Building Sustainable Neighbourhoods: an analysis on various construction methods in Nieuw-Legmeer

LEVS architecten, in collaboration with ProsperVitae, Finch Buildings, TU Delft, and the municipality of Amstelveen created a case-study analysis on the CO₂ impact of various construction methods in a large‑scale urban residential development in Nieuw‑Legmeer. The result is a white paper which makes the business case for biobased development which evaluates carbon emissions, carbon storage, costs, timelines and policy implications across three construction scenarios in Amstelveen.

What’s Inside This Resource

An urban case study in Nieuw‑Legmeer: A mixed‑use neighbourhood in Amstelveen analysed across three construction scenarios: traditional concrete, concrete with 3D timber modules, and hybrid 2D/3D timber systems.
A carbon and cost analysis: Detailed life‑cycle calculations covering material volumes, embodied emissions (A1–D), carbon storage, and construction costs per m² GFA.
Insights on modular and 2D timber systems: Technical and process insights into Finch 3D modules and CLT/glulam column‑beam structures, including construction speed and permitting impacts.
International benchmarks: Comparative analysis of realised mass‑timber and hybrid projects such as Brock Commons (Vancouver), Treet (Bergen), Innovationsfabrik 2.0 (Heilbronn) and HoHo Tower (Vienna).
Guidelines for timber policy: Practical recommendations for municipalities on design standards, parking strategies, performance‑based regulation and early collaboration.

How It Can Help You

This resource demonstrates how timber and modular systems can significantly reduce embodied carbon while delivering wider urban and process benefits. It provides evidence‑based insights to support municipalities, developers and designers in making informed decisions about climate‑positive neighbourhood development. It helps municipalities, developers, architects, engineers, investors and policymakers involved in large‑scale residential developments assess when and where timber, hybrid systems and modular construction make sense from a carbon, cost and delivery perspective, rather than focusing on CO₂ alone.