De Houten Leeuw
Amsterdam's first social housing building constructed of wood
Next to the prominent Kolenkit church stands De Houten Leeuw. The modest facade hides its unique character. To see it, you have to go to the secret garden, where a beautiful wooden gallery unfolds. De Houten Leeuw is Amsterdam’s first social housing building constructed of wood. The 53 studios are intended for young Amsterdam residents. Thanks to clever design, residents experience maximum living quality on both facades in their studios.
Former teammates
Joanna Kosowicz, Alexia Burgering, Angelina Hopf, Anne Wies, Zuza Kurzawa
With a demountable CLT construction, De Houten Leeuw has ambitious circularity goals. The wooden character is reflected in the gallery, waterfall staircase at the rear of the building, and in the studio ceilings.
"It's like living in a Swiss chalet."
Kolenkitbuurt regeneration
The modest plastered facade facing the street has a regular rhythm and therefore blends in well with the surrounding buildings. The Kolenkitbuurt is an early post-war reconstruction neighbourhood characterised by rows of buildings. Over the past 20 years, a major regeneration effort has taken place here.
Maximum quality in a studio
The apartments in De Houten Leeuw are rented to young people. A third of the studios are intended for young locals from the Kolenkitbuurt, allowing them to remain in their own neighbourhood. The studios are designed as narrow, through-unit apartments, offering views of both the street and the courtyard. Each apartment has a bench on the wooden gallery, along which a waterfall staircase meanders. This encourages interaction between residents. De Houten Leeuw demonstrates that you can experience maximum living quality even in a studio.
“The first impression of the Houten Leeuw is one of modesty and simple living. (…) With all the extravagance in the capital's current architecture, this is quite remarkable.”
De Houten Leeuw is mentioned in the international Never Too Small magazine (October 2025)
Upon the building’s completion, Het Parool wrote a glowing article about the wooden structure and the modest architecture.
