Regaining a sense of belonging
Schoenenkwartier Shoe Museum
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EU Member State, Western Balkans or Ukraine
Netherlands
Local
Waalwijk
No
No
Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Yes
2022-06-20
No
No
No
As a representative of an organisation
At the University of Twente, an old chemist lab has been transformed into the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC). The people at ITC work worldwide to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. They work on projects related to food security, the energy transition, climate change, sustainable urban development, and smart cities, among others. The new building provides ITC with a sustainable stage to showcase who they are and what they stand for - a sustainable, flexible, and future-proof building that connects nature and culture. Connecting with nature by sculptural demolition is at the heart of the design. Four atria, carved out of the structure, connect the building with the landscape and provide fresh air, and daylight, making the building suitable for its new use.
connecting with nature
re-use & transformation
sustainability
(academic) community building
university campus redevelopment
ITC is one of the world's top academic institutes for earth observation and geo-information. ITC has a clear ambition to contribute to the earth’s sustainability and to help other countries in doing so. The newly transformed faculty building symbolizes ITC's global sustainable mission. Architecture follows climate, with the preservation of the "brutalist" structure at its core. Offices, with a stable temperature, are located on the cooler ground floor, and larger educational spaces are on the upper floor. Reused sunshades on the south side prevent overheating in the summer. Fresh air is naturally exhausted through the atria, which serve as the building's green lungs.
Langezijds is situated on the Drienerlo estate, a beautiful campus with standalone buildings in a green landscape. The design for ITC integrates landscape and architecture through the four atria. They connect the interior with the outdoors, nature with technology. One of the atria serves as the new entrance in the center of the building. The facade steps back here, the landscape folds inward, and trees grow into the building, giving the faculty a recognizable address at the intersection of two urban axes. The atria serve as biotopes for flora and fauna, contributing to a stress-free work environment. Their landscape is generous, with plants and trees rooted in over a meter of soil, providing an ideal environment for (sub)tropical vegetation. The V-shaped glass roofs collect rainwater, visibly leading it into the gardens, where it infiltrates and is stored for plant irrigation.
The design focuses on reusing the existing structure. Walls, stairs, facades, and the roof structure of the atria - all new elements are placed on or hung from the existing structure and foundation, saving a significant amount of material. For new elements, circular systems and products were deliberately chosen. The interior facades and exterior ground floor facade are made of oak, and the raised floor is made of bamboo.
Langezijds is situated on the Drienerlo estate, a beautiful campus with standalone buildings in a green landscape. The design for ITC integrates landscape and architecture through the four atria. They connect the interior with the outdoors, nature with technology. One of the atria serves as the new entrance in the center of the building. The facade steps back here, the landscape folds inward, and trees grow into the building, giving the faculty a recognizable address at the intersection of two urban axes. The atria serve as biotopes for flora and fauna, contributing to a stress-free work environment. Their landscape is generous, with plants and trees rooted in over a meter of soil, providing an ideal environment for (sub)tropical vegetation. The V-shaped glass roofs collect rainwater, visibly leading it into the gardens, where it infiltrates and is stored for plant irrigation.
The design focuses on reusing the existing structure. Walls, stairs, facades, and the roof structure of the atria - all new elements are placed on or hung from the existing structure and foundation, saving a significant amount of material. For new elements, circular systems and products were deliberately chosen. The interior facades and exterior ground floor facade are made of oak, and the raised floor is made of bamboo.
The faculty opted for the transformation of 'Langezijds,' a former laboratory built in 1972, rather than new construction. Langezijds is exceptionally long (220m) and deep (38m), with a low ground floor and a high upper floor, giving it a distinctive character but rendering it unsuitable for modern education. The new design focuses on creating space and light within these constraints, not by adding but by removing: Four atria carved out of the structure provide greenery, fresh air, and daylight, making the building suitable for its new purpose in a single intervention.
