Housing With our space concepts, you can create a comfortable facility that serves as a fully-fledged building.
A temporary district for Ukrainian displaced persons
On the outskirts of Vlaardingen, we have created a completely new neighbourhood in a very short period of time. One where refugees from Ukraine have all the space they need to live, work and go to school comfortably until mid-2026.
In eight months, 387 homes and 1,000 Ukrainian refugees found a safe home.
A safe home
The Netherlands now hosts some 92,530 Ukrainian displaced persons. Most of them live in temporary emergency sites, such as converted office buildings. The Vlaardingen municipality and the Rotterdam-Rijnmond safety region believed that this could and should be done differently. And so they set out to find a temporary place to offer some 1,000 Ukrainians a safe home until mid-2026.
The largest shelter for Ukrainians in the Netherlands
Given that speed was a requirement, our flexible housing offered the best solution. In cooperation with Heijmans, we completed 387 residences in just eight months, including 339 flexible housing units and 48 ‘Heijmans ONES’ (read: tiny houses). The ready-made, industrially manufactured residential buildings are stacked on site in two or three-storey blocks. Combined, they provide a versatile range of studios and two- and three-bedroom units that are suitable for different family compositions. All come fully equipped and furnished, and their wood-look cladding instantly creates a warm feeling.
More than just housing
In addition to housing, Mrija has plenty of space for living, working, sports, playing and learning. For instance, in one of the communal buildings you can find a family doctor specialised in war refugees. But mediator Stroomopwaarts (SOW) is also located here, helping Ukrainians find suitable work. Finally, there is a consultation room where the neighbourhood team, youth assistance, Centre for Youth and Family (CJG) and WMO support can also be regularly found.
A primary school in the heart of the neighbourhood
Mrija is home to a lot of children. That meant that a child-friendly environment was an important pillar of the plan. At the heart of the neighbourhood stands the cost-effective primary school including a gymnasium and not to mention plenty of outdoor play areas. The public spaces are also nice and green, and residents can park on the outer edge of the neighbourhood. This makes the streets car-free and therefore safer. All the walking and cycling paths make it easy to get from point A to B.
Dream come true
The name Mrija was coined by the Ukrainian residents themselves. It literally means ‘dream’ or ‘a dream come true’. In this safe neighbourhood, they are getting the chance to rebuild their lives, free from war. All while experiencing privacy and comfort in their own flats, which they say makes them feel truly at home. That’s what we do it for.
From the outside, there is little difference between modular buildings and traditional structures. In fact, it is actually impossible to distinguish between the appearance of modular flexible housing and traditional real estate. More and more architects are approaching VDL De Meeuw about flexible housing developments. Flexible housing and traditional real estate have to comply with the same requirements. In other words, both comply with the Dutch Environment Buildings Decree (Bbl).
The modules that come together to form the final building are produced in a controlled environment. This ensures a safe working environment with a high level of control over quality and minimal impact on the production process due to weather. This in turn prevents delays and failure costs, and increases control over the overall project. Speed and quality go hand in hand here.
After production, the modules are transported to the site. Once on site, these modules are connected to each other, to the electricity grid, to the sewerage, and so on, and the interior is finished according to the specifications agreed upon. At that point, the building is then commissioned and modified in the future according to any changing requirements.
Brochure
Flexible housing, always the space you need
Download the brochure here.
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