5TRACKS Mixed-Use Hub Enlivens a Neighborhood in the Netherlands

In cities around the world, transit centers co-exist alongside commercial towers built to serve thousands of workers and commuters each day, most of whom pay little attention to the elements that make these environments unique.

A person rides a bicycle on a red bike lane next to modern brick buildings and trees on a cloudy day.

Photo: Sebastian van Damme

For a new mixed-use hub completed by Shift architecture urbanism and Powerhouse Company, a nearby railway station served as the inspiration for a project that has transformed the neighborhood by strengthening the ties between its people and places.

A modern city street with multi-story brick buildings, trees lining the sidewalk, and cars parked along the road at sunset.

Photo: Sebastian van Damme

A modern brick building with geometric patterns and square windows, partially obscured by leafless tree branches in the foreground.

Photo: Sebastian van Damme

“Buildings often become places where individuals remain isolated in their own bubbles. The design of 5TRACKS counters this by fostering social interaction through thoughtfully integrated shared spaces, allowing communities to thrive,” says Thijs van Bijsterveldt, co-founder, Shift architecture urbanism.

Modern multi-story brick buildings with large windows are situated on a city street corner, with trees, a sidewalk, and a traffic light in the foreground.

Photo: Sebastian van Damme

Four people exercise together in a landscaped garden area outside a modern brick building with large windows.

Photo: Sebastian van Damme

Located in Breda, Netherlands, a once-neglected site near Central Station now features housing, offices, and a hotel. Three triangular volumes, dubbed Platforms A, B, and C in a nod to commuters, are united by layered brick facades which echo the urban landscape.

Modern multi-story building with large windows, some illuminated, situated at a street intersection with trees and traffic lights in the foreground.

Photo: Sebastian van Damme

A total of 168 apartments sit above a key area in the complex. Office spaces are centered around atriums, each with a full-sized tree, skylights, and glass fronts that open toward the shared courtyard. These sections double as what the teams call “urban living rooms” because they encourage interaction outdoors.

People walk up and down a wide, white staircase inside a modern building with high ceilings, large windows, and linear ceiling lights.

Photo: Sebastian van Damme

Interiors by Dutch Invertuals include pops of bright purple and green contrast with glazed surfaces and plush fabrics. Carpet motifs reference country meadows, while blue cloud-print curtains at the seating tiers lend an ethereal touch. Streetlight-style lamps provide illumination, and tables capture the look of steel tracks.

Modern indoor atrium with natural light, large tree, wooden staircase, and two women seated at a counter while a man walks upstairs.

Photo: Pim Top

Modern office interior with open seating, indoor trees, a person ascending wooden stairs, and large windows on the upper level.

Photo: Pim Top

The architects emphasized sustainability and well-being inside and out, aligned with Paris Proof standards, and WELL Platinum certified. A garden supports biodiversity throughout each of the platforms, and a retention roof captures more than 100,000 gallons of rainwater. Solar panels generate renewable electricity for shared facilities.

Curved lavender-colored table with black chairs, featuring modern desk lamps, set in a room with gray brick walls and large windows.

Photo: Ronald Smits

A curved green bench surrounds three metallic tables and two purple chairs on a textured, irregularly shaped green rug.

Photo: Ronald Smits

It’s a forward-thinking approach that offers the ultimate in adaptability for all current users and those who will visit years from now. “The open structure and strategically positioned cores make it possible to accommodate office layouts of very different sizes. This spatial freedom allows 5TRACKS to respond to changing space requirements in the future,” adds Stefan Prins, partner and architect at Powerhouse Company.