Event at de nijverheid

On the 22nd of July, Matthew and our interns, Aishah and Musa were invited by Steenvlinder to an information and tour event, in De Nijverheid, Leiden. Barbara Wassenaar was our gracious host, serving as our translator and answering our many questions during the presentation and Q&A session. De Nijverheid is unique in that it aims to empower homeowners by selling them the shell of an old building and allowing them to decide exactly how the interior is built, from the layout to the door handle. We were taken on a tour of three of these projects under varying phases, under construction, finishing, and completed.

We had the privilege of meeting some of the homeowners, who explained to us that Steenvlinder’s financing structure for this project reduced the cost per meter square by $1000 and allowed tenants to build as fast as 4 months! The homeowners we met ranged from, recent university graduates, young couples, to established professionals. The project was truly inspiring to Aishah and Musa in that it mixes social housing and higher-end residential projects in one community, something that they have not seen in their respective home countries, Indonesia and Turkey.

Enjoy some of the images below Steenvlinder so kindly sent us.