Spark Village

 240 homes for young (new) Amsterdammers!

Spark Village is a residential complex for young people between 18 and 27 years of age: 80 students, 120 holders of residence permits, and 40 youths not in full-time education. Building a community together where you can learn from others and are also expected to make a contribution.

The accommodation is situated in one of the most high-tech locations in Europe: the Amsterdam Science Park. Innovation, business, living, and science all go hand in hand. With Startup Village located literally next to the complex, you won't be alone in making a good start here! It’s situated in Amsterdam East, adjacent to the Indische District and Watergraafsmeer. Facilities including cafés, supermarkets, and more are just around the corner.

The units measure 24 m2 and are suitable for single occupancy. At the centre there is a square with greenery and a shared space where you can organise activities.

We have modified our tenancy acceptance procedure because we attach a lot of importance to forming a successful community. Initially you are selected according to your registration period with ROOM. This is followed by additional criteria that determine whether you are eligible for accommodation. 

Accommodation
Spark Village consists of 240 units for single-person households. Half of the units are on the ground floor and the other half are on the first floor. There are only two levels, and there is plenty of room for green spaces between the units. This means that you can come home feeling safe and secure.

• 24 m2
• Your own kitchen and bathroom.
• All-electric with solar panels.
• Fitted out with PVC flooring, decorated walls, and curtains.
• You provide the refrigerator and electric hotplate for cooking.
• There are no washing machine connections (from mid-December 2018 there will be a launderette).   

Contract and rents
Are you still in full-time education? Then rent from DUWO with a campus contract. We’re offering 80 rooms via advertisements at ROOM.nl 

The rent is €482.14 (conditional), which includes service costs.

Common area
Spark Village has been spaciously laid out. There is a square and a shared area at the centre of the complex. This is a meeting place where you can also organise activities. On the ground floor there is a large area including cooking facilities. Above, there is space for organising smaller activities.  There will also be washing machines at your disposal (from mid-December 2018).

Neighbourhood and facilities
The accommodation is situated in one of the most high-tech locations in Europe: the Amsterdam Science Park. You’ll be living in an area where innovation, science, and buzzing activity go hand in hand.

On the Science Park there is also the UvA (University of Amsterdam) and AUC (Amsterdam University College), as well as sports facilities and supermarkets. It’s also easily accessible by public transport (NS station), car (near the A10 ring road), and of course by bicycle. By bike you can reach the bustling Indische District within just a couple of minutes, the city centre in just ten, and the beach at Blijburg in no time at all.

Startup Village
Startup Village is literally next to Spark Village. This is where the startups work on creating innovation and high-tech projects. There is a really nice coffee shop where you can meet up with your new neighbours right in the centre of Startup Village. Startup Village is still being developed, so perhaps you can take part!

Walk through the railway tunnel and you quickly come to the sports facilities on Kruislaan. You’ll also find Stadgenoot’s Stek Oost project there, a similar housing project where diverse groups of young people live side by side.

Community
Spark Village is a residential complex for young people between 18 and 27 years. You build a community together in which you can learn from others, and you are also expected to make a contribution.

The complex will have 80 students, 120 holders of residence permits, and 40 youths not in full-time education. We provide homes for 240 people in Spark Village. Together as a community, you ensure that everybody living there feels at home. We do this by paying attention to three essential values:

• Consideration for others
• Openness
• Social responsibility

Taking it upon yourself
A community is created by people. We expect you to become involved each week for at least one hour by way of attending meetings and/or organising activities for the community. Choose what suits you best. Do you have a green thumb? Help draw up plans for the vegetable garden! Do you like team sports? Organise a training camp with your neighbours! Would you like to learn another language? Find a neighbour who can help you out! Or find the entrepreneurs in Science Park and become part of a start-up. Together, you and your neighbours decide what happens in Spark Village.

Know your neighbours
Better to be a good neighbour than a faraway friend. From your first day, you are connected to your neighbour. Naturally, if you are new in the Netherlands you’ll have lots of questions. You are the person assigned to help your neighbour!

Community builders
Six people are appointed as community builders. These residents give a least four hours of their time each week for the community and are supported by the Academie van de Stad (City Academy). The community builders welcome all the residents and act as a contact point. They have good connections with local corporations and organisations and can therefore often provide help with your queries. They are also given the task of bringing everyone together in the community as much as possible. This includes organising social activities to help bind the residents together and ensuring that Spark Village is a great place for everyone to live. Would you like to know more and do you have your own ideas about how to shape the community? Raise your questions at the information evening!

What to do to land a studio in Spark Village?

1. We’re looking for people who match this profile

Fixed criteria:

• You’re between 18 and 27 years of age.
• You are registered with ROOM.
• You are a full-time student in the Amsterdam region. 

Furthermore,

• You are prepared to take an active role in the community.
• You are open to people with different backgrounds.
• You recognise these values in yourself - consideration for others, openness, and social responsibility

2. Respond on ROOM from 5 September 2018
Do you meet all the criteria? Apply now for accommodation! Whenever accommodation becomes available it’s advertised on ROOM. Even if your registration is recent you still stand a chance, because later on in the selection procedure we take your motivation into account as well.

3. Attend the information evening on 12 and 13 September
The week after the advertisement, you will hear from us whether you’ve been invited to the information evenings. Your presence at one of these evening meetings is mandatory. What happens if you don’t attend? You don’t qualify for accommodation. During the information evening we tell you more about the project and the next stage of the registration procedure. You can also ask questions.

4. Complete your motivation and income details before 20 September 2018
Everyone who has been to an information evening receives a link with a short questionnaire one week later. Using this, you can say why you would like to live in Spark Village and what you can offer the community. We also ask for a student card to prove that you are engaged in full-time education in the region so that we can be sure you are eligible for accommodation.

5. Final selection no later than 27 September 2018 (conditional)
After we evaluate your motivation, you will receive from us a message to indicate whether you have secured accommodation in Spark Village. After you have accepted the offer of accommodation from us, we ask you to return the acceptance form. Have you not been selected? We can put you on the reserve list. This means there is still a chance to get accommodation in the future.

6. Signing the tenancy agreement no later than 1 October 2018 (conditional)
The agreement can be signed online. Handing over the keys takes place on location when the accommodation is transferred to you. Welcome to Spark Village!