In July 2014 Greenpeace Nederland moved to "De Smederij", a former industrial forge located at NDSM in Amsterdam North. Now selected as an architectural monument, this new location and headquarters  helps express and support everything that Greenpeace stands for. Their office has now been designed with sustainable at its core, it is easily accessible by bicycle and public transport and also allows the Greenpeace boat fleet to simply moor by the entrance.

The existing façade of Forge was retained and restored in accordance with Dutch cultural heritage regulations. During construction, the environmental impact was minimized by selecting  sustainable new materials and by reusing existing materials. Keeping and restoring the existing steel construction was a necessary and important part of the project, helping to preserve the buildings’ original character.

Sustainability and recycling were the key drivers for both Greenpeace and Hollandse Nieuwe while developing the interior concept and design.  With access to elements from Greenpeace’s storied history, Hollandse Nieuwe repurposed old furniture, old demonstration material and even parts of one of Greenpeace’s’ ships to integrate within the environment as part of the narrative thread that runs through the project.

Yellow oil drums used in demonstrations against nuclear waste have been transformed into walls, discarded boats have been processed into a rubber skin for meeting room walls, cable runs were created from discarded jeans, carpets created from used fishing nets were specified, Greenpeace’s paper archives form the basis for the acoustic ceiling spray and even general building waste was transformed, in combination with archive cabinets, into building blocks for interior walls.

The new office interior creates a strong relationship between sustainability, circularity, the organization itself and their team. The project makes Greenpeace’s ambitions explicit, turning them into a considered physical experience.