22 April 2021 | 7 min.
a.s.r. real estate recently acquired Tree House in Rotterdam for its office and residential fund, the third joint purchase by our real estate platform within a short timeframe. With a shared focus, our platform is able to make smart acquisitions for the cities of tomorrow in which mixed-use buildings are on the rise. A phenomenon that is certainly nothing new to us.
Tree House, artist's impression
Mixed-use properties, as the name suggests, combine commercial, residential, and/or office space in one property. As a result of urbanisation and a growing number of households, the pressure on urban areas has been growing. More and more people are opting to live, work and shop in a vibrant environment with amenities within walking distance. Mixed-use buildings offer a scalable solution for the intelligent use of land, and they address the needs and wishes of people and businesses.
Municipalities encourage mixed-use areas, where working, living and leisure come together. Project developers have responded to this trend by developing an increasing number of mixed-use areas. To minimise risks, projects can be sold to one purchaser. This guarantees a strong integration of different functions and limits time-consuming debates. This is where a.s.r. real estate comes into play.
Our retail, office and residential Funds all have a focus on highly central locations, with good accessibility and nearby facilities. This shared focus enables the Funds to collaborate in large, multi-sector acquisitions, making a.s.r. real estate an attractive partner for project developers of mixed-use projects. Our management platform is designed to enable swift decisions, with a close eye for investor interest. Each Fund assesses for itself whether an acquisition fits its strategy.
The acquisition of Wonderwoods in Utrecht (2018), EDGE Eindhoven (2020) and Tree House in Rotterdam (2021) are three examples that illustrate the acquisition power of the a.s.r. real estate platform. All acquisitions were ideally suited to the ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund and the ASR Dutch Core Residential Fund. The assets are located near a public transport hub, which fits the strategy of the Office Fund, and are located in one of the focus regions of the Residential Fund. We developed a shared vision to optimise the functions in these projects and we acquired them by collaborating as a platform.
Rising to a height of 130 metres, Tree House makes a captivating addition to the Rotterdam skyline, while offering the hospitality sector street-level opportunities to enrich the city’s dynamic urban centre. In the shape of Rotterdam’s innovation and culture platform De Dépendance, Tree House will also be home to a major crowd-puller with socially relevant programming. The stepped wooden terraces on either side of the building provide a pleasant public space for both users and passers-by. The ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund purchased the office and the commercial programme of 17,000 m2, and the ASR Dutch Core Residential Fund acquired 168 homes for rent in the mid-priced segment, 85 of which form part of the City of Rotterdam’s Mid-Priced Rental Sector Action Plan.
EDGE Eindhoven is situated at the heart of Eindhoven, next to the city’s Central Station, and forms part of the station area development known locally as Internationale Knoop XL. The project’s residential section comprises 175 apartments with a strong mid-priced rental focus, in addition to 52 parking spaces and communal bicycle parking for residents. The office section will be of a multi-tenant building with 25,000 sq. m. of offices, 378 sq. m. of commercial space, 200 parking spaces and parking for 360 bicycles. The diverse office concept suits every business model: from larger companies to smaller firms, and even start-ups. The development also has space reserved for a gym, a café/restaurant and a roof terrace, all available to be used by tenants and visitors alike
Wonderwoods is located in the Beurskwartier district, within walking distance of Utrecht Central Station and the city centre. The project as a whole comprises apartments for sale and rent, offices, a spacious central bicycle storage area, an underground parking garage, healthy bars and restaurants, the ArtScience Museum Playlab, a gym and commercial facilities on the ground floor. The ASR Dutch Core Residential Fund has acquired a total of 254 rental apartments. The ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund has purchased around 14,000 sq. m. of office space, in addition to the Playlab, which measures around 2,400 sq. m., and the underground facilities in the MVSA Architects’ tower. The Fund is also acquiring the entire underground parking garage with 160 parking spaces.
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