plus ultra amsterdam

cepezed has already designed several Plus Ultra buildings for Kadans Science Partner. Such an advanced, multi-tenant laboratory building also stands on the Medical Business Park in Amsterdam Zuidoost, right next to the AUMC. These laboratories, offices and meeting rooms are specifically intended for innovative bio- and health tech companies. Plus Ultra's formula is to promote the knowledge exchange that is indispensable in innovation. Therefore, much attention went into the design of the shared facilities. In building terms, Plus Ultra is also special. To respond precisely to tenants' space requirements, the offices and laboratories have a flexible size. And the building is enormously sustainable.

client(s)
Kadans Science Partner

location
Amsterdam

user(s)
multi-tenant

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expertise
architects
cepezed interior

project brochure

glass plinth

Plus Ultra Amsterdam has a striking glass base with a more closed volume of five floors above it, protruding at the front. The transparency of the first two floors and the shift in the façade further reinforce the contrast between the two volumes. The two sunniest facades incorporate PV panels, both flat and in cantilevered fins. The fins increase the total area of PV panels and they are positioned at exactly the right angle, which optimises energy absorption. They also liven up the façade appearance.

flexible floor plan

The floor plan of the offices and laboratories can be tailored to tenants' needs - the layout of the upper floors is flexible. Thus, renting is always tailor-made and vacancy is avoided as much as possible. The organisation of access, installations and measurement takes this flexibility into account - within a finely-meshed grid of 3 metres 60. Tenants can rent a full floor or half a floor. Or several floors above each other with their own staircase, for example. The flexible floor plan is not only attractive for the landlord, but also for startups, who do not have to move as their business grows.

invitingly spacious

The core of the building contains communal facilities. The ground-floor entrance includes the reception, a coffee bar and two meeting rooms, and each floor will have its own reception area. The long sightlines and straight routes make it easy to find your way around. The stairs in the atrium are open and the steps are invitingly spacious, making the stairs also a meeting place. Balustrades are made of glass and the ceilings of the communal areas are made of wood. Above the galleries and in the rentable areas, the ceilings consist of sheets of perforated white steel. Sound absorption is also achieved with coloured felt on the walls.

furniture line by cepezedinterieur

Halls and corridors have been carefully designed so that it is pleasant to be in the places where you happen to meet. The communal areas are furnished with a furniture line designed by cepezedinterieur. This will also be used in the Plus Ultra buildings that cepezed designed for Kadans Science Partner for the campuses of Leiden and Utrecht. It is a modular system, suitable for various configurations. Seating areas and planters are integrated into the furniture.

Lighting is subtle in these spaces, as in a line at the bottom of the restaurant's ground-floor serving counter, which warmly highlights the wooden floor. The chosen materials have a warm, natural feel - they were chosen for comfort and to soften the interior. The same goes for the large amount of plants.

kit of parts

Like almost all cepezed buildings, Plus Ultra has been designed as a kit of parts. This speeds up construction, provides a grip on quality and limits the amount of required materials, because the construction is left in sight: raw construction is immediately finished. Moreover, a kit of parts facilitates disassembly and reuse, should this ever be an issue. Another sustainability aspect is the sedum on the roof. This reduces heat stress in the surrounding area and cools the building and the PV panels on the roof. Greywater reservoirs in the basement and water retention crates in the roof limit the discharge of rainwater into the sewer system.

sustainability ambitions

In line with the sustainability ambitions of the City of Amsterdam, cepezed, client Kadans Science Partner and the executing parties are aiming for a BREEAM-NL Outstanding certification. Plus Ultra Amsterdam is an energy-neutral and gas-free building - apart from the gases needed in the labs. The building's daylighting has been optimised and internal heat loads minimised.

Water-based systems are used as much as possible to regulate the indoor temperature: the majority of the rooms are heated and cooled with climate ceilings. The grey water system is used to flush the toilets and water the plants. If there is excess water, it is infiltrated on the building's own grounds and redirected to the surface water behind the building.

partners

client: Kadans Science Partner
installation consultant, building physics and sustainability: Deerns
structural engineer: Archimedes
contractors: Wijnen Bouw, JWR, Instaan
management: Kadans Science Partner

contact
→ Mail bd@cepezed.nl or call our business development team on +31 (0)15 2150000

plus ultra amsterdam