Living together and being together in Jonas’

When Henriëtte Breunis (65+) left her life in Toronto behind, it was not an easy decision. The desire to live closer to her son brought her to the Netherlands, where she found a new home in Jonas’ on IJburg in Amsterdam. What began as a forced move grew into an active role in the community. ‘It is very special to see how a place where people live can grow into a close-knit community,’ she says.

‘Until recently, I lived in Toronto,’ says Henriëtte. ‘Then in 2018, my son suffered a stroke and became disabled. By making a lot of arrangements remotely and with the help of a friend, it was possible to provide care for him. However, when my friend decided to move, I wanted to live near my son, so I retired and left for the Netherlands. Jonas’ is located 150m from his apartment.’

Favourite place

‘Beside my own studio, my favourite place in the building is the living room. I walk through it when I go outside and regularly chat with my fellow residents. I can also be found here for many of the activities. For example, there was a ‘potluck’ evening organised recently, when everyone brought something to eat. There are also jam sessions and birthday celebrations held here. It is a beautiful space with high, wood-finished ceilings. There is a children’s corner, a refrigerator and always a pot of tea standing ready.’

Seeking connection

‘Many of the residents come from abroad and, like everyone else, they sometimes have personal problems. That is why a group was set up called “Jonas listens”. Once a month, neighbours make themselves available to offer a listening ear. They are not there to give advice, but they might act as a sounding board if called for. We sometimes say: better a listening neighbour than a talkative friend.’

Creative community

Henriëtte regularly organises activities in Jonas’. ‘Together with a neighbour, I recently organised an exhibition with art made by the residents. Some of them are artists by profession, while for others it’s a hobby. After the exhibition, we had the idea of using one of the building’s commercial spaces, which wasn’t being rented out at the time, as a studio. We put in a request to Jonas’ community manager and it was approved! This is now where fellow residents work on their art and where we organise workshops.’

‘I also adopted an initiative to clean up litter on IJburg. This now takes place twice a month.’ Henriëtte also organises the games afternoon: ‘This was actually an idea that came from my son and the residents of his building. The people with non-congenital brain damage who live there are all quite young and social isolation is an issue. But now we meet at least once a month to play board games, and more and more people are joining in. It’s amazing how it’s bringing people together.’

About Jonas’

Jonas’ is a unique, sustainable building with 273 residential units and a range of public and communal facilities, located at the port of IJburg. Jonas’ strengthens social cohesion by encouraging residents and neighbours to meet and it thereby functions as the beating heart of IJburg. In 2023, Jonas’ won ‘Best Building of the Year’ and Amsterdam’s housing award ‘de Zuiderkerkprijs’.