Valckensteyn is a pioneering housing project in Rotterdam’s post-war Pendrecht district, notable as the city’s first mass timber residential building. Developed by the social housing corporation Woonstad Rotterdam, it delivers 82 affordable rental apartments aimed at middle-income tenants while contributing to the sustainable renewal of the neighborhood. The project is designed by the Dutch architecture firm Powerhouse Company, with LAP Landscape & Urban Design responsible for the surrounding park-like garden.
The 12-storey building stands on the site of an earlier Valckensteyn block from 1971, echoing its characteristic staggered volumes while adapting to contemporary standards of comfort, sustainability, and social quality. Its main structure is almost entirely made of cross-laminated timber (CLT), with only the ground floor and cores in more conventional materials. This extensive use of wood reduces the building’s carbon footprint, allows prefabrication and efficient construction, and supports a largely demountable, circular design.
Architecturally, Valckensteyn combines refined, modern facades with strong connections to nature. Generous west-facing balconies span the width of each apartment, enhancing daylight, views, and outdoor living space. The base is clad in travertine as a subtle reference to post-war architecture, while lightweight, demountable fiber cement panels complete the upper facades. Nature-inclusive features such as integrated bird and bat nesting boxes, lush communal gardens, and a green parking area promote biodiversity. As a whole, Valckensteyn demonstrates how affordable housing, timber innovation, and socially inclusive urban regeneration can be successfully integrated in a single residential project.