Annual top Dutch architecture prize awarded to Univ. of Twente ITC faculty building

The ITC Faculty of the University of Twente, built in a former laboratory on the university’s campus, was awarded the BNA Best Building of the Year award. BNA, the association of Dutch architecture firms, praised the architects involved in the project for achieving an “impressive transformation” by turning a lab into “an inspiring educational space” and paying so much attention to sustainability.

According to the jury, Civic Architects & VDNDP, Studio Groen+Schild, and DS Landschapsarchitecten turned the “originally brutalist” building into an “open and light learning landscape.” The atria are filled with trees, plants, and a water feature, and oak walls and bamboo floors bring warmth into the space.

The installation technology has been concealed in the floor, preserving the “attractive indoor climate and atmosphere” created by the plants and wood. The building is also energy-efficient with solar panels for electricity and heat recovery for heating.

“The result is a sustainable, flexible, and future-proof space,” the jury said. “Here, students and researchers feel at home and are encouraged to interact and collaborate.”

The ITC Faculty, which is the university's Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, is focused on solving a variety of global issues. "Our people are engaged worldwide in realising the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in food security and agriculture, energy transition, geo-health, climate change adaptation, urban development and smart cities, disaster risk reduction, and land administration," the university notes on its website.

The 96 entries for this year’s BNA Building of the Year Award focused on renovation and transformation and its role in the transition to a circular economy.

Category wins

The IJboulevard underground bike park in Amsterdam, by VenhoevenCS and the municipality of Amsterdam, won in the Livability and Social Cohesion category. According to the jury, the city showed courage in taking on “this complex underground construction project” and creating a “fantastic public space” that improves access to the station and the Noord district. “The jury believes that the IJboulevard is the greatest merit of this three-birds-one-stone project. It offers welcome breathing space in the urban hustle and bustle and adds residential quality to the station area. An asset for both Amsterdam residents and the many travelers who come to this space every day.”

De Kwekerij phase 2 in Utrecht, by Arnos and Gelauff architects, won in the Private Living Experience category. The jury praised the architects for how they tackled the urban planning challenge of building many homes on a limited amount of land with this residential complex. “The position of the towers and the homes has been determined in such a way that each home has as much sunlight and views as possible.” The towers each have between 9 and 11 floors, with four homes on each floor, giving each home a two-sided view. The ground floor features a communal area, a cafe, a restaurant, and a bicycle shop. “With a well-thought-out, rational approach, they managed to give these small apartments an above-average living quality,” the jury said.

The Den Helder City Hall by Office Winhov and Van Hoogevest Architecten, built on the former Willemsoord naval yard, won in the Stimulating Environments category. According to the jury, the architects closely considered the identity and qualities of the existing buildings when expanding for the city hall. “Instead of looking for contrast - the usual approach - they built on the existing elements in a contemporary way in the new building parts,” the jury said. “The jury is full of praise for this project. The municipality’s choice to sit in this location is daring, the public function of the city hall enriches the area.”

Museum Paleis Het Loo, which was renovated and expanded underground by KAAN Architecten, won in the Identity and Icon Value category. “The jury is impressed by this daring intervention, which is at the same time modest and monumental,” the jury said. “The connection between the palace with its history and the contemporary expansion is beautifully elaborated; in the floor plan, the water feature, and the beautiful views. The sparkling light, high-quality use of materials, and the special lines in the ceiling have given the underground space - which could easily have become gloomy - a festive character.”

Housing Cooperative De Warren, by Natrufied Architecture, received an honorable mention. The apartment building on Centrumeiland in Amsterdam was organized by residents, who set up an association from which they rent. The residential building was built from self-harvested building materials and clearly focuses on sustainability and community, the jury said. “The honorable mention goes to setting up the cooperative model with a social and financial structure. A smart savings system with a return scheme has been developed, allowing tenants to build up something financially over the course of twenty years. The jury sincerely hopes that this housing model will work for more target groups.”