Ballast Nedam West was in charge of construction. The name Jonas refers to the story of ‘Jonas and the Whale’. It stands for adventure and intimacy, but also for protection, shelter and comfort inside a ‘big body’. It is a heroic building with a warm heart. But Jonas is also a sustainable and attractive building that stands out from the surrounding buildings in IJburg – if only because of the special site on the headland and the special programme it accommodates. The building expresses in a striking manner themes that belong to this location: water, quayside and the craft of shipbuilding.

As a result, Jonas feels natural, because the building embraces the ‘soul of the place’ and renders it visible. Together with its surroundings, the building forms a ‘living landcape’. At the front of the building is a public forecourt bordered by a timber ‘pavilion’ with steps, which act as a three-dimensional playground. The pavilion also marks the entrance to the car park and served as a tribune for all kinds of activities, such as film screenings or events. The green interior, with trees providing shade, invites people to linger and – in the summer – there is even a city beach on the water’s edge.

The building with its irregular openings creates the impression that the windows are gently undulating across the facade. That makes Jonas a bit different. It is not covered in stone but faced in dark, pre-patinated zinc. The facade does not touch the ground but is lifted off it. The volume is not rectangular but diamond-shaped. That makes it both familiar and alienating, sculptural yet rational, recognizable yet innovative. But the real surprise of Jonas awaits inside. This is welcoming, warm and spectacular.

It expresses a modern and sustainable community life. The interior is unexpected and surrealistic. The spatial concept is based on the way traditional wooden ships are constructed: a skeleton consisting of a series of trusses arranged in a row, which form the main structure. This allows large hollows to be carved out of the volume, and the required housing programme, a total of 273 apartments, is contained within the ‘skin’ of the building. The landscape is not limited to the outside of the building, but penetrates to the furthest corners of Jonas.

A public route extends through the building, linking together the public and collective programme, including the living room, the cinema, the canyon, the mountain path, the forest patio and the rooftop beach and bar. The commercial facilities in the plinth, all supporting the concept and bigger picture of Jonas, provide extra dynamism on the ground floor and the quay. This part of the programme is also accessible to locals. The residential concept of Jonas is supported by a community manager, Glenn, who’s close to the residents and is to be consulted for matters like booking the guestrooms, the yoga studio or a shared car.

Glenn is also responsible for organizing various activities together with residents and locals. Besides the attention for social sustainability, Jonas is brimming with technically sustainable elements. The zero-energy building boasts a large number of solar panels on the roof. The sustainable energy is used for, among others, the mechanical installations and lighting system. Moreover, a low-temperature heating system connects to the public heating grid. The cold storage source uses the nearby water: Thermal Energy from Surface Water (TEO).

As a result, the homes can be both heated and cooled. In addition to providing a future-proof energy supply, the design aims to reduce the use of materials and to reuse raw materials. The environmental impact of materials was an important selection criterion, and the use of various raw materials was considered on multiple occasions during the process. The shadow price and carbon footprint of construction materials were constantly monitored and optimized. For example, the concrete is CSC certified, and at least a quarter of the granulate consists of recycled material, taken from construction waste for example.

European Douglas wood is used both inside and outside. The landscaping is nature-inclusive and is aimed at strengthening the ecological values of the area. For example, native riverside vegetation is planted. Moreover, mussel reefs are created in the water as a natural way of improving water quality and increasing biodiversity. A special feature to be built is a wall for sand martins. This species of bird belongs in this area but it is now under increasing pressure because of all the construction taking place.

The sand martin wall will ensure that this species finds a home in the area again. The sand martin wall will ensure that this species finds a home in the area again. In addition to the measures to boost flora and fauna, Jonas wants to help in various ways to counter the effects of climate change. Rainwater, for example, is collected in the basement and reused to flush toilets in the public spaces and commercial units on the ground floor. The vegetation on the rooftop beach slows down water run-off. The moving water layer on the glass roof above the canyon provides for a pleasant experience of the rooftop beach and cools the glass in the summer.

The patio, where a number of mature trees are planted in open ground, is a shaded place for contemplation, an extremely suitable spot in which to withdraw on a hot summer day. From the first sketch on, the ambition has been to make Jonas one of the most sustainable residential buildings in the Netherlands. To quantify this, the BREEAM sustainability method has been used as a guideline. The design of Jonas received the highest possible certification: BREEAM Oustanding – as only the second residential building in the Netherlands.

For this reason Jonas also won two BREEAM awards in 2020: in the 'Homes Projects' and in the 'Regional Award - Western Europe' category. Everything in Jonas is geared to stimulating social interaction and encounters to ensure the building becoming a focal point for activities and act as a catalyst for the neighborhood. Besides the technical sustainability, Jonas demonstrates that green and social sustainability are important principles, which are perhaps of the greatest importance for the success of the building and its surroundings.

By connecting the various collective spaces in and around the building like a pearl necklace, an enchanting living environment was created. This is accessible not just to the building’s occupants but also partly to IJburg residents who visit the building. That has resulted in a good and cohesive programme that enlivens the headland. A building that you can visit and where you can engage with other people. A real heart for IJburg!