Architects and Designers: De Zwarte Hond
Location: Meerstad, Groningen, Netherlands
Year: 2022
Concept: Mass timber structure, adaptable architecture, circular building design
Photos by Ronald Tilleman / Ronald Zijlstra
SuperHub is a multifunctional community building designed by De Zwarte Hond that explores how timber can support a more adaptable approach to public architecture. Located in Meerstad near Groningen, the building uses a fully wooden supporting structure made from cross-shaped laminated timber columns and beams, creating a large open space without the need for additional wind bracing.
What makes the project particularly interesting is its ability to change over time. Originally designed as a combination of a marketplace and shopping centre, the flexible layout allows the building to be adapted for different uses in the future, from a community centre to housing or other public functions. Rather than designing a building for a single purpose, SuperHub considers how timber construction can create spaces that remain useful as the needs of a community evolve.
The exposed timber structure, combined with a lightweight glass façade, creates a welcoming and open interior while demonstrating how wood can be used not only as a structural material, but as a framework for long-term adaptability.
See more on the [MaterialDistrict] website: A wooden multifunctional and adaptative building