The purchase of the homes in Breda is part of Heimstaden's plan to expand its offer in the Netherlands to at least 20,000 homes in the near future. “We have built up our current offering mainly through the acquisition of existing homes,” says Simon Kuijs, investment manager at Heimstaden. “In addition to that, we want to focus more and more on adding new homes to the market. In this way we also contribute directly to reducing the housing shortage.”
Durability
The 168 free-sector apartments - a design by Shift architecture urbanism and Powerhouse Company - all receive energy label A and have an average surface area of 82 square meters. The complex in which the apartments are located will be equipped with solar panels and heated and cooled with a heat and cold storage installation (WKO).
This sustainable approach is in line with Heimstaden's vision of sustainability. The company has committed itself to, among other things, the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN and the Paris Agreement. It recently became the first major European home rental company to join the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi), which helps organizations set climate goals based on scientific models.
“Heimstaden's environmental ambitions fit very well with 5TRACKS, where sustainability has been included in the design in various ways,” says Roderick van Houwelingen, developer on behalf of the Synchroon and J.P. van Eesteren. "Not only with regard to the building itself, but also with regard to the greenery around it, biodiversity in the city itself has been taken into account."
Focus on new construction
Synchroon was supervised commercially by Cushman & Wakefield. BarentsKrans and Loyens & Loeff provided legal guidance. Heimstaden was assisted by legal advisers from Houthoff.
Roel Timmermans, associate director of residential investments at Cushman & Wakefield, sees the acquisition as an example of how the transaction market is developing: “Until a few years ago, international parties were mainly interested in existing homes. But this acquisition shows how organizations such as Heimstaden can also expand their residential portfolio through new construction by broadening their focus.”
Transformation
5TRACKS is part of the transformation of the Breda railway zone: CrossMark Breda. The project consists of three buildings in total. In addition to the 168 homes in Heimstaden, which will be realized in two of the buildings, 5TRACKS will, upon completion, consist of 15,500 m2 of high-quality office space and a hotel with 174 rooms, which was sold to Commerz Real earlier this year. “At street level there is room for shops, restaurants and a gym,” says Natalie Neary, Development Manager at Synchroon. A city park with lots of greenery will be built in the parking garage where people can relax and meet each other.