Netherlands Institute of Ecology receives Dutch Building Award 2013
The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) has received the Dutch Building Award 2013 in buildings category at the International Buildings trade fair.
Designed by Claus and Kaan Architects, the 10,000 square metre Netherlands Institute of Ecology building incorporated various sustainable construction materials in its development. A concrete skeleton has been used as part of the building services concept. The concrete has been made as sustainable as possible by using concrete rubble as aggregate and incorporating granulated blast-furnace materials into the mix.
The use of load-bearing walls has been avoided to maximise open floor space. A deep floor with an activated concrete core has been chosen for the main building and stairwells with fire compartments providing stability.
As the building contains laboratories, concrete has been used extensively throughout. The new building is also piloting a high-temperature ground source heating system.
The site includes offices, laboratories and support facilities such as greenhouses, aviaries, chemical and gas storage, a lake and bicycle parks.
Arup was responsible for structural engineering, including carrying out a study on the efficiency and sustainability of construction materials. NIOO-KNAW has also won the Golden Pyramid Award and the Timber Award.