University faculties often resemble generic office buildings. White stucco, suspended ceilings, neutrality is the magic word. The new ITC is just as flexible and functional as its counterparts but features a more specific architecture that embraces the imperfections of the existing building. The concrete ceiling, the brutalist structure including its blemishes and traces of use, remain visible. Saw cuts reveal where floors once were, and old columns stand like overgrown ruins in the atria. Oak facades and bamboo floors introduce warmth. The materials are robust, the details refined, and no paint is used. Construction is finishing; that's the premise.
The new design responds to the functionalist architecture of Langezijds. The existing structure has been repaired, interpreted, dismantled, and complemented with architectural prosthetics. Some functionalist principles have been unmistakably continued. Old and new, walls and stairs, fixtures and sprinklers - everything is designed on a grid of 1550mm. Distinctive details embody the power of technology. The facade alternates between the original architecture with a concrete ground floor and a glass upper floor. Wooden frames clarify the building's new purpose. The raised floor at the facade simultaneously serves as a seating edge with views over the campus.
University faculties often resemble generic office buildings. White stucco, suspended ceilings, neutrality is the magic word. The new ITC is just as flexible and functional as its counterparts but features a more specific architecture that embraces the imperfections of the existing building. The concrete ceiling, the brutalist structure including its blemishes and traces of use, remain visible. Saw cuts reveal where floors once were, and old columns stand like overgrown ruins in the atria. Oak facades and bamboo floors introduce warmth. The materials are robust, the details refined, and no paint is used. Construction is finishing; that's the premise.
The new design responds to the functionalist architecture of Langezijds. The existing structure has been repaired, interpreted, dismantled, and complemented with architectural prosthetics. Some functionalist principles have been unmistakably continued. Old and new, walls and stairs, fixtures and sprinklers - everything is designed on a grid of 1550mm. Distinctive details embody the power of technology. The facade alternates between the original architecture with a concrete ground floor and a glass upper floor. Wooden frames clarify the building's new purpose. The raised floor at the facade simultaneously serves as a seating edge with views over the campus.
ITC was founded in 1950 to provide training in map making as an aid to developing countries. Over the years its mission has been adjusted to changing realities, so that today it offers MSc, Master's, Diploma and Certificate courses in Geo-information Science (GIS) and Earth Observation (EO) with emphasis on applications in developing countries. More than 19,000 students from over 170 countries have followed ITC courses since 1950.
ITC is more than a place to study and work for many foreign students and researchers; ITC is a community, and the building is their home base. The new building accommodates the diverse cultures and practices of this academic community. The central concept is interaction - among departments, academics, and between research and education. Hence, the building features a 'Social Heart' in the entrance hall, where everyone meets and dines together. It's an open space with a tiered seating staircase leading to the restaurant and the 'study and learning center.' The scientific departments are clustered around the atria, ensuring that all spaces in the building have a view of the landscape. Education, offices, labs, and study areas alternate, allowing teachers, students, and researchers to meet in the inner courtyards connected by a wide internal street with pantries.
Each person has different needs and preferences, and the building offers various types of spaces, ranging from dynamic to quiet. Smaller offices are on the lower floor with a lower ceiling, while larger spaces - education, the restaurant, the 'study and learning center' - are on the upper floor. Open study areas are located near the green atria. The contact with landscape, light, and air make these spaces ideal for collaboration and knowledge sharing. Work happens in enclosed spaces and rooms that prioritize privacy and concentration.
ITC is more than a place to study and work for many foreign students and researchers; ITC is a community, and the building is their home base. The new building accommodates the diverse cultures and practices of this academic community. The central concept is interaction - among departments, academics, and between research and education. Hence, the building features a 'Social Heart' in the entrance hall, where everyone meets and dines together. It's an open space with a tiered seating staircase leading to the restaurant and the 'study and learning center.' The scientific departments are clustered around the atria, ensuring that all spaces in the building have a view of the landscape. Education, offices, labs, and study areas alternate, allowing teachers, students, and researchers to meet in the inner courtyards connected by a wide internal street with pantries.
