Research and Diagnostics Center Adore, Amsterdam UMC
atelier PRO architects
Client: Amsterdam UMC (Universitair Medisch Centrum)
The building houses public facilities, state-of-the-art laboratories and office spaces; the approximately 23,000 m² new building is centrally located within the VU campus of the Amsterdam UMC, right next to the Botanical Garden Zuidas, and is part of a larger, future expansion of the medical centre. The centre brings two related research areas - oncology and neuroscience - together under one roof. Initiator and oncological surgeon Geert Kazemier emphasises: 'This cross-fertilisation offers great opportunities for breakthroughs in both fields. By working together, we can develop new treatments faster.' The starting point of our design was to create a building with optimal conditions for working and doing research, which at the same time invites knowledge exchange and encounters. We therefore opted for short distances between offices and laboratory rooms, making it easy to switch from working behind a desk to working in a lab. We also included an inner courtyard, which serves as a social space; it connects all floors and departments and gives access to the auditorium. This courtyard, with its spectacular spiral staircase, serves as the heart of the building, a place where people can meet formally and informally. For the overall interior, atelier PRO opted for subdued colours and materials; light shades combined with wood make for a calm and warm look-and-feel. The exterior facades have been designed as a framework of sand-coloured, fibreglass-reinforced concrete, alternating with pearl grey aluminium, a subtle difference which distinguishes the facades of the offices from those of the labs. A large glass atrium - designed by Studio Hartzema - connects RDC Adore to the adjacent Amsterdam UMC Imaging Centre, making it even easier for people to meet and share knowledge. RDC Adore is the first building of the entire Amsterdam UMC to feature a geothermal heat pump system. In addition, the roof is decked out with solar panels and serves as a water buffer for rainwater, while the facade is made of fiberglass reinforced concrete, a lightweight material that reduces the CO2 footprint of the building. Another special feature is the use of low carbon glass, a first for the Netherlands; to produce this innovative type of glass recycled glass fragments (cullet) are reused; combined with the other energy-saving measures, this reduces the building's CO2 emissions by 40 percent and makes the building 25 percent more sustainable than the current new construction requirements. With RDC Adore, Amsterdam UMC has a new building that is not only unique within the medical world, but also exemplary in terms of sustainability - a building that shows the way to the future.