On Wednesday 19 November the jury of the Dutch construction award (‘Nederlandse Bouwprijs’) nominated DUO² for the Nederlandse Bouwprijs 2009 in the category Integrated Design and Construction. DUO², a consortium consisting of Strukton, Ballast Nedam and John Laing, has been nominated through its public-private participation project, Accommodation for the Informatie Beheer Groep and Tax Authority in Groningen.
The project comprises the design, build and financing of the new office for the Informatie Beheer Groep and the Regional Tax Office (47,000 m²), including the maintenance and operation of the building for a concession period of 20 years. The building will accommodate approximately 2,500 employees and will benefit from an underground garage with parking facilities for 1,500 bicycles and 675 cars. Additionally, the project includes a large public city garden with pond and a multifunctional pavilion for commercial uses. For this project the Dutch Government Buildings Agency (GBA) used the Design, Build, Finance, Maintain and Operate (DBFMO) approach. Informatie Beheer Groep and the Regional Tax Office will be the users of the building, and are represented by the GBA as the client.
Jury comment
The jury noted that DUO² has done an excellent job, “Because this is a perfect example of integrated design seen from three dimensions: the integration of disciplines (1) has been achieved by inviting all experts involved to participate in the design process right from the start. The integration of abstractions (2), in which form, function and structure are viewed together and in relation to each other, has led to overall solutions, an example is the innovative façade concept. The integration throughout the lifetime (3) has been expressed by a life cycle approach, in which the stage of usage has been expressly taken into account in the design process, not only seen from the perspective of maintenance but also in view of future scenarios for reuse.”
Sustainability
In its capacity as Tendering Department the GBA has set strict requirements to sustainability. This is why DUO² has taken this theme as a key starting point for its architectural concept. The façade, the choice of materials, the finishing and integration of installations are all set to meet a high standard of sustainability and have the lowest possible impact on the environment. As well as this, the building will be equipped with a bio WKK (total energy installation), amongst other things, and use will be made of concrete core activation and a long-term energy storage to absorb seasonal fluctuations in the demand for heat and cold. In due course, the residual energy of the offices and the data centre of the Informatie Beheer Groep can be used for heating the homes to be realised in the future on the border of the project premises, which will result in a CO2 neutral master plan. Eventually, the building can be reused for residential purposes. This has already been taken into account at an early stage, which is shown by the location of elevators, installations, staircases and the façade concept.
Innovation
DUO² has designed an innovative façade concept that lives up to the pilot role that the Dutch government wishes to play in the area of integrated architecture and sustainability. Awning, wind regulation, incoming daylight and construction have been integrated in the façade of the building. Due to the fact that horizontal ‘fins’ keep the major part of the heat out of the building, less cooling capacity is needed and therefore less energy. During cold periods this principle works the other way around.
Through intelligent integration of installations into the construction of the office floors a lower ceiling height is realised and as a result the building will be lower than initially foreseen in the urban planning. This will not only guarantee a better sun access to the surrounding neighbourhood, but will also lead to a considerable saving of material and energy.
Surroundings
The design gives due consideration to its immediate surroundings. A choice was made for an aerodynamic overall shape with a wind break and terraces, fencing off down gusts over the nearby Sterrebos forest. This will prevent deterioration of the soil and disturbance of the approach flight paths of rare bats living in the Sterrebos. The planned city garden and the commercial pavilion will be accessible to the public.
Public private partnership
During the design process DUO² has not put the building first, but has approached the design from the perspective of future users. The starting point was a life cycle approach: from day one all experts involved (designers, legal professionals, fittings & installations experts, financial experts, facility management experts etc.) have joined forces in order to accomplish the best and easiest-maintenance solution. This method is not only an incentive for creativity and innovative ideas, but it will also lead to lower cost than in a traditional tendering method during the entire term of contract.
These results are possible because in the assessment by the principal, apart from the price, qualitative criteria have also been taken into account. In PPP projects it is not the bidder with the lowest cost who wins the project, but the party who has the most effective overall solution and provides the best value for money. A few years ago, the Dutch Cabinet has designated a number of national pilot projects, partly arising from discussions in the Dutch Parliament about making price agreements in the building sector. This project has been added as a pilot to this group. In this project the public and private sector have made their best effort to accomplish the best result together.
The final winner will be announced during the Gala of the Dutch Building Sector on Wednesday 11 February 2009.