The architectural and urban design for Amsterdam Zuid-WTC in the south of that city makes a positive contribution to the metropolitan character of Amsterdam as well as generating a prime quality living environment. This combination of qualities is something existing developments do not possess. The newer housing districts lack a connection with the central city and other parts of Amsterdam, while office sites on the motorway cry out for an exhilarating streetlife at ground level. Sited along the motorway and combining local public transport with a rapid metro link with the central city, Amsterdam Zuid-WTC certainly has the potential to realize what it sets out to achieve. In planning a high-density district of offices and houses here two other hallmarks of a vibrant city can likewise be attained: economic activity inside buildings and general activity on the street. In my urban and architectural design I have tried to satisfy to a maximum the conditions as stipulated both by the City of Amsterdam and by the developer. At district level, firstly, the allocation and infill of lots is left as far as possible to the market, while the proposed legislation makes for attractive public exterior spaces and streets that are safe to walk. Secondly, investing in public facilities is made interesting to developers by a flexibility in the accessing and use of the buildings. Finally, by investing parts of the scheme with an interchangeable office/dwelling function, these buildings should in fact always be occupied. In the design at district level I have drawn together urban ideas from New York and from Amsterdam's Buitenveldert area. At street level a vibrancy of commerce and activity prevails as it does in New York. Set twelve metres above the street are gardens, offices and houses. Here it is the Buitenveldert-type environment that is uppermost, with gardens logging into the proposed park above the motorway. I have fleshed out one building extending across two lots. Its first three layers are given over to shops and facilities. The sheltered streets are able to receive a high density of pedestrians and whatever (commercial) activity that might bring. A transitional zone between the street and the internal public places acts as a buffer between the zones of transition and sojourn. By expanding or contracting this cross-over between pedestrian precinct and facilities it is possible to capitalize on the changing requirements as to the building's accessibility and use. Perched atop the facilities and shops are standardized units each with a toilet, bath capsule and kitchen unit, and suitable for either an office or a flat. The units can be linked horizontally and vertically by corridors on either side. The one corridor accesses the units serving as houses, the other the units serving as offices. By these means, the offices can be shown to the public, while the houses retain a sense of privacy. The building's supporting structure consists of loadbearing walls that bring a flexibility to the linkage of spaces in one direction, but fix these permanently in the other. This way the bearing structure has a profound influence on how the visitor experiences the space inside the building. The front facade not only expresses the structure but goes on to subtly articulate what the houses and offices are used for. Apart from the external walls I have also designed the internal ones as these are decisive as regards accessibility and use of the spaces. Different types of partition encourage varied treatment of the building's interior. Institution: TU Delft Tutors: Carel Weeber, John Westrik & Hans Baller Specialization: architecture