Three years ago this week, we launched SAWA: the healthiest building of the Netherlands. A building with sky-high ambitions, pushing the boundaries of timber construction. SAWA’s concept is distinctive in many ways: by being the first in Europe to realize circular timber construction at this height, by supporting biodiversity, storing CO2 and preventing emissions, encouraging healthy living, allowing residents to share, and also by contributing to an accessible housing market.
Within no time, this revolutionary concept was picked up by international media and SAWA now has over 200 publications and no fewer than eight architecture awards to its name. SAWA is hailed as the future way to develop, build and live. After countless participation evenings with local residents; talks with advisors, investors and stakeholders; hundreds of design hours; and as many as 8 second opinions from international expert teams, the ambitious plan is finally becoming tangible: construction of SAWA is in full swing.
We look back on the past three years with pride. Partly by developing ourselves with Nice Developers, in collaboration with ERA Contour, we have shown that ‘stacked ambitions’ and innovation can indeed be realized. As Robert Winkel says: “SAWA is a model project for new generations, an important step in the sustainability goals and demonstrable proof that things can be done differently.”