Each person has different needs and preferences, and the building offers various types of spaces, ranging from dynamic to quiet. Smaller offices are on the lower floor with a lower ceiling, while larger spaces - education, the restaurant, the 'study and learning center' - are on the upper floor. Open study areas are located near the green atria. The contact with landscape, light, and air make these spaces ideal for collaboration and knowledge sharing. Work happens in enclosed spaces and rooms that prioritize privacy and concentration.
ITC is a building for an entire scientific community. More than 700 people gather there every day. They were heavily involved in the design process. The project was managed by the university itself; they ensured that the university's sustainable goals were achieved. The design team had daily contact with the university. The faculty itself was represented by a group of 20 students, teachers, researchers, and staff; every two weeks, there were meetings between the design team and this group of ITC members to ensure that the transformed building aligned well with the users' needs. In addition, several special workshops were organized. Using models, Virtual Reality models, drawings, and photos, various themes were discussed with the users: the layout of different labs, the 'look & feel' of the building, the design of study landscapes, offices, and the 'Learning Centre.' Furthermore, ongoing discussions took place with representatives of people with disabilities.
But that's not all: ITC is a public building; it is extensively used by students from other faculties as well as by residents of Enschede and surrounding towns and villages: anyone can sit down to read, work, or hold meetings there. The openness of the building is encouraged by the unique design of the entrance: it has been moved from the side to the heart of the building. The campus landscape literally extends into the building, inviting everyone to enter.
But that's not all: ITC is a public building; it is extensively used by students from other faculties as well as by residents of Enschede and surrounding towns and villages: anyone can sit down to read, work, or hold meetings there. The openness of the building is encouraged by the unique design of the entrance: it has been moved from the side to the heart of the building. The campus landscape literally extends into the building, inviting everyone to enter.
Local: The project was managed by the university itself; they ensured that the university's sustainable goals were achieved. The design team had daily contact with the university and talked through planning, finance, quality, logistics, sustainability, energy efficiency etc. The Spatial supervisor of the university helped the design team in creating a building that blended perfectly with the quality of the campus landscape.
The faculty itself was represented by a group of 20 students, teachers, researchers, and staff; every two weeks, there were meetings between the design team and this group of ITC members to ensure that the transformed building aligned well with the users' needs. Their contribution was very important.
Regional: the regional goals were discussed with the city of Enschede on a regular basis. Aside from ‘objective’ aspects like square meters, building regulations, energy efficiency and mobility, the talks mostly focused on spatial quality. The discussions were key in realizing a building the contributes to the wider surroundings and puts the ‘Twente-region’ on the map as a sustainable and innovative powerhouse.
The faculty itself was represented by a group of 20 students, teachers, researchers, and staff; every two weeks, there were meetings between the design team and this group of ITC members to ensure that the transformed building aligned well with the users' needs. Their contribution was very important.
Regional: the regional goals were discussed with the city of Enschede on a regular basis. Aside from ‘objective’ aspects like square meters, building regulations, energy efficiency and mobility, the talks mostly focused on spatial quality. The discussions were key in realizing a building the contributes to the wider surroundings and puts the ‘Twente-region’ on the map as a sustainable and innovative powerhouse.
Client:Universiteit Twente, Enschede
User: ITC Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth observation
Architect: Civic Architects &VDNDP
Interior architect: Studio Groen+Schild
Advise: Arup (building physics), Valstar Simonis (installations), Schreuders bouwtechniek (structural engineering), DS Landschapsarchitecten (landscape design gardens), Flora Nova (execution gardens) Joost de Beij (light), Buro Loo (advisor sustainability UT)
Contractor: Dura Vermeer Bouw Hengelo/Trebbe (building) and Croonwolter&dros (installations)
All these parties worked together intensively through a range of regular meetings. Planning, process and finance based, but also creative meetings, where all disciplines worked, thought, and designed together. This is the only way to achieve real integral quality.
