A 1960s apartment building near Vondelpark was ready for a complete transformation. The client, Vondelpark Living BV, wanted to convert the ageing block into 34 premium residential units with shared amenities including a rooftop terrace, underground bicycle storage, and a landscaped courtyard — all while the building remained partially occupied during phased construction over 18 months.
The site presented significant engineering challenges: the building remaining partially occupied during phased renovation, strict city council requirements for facade preservation, and coordinating 34 individual unit fit-outs with varying buyer specifications due to the residential neighbourhood bordering the development zone.
Cornerstone assembled a dedicated team of 38 professionals including interior designers, MEP engineers, and specialist subcontractors. We implemented a phased construction methodology that allowed parallel workstreams — a phased floor-by-floor approach that allowed residents on completed floors to move in while upper floors were still under construction from the traditional timeline.
Our project management team deployed real-time BIM (Building Information Modelling) coordination, allowing all trades to work from a single digital source of truth. Weekly client walkthroughs and a dedicated online portal gave the stakeholders full visibility into progress, costs, and any emerging decisions.
Achieving BREEAM Excellent required sustainability to be embedded in every decision. We specified individual heat pump systems per unit, high-performance acoustic insulation between apartments, and a shared 80kW solar array feeding communal areas. The building's average energy label improved from D to A, with each unit featuring smart home controls for heating and ventilation.
Vondelpark Apartments was delivered on time across all 34 units with only 2.1% budget variance — a remarkable achievement for a project of this scale. The building achieved all 34 units selling before practical completion, with the development achieving the highest per-m² price in the Vondelpark neighbourhood.
The development has become a benchmark in the Vondelpark neighbourhood and has been shortlisted for the Amsterdam Residential Development Award 2022. The client has since engaged Cornerstone for a similar apartment renovation project in De Pijp.