Calveen Administrative Building

© Jan Kratochvíl, 2003

The office building is located at Rondweg Noord in the new industrial zone of Calveen in Amersfoort. The order for 4000 m² of enclosed office space requires the application of a "typical plan" that maximally allows for subsequent partitioning of space for future users. The chosen solution is a slender, seven-story building that is 10.5 m wide and 54.7 m long. The "typical plan" is based on the concept of a central communication core with a 1.5 m wide corridor running parallel to a solid wall of the building, and a zone of office space behind a fully glazed façade. By mirroring this orientation across the individual floors in an east-west direction, an alternating section was created, which is the most distinctive feature of the building.
A condition of the assignment was independent access to the two lower floors of the building so that the ground floor could be rented as an independent unit. By lowering the asphalt parking area on the eastern side of the complex and raising it on the western side, two separate entrances were created at ground level. The upper six floors are thus accessible via an entrance to the first floor.
The blind sections of the façade are made of purple and blue bricks. The open parts are fully glazed in frames made of Oregon pine in a module size of 1.5 x 2.72 m. The most transparent available glass was chosen for the glazing, supplemented by interior sun blinds. Columns, alternately placed behind the glazed surface, significantly enhance the overall appearance of the building.
On both sides of the building, there are areas intended for placing company signs. It was stipulated that these elements would be made of stainless steel and would respect a specified maximum length. The signs will be attached using a supporting spacer structure, thus casting shadows on the brickwork of the façades. At night, these signs will be illuminated by rear-facing spotlights.
This is an attempt to build an exceptional and timeless structure in the attractive location of Amersfoort.