Her Majesty Queen Máxima officially opened SAWA, the new circular wooden residential building on the Lloydpier in Rotterdam yesterday. A special milestone for Mei architects en planners, developers NICE Developers and ERA Contour and for all partners and builders who contributed. But above all for the residents who have moved in since this summer.
Crowning the work
During the content preview, SAWA was presented to Queen Máxima. Residents, designers, ecologists and developers told how the building was created and what impact it has on their daily lives. One of the residents, together with her little daughter, shared their personal story – a moment that visibly impressed those present.
Following this, the grand opening took place. Together with the residents, Queen Máxima unveiled a giant picnic table, which from now on will stand on the common deck and contribute to meetings in the building. This was followed by a tour of the building, where she talked to residents and partners involved about the special process behind SAWA.
SAWA is considered an example of how a residential building can contribute to a healthier, greener and more social city. It is not just a technically innovative wooden structure; the building also provides space for urban nature and is designed to encourage encounters between residents.
Living with nature – in the middle of the city
SAWA was built as a living ecosystem. With over 600 linear meters of integrated planters, thousands of native plants and 140 nesting boxes for birds and bats, the building visibly contributes to urban biodiversity. The living deck forms the green heart of the building: a shared outdoor space where residents meet, garden or enjoy the view of the city.
Nearly half of the homes fall into the middle rental category. SAWA thus makes circular timber construction accessible to a broad group of Rotterdam residents – a conscious choice in the design and development process.
Built for meeting and living together
In addition to green outdoor spaces, SAWA offers several shared amenities, such as a hobby and tool room, shared mobility and communal terraces. Everything in the building is aimed at making it easy for residents to find each other and share everyday things.
Resident Rita experiences this on a daily basis:
“The living deck with all those planters really makes a difference. You notice that greenery makes people happy – and here you share that with each other. The shared hobby room, doing things together, spontaneously meeting someone on the deck… SAWA is designed in such a way that you automatically connect. That picnic table we got yesterday completes it.”
Collaboration as a foundation
The opening highlighted the intensive collaboration between developers, builder, architect and a broad group of partners from the city. From idea and design to engineering, from ecology and execution to resident participation: SAWA shows what is possible when craftsmanship and shared ambitions come together.