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.

Read more about the project

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.