Micro-Metropolitan Living In Amsterdam West
After spending time in Silicon Valley, Tijn Hoyng returned to Amsterdam invigorated by the experience of living amongst other like-minded entrepreneurs.
During his visit, Hoyng stayed in a home with other designers, developers, and entrepreneurs. Although most were strangers, their relationship strengthened by their drive and passion to succeed; creating a stimulating environment that brought about a lot of exciting collaboration. “I wanted to expand upon the benefits of sharing ideas with other people, that’s the kind of magic I wanted to bring back with me to the Netherlands.”
Founder Tijn Hoyng in one of the common floor spaces
Je m’appelle is Tijn Hoyng’s newly opened platform that hopes to bring these ideas to life in Amsterdam West. Under the concept of “1 house, 25 creatives, 24/7 company”, the company sees itself as an energizing environment for like-minded creatives. Although the project is in its very essence, a space for both work and living, Tijn is very cautious to be associated with the co-living trend. Rather than a co-living space, he views it more as a place for people who share “the same ideas and visions”, emphasizing that, “While most co-living projects see a benefit in having a developed concept, here it is much more about the benefits the concept brings.”
Shared kitchen in Je m’appelle
“Family dinner” at Je m’appelle
While Je m’appelle has only been running for half a year, it has quickly built momentum and shows no signs of slowing down. Tijn attributes a large majority of their success to the tightly knit community they have been able to create. “It sounds so easy but the right people are really the key to making it work.” While most co-living spaces are pretty open in terms of their tenants, Hoyng is a strong believer in “the power of selection”, and places great emphasis on sociability when it comes to selecting potential residents.
Resident bedroom in Je m’appelle
Another key feature of their success so far may be attributed to their ground-level office space which acts as a friendly moderator with the community. Featuring wall-to-wall windows, it’s easy for people to walk by and take a look at what’s happening inside. Je m’appelle holds a great interest in getting to know their neighbors and has already facilitated partnerships with other local businesses and residents. For €670 a month, Je m’appelle residents have their own furnished bedroom, and access to common space facilities such as the bathroom and kitchen which are shared between 3-5 other floormates. Additional amenities include the office space, food, as well as gym lessons at their neighbor, De Gymzaal.
View of the ground floor office from outside
This article is a part of our series on micro-metropolitan living concepts around the world. We have recently received a grant from the Dutch Creative Industries Fund to explore this trend further and will be sharing our findings via Pop-Up City throughout the upcoming months.
