let’s work together

sustainable building for small businesses with recreational facilities for the residents of heijplaat

professors: jacques vink and piet vollaard

An incubator for small businesses with sustainable energy resources and materials as main starting point. A building with a closed cycle and vegetable gardens that also promotes social interaction.

together at heijplaat

The building is designed for small business, a group that will become more and more important in the future. People have their own expertise and networks, during every new upcoming project their forces are combined in the most effective way. They each get their own office or workshop. All other facilities will be shared because of economic and social reasons.

A variety of recreational facilities will be created for the residents of Heijplaat, partly complementary, partly using the above facilities. As a result, the building will contribute to interaction with the neighborhood.

The starting point is a combination of a chicken house and a greenhouse. The building is separated by a wall that absorbs solar heat. On the south side is the greenhouse, on the north side the heat sealed unit. At night, the wall will radiate heat towards both the greenhouse and the chicken house.

Traditional office buildings are often empty in the evenings and during the weekends. Efficient use of energy and space is included. This means that the spaces can have multiple functions. An office during business hours, a recreational space outside of business hours, such as a restaurant, library and studio space for the residents of Heijplaat.

The space that remains unoccupied will be filled with vegetable gardens for the residents of Heijplaat. The waste plays an important role of the cycle. The harvest can be used in the restaurant.

The buildings are divided into zones. The partitions are the thermal mass and are composed of boulders that can be found along the quays of Heijplaat. Within are lines that supply and absorb heat. In the evening, the walls will emanate heat produced by solar radiation during the day.

The volumes behind these massive walls are thermally sealed. The walls and the roof are made of Lexan, often used in horticulture. They let through as much light as normal glass but also have an isolating function. The walls between the volumes have tubes connected to the aquifer that carry cold water during the summer.

The green zones continue to the parking garages located on the east and west sides of the building that are connected directly to the atmosphere. As a result, fresh air is circulated throughout. The parking garages also contain plants that grow up to the roof and regulate humidity. The roof is inclined in such a way that even with a low sun during the winter the entire partition receives solar heat.

Part of the volumes are shifted to realize multiple climate zones, take in more day light and get in touch with the surroundings.

The buildings are rotated 26 degrees towards the east, partly to connect to the buildings across and partly because during summer at noon, the greenhouses will be fully exposed to the sun.

2009