Architecture

Possible expansion in future will be easy, by addition of a wing. The compact building epitomises technical challenge, both inside and out. Step inside and it is clear at once that this is an educational building for higher technical courses. The building’s character is open, both inside and out. What goes on in the building and on the site is perfectly clear. Set back, the entrance is readily visible and marks the end of the ramp, integrated with the building, which leads to the rooftop car park.



Cradle to Cradle® features

The Hague University has been acclaimed as the most sustainable educational building in the Netherlands. It won the 2009 NET Trophy, awarded by the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Regional Development and the Environment.

The building’s Cradle to Cradle® features are as follows:

• Compact building on a compact site;
• Dual land use: rooftop parking, using freed space as parkland;
• Atrium serves as climate buffer and meeting space;
• Flexible division of spaces and facilities;
• Heat recovery from air conditioning;
• Industrial, flexible and demountable (IFD) building; prefabricated front;
• Very good insulation value (Rc = 4.0 m2K/W);
• Three layers of insulating glass;
• Healthy, low-emission materials;
• Water saving (sanitation);
• Daylight regulation by sensors in spaces and daylight-sensitive lighting.
• Most energy needs are met by the following supplementary measures, the cost of which is recouped over a decade:
• Heat and cold storage in the ground, combined with concrete core activation;
• Wind turbines for electricity generation;
• Energy recovery from educational equipment.