Tour NSI’s Sustainable & Flexible Amsterdam Space By HDVL Designmakers

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Chair of the Month

Emma Weckerling
Emma Weckerling
Emma is the Former Managing Editor of Work Design Magazine.

The goal of HDVL Designmakers’ design concept for NSI N.V. was to create a sustainable space that is flexible enough to stay relevant in the ever-changing workplace landscape.

NSI N.V. moved to its new office in Centerpoint II in Amsterdam South East in December 2021. The interior has been designed in collaboration with the Dutch design agency HDVL Designmakers to create a healthy and inspiring environment, fostering collaboration and interaction. The goal of the concept was to create a sustainable space that is, on the one hand, flexible enough to stay relevant in the ever-changing workplace landscape and, on the other hand, in line with the NSI mission to showcase the office of tomorrow.

In addition to a number of fixed workplaces, there are specific spaces aimed to meet, brainstorm and collaborate, including a living room for informal meetings. There is also a library where you can work in silence. To complete the experience, in some areas the senses are stimulated with scent and music that match the time of day.

Project Overview:

  • Design Firm: HDVL Designmakers
  • Client: NSI N.V.
  • Completion Date: March 2022
  • Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Size: 1018 m2
  • Population: 40

The spaces can be flexibly adapted, so that they can meet changing needs at different times. The sustainable design consists of biomaterials, recycled finishes and fabrics, recycled furniture, natural tones, green walls and many plants. All elements are aimed at facilitating a new and inspiring way of working.

When you enter the office, the first thing you will notice is the large green wall. This is central to the eco-oriented workplace. The kitchen and bar are the heart of the social space and provide the perfect place for a break or after work drinks. An important sustainable element here are the tables; these are made from the recycled or reused materials that come from other NSI buildings, such as the upcycled metal doors of the NSI office development Vitrum. For the individual workplaces, the desks and chairs from the previous office are used, but the workplaces are now decorated with plants and lots of greenery. To create focus-oriented spaces and to reduce noise pollution, telephone booths and acoustic booths have been implemented, and the floor is made of carpet with special eco-carpet tiles.

The collaborative space is designed as a flexible living room. It is a casual space that can be used for sizable creative brainstorming sessions as well as short meetings. The coffee counter gives it a funky flavor, and the area is light and relaxed with biomaterials such as cork and OSB used for the walls.

The cosy and flexible meeting room is designed for multiple types of work, enabled by the sofa and armchairs on wheels to rearrange the space as you wish. In addition to that, there is also a separate meeting room, which is furnished with a height-adjustable table for active meetings and the wall is painted with a six-meter long mural by a Dutch artist. Soft textiles have been incorporated into the curtains and into the large eco-carpet to make the space as comfortable as possible. The fabric of the armchairs made by Kvadrat consists of more than 90% wool. This makes it very sustainable and pleasant to use.

There is also a library present in the office, a space to catch your breath, focus and concentrate. Dark wall materials and a suspended ceiling element are illuminated with warm ambient light and desk lamps. The floor consists of cork planks with superior thermal and acoustic properties and is very comfortable to walk on, and the fabrics used are made from recycled wool. Plants are also central to enhancing the oasis feeling of the space.

Project Planning

HDVL Designmakers had a briefing meeting with the NSI N.V. CEO, CFO, Marketing director, Development director, Head of Customer Excellence and asset manager. They also had several workshop meetings with the same team during design process.

Project Details & Products

Health and wellness initiatives: Green wall, a lot wall plants, acoustic features, relaxation spaces.

Branding elements: Back-lit logo in the entrance lobby that makes a statement for everyone that enters the building.

Most unique features: The dark entrance with lighting feature in the center, social spaces with multiple functions, and a library that can accommodates different functions from focus working to big meetings.

Overall Project Results

The process was quite smooth and inspiring and the whole NSI team was open to new ideas. The office transitioned from a dedicated desk policy to a hybrid workspace. HDVL Designmakers’ design features many different meeting rooms and social spaces, as well as different spaces for different mood of works and time of day. There is no zoning in strict terms and this help facilitate movement throughout the space and encourages social interaction.

There has not been a post occupancy survey, however HDVL Designmakers’ conversations with the employees show that they appreciate the vibrant spaces that give them opportunities to use spaces in different ways. They mentioned that they didn’t expect that working space can make such a big difference in their daily routine and their moods. The biggest surprise was that the employees were positively surprised. They are more motivated to go into the office post-corona.

Project Summary

NSI is all about sustainability. The company behind HNK wanted to create a sustainable office that showcases their business.  The aim was to create a working environment that covers all the aspects of sustainability. The users are the centre of the design. Human interaction is the main principle of the layout. Creating different types of the spaces for people with different characters is the idea behind the design.

Materials and furniture are from sustainable sources. Take for example, table tops that are upcycled from the previous doors of HNK buildings. Or new inventive cork floors in the library that contributes to the acoustic of the space while creates a warm feeling. Carpets are all circular and made from recycled plastics.

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