Tree House
Rotterdam, Netherlands
A mixed-use timber tower in Rotterdam designed to bring living, working and public life together at one of the city’s key arrival points.
About
Project description
Located beside Rotterdam Central Station, Tree House is a mixed-use tower designed to create a lively and sustainable new destination at the heart of the city. Rising to almost 135 metres across 38 storeys, the building brings together office space, homes, public amenities and green terraces within a landmark development positioned at one of Rotterdam’s most prominent transport gateways.
The project is conceived as more than a standalone tower. Instead, it is designed as a vertical extension of the city, layering working, living and shared public space into a single connected environment. This mix of uses is intended to create activity throughout the day, reinforcing the building’s role as both an urban destination and a gateway to Rotterdam.
Timber plays a central role in the architectural concept, helping to reduce embodied carbon while giving the building a warmer and more tactile identity. As a hybrid timber structure, Tree House explores how tall buildings can contribute to a more sustainable and human-centred model of urban growth.
Greenery and environmental performance are embedded throughout the design, from planted terraces and roof-level greenhouses to integrated strategies for solar energy and rainwater retention. These elements are used not as surface additions, but as part of a broader ecological approach that helps shape both the experience and performance of the building. Conceived as a new type of urban landmark, combining timber construction, mixed-use intensity and public life within a highly connected city-centre site.
Positioned alongside tram routes and Rotterdam Central Station, the building is shaped by movement and arrival, responding to the energy and flow of the city at ground level. This connection to public transport helps anchor the project within the wider urban network.
“The project rethinks the urban tower through timber construction, combining environmental performance with a more open and socially connected model of city living.”
An urban ecosystem
The building is conceived as a layered ecological system, where timber structure, planting, energy generation and water management work together. These elements are integrated into the architecture to support a more sustainable and self-sufficient model of urban living.
An urban ecosystem
The building is conceived as a layered ecological system, where timber structure, planting, energy generation and water management work together. These elements are integrated into the architecture to support a more sustainable and self-sufficient model of urban living.
