urby story
completed
9 locations, over 5000 apartments across the us
responsibilities
concept, architecture, interior design & landscape
programme
apartments, communal and public interior & exterior spaces
location
us
completed
9 locations, over 5000 apartments across the us
responsibilities
concept, architecture, interior design & landscape
programme
apartments, communal and public interior & exterior spaces
location
us
form follows life
Since its inception in 2010, concrete has shaped the brand’s architecture and designed all the buildings, the majority of its interiors and part of the landscapes. The human-centric architectural designs reflect the playful and organic nature of the Urby brand, focusing on openness, space and connection result in an expressive and progressive architecture.
Urby apartments reframe the notion of apartment living. Built from the ground up with the needs of contemporary urban citizens in mind, Urby is a unique residential concept that offers a truly connected living experience. Urby stands for thoughtful design, a unique approach to shared spaces, and a strong sense of community.
The apartments are efficiently designed, feeling larger and more spacious thanks to the smart use of the available square footage and natural lighting throughout. Each Urby location features a welcoming, human-scaled entrances with a public accessible entrance cafe, activated plinth and seamlessly connected spaces. The communal spaces host local workshops and events to foster a strong sense of neighborhood connection.
''The way we work and live in the modern urban setting has changed dramatically. It's time for a meaningful rethink in our approach to housing.''
urby life
With Urby, 'living' becomes a brand for the first time. Concrete built its name reshaping hospitality; Urby became its chance to reshape housing entirely. Rejecting both anonymous mass housing and costly bespoke apartments, Urby offers a true third way: the needs of urban life met at an affordable price. That refusal to follow convention drove concrete's evolution, from a small "smart space" study into the architecture, interiors, and brand of Urby itself.
concrete and Ironstate began developing the various Urby projects alongside the Urby brand itself, a natural fit for concrete's approach: any spatial design starts with a profound understanding of future users' needs. Urby pushed this further, creating a lifestyle brand of housing spanning every aspect of living, from private apartments to public areas, defining both where residents live and how. Through design, experiments, 1:1 mock-ups and a 48-unit test project, concrete and Ironstate refined the apartment living experience: affordable, clever, with a design focus and a warm, homey feel.
the brand
Built from the ground up for contemporary urban citizens, Urby meets their ever-changing demands with smart, affordable apartments and unique communal facilities and programming.
Urby also addresses softer needs, seeking an emotional connection with residents. Given the anonymity of the big city and that many arrive new to town, Urby buildings are designed and programmed to create natural opportunities for neighbours to meet. Public spaces like the entrance café, and communal spaces like shared kitchens, aren't just designed for social connection, they're actively programmed by Urby daily. Every building also hosts its own in-residences, a chef, farmer or musician, to power that communal programme. The result is a community everybody is free but nobody is obliged to join: a great private apartment at its core, the neighbourhood as a bonus, and belonging as the ultimate goal.
small is the new big
Urby is designed from the inside out, always with contemporary urban citizens in mind. The apartments, and their efficient footprint, form its core, the place that should feel like home from the moment people walk in, where functionality and living experience must go hand in hand. To achieve this, Urby rethought the essence of the apartment itself: three years of design, experimentation and testing by concrete and Ironstate in pursuit of the perfect modern-day apartment. Even now, every project delivered yields improvements, from small functional tweaks to entirely new unit types, for the next. The goal: every new Urby better than the last.
finding the perfect unit
Based on the first designs, 1:1 mock-ups were built in a warehouse to test flow, spaciousness, functionality and light. Experiments ranged from prefab units yielding patented floorplans to in-field, DIY, overnight changes, ultimately converging on S, M and L. Though compact, the Small, Medium and Large (studio, one- and two-bedroom) units feel spacious thanks to smart layouts, and compact size means lower rent. Functionality stayed key throughout: cleverly integrated storage, fully equipped modern kitchens and bathrooms, custom lighting, and partly built-in furniture.
the units
The S, M and L apartments range from 400 to 800 sq. ft., built for optimal flow and spatial balance despite their compact size. Sliding doors between connecting spaces let residents fully open the apartment to its full sense of scale, while full-width windows, paired with straightforward design and light colours, pull daylight deep inside and add panoramic views.
