Just south of Berkel & Rodenrijs a new fire station has been built to service the suburbs build between Rotterdam and The Hague. Because of the growing number of inhabitants in this region, a future extension is already taken into account in the design. The total plot is covered with a steel mesh in which all future extensions will fit. The façade is covered with corten steel plating wich create the desired sturdy look.
| Architects | Gerrit-Jan van Rijswijk, Fons Verheijen |
| Employees | Hans Schepman |
A former Mercedes showroom is rebuild to become the regional ambulance station. From here thirteen ambulances are ready to tear out in an emergency. On top of the existing showroom an new building with offices and a hightech trainingcenter is oriented at the a busy railwayline. The new part is a sturdy building with overhanging balconies which provides shade in summer and window cleaning. In the front facade, at the Vondellaan, a small ambulance museum is created.
This new building had become a recognisable beacon on the edge of the city of Assen. The building accommodates several emergency services such as a firestation, the Area Health Authority and the Safety Region Drenthe. Together with the Koopmans Bouwgroep, VVKH won the design & build competition. The new building is compact, sturdy looking and radiates preparedness for an emergency. All functions have been placed under a single roof, organised around a central atrium. From the atrium there’s a view on the court yard where fireman are practicing. The firetrucks are stationed around the court yard, ready to tear out. Offices are concentrated on the higher floors overlooking the highway A28. The building has a very high sustainability-rating (Dutch GPR-score 8,0).
Next to the highway A2 near the centre of Utrecht a spectacular large scale shopping and leisure centre has been realised. The 800 meter long “Ferrari red” complex acts as a noise barrier to the new residential area of Leidsche Rijn. The fluent design of slowly undulating lines is inspired by the perspective of the driver passing the complex in 32 seconds, driving at a speed of 100 km/hour. The fluent lines create an illusion of movement. This building, having a surface area of approx. 65,000m2, houses many retail businesses, a high-quality DIY store, a catering business (fast-food restaurant) and leisure facilities (discotheque, sports or multi-purpose hall). On the roof is a 1400 spaces large car park. The building together with the ‘Cockpitgebouw’ at the Wetering Noord area, designed by the architect Kas Oosterhuis, are the showpiece of the city of Utrecht.
On the east side of Enschedé, on the outskirts of the city center lies the Miro shopping centre. The former mall has gradually been replaced by new buildings and was worn out. The new building has a curved façade and a large canopy. It embraces the public space and the high-quality parking facility. The shopping facade ends on the east side in a shopping arcade, which contains a large supermarket. On the west side the arcade accumulates into a two storey development. Together with public buildings on the other side of the road the building forms a port that marks the transition from the green suburban neighbourhood to the city itself. The complex includes a green roof that connects on the east end to an ecological zone for butterflies and bats.