User: ITC Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth observation
Architect: Civic Architects &VDNDP
Interior architect: Studio Groen+Schild
Advise: Arup (building physics), Valstar Simonis (installations), Schreuders bouwtechniek (structural engineering), DS Landschapsarchitecten (landscape design gardens), Flora Nova (execution gardens) Joost de Beij (light), Buro Loo (advisor sustainability UT)
Contractor: Dura Vermeer Bouw Hengelo/Trebbe (building) and Croonwolter&dros (installations)
All these parties worked together intensively through a range of regular meetings. Planning, process and finance based, but also creative meetings, where all disciplines worked, thought, and designed together. This is the only way to achieve real integral quality.
First and foremost, the transformation of an old 1970s chemistry lab into a vibrant and sustainable faculty sets this project apart. While many universities opt for entirely new buildings to meet stringent requirements, the University of Twente and ITC took the bold step of repurposing a structure that, at first glance, seemed unsuitable for its new role. Through the shared ambition and unwavering dedication of all parties involved, they have achieved the creation of a sustainable icon.
Secondly, the project reimagines the concept of a university building to accommodate a diverse community and reflects a fresh vision of academic education and research. Instead of traditional closed classrooms and offices along long corridors, the design promotes an open environment that encourages interaction between students, professors, researchers, and staff. Achieving this was no small feat, but thanks to the deep involvement of the users and meticulous attention to design, including considerations for acoustics, a new standard has been established.
Thirdly, the project goes beyond technical sustainability by making it visible in the building itself, encouraging users to adopt more sustainable behaviors. The beautiful inner gardens serve as a powerful symbol of this commitment. Few other European campuses intertwine nature and architecture as seamlessly as this one, setting a remarkable example for sustainability in the academic setting.
Secondly, the project reimagines the concept of a university building to accommodate a diverse community and reflects a fresh vision of academic education and research. Instead of traditional closed classrooms and offices along long corridors, the design promotes an open environment that encourages interaction between students, professors, researchers, and staff. Achieving this was no small feat, but thanks to the deep involvement of the users and meticulous attention to design, including considerations for acoustics, a new standard has been established.
Thirdly, the project goes beyond technical sustainability by making it visible in the building itself, encouraging users to adopt more sustainable behaviors. The beautiful inner gardens serve as a powerful symbol of this commitment. Few other European campuses intertwine nature and architecture as seamlessly as this one, setting a remarkable example for sustainability in the academic setting.
integral design and intens involvement of all parties involved forms the key methodology here.
Mostly the way in wihich all parties worked together to create an integral design that sets a new standard in university buildings on the following themes:
connecting with nature
re-use & transformation
sustainability
(academic) community building
university campus redevelopment
connecting with nature
re-use & transformation
sustainability
(academic) community building
university campus redevelopment
Climate Change; by creating new space by transforming an unused building and by creating a building that uses very little energy, produces a lot of energy and closes water cycles in the inner gardens
Material Scarcity; by optimally using the existing structure and by adding circular materials (mostly wood)
Biodiversity loss: by reconnecting an unused building with nature, and creating three inner gardens that form ecosystems for flora and fauna
inequality: by creating a building where an international comunity meets, studies and does research on a more sustainable world. But also by connecting this building to its surroundings and shaping a university building in such a way that students from other faculties and other civilians are invited to use the building as well.
Material Scarcity; by optimally using the existing structure and by adding circular materials (mostly wood)
Biodiversity loss: by reconnecting an unused building with nature, and creating three inner gardens that form ecosystems for flora and fauna
inequality: by creating a building where an international comunity meets, studies and does research on a more sustainable world. But also by connecting this building to its surroundings and shaping a university building in such a way that students from other faculties and other civilians are invited to use the building as well.
the building has been finished and is in full use. The way the building literally connects with nature is the aspect that is most appreciated by all of its users. The inner gardens are in full bloom, the campus landscape enters the building, every user has a view and a direct relation with nature. in other words: Nature and architecture are intertwined
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