Apartments are move-in ready, finished throughout in durable materials including bamboo flooring, with a comprehensive lighting plan tailored to each unit's look and feel. Bespoke furniture includes deep windowsills with bookshelves that double as a desk or seat. Window blinds, built-in bedroom storage, and fully equipped tailor-made kitchens and bathrooms with washer/dryer are ready for immediate use.
m_medium
The roughly 550 sq. ft. M-units use sliding doors between areas; opened, they connect the whole apartment, letting residents circle the unit around the central kitchen block. Moving the vanity out of the bathroom and into the hallway, with built-in cabinetry and full-length mirrors, turns the hallway into a dressing area.
l_large
The two-bedroom L-units measure 800 sq. ft., positioned mostly on building corners to maximise facade perimeter and create 270-degree views. The living room with built-in kitchen sits right on the corner, its wall-to-wall windows running along both sides for views in two directions. Bedrooms flank the living room on either end, with sliding doors placed on the window side so that, when opened, the living room's windows and sills extend into the bedrooms, giving a sense of abundant space and light.
''At the core, every Urby building is designed to foster community.'
public spaces
The public spaces are designed to first say "welcome home," then adapt to residents' state of mind: a quick stop for mail, coffee alone, a chance encounter with a neighbour, or meeting friends after signing up for an event. Every building is entered through a publicly accessible, house-shaped entrance café that gives anyone walking in an instant sense of coming home, and being open to the public, an immediate connection to the neighbourhood.
Once inside, all areas connect seamlessly. Communal spaces for residents include a kitchen, gym, gardens, pool and potentially an urban farm, actively programmed by in-residence talent: a chef cooking several days a week and running cooking lessons, an artist hosting workshops, a musician offering lessons, or a farmer helping residents grow their own vegetables.
facts & figures
total built apartments 5046 apartments, 9 open locations
under construction more than 5000 apartments, multiple locations of which 2 sky scrapers
concrete
responsibility concept, architecture, interior design, landscape design
team since 2010 erikjan vermeulen, rob wagemans, nick vullings, iwan hameleers, sofie ruytenberg, tobias koch, mark haenen, cindy wouters, juliana cintra do prado mul, vivianne medeiros, ana bissau pereira, cristina palicari, isabelle bronzwaer, jolijn vonk, matthijs hombergen, sebastiaan kaal, andreas rechsteiner, bobby de graaf, debbie van dijk, jakob kunst, mieke billekens, robert schellekens, zuzanna kurzawa, alain fernandez, angela solis jara, beata karlsson, charlotte middelveld, daisy koppendraaier, elias arenas, jesse nolte, joshua boyd, kayla lee, lisa marie etzien, margaux platenburg, martyna nicholson, matteo bettoni, michael cerrone, murk wymenga, vera tamburlin, wouter slot, zsofia muzsnai
partners & collaborators
client urby, us
collaborator ironstate development, us
awards
2017
inside awards jersey city urby winner best bar & restaurant
nyc x design awards staten island urby winner multi-unit residential
2018
ait awards urby winner future living
architizer a+ awards harrison urby winner popular choice award
inside awards harrison urby cafe winner best bar & restaurant
architecture masterprize harrison urby winner best interior design residential
architecture masterprize harrison urby winner best landscape architecture residential
ait awards urby harrison winner future living interior
jersey city arts council awards jersey city urby winner best architecture & design
nyc x design awards staten island urby finalist multi-unit residential building
surface travel awards harrison urby cafe finalist limited service restaurant
hd awards harrison urby cafe finalist cafe culture
dezeen awards jersey city urby finalist tall building
2019
americanhort international plantscape awards harrison urby winner best installation
2023
archello award harrison urby longlisted housing project of the year
2025
archello award dallas urby longlisted housing project of the year high rise tower
