Mooi Mokum: An Alternative Building Code to Enhance Housing Happiness in Amsterdam's Urban Development

This exhibition at Arcam explores opportunities for better living environments in Amsterdam's dynamic growth. It presents an alternative building code developed by the City of Amsterdam's Department of Spatial Planning & Sustainability, aiming to increase housing happiness by focusing on the quality of good homes, their aesthetics, and realization conditions. The exhibition seeks to inspire conversation about the future of housing in the city.

The demand for housing in Amsterdam necessitates the construction of 150,000 new homes over the next 30 years. The exhibition "Mooi Mokum – An Alternative Building Code for Housing Happiness" at Arcam critically examines how to build for happiness amidst this rapid development. With a significant portion of the future housing stock comprising collective housing blocks and residential towers, the exhibition underscores the importance of ensuring these are also good homes. The professional community is increasingly re-engaging with housing quality and the aesthetics of residential buildings, with various collectives and firms publishing studies on high-density residential architecture. In response, the City of Amsterdam's Department of Spatial Planning & Sustainability (R&D) has initiated "Mooi Mokum." This initiative, developed in collaboration with TU Delft students, analyzed 19 buildings through the lens of living quality, community, governance, aesthetics, and sustainability. The resulting alternative building code, created with design firms and experts, focuses on enhancing the design of good homes, their appearance, and the conditions for their realization. "Mooi Mokum" aims to foster a lively dialogue about the future of housing and urban living in Amsterdam.