Paul de Ruiter Architects designed Krinkels BV’s modern head office, which is set amid a wide expanse of natural scenery on the outskirts of Breda. Krinkels’ brief was for a building that co-existed with its landscaped site, providing a low-stress environment and a sense of well-being. Our architectural office has delivered a highly transparent, energy-efficient building with a circular central atrium featuring a Ficus Amstel Kring tree and green walls.
By integrating the landscape into the building, we have created a working environment whose interior and surroundings blend seamlessly into one another. In collaboration with Buro Lubbers, the landscape design and urban development studio, we produced a modern office that is served by the surrounding landscape. The source of the building’s impact lies in the simplicity of its design, its transparent glass façade, and its lush green roofs.
The building comprises two levels. You enter on the ground floor via a large circular atrium, whose glass roof makes for a light-filled interior. This atrium is the heart of the building, its status, indicated by a massive Ficus Amstel King tree at its center, the tree’s robustness symbolizing the Krinkels Group’s growth. The feature staircase at the building is the result of a four-way collaboration between Eestairs, Paul de Ruiter Architects, wood artist Jakko Woudenberg, and Winters Bouw en Ontwikkeling. The atrium’s dramatic center-piece is a 3,000 m2 artwork designed by Paul de Ruiter Architects representing tree growth rings spreading across the ground floor and up two curving staircases to the first floor.
Three ground-floor wings extend from the atrium, providing working space for 80 employees. The direct connection between these wings and the atrium encourages greater interaction between employees from different departments. The ground floor wings each have a different type of green roof, while the roof of the ring-shaped first floor is covered with 150m2 of solar panels.
A seasonal thermal energy storage unit is buried deep underground. The stored winter air provides cooling in the summer, and the stored summer heat is pumped back into the building in the winter. This energy-efficient, fossil-free temperature regulation system ensures a pleasant and comfortable indoor climate whatever the season.
Team:
Architects: Paul de Ruiter Architects
Client: Krinkels BV
Design: Paul de Ruiter Architects
Project team: Paul de Ruiter, Ronald Hageman, Marlous Vriethoff, Barthold Thijssen, Joris Korbee
Contractor: PIF
Landscape Architect: Buro Lubbers
Stair Manufacturer: EeStairs BV
Wood Artist: Jakko Woudenberg
Engineering: Johan Floor, EeStairs BV
Photographers: Rene de Wit, Hans Morren
