Kraaijvanger

The newmunicipal office in Venlo was officially opened on 14 October. The open days in the opening weekend on 15 and 16 October were also a success with more than 7000 visitors. The building is designed according to the cradle-to-cradle vision and serves as an example for government, industry and citizens. For eight years, Kraaijvanger Architects, the municipality of Venlo and the construction partners worked together to build a circular building. In 2008 the municipality of Venlo decided to use cradle to cradle as an ambition for the city. Cradle to cradle means that as much attention as possible is paid to people, the environment and the economy in the development process. The city office is a good example of this.

The green north facade is a vertical garden with many species of flora and fauna. The façade purifies the air of particulate matter, NOx and SO3, originating from the adjacent road and railway. Inside, there are green walls that contribute to the humidity, oxygen content and acoustics. Furthermore, the building is designed to stimulate the interaction of the users: it is a working environment where citizens and civil servants can easily look for each other. The healthy indoor climate creates a pleasant working environment where an eye-catching central staircase encourages employees to move more. The municipal office must measurably improve the health and labor productivity of the users.