project report – the edge
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‘The Edge generates a substantial amount of the energy it uses, and it uses 70 per cent less than a typical contemporary Dutch office building’
© Dirk Verwoerd
design was needed to reflect that. Research by Deloitte has shown only 25 per cent of an office workforce needs to be sit- ting at a desk at one time – the other 75 per cent are doing something else.” Sustainability with measurable savings was also a major
driver, says Bakker: “OVG and Deloitte wanted this building to be as sustainable as possible. Every decision to invest in sus- tainability needed to deliver a return within 10 years.”
Design vision
The Edge is a U-shaped building constructed around a huge, central, north-facing atrium and is adjacent to a motorway, a bicycle route and various public transport connections. At 15 storeys it is the maximum possible height for its location near Schiphol Airport. “The atrium generates the architecture and the massing of
the building, and captures what the building is all about,” explains Bakker. “It was on the table from the word go as an important part of Deloitte’s vision. It enables building users to look out onto the outside world but equally the outside world can also see in. “It’s the hub that all the other elements are related to.
Everybody operates in or around it and they can look across it or down and see each other quite easily. Being the location of the lift lobbies and reception it’s a major circulation area as well as a casual meeting space. Additionally, the atrium helps mediate the noise and pollution from the nearby motorway.” With a minimal steel frame construction, daylight from the north floods the space. In fact, some two thirds of the building
benefits from this cool, mostly sun-free light, dramatically reducing solar gain. The roof has low-e roof glazing with solar controls but, surprisingly, the curtain wall glazing does not have solar-blocking characteristics. With spans up to 40 m long, the atrium roof sits on relatively
slender columns. This lightweight construction is possible because the roof is supported by the building on three sides and bolstered by two ‘bridges’ suspended from the roof on the sixth and ninth floors giving lateral stability and dealing with wind loading. Other facades are exposed to more direct sunlight. The east
and west facades are made from solid, punched load-bearing concrete slab, clad in aluminium with low-e glazing recessed 20 cm into the walls to increase shading. A similar approach applies to the south facade, but the vertical cladding comprises photovoltaic (PV) panels, providing shading for windows and creating a striped look from a distance. They provide enough electricity to power all the laptops and
telephones and up to 40 electric car charging points in the under- ground car park. When combined with the building’s extensive rooftop PVs and a remote PV network on University of Amsterdam buildings nearby, The Edge generates a substantial amount of the energy it uses, and it uses 70 per cent less electricity than a typical contemporary Dutch office building.
Internal variety
PLP was responsible for the interiors of the public spaces, and materials for the reception and atrium areas including the stairs, and worked closely with Fokkema & Partners
BUILDING PROJECTS
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