NL Home by PLNLstudio: A Sustainable and Flexible Renovation in Rotterdam

PLNLstudio has completed the thoughtful renovation of NL Home, a historic residence located in the heart of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Originally built over a century ago, the 180 m² project skillfully blends past and present, respecting the home’s history while reimagining it for modern living. Completed in 2023, NL Home serves as both a family residence and an adaptable community space.

A House with History and New Life

Set among early 19th-century buildings close to the city center, NL Home stands out for its layered narrative. PLNLstudio approached the project by carefully removing decades of accumulated alterations, revealing original materials that now define the home’s authentic, tactile interior.

The renovation not only restores the house’s charm but also introduces a contemporary spatial flexibility. On the ground floor, what was once an unheated garage and workshop has been transformed into a multifunctional community space, complete with the necessary infrastructure to adapt into a separate flat if needed.

The upper floors, previously divided into two tiny apartments, were merged to create a cohesive family home — a bold intervention that respects the building’s heritage while meeting contemporary needs.

Flexible Layouts for Modern Living

The first floor features a spacious kitchen and dining area, designed with the possibility of swapping functions over time. Moving up, the second floor offers two bedrooms connected by a central bathroom and a generous walk-in closet.

Flexibility is a key theme throughout NL Home. The floor plan and technical systems allow for easy reconfiguration, preparing the home for the unpredictable demands of future living.

Thoughtful Material Choices and Sustainability

In keeping with sustainable architecture practices, PLNLstudio emphasized reuse and minimal waste. Materials dismantled from the upper floors were repurposed to build the ground floor. The original brick façade was preserved and insulated internally to enhance energy efficiency without altering the historic streetscape.

For the new extensions on the ground and first floors, traditional masonry walls were combined with timber beam ceilings. Exposed, colorfully painted steel beams and columns visibly mark the juncture between the old and the new, acting as a subtle historical record.

Monolithic cellular concrete blocks were chosen for their excellent insulation properties and cost-effectiveness, ensuring the project remained within budget and completed within six months. The rear façade, rendered in a soft, reddish hue with a textured finish, harmonizes with the surrounding historic context.

Maximizing Light and Energy Efficiency

Natural light floods the interiors through large north-facing windows and carefully placed skylights. Triple-glazed oak-framed windows enhance thermal performance, while insulating the roof externally allowed the beautiful timber structure on the top floor to remain visible.

The result is a serene, light-filled home that balances robustness with delicacy, and history with modernity.

A Sandbox for Future Living

NL Home is not just a residence — it’s a sandbox for life. A place to work, play, grow, and experiment. PLNLstudio’s sensitive and sustainable renovation ensures that this historic home in Rotterdam will continue to adapt and thrive for generations to come.

All the photographs are works of Riccardo De Vecchi