




Productive Commons
The project “Productive Commons” presents four interventions in the Keilekwartier. Thorn House, Play Yard, Watchtower and Showroom are telling a story of building upon existing commons, learning from the past typologies and strengthening productive functions in the neighborhood.
Urban manufacturing, light production, housing and community-based activities coexist in the future M4H. The project investigates how these different functions and groups interact and what synergies could be established to make this coexistence thrive.
Identified four collision spaces have the potential to expand current and generate new networks, collaborations and encounters. They are conceived as pioneering actions to build up on existing initiatives and accelerate the further development of M4H into a lively, mixed use district.
The selected areas revolve around and are connected to the heart of Keilekwartier, the Voedseltuin. Stemming from the community garden, a green-blue network links all the sites to each other, to the Dakpark with the adjacent neighbourhoods of Bospolder and Tussendijken, and to the Nieuwe Maas river.
Project Productive Commons is a part of the exhibition HOE WILLEN WIJ WERKEN M4H 2030, which is open in Keilepand until September 2023.
Authors:
Izabela Słodka, Federica Zatta
Contributors:
Adi Samet, Aga Batkiewicz, Maciej Wieczorkowski and Andrea Bit.
The project was made possible by Fleur Groenendijk Foundation.
Profile
Studio Iza Słodka connects architecture and urban design in creating integrated spatial concepts. We prioritize public and collective spaces as much as buildings, treating architecture as an envelope for flexible and adaptable environments. Our location-specific approach highlights the unique qualities of each site and creates resilient frameworks for a range of activities.
In our work we value informal characteristics of areas in transformation, honest details, genuine materials, and circular solutions, and combine them with non-traditional typologies and multi-use spaces. We enjoy exploring the ambiguity between indoor and outdoor spaces, blurring the lines between them.
While working on diverse projects in various contexts, we often choose a collaborative approach tailored to each task. Our focus on productive cities, where living and working mix, and urban commons has led us to deliver multiple lectures and design studios at the Rotterdamse Academie van Bouwkunst and TU Vienna.
Awards & Grants
1st prize Fleur Groenendijk Foundation – 1st quarter 2023
Keilekwartier, Rotterdam, NL
Productive Commons, four interventions in Keilekwartier
2nd prize Europan 16 competition
Klagenfurt, Austria
Tracing Domains, transformation strategy | co-author: Xander van Dijk
1st prize Europan 15 competition
Keilekwartier, Rotterdam, NL
Makers’ Maze, transformation and densification strategy | collaborator: Erica Chladova
YTAA 2016 – Mies van der Rohe Award nomination
Collage & Continuity, transformation strategy (Kraków, Poland)
Publications
Europan 16 results Living Cities
edited by Europan Europe, 2022
Europan 16 Austria Living Cities
Edited by Iris Kaltenegger, Bart Lootsma and EUROPAN Austria
Publisher: Park Books, 2022
ISBN 978-3-03860-296-5
Europan 15 results Productive Cities
edited by Europan Europe, 2020
Europan 15 NL. In the midst of the unpredictable
Edited by Jessica Cullen, Martine Zoeteman
Publisher: AIR – Architectuur Instituut Rotterdam, 2022
ISBN 978-90-90365-77-0
Exhibitions & Events
Exhibition: HOE WILLEN WIJ WERKEN M4H 2030
3 June – 14 July 2022, KeileZaal, Rotterdam, NL
organized by KeileCollectief
KeilePodium: Nieuwbouw Plannen M4H
22 February 2022, KeileZaal, Rotterdam, NL
organized by Keilecollectief
KeilePodium: HOE WILLEN WIJ WONEN M4H 2030
6 July 2022, KeileZaal, Rotterdam, NL
organized by Keilecollectief
Exhibition: Europan16 Living Cities
25 March – 7 April 2022, Remise West, Klagenfurt, Austria
organized by Europan Austria
Exhibition: Aard van de Plek
21 September – 7 November 2021, KeileZaal, Rotterdam, NL
organized by Keilecollectief
Exhibition: Undercurrent
Rotterdam Architecture Month 2021
5 June – 27 June 2021, Kruisplein parking garage, Rotterdam, NL
organized by AIR Rotterdam
Stadmakerscongres 2020
25 – 27 November 2020, HAKA Building, Rotterdam, NL
organized by AIR Rotterdam, Europan NL
Contact
Studio Iza Słodka is based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Questions about collaborations & projects enquiries: