These 10 residential units are part of the master plan named Het Funen, Hidden Delights, designed by architect Cie. The overall plan includes 500 residential units and a park. The triangular site is located in the eastern part of Amsterdam, situated between the city’s historic cultural center and the newly developed port area. Originally, this area served as a parking lot for tractors.
On the east and south sides of the triangle’s base, there are a large apartment building with over 300 households and an office complex, respectively. These structures act as buffers, protecting the site from noise pollution originating from nearby railways. Inside this semi-open space, a loose and irregular road network has been established, comprising 16 smaller units.
The Hidden Delights buildings vary in height from 9 to 18 meters. The entire site transforms spatially, shifting from public openness to private privacy. Following Amsterdam’s tradition, IBC Vastgoed was commissioned to handle the planning, design, detailed development, and construction of the park and the residential buildings.
Maintenance of the park is managed privately rather than by the municipality, yet it remains open to the public. Within the site, there are three square plots measuring approximately 30.5 by 27.7 meters. Buildings on these plots are required to have 2.5 floors. This means the first two floors are constructed on the same level, with half of the building footprint dedicated to enclosed space and the other half serving as rooftop gardens or terraces.
Regarding the 10 residential units we focus on, each has a volume of about 633 cubic meters, evenly distributed. These homes are arranged in orderly back-to-back configurations. Access to each unit is provided via a central walkway running through the middle of the building. This “mini canyon” frees the facade from housing storage or technical equipment and offers residents direct access from public areas.
The entrance to each apartment is located at the back of the building, while the interior spaces open outward. Essential building elements like water and gas meters, corridors, and staircases are concealed in darker interior zones. This design allows the exterior facade to maximize exposure to sunlight, views, and the adjacent park.
Three additional buildings occupy slightly smaller footprints but reach a higher building height of 18 meters, as per BIM requirements. To meet the mandatory 2.5-floor structure (two full floors plus a half floor), a block measuring 6 + 1.5 = 7.5 meters was conceptualized before finalizing the design. The design process involved reshaping and reorganizing the initial blocks to maximize spacing between adjacent buildings and to introduce diagonal alignments within an orthogonal grid.
By slightly rotating the building volumes, the entire block is divided into smaller units facing two different directions, separated by a central walkway. This walkway replaces the conventional “black wall” separation and serves as a public shortcut.
Each residential unit adheres to the volume standard of approximately 633 cubic meters. Despite external similarities, every household is unique and independent, featuring floor counts ranging from one and a half to four stories, with areas between 120 and 160 square meters. Collectively, these units form an integrated whole.
The buildings vary in height, with a minimum of 5 meters and a maximum of 15 meters, while the average height remains around 7.5 meters. During the design process, the originally referenced standard buildings evolved into a diverse range of forms.
(BIM Learning) Indoor Photos:
Design Drawings:
Concept Map
First Floor Plan
Second Floor Plan
Third Floor Plan
Fourth Floor Plan
Roof Plan
Elevation Drawing
Sectional View
Sectional View
Sectional View
Sectional View
Sectional View
Sectional View
Mass Analysis
Mass Analysis
Project Information:
Architect: NL Architects
Location: Funenpark, 1018 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Category: Apartment
Lead Architects: Pieter Bannenberg, Walter van Dijk, Kamiel Klaasse, Mark Linnemann
Year: 2009
Photographer: Raoul Kramer
Collaborators: Caro Baumann, Jennifer Petersen, Niels Petersen, Holger Schurk, Misa Shibukawa, Rolf Touzimsky
Structural Engineer: Ingenieursbureau Zonneveld bv
Mechanical Engineer: Sweegers en de Bruin bv
Architectural Physics Engineer: Cauberg Huygen
Contractor: IBC Woningbouw Amersfoort bv
Owner: IBC Vastgoed / Heijmans
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