During the past few years the current RWS office in Wolfheze was renovated a number of times, each time adding extensions. The architectural and spatial qualities of this building lie mainly in the solid and substantial character of the exterior and a central patio surrounded by various evenly matched building structures.
The design for renovation and extension of the office aims to emphasize the qualities mentioned above.
This is attained by:
– Reinforcing the solid character of the outer façade while achieving a more open and transparent interior. The main structure of the building (the supporting brickwork walls and a building structure of 1,20 by 1,20m) is made to emphasize both the organisational and spatial units of the building;
– Introducing an elevated passageway in the extension that results in a structural connection of all the building units as well as a functional connection of various parts of the organisation.
Rijkswaterstaat Office Building
Wolfheze
Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment
Van Nieuwenhuijzenweg 8
6874 NE
Wolfheze
2007
Program: Offices
GFA: 1200m2
Designteam: Winfried van Zeeland with Bert Albers, Michel Roels (Rijksgebouwendienst)
Contractor: Kuiper Bouw Arnhem
Photography: Corne Bastiaanse
In order to differentiate between old and new parts of the exterior, all additions were finished in the same dark color.
Transparent parts were specified as shiny as possible; while closed parts were specified as robustly as possible.
The transparent additions may be interpreted as the ‘inner tube’ that is protruding from a puncture hole in the ‘outer tube’; inside-out. Unity and transparency.
The colour black was used in the exterior in order to:
a. emphasize the contrast between the interior and the exterior (transparent and light);
b. realize a neutral aura in relation to the woody surroundings;
c. achieve maximum reflection of the surrounding area.
(This project was designed for the Dutch Governmental Building Agency (Rijksgebouwendienst) in The Hague.)