggered balconies and slit windows make each elevation read differently.
- The masonry supports both the sculptural identity and the domestic scale.
Why the courtyards matter
The two green courtyards give the project its neighbourhood role. They are not only amenity space for residents; they help bring plants, animals and everyday social life into the new district.
That is the useful lesson for housing portfolios: good residential design is not only the apartment plan. It is also the threshold, the shared space, the street edge and the way a building gives something back.
Showcase a housing project
Architecture Social can feature built housing work where material, plan, courtyard, street edge or neighbourhood use are explained clearly.
- Show how the building meets the street.
- Explain the shared spaces, not only the private homes.
- Make the material strategy specific.
- Include project team, completion and scale details.
Project details
- Project size: 13,400 m2.
- Site size: 3,000 m2.
- Project budget: 18,000,000 euros.
- Completion: 2020.
- Building levels: 11.
- Project team: M3h Architects, ERA Contour, INBO architecten, BIM Goudstikker – de Vries, Cauberg Huygen, BPD and Luuk Kramer.
Architecture Social view
Stephen’s recruiter view is that housing pages should avoid stopping at attractive facade language. Terrazza is strongest when the brick, entrances, courtyards and 44 floor plans are all understood as part of one neighbourhood idea.
Next step
Explore more built projects, read the portfolio guide, or submit a housing project.
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