CoCasa IJburg, Amsterdam
Cocasa means a “joint house” a vivid spot for business and leisure. Cocasa was designed to take a central place in the community. The concept is inspired by the earthship concept of Michael Reynolds, mixed with broader circular design. Michael Reynolds a Southwestern US architect is credited with building the first earthship. His wife coined the phrase because the house was self-sustaining, requiring no outside source of water or electricity. The house just kind of sailed around, hence the name earthship. The house was built out of discarded materials such as automobile tires and aluminum cans and finished with natural adobe.
Janneke Verwey entrepreneur started with the idea of Cocasa on IJburg, Amsterdam. She already held several consultations with the IJburg stakeholders. She asked 100% Zomer to join in as an advisor 100% Zomer was asked as a consultant to turn a rough idea into a business and acquire investment capital. Eventually a consortium of 2012 Architects and housing corporation Ymere, local stakeholders and a district council in Amsterdam worked together in this project.
When: May 2011-March 2012
Who: Ymere Amsterdam, housing corporation
Why: IJburg offered the opportunity for sustainable innovative business concepts. Ymere was looking for circular technology projects with the possibility to upscale to their housing projects on IJburg.
What: To turn a theoretical concept into a running integrated sustainable, circular social business. In cooperation with various stakeholders in Amsterdam.
Results:
- 100% Zomer and Janneke Verwey succeeded to acquire basic capital to develop the CoCasa concept from housing cooperation Ymere.
- 100% Zomer refined the concept and turned it into a business plan.
- The new plan inspired Ymere in their search for integrated sustainable transformation of their housing projects.
- 100% Zomer approached Architecture & Design agency 2012 Architects, now Superuse Studios Rotterdam, to join the consortium.
- 100% Zomer prepared meetings with the board of directors of Ymere
- We succeeded to get 500.000 Euro investments for Cocasa. However due to the problems with Vestia director Erik Staal all innovation projects were withdrawn.
