NICE Tower
The world faces immense challenges: temperature rise must be curbed, and to achieve this, CO2emissions must be drastically reduced. With the Paris Climate Agreement, the European Green Deal, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, clear commitments have been made. Yet, we still primarily build with concrete and steel, materials that significantly contribute to CO2emissions.
In addition, we are seeing a growing housing crisis with a lack of affordable homes, increasing loneliness among city dwellers, and an alarming decline in biodiversity. We, NICE Developers, believe that things can and must change. We are choosing a future in which sustainability, circularity, and society are central.
Moreover, we are facing a period of material scarcity, which calls for a radical review of our construction methods. We must reuse materials as much as possible and opt for regenerative, reusable materials and circular construction techniques in order to continue building responsibly now and in the future.
Five years ago, we embarked on SAWA, the first circular timber residential building in Europe. SAWA serves as a prototype and inspiration for a new, sustainable standard. Now, we are advancing with the NICE Tower, demonstrating that circular high-rise construction is also feasible, even on a large scale.
Introducing the NICE Tower
The NICE Tower, with an impressive height of 140 meters and entirely constructed from timber, represents the next step in the revolution of circular timber high-rise construction. The tower derives its stability from the timber bracing in the facade and the timber core, is fully biobased, and from the ground floor to the core and load-bearing structure, it is free of concrete. This significantly reduces CO2-emissions drastically reduced compared to traditional concrete buildings, helping to combat global warming.
The scarcity of building land and the growing demand for urban housing necessitate smart solutions and increased attention to residential quality. High-rise construction offers an effective response to space constraints in inner-city areas and is efficient both financially and in terms of CO22-emissions, by utilizing existing urban infrastructure. With a diverse, inclusive housing program and its stepped form featuring communal roof terraces, the NICE Tower provides space for encounter and connection. Through its nature-inclusive design, the tower connects with ecological structures and promotes urban biodiversity.
Reaching a height of 140 meters, a groundbreaking achievement, NICE demonstrates that sustainable, innovative, and social construction is possible at this scale. The NICE Tower elevates timber construction to an entirely new level, proving that timber can ascend to unprecedented heights.
NICE: Circular Timber Construction, Biodiversity, and Affordable Housing
NICE Developers a progressive developer that focuses on circular timber construction, biodiversity, and affordable housing. Founded five years ago by Mark Compeer and Robert Winkel, the company has experienced impressive growth in a relatively short period of time. What started as a small business in 2019 has now grown into an influential player in sustainable construction projects. And NICE continues to grow: in addition to its own employees, NICE is supported by a team of more than thirty specialists from Focus on Impact, a partner that helps to increase the impact of their projects.
NICE is best known for SAWA in Rotterdam. This building is truly a pioneer in the field of circular timber construction. With a height of 50 meters and 109 apartments, SAWA is the first fully circular timber residential building of this size in the Netherlands. The project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2025. The building has won no fewer than 15 international awards and has been featured in more than 250 publications worldwide. Renowned media outlets such as the Financial Times and the Dutch NTR have highlighted the project, contributing to the growing reputation of NICE Developers a leader in sustainable urban development.
CO2CO2-reduction through timber construction
By building with timber, such as CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) and Glulam, we can not only store CO22 and drastically reduce emissions, but also build faster, lighter, and more sustainably. This makes the NICE Tower a 'Paris Proof' building, in line with all current and future climate goals.
To achieve climate goals, drastic steps must be taken. On average, a concrete tower emits 450 kg of CO22 per m². By 2030, we must reduce these emissions to 139 kg of CO22 per m². The NICE Tower can achieve this ambitious standard.
This means that within the same CO22-footprint of one traditional concrete tower, we can realize no less than three biobased NICE Towers! Not only do we significantly reduce the CO22-footprint, but we also add more housing units to the stock within the available CO22 budget.
Circular and Future-Oriented
To counteract the depletion of the earth, it is essential to use as many recycled and regenerative biobased materials as possible. The NICE Tower is entirely biobased and circularly designed. The floors are constructed from CLT with recycled dry mass on top instead of cast concrete. The timber structure is prefabricated in the factory and assembled on-site. All structural components are thus demountable and reusable in the future. This contributes to the building's longevity and circularity.
The design of the NICE Tower is based on the Open Building principle: the main load-bearing structure consists of floors, beams, and columns. This ensures that the residential and workspaces are easily adaptable to changing future needs.
Enhancing Biodiversity
The impact of urbanization on people and the environment is clearly visible, from water nuisance to heat stress and increasing CO22-emissions. Simultaneously, the habitat of birds, bees, butterflies, and other insects is increasingly restricted by the same development. Enhancing biodiversity is an essential part of NICE's vision and an inseparable component of all developments.
The NICE Tower contributes to a healthy living environment with a nature-inclusive design, developed in collaboration with urban ecologists and biologists. Planters and green terraces are integrated on various floors, specifically designed to support local flora and fauna. Nest boxes, providing safe shelter for birds and insects, are part of the design, thereby contributing to the enhancement of urban biodiversity.
Affordability, Social Inclusivity, and Health
In addition to sustainability, social cohesion also plays a significant role in the NICE Tower. Loneliness is a growing problem affecting all ages, bringing not only emotional but also serious health risks. A sharp increase in loneliness has been observed, particularly among young people, in recent years.
In many cities, it is increasingly difficult for middle-income individuals to find affordable housing. Teachers, police officers, and healthcare providers form 'the foundation of the city' and must be able to continue living in the city.
NICE actively fosters a diverse community by offering a mix of owner-occupied and rental homes across various price segments, ensuring that individuals with essential societal functions can also find a place in the city.
Furthermore, shared facilities such as mobility services, DIY workshops, community gardens, and social gathering spaces contribute to a close-knit community and promote residents' well-being and health. By reserving specific areas within the building for interaction and connection, we accommodate local initiatives that benefit not only the residents but also the wider neighborhood.
The ground floor and central levels are equipped with various community functions, including co-working spaces, a bike bar, childcare facilities, a cinema, a community center, and catering services. These amenities enhance the vibrancy of both the building and the surrounding neighborhood.
The Feasibility of Shared Values
The NICE Tower is not only an ambitious project but also an example of how sustainability and financial viability can go hand in hand.
Empathy, decisiveness, and complete transparency characterize NICE Developers approach. NICE does not believe in profit maximization within the housing sector; instead, it consciously chooses to cap profits. The remaining money is reinvested in design, quality of life, accessibility, and social values. In addition, we are working with Climate Clean Up to offset the CO2 can be monetized, which strengthens the feasibility of the business case. This unique perspective on shared values, rather than solely shareholder values, ensures the financial viability of their projects.
NICE takes the scaling up of circular timber construction seriously, utilizing proven technologies and certified timber construction systems, supported by no less than eight European second opinions. Through successful examples, NICE demonstrates that ambitious multi-layered goals are realistic. NICE invites others to collaborate on projects based on shared values.
“Let us join forces and build this future together. Our shared mission is clear: to create a future where coming generations can live safely and sustainably in our cities.”
NICE Developers
NICE Tower is a development by NICE Developers designed by Mei architects and planners. Pieters Bouwtechniek is involved as a consultant for the main supporting structure; Merosch is responsible for the Paris Proof calculations.
