Bakkers|Hommen and Havensteder Strike Deal for 171 Social Rental Apartments at Rotterdam's Max Euwe Kwartier

ROTTERDAM — Developer Bakkers|Hommen and housing corporation Havensteder have signed an agreement to deliver 171 social rental apartments within the Max Euwe Kwartier development in Rotterdam's Brainpark district, the firms announced Sept. 1, 2026. Construction is scheduled to begin in October 2026, with completion targeted for 2029.

The building, situated at Max Euwelaan 1 in Brainpark I, will comprise a mix of two- and three-room apartments aimed at small households, starters and families. The project adds an affordable housing component to a broader mixed-tenure masterplan that already includes mid-rent and free-market rental units.

Deal Structure and Project Team

Under the agreement, Bakkers|Hommen is acting as developer, with Havensteder acquiring the 171 units as social rental stock. The land transfer for the plot was completed in summer 2026, clearing the way for the October construction start. The building was designed by V8 Architects, and main contractor Plegt-Vos will carry out construction.

The social rental block joins an earlier transaction in which Bakkers|Hommen sold 529 new-build rental units and 5,400 square meters of commercial space in the same Max Euwe Kwartier area to Heimstaden. Those 529 units are split into 343 mid-rent and 186 free-sector homes.

"The pressure on the social rental market is high. That is why we are pleased that with this project we can add 171 affordable homes for Rotterdammers who are looking for a good place to live," said Urias Santos Bakker, director of Development at Havensteder.

Diederik Erkel of Bakkers|Hommen said the addition of Havensteder's social rental component completes the intended tenure mix for the quarter. "A mixed urban district starts with a mixed housing supply. The fact that Havensteder is joining with 171 social rental homes alongside the mid-market and free-sector program already under construction here makes Max Euwe Kwartier what it needs to be: a neighborhood for everyone. The collaboration with Havensteder and the municipality was constructive from day one, and with the land transfer this summer, nothing stands in the way of construction," Erkel said.

Sustainability and Building Systems

The residential building will be connected to a collective heating and cooling system, aligning with Dutch energy-efficiency requirements for new housing stock. Bakkers|Hommen described the combination of affordability, sustainability and urban development as a defining characteristic of the project within the broader Brainpark transformation.

Max Euwe Kwartier Phasing and Brainpark Scale

The 171-unit social rental building forms part of phases 1 and 2A of Max Euwe Kwartier, which together will deliver five residential buildings and nearly 1,000 homes in the area from autumn 2026 onward. Construction on the first 741 homes in Max Euwe Kwartier Phase 1 officially began in December 2024, comprising 430 mid-segment rental units and 311 higher- and top-segment rentals. The municipality secured €7.65 million in central government funding to accelerate delivery of the 430 mid-rent units in that phase.

From 2025, an additional approximately 750 homes are scheduled in subsequent Max Euwe Kwartier phases, including social and mid-rent housing and a care complex. Two additional residential buildings east of Max Euwe Kwartier, between the future Esplanade and K.P. van der Mandelelaan, will add 419 homes.

The broader Brainpark redevelopment targets approximately 3,000 homes across social, mid-market and higher segments, with a tenure mix of 30% social, 40% mid-segment and 30% higher segment. Brainpark I is being repositioned from an aging office park into a mixed-use district incorporating residential, workspace and public amenities.

Rotterdam Oostflank Context

Brainpark forms part of Rotterdam's Oostflank, a large-scale urban expansion program running between Prins Alexander and Zuidplein where the city aims to deliver approximately 30,000 new homes alongside comparable numbers of jobs and amenities. Including roughly 5,000 new homes in the nearby Rivium area in Capelle aan den IJssel, the broader Oostflank and Rivium corridor is expected to produce around 35,000 homes in total.

Max Euwe Kwartier sits directly adjacent to metro station Kralingse Zoom and Erasmus University Rotterdam, along the A16 corridor. Havensteder cited the location's accessibility to public transport, education, retail and daily services as central to the project's rationale for addressing demand from housing seekers in the social rental segment.

Sources

Bakkers|Hommen — Project Announcement