Grondstoffenstation

The resource station brings together all residual flows from the Afrikaandermarkt. There is an entrance on the market side for market entrepreneurs who bring in their waste. This is then separated as best as possible, enabling reuse and recycling. At the counter, food banks and individuals can collect edible leftovers from the market free of charge.

On the outside, it is mainly a place for the neighbourhood. The station offers protection from the hustle and bustle of the market. A running and free run track runs across the building and there is a grandstand facing the Cruyff court. The IBC tanks collect rainwater for the school gardens on the roof and the adjacent Tuin van de Wijk.

Besides making the market more sustainable, increasing its socio-economic significance for the neighbourhood is a key aim of the project. Afrikaanderwijk Coöperatie employs people from the neighbourhood, a neighbourhood in great need of paid employment. This way, local residents get a fully paid job at the market.

It also creates greater involvement between the market and the neighbourhood. The aim is to make Rotterdam-Zuid and Afrikaanderwijk a more sustainable, stronger and more capital-rich area, with committed residents and entrepreneurs.

For the design of the structure, minimising the carbon footprint was the starting point. Grondstoffenstation is constructed from reused IBC tanks, which gives it its recognisable character. The foundation is made of reused stelcon concrete slabs and the supporting structure of used steel profiles. The walls are clad with leftover HPL sheet material and the roof and grandstand with used playground safety tiles. The entire structure, including the foundation, is demountable.