The strategy for a.s.r.’s 1970’s office building renovation was to preserve what worked, and upgrade what didn’t. This gargantuan structure with 86,000m2 of floor space was stripped down and fitted with new façades, an underground conference center and a completely new interior including the addition of voids. Remarkably, the office remained in use throughout the renovation. The end result is the astonishing transformation of a dated, imposing workspace into a bright, leafy, open office complex, as well as an ‘excellent’ rating from BREEAM­ for sustainability.

Sawtooth façade
The new façade makes the building brighter and more energy efficient. The double-layer, climate-regulating façade on the east, west and south sides, features integrated ventilation and solar shading. The sawtooth-shaped cassettes on the façade change direction on each floor to allow horizontal articulation, a nod to the original design. The windowless technical space allows for a living façade with plants and nesting boxes for birds.

Winter gardens
The outer layer of the double façade fits around the existing building like an oversized coat, creating extra space for winter gardens throughout the building. The tallest winter garden at the heart of the building brings daylight all the way down to the new underground conference centre. Greenery forms an integral aspect of the office concept and creates a refreshing working environment. Almost every floor enjoys access to a rooftop garden or winter garden.

Edges of voids
The angled lines of the façade recur throughout the building; on walls, reception desks, tree tubs and in the cloakroom. Large central voids have been excavated out of what were once gloomy office floors. Angled balustrades along the voids feature integrated workspaces. These are finished in white Corian to transfer daylight deep into the building, while white felt covers the undersides to improve acoustics. A heating system has been incorporated into the balustrades to offset the effect of cold draughts, just one example of this projects’ hallmark features; optimal integration of architecture, technology and interior.

Renovation

The a.s.r. building at Archimedeslaan 10 in Utrecht was renovated between 2013 and 2015 to make it more sustainable. The revamped office building is fully geared to The New World of Work (TNWW) and meets a.s.r.’s sustainability targets. It is cost-effective and no less than 50% more energy-efficient than before. The building’s energy performance rating improved from G to A.

Sustainable renovation

The a.s.r. building dates back to the early 1970s. After an in-depth study, it was decided in 2010 to opt for sustainable renovation rather than a new-build. The result is a transparent, energy-efficient and cost-effective building that is not only a great place to work, but has also been opened up to the public as a Seats2Meet venue.

Facts and figures

Waste

The demolition produced a total of 23,000 tonnes of rubble, much of which (98%) was reused.

The building waste was separated into no fewer than nine different categories. Material that could be reused went straight back into the renovated part of the building.

If all the lorries carrying demolition material were placed end-to-end, they would form a line stretching from Utrecht to Amersfoort (about 25 km).

Recycling

All the thousands of desk chairs were given a second lease of life, with the seats and fabric covering being replaced. The old foam from the seats was used in insulation panels, while the fabric was donated to a manufacturer of horse blankets and to schools.

The building has 40,000 square metres of carpeting, some of which is made from recycled materials and is 100% recyclable. The old carpet was recycled: the pile was reused, while the backing was used as a raw material in road construction and roofing.

Garden and green waste is processed in a.s.r.'s own environmentally friendly composting station to create a soil improver for gardens.

Green

The office garden borders on the Ecological Network of the province of Utrecht and provides a habitat for several species of fauna, including bats, hedgehogs, salamanders, insects, storks and grass snakes.

a.s.r. has deliberately chosen to create a habitat for bees in its garden. The bee-keepers engage in organic bee-keeping and the garden has bee-friendly plants.

Part of the outer wall on the first floor will be covered in greenery. The plants will capture large and small dust particles, purifying the air in the process.

Nesting boxes will be incorporated into this green wall section for swifts and sparrows.

The climate facade measures a total of 17,000 square metres.

There are wooden tables dotted around the office, made from timber from our own estate, Landgoed De Utrecht. The tables were put together in a sheltered work facility run by Reinaerde, one of our social partners.

Plus

After the renovation, the building now has 85,000 square metres of office and meeting space, as well as 2,800 workstations.

Part of the building is accessible to everyone. Visitors can use facilities such as the meeting centre, restaurant, coffee bar, work lounge and gym. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the building. A public workspace can be reserved via the Seats2meet website.

The a.s.r. building has two water tapping points offered by Join the Pipe. By offering these, a.s.r. supports a drinking water project in a developing country.

The building has a charging station for public transport passes.

There are 43 charging stations for electric vehicles. Guests can charge their vehicles for free.

The building is cleaned in an environmentally friendly way. No chemicals are used.

The cafeteria and the Plato restaurant offer a healthy range of locally sourced products.

Work stations have a view of the winter gardens. There is scientific evidence to suggest that people are healthier when they have a view of nature. Being exposed to light also helps them stay healthy and get a good night’s sleep. These are just two of the benefits of a climate facade.