If this building could speak it would say: “Don’t look at me; Look at what I am looking at”.
Or: Don’t see me, but see what I see.
This is the essence of the design for the new accommodation of the RWS in Hengelo.
Office Building Rijkswaterstaat Hengelo
Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment
Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment
Brugginksweg 6
7555 PB
Hengelo
2005/2015 (renovation)
Program: Offices
GFA: 1027 m2
Designteam: Winfried van Zeeland with Bert Albers, Michel Roels (Rijksgebouwendienst)
Contractor: Koopmans Bouw Enschede
Photography: Rob ’t Hart
Context
Most striking is the surrounding area of the intended location of this office building: scenic elements such as free-standing trees and green open grasslands enclosed by tree banks determine the quality of this location. In order to guarantee this quality it is important that the design respects the value of these scenic elements. This entails a type of building that does not attract attention to its own presence but rather calls attention to its surroundings. In short: a reserved and bold as well as humble building.
Transparency
The transparency as an architectural expression is used in the exterior as well as in the interior. It also relates to the way the client wants to bee seen.
Flexibility
A part from the serving parts of the program, situated at the south side of the building, all other partitions can be removed in such way that different kind of working spaces can be made.