- Location
- Delft, Netherlands
- Client
- The Student Hotel
- Year
- 2016 - 2020
- Status
- Completed
- Program
- 13.500 m2 Hotel with 340 rooms, gym, restaurant, library, gaming and lounge spaces, classrooms, meeting rooms, co-working spaces and an integrated bicycle parking facility
- Disciplines
- Architecture
- Credits
- Photography: Ossip van Duivenbode
- Collaborators
- Contractor, structural engineering and planning: BAM Bouw en Techniek - Projects
- Light and MEP: Bectro Installation technology
- Building physics, fire safety and sustainability: Nieman Raadgevende Ingenieurs
- Interior: The Invisible Party together with TSH Design Studio
- Furniture and advice on sustainable materials: The Fiction Factory
- Recycled plastic wall elements: The Good Plastics Company
- Municipality of Delft
- Awards
- Competition 1 st prize, BREEAM 'Very Good'
The architecture of The Student Hotel mitigates between the scale of the buildings of the Phoenixstraat and the smaller grain of the Koendersbuurt. With its robust appearance and the recognisable traditional construction of plinth, main volume, and structure, the building offers a counterbalance to the glass dominated municipal office. The main volume consists of a sturdy ribbed concrete shell. The pronounced interior design underlines this feeling while the facade welcomes the passers-by with an interplay of reflection, light, and shadow.
All the public hotel functions are located in the plinth. Here storey-high glass panels and concrete columns alternate. The plinth's transparent design creates a vibrant streetscape and activates the station square towards the nearby park. On the floors above that have a more solid aspect with earthy colour, the communal student kitchens are visible in the open glass corners. The top presents a lighter tone and blurs in the cityscape. By positioning the rooms around a patio and inside the two towers, we have created an efficient and compact layout that fosters the community building.
KCAP worked in an integrated team with BAM for the design, using the latest digital techniques to control the entire process. The building is fully elaborated in a 3D model. These models not only provide added value in the building process but are also extremely suitable for visualisations and virtualisation.
In addition to community building and social interaction, sustainability is an essential focus in the design. The project distinguishes itself by using the latest installation, construction, and engineering techniques, like a soil-based thermal energy CHP system and application of circular economy for the interiors of the ground floor and common areas. Thanks to its position at a public transportation hub and a bicycle shed, The Student Hotel encourages sustainable mobility. The hotel in Delft is the first The Student Hotel in the Netherlands realised following BREEAM certification criteria.