Four Testing Gardens were recently realized in the Hoftoren in The Hague within the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW). An important goal of this adjustment was to give the spaces a more attractive appearance, so that people enjoy coming to the office. Application of innovative and biobased materials increases the quality of experience.
The importance of social cohesion and mutual involvement with the organization has been increasingly appreciated since corona times. A pleasant working environment encourages employees to come to the office more often. Enhancing the attractiveness of the built environment has been achieved by using products that have not previously been used in construction. It is striking that the use of natural materials that are in principle not intended for construction and interior design has a major influence on the overall experience quality. These innovative and/or natural materials are used as floor finishes and partitions. The following products have been used:
Partition walls made of potato peels
Between the corridor and the consultation room, a transparent partition wall has been placed along the existing glass wall in a wooden frame, filled with mats made entirely of potato peels. This creates a beautiful light effect in the hallway from a fine-meshed structure. Beautiful repeating patterns offer an elegant play of light and transparency. The mats, Biodegradable Elements for Starting Ecosystems (BESE elements), are used by marine biologists in the form of mats for nature restoration in, among other things, salt marshes. The modular mats made with a 3D printer form a biodegradable matrix structure that is secured in the ground with pins. The nets provide a fixed structure on which organisms, both plants and animals, can settle. After plants have sufficiently rooted, the potato mat breaks down completely naturally. The mat consists of a combination of biopolymers and complies with Vincotte OK Compost and is certified in accordance with EN13432 (industrial composting). The products are supplied by Bureau Waardenburg located in Culemborg.
Partition walls made of beech fabric
Just like the potato mats, beech tissue has also been used in a wooden frame that is placed along existing glass walls. The beech weave is stretched on the wood. This creates a transparent partition that obstructs direct view but allows sufficient light to pass through. Thanks to the fine-meshed pattern and the natural appearance, a pleasant working and living environment is created. The beech tissue, which consists of 100% cellulose, is used by marine biologists as nets filled with oyster shells on the seabed to attract oysters. The biodegradable nets can also serve as a cultivation bag for aquatic plants as riparian vegetation or as bags filled with sand, stones or other material that can be used as breakwaters. The products are supplied by Bureau Waardenburg located in Culemborg.
Mycelium
In a number of rooms the walls are fitted with panels of mycelium. These panels show an elegant wavy pattern that forms a decorative element in the room. The wall contributes greatly to the acoustics in the room. This 100% natural product is created from a fast-growing fungal thread network and can undergo a growth process in molds of various shapes, after which it follows a short drying process. Thanks to the chitin in the cell wall, it has a firm surface, which means it can be used as a wall material. Mycelium has a high acoustic quality and contributes to a natural appearance and the overall quality of experience. It is completely compostable. Grown Bio produced and delivered the products.
Mango vegan leather
One wall is covered with Mango Fruit Leather, which offers a vibrant varied and robust texture consisting of mango waste and natural additives. It is a vegan leather that can serve as a replacement product for leather products such as handbags. Depending on the type of mango, a different color is created: for example, the Palmer mango has a brown color and the Keitt mango has a black color. The mango fruit leather used comes from Fruitleather Rotterdam.
Floor finishing
Flotex was predominantly used throughout the project because of its strikingly beautiful saturated colors and sharp designs, including floral motifs and patterns. Color plays an essential part in the design and for this reason the focus has been on a broad application of saturated colors with color contrasts. Flotex is a strong floor finish consisting of 6.6 nylon with 80 million fibers per m2 and has a long lifespan; Even after twenty years of use, no wear is visible. It not only has high-quality sound absorption (class A) but also good impact sound reduction (>20dB). The fiber density contributes to easy cleaning maintenance, impermeability of dirt and reduction of allergens. All Flotex inks are water-based. Two-thirds of Flotex's backing consists of recycled material. Flotex is supplied by Forbo.
Twelve senses
The variety of innovative materials, reuse and new design elements have been brought together in a totality in which the system is followed based on the twelve senses. For each sense, a structured assessment was made based on a system developed at TU Delft to determine whether the sensory information per sense is in balance. In this way, the Hoftoren has undergone a transformation from a more standardized anthracite working environment to a colorful and lively place that 'feels good'.
Author dr ir Iris Bakker – Interior architect
Photos of life's works: www.levenswerken.eu
Source article: architecture.nl
