KWR Watercycle Research Institute

At the green business location on the Groningenhaven in Nieuwegein, a new office is currently replacing the existing building, which was out-dated and no longer met today’s requirements.

cepezed’s design is strongly interwoven with and makes maximum use of the surrounding landscape. The building is elevated more than one meter above ground level, making it an open, light and transparent pavilion on a plateau. To create a pleasant space outside and effective protection from the sun, it has been provided with a broad canopy at the top. The pavilion itself is largely made of glass, which gives the users an optimal connection with the green surroundings.

The building structure consists mainly of two generic bays twelve meters deep. These do not have any supporting walls and have a gross story height of four meters. This arrangement allows for every conceivable combination of laboratories, offices and shared functions such as meeting spots, quiet spaces, brainstorming spaces, meeting rooms, project team areas and so on. The bays are interconnected by means of passages and footbridges.

In between the bays, a stepped atrium represents the beating heart of the building. This is a place where people can come together, work and confer, but also drink coffee and eat in the restaurant. The restaurant underneath, on the south side of the building, can be closed off from the rest of the building and as a result is multifunctional and can, for instance, be used for conferences or other gatherings. The other functions are accessed separately and are therefore always easy to reach.

The parking spaces are situated apart in the green area, so employees have a short walk through the landscape every morning to get to the building. Bicycle parking is submerged under the path. The pavilion has a green roof that appears to run inside via the central stepped atrium, so that nature almost literally continues into the building. In addition, a series of integral sustainability measures were included in the design; these measures fit in well with KWR and are also in part focused on achieving optimal water management.

PROJECT DATA

Project: KWR
Address: Groningenhaven 7, 3433 PE Nieuwegein (NL)
Client: KWR Watercycle Research Institute, Nieuwegein
Architect: architectenbureau cepezed, Delft
Interior architect: Fokkema & Partners Architecten, Delft
Project Management: HEVO, Den Bosch
Structures: PBT - Pieters bouwtechniek, Amsterdam
Installation Techniques: DWA, Ede
Construction Physics, Acoustics and Sustainability: DGMR, Arnhem
Urbanisam and Landscape: West8 urban design & landscape architecture, Rotterdam
General Contractor: Aqua Redivivus (Van Wijnen Arnhem, Alkonder Hengelo, Kuijpers Den Bosch, Mourik Groot-Ammers)
Realization: 2015
Gross Floor Area: 6.370 m2
Photography: Hugo Thomassen, Léon van Woerkom