On November 18, 2025, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands opened the circular timber residential building SAWA in Rotterdam. The building comprises more than one hundred apartments and has been developed on a large scale using circular and biobased construction methods, with a focus on nature and affordable housing. Nearly half of the homes fall within the mid-range rental category. The concept also features shared facilities, including a vegetable garden, shared cars, and communal tools.
The design of SAWA is inspired by the terraced rice fields of Indonesia. The building has been conceived as a living ecosystem, in which biodiversity is given space. Integrated planters, native plants, and nesting boxes for birds and bats have been incorporated into the design.
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