nieuwegein / nederland
client
kwr watercycle research institute
KWR Watercycle Research Institute is a renowned research institute in the field of water and water cycles, which develops expertise and makes it accessible to various (international) organizations such as drinking water companies, regional water boards, local governments and trade and industry.
At its location on the Groningenhaven in Nieuwegein, the development of a new office to replace the old one will start in 2012. cepezed was commissioned to design the building.
The draft design is strongly interwoven with, and makes maximum use of, the surrounding landscape. The building is elevated more than a metre above ground level, thus forming a light, open and transparent pavilion on a plateau. To form a pleasant exterior space and effective sunbreaking, the upper side is equipped with a wide awning.
The pavilion itself is mainly made of glass, which ensures that, to the users, there is an optimum link with the surrounding greenery of the landscape.
The structure of the building largely consists of two generic bays with a depth of twelve metres. These have no loadbearing walls and have a gross storey height of four metres. This structure means that every conceivable combination of laboratories, offices and shared functions, such as consultation areas, muted rooms, brainstorm sections, discussion rooms, project team areas and suchlike, is possible. The bays are connected by means of passageways and footbridges.
Between the bays, a stepped atrium forms the beating heart of the building. This is a place where people can converge, work and consult one another, as well as drink coffee and eat in the canteen. The restaurant on the ground floor, on the south side of the building, can be closed off from the rest of the atrium and, as such, can be used multifunctionally, as a large conference hall for example. The other functions can be accessed via a separate route and therefore are always reachable.
Car parking is done among the greenery, so that members of staff can take a small stroll through the landscape every morning. The bicycle-parking facility is sunken under the path. The pavilion has a vegetation-covered roof that seems to extend into the interior via the central, stepped atrium, so that nature almost literally thrusts into the building. In addition, the design displays a series of integral sustainability measures, formulated simultaneously with the building design, which harmonize with the aims of the KWR. Of course, the design process is also oriented toward the development of optimum water management.
