A unique ensemble of buildings rising up on the banks of the river Maas: Lloyd Yard. A delightful home with a green courtyard garden at the heart of the city where you can spend time gardening or on the swing, where you can enjoy afternoon drinks and end the day at a location where you can completely unwind. Let us introduce the architects who are responsible for designing Lloyd Yard.
The creation of Lloyd Yard started with a unique collaboration between three architects. The buildings are the responsibility of Martijn van Gameren from Paul de Ruiter Architects and Erik de Vries from WE architecten. Lloyd Yard’s courtyard garden, landscape aspects and public elements, such as the gates and the walkway, were designed by Joan Almekinders and the team at ZUS.
What was it like for three architects to work together on a single project?
Joan: ‘It was quite unusual to be working with the same people right from the tender phase, which is really the start of any project. That doesn’t happen very often, but it is really nice and somehow that kind of collaboration makes it easy to keep energy levels high.’
Martijn: ‘That’s absolutely true. It has been a proper full-time job from day one. That had a significant effect on the team building and on the desire to find solutions together. It felt like we were on an unstoppable freight train and not like three architects who each wants to do the right thing. Instead, we actually collaborated to make sure that all the buildings, the landscape and the structures became a single whole.’
”A fantastic location with a priceless, panoramic view of the Maas
Erik: ‘I believe the first time we met was on the Lloydkade itself, during a meeting to view the location. It was a pretty specific location on the banks of the Maas where a substantial apartment block had to be constructed. Someone soon came up with the idea to design something that looked a bit like a shipyard building, with a character to match. We will never know who initially had the idea because it was a collective idea from the very start. I found the ensuing collaboration special due to the open discussions and our involvement in each other’s work. Together with our teams we’ve all had a positive influence on each other’s work.’
You talk about a shipyard, but what do you mean by that exactly?
Martijn: ‘The shipyard character of Lloyd Yard has its origins in the location. It’s quite a rough place between two bodies of water where the aim was to create a place to live which is as pleasant as possible. We therefore decided to give Lloyd Yard a hard exterior, as it were, so that it linked up with the surroundings and the original characteristics of the area. On the inside, by contrast, we’ve created a really unique, green and friendly oasis of peace which you would not expect to find at this location.’
Joan: ‘So we didn’t base our design of Lloyd Yard just on the harbour activity. Above all, we wanted to make valuable use of the space and add dynamism, with substantial buildings on the outside and a lot of interior space in between and provide every opportunity to create a unique inner area. The striking connecting factor is the ‘Maas Window’ where you can position yourself precisely between the rough outside world and the peaceful inner world. There you can feel the wind in your hair, but also retreat and find peace and quiet.’
What makes the courtyard garden so special?
Joan: ‘First and foremost, it is a garden with depth. In other words, it can be used for some substantial planting, meaning that the green structure of the area can be left to grow and develop. That wouldn’t be the case if the garden had been constructed on top of a car park, where you only have a meter of soil to plant in. What is more, the garden has been designed in such a way that, no matter where you are, you have the feeling that it belongs to you. That adds luxury and enrichment to the experience of living in this building. In terms of usage, we have tried to find a balance between privacy and meeting up with others and designed it to make you feel that you are free to relax. The courtyard garden also gave us the opportunity to invite and encourage people to go outside and engage in activities so that outside becomes part of your living environment.’
But the homes are just as unique, aren’t they?
Erik: ‘We wanted to create homes which stand out from an aesthetic and spatial perspective and, based on the idea of sustainability, in terms of flexibility as well. The aesthetic aspects are expressed in the visual design, the appearance and the richness of the detailing. All the homes have truly beautiful details which you can see in the materials used, but also in how certain design ideas have been implemented. One example is the outside spaces in the form of loggias which, on the one hand, provide shelter but, on the other hand, get a great deal of sunshine thanks to their considerable height and give residents a feeling of freedom. The spaciousness and flexibility are down to the use of, among other things, high ceilings and voids. This means that, in a number of cases, you can add more surface area by creating an extra residential layer if, for example, there are any new additions to the family.’
”Families are leaving the city to find more space, which you can now find here
Martijn: ‘Those unique qualities also apply to the town houses. Each of the four storeys has their own function and the interlocking and smart integration of the roof terraces mean everyone can benefit from the existence of the courtyard garden, even if you live on the street side.’
With your hand on your heart, would you yourself like to live in Lloyd Yard?
Joan: ‘Yes, definitely. I even gave it some serious consideration and me and my family also came to look around. After all, it’s a fantastic location with a priceless, panoramic view of the Maas. The plans unfortunately, in inverted commas, didn’t go ahead because some time ago I found a fantastic house in the city, with a wonderful garden, where my family feel really at home.’
Erik: ‘I would live there in a flash. Besides being a prime location with particularly spacious homes, you have space around you to really enjoy life. I understand people wanting to leave the city because I did that myself so that I had more outside space. In Lloyd Yard we have created a residential block in the middle of the city where every resident can use various types of outside space, ranging from a spacious private balcony or garden where you can eat with your friends, to a shared garden where children can play and the Maas Window where you can while away some time on the swing. Families are leaving the city to find this kind of experience, but it is not really necessary because it is already right here on the doorstep.’
Martijn: ‘If I lived in Rotterdam, I would like to live here. I’m actually looking for a new house, but I live in a different city and would prefer to stay there. However, the fact that every home here has been designed without making any concessions makes Lloyd Yard very attractive indeed. And on top of that there’s the garden of course. Right now, I live in a place where I only get to look out onto a garden like this, without being able to use it. And that’s a bit of a shame.’
Joan: ‘Having some nice outside space nearby your house is very important and valuable. You can find beautiful houses all over the place, but a beautiful house with some attractive outside space in the city centre is more difficult to find. It’s also a garden with a large degree of biodiversity. Ecologically it will become a unique area featuring lots of grass varieties which are native to Rotterdam. A place where you can discover flora and fauna which have disappeared from the city, but which are now returning, and a place where you can experience things and learn. And then there’s the kitchen garden which covers an area of 300 m2. You can grow some serious vegetables and fruit on the roof of Lloyd Yard. And believe me, gardening with a view of the Maas is something you’ll never forget.’
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