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Architects: De Zwarte Hond
- Area: 21000 m²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:Jaques Tilleman, ScagliolaBrakkee
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Manufacturers: Rolflex
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Lead Architects: Erik Roerdink
Text description provided by the architects. Commissioned by energy network company Alliander, De Zwarte Hond designed the new regional offices 'Liander Westpoort', located in the port area of Amsterdam and consisting of an office building, workshops, warehouses, test facilities, an educational- and parking building. Together with clients Alliander, IMd, Copper8, and DGMR, De Zwarte Hond formulated sustainability ambitions resulting in high flexibility, scalability, and modularity.
The office building and training facilities have an all-timber construction, designed to be flexible and create a healthy working environment. Thanks to its detachable structural set-up the parking building can grow or shrink. The facades are made of weather-resistant Corten steel. This makes the regional office resilient for the future.
The design consists of a rhythmic alternation of buildings with spaces in between, which are positioned on the plot like a barcode. At the top, the office forms a height accent and is therefore visible from the A5 motorway. Its wooden construction helps to create a healthy working environment. Liander Westpoort also stands out for its equal attention to all parts of the program.
Workshops and storage areas have been designed with the same care as the office building and are welded together into a robust and impressive whole. The plan thus evokes memories of the heyday of industrial architecture, but with an underlying sustainability ambition that is entirely focused on the future. At the same time, the building is cost-efficient, by building compactly, limiting the façade surface, and focusing on the reuse of materials.
The large atrium with its wooden central staircases creates an environment that encourages meetings and interactions. An example of sustainability, the building is gas-free and energy-neutral, contributing to a circular economy. A biodiverse landscape plan is inviting to people and animals. Rich planting around and on the buildings provides a habitat for insects, birds, amphibians, and small mammals.
