De Watergroep Office Building by evr-Architecten

Urban Integration and Architectural Concept

Architects: evr-Architecten 

Set above an underground parking structure, the project consists of a four-story primary office volume facing the street and a secondary garden building housing shared amenities at the rear of the site. This dual-volume composition allows the building to balance urban presence with interior calm, creating a clear distinction between workspaces and collective functions. The architectural strategy is rooted in a careful reading of the surrounding street elevation, responding to the rhythm, scale, and materiality of neighboring residential buildings.

The facade design translates this contextual analysis into a contemporary expression. Horizontal articulation is emphasized through a pronounced plinth and subtle detailing in the brickwork, window placement, and lintel parapets. Vertical articulation is introduced through a centrally positioned green facade, breaking down the building’s scale and reinforcing its relationship to the residential character of the street. This layered approach results in an office building that feels both precise and approachable within its urban setting.

Spatial Organization and Workplace Flexibility

Internally, the De Watergroep Office Building is conceived as a highly adaptable workplace. The main street-facing volume is designed as a multi-tenant office structure, allowing each floor to function independently if required. Office platforms support a wide range of configurations, from open-plan environments to more traditional cellular offices, without requiring major technical modifications.

A modular system enables internal partitions to be added or removed at predefined points, ensuring long-term flexibility as organizational needs evolve. This adaptability supports contemporary workplace models while extending the building’s lifecycle. Circulation is organized around a generous, covered access corridor that unifies entrances for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles, reinforcing accessibility and spatial clarity.

Courtyard, Patio, and Collective Spaces

At the heart of the project lies a landscaped patio that connects the two building volumes through a glazed axis. This semi-open space functions as a visual and social anchor, offering views into a green interior courtyard designed by Denis Dujardin. The patio provides a tranquil retreat from the city while enhancing daylight penetration and natural ventilation throughout the building.

The rear garden volume accommodates meeting rooms, a cafeteria, bicycle storage, and sanitary facilities, all oriented toward the landscaped courtyard. A spacious terrace extends from the meeting facilities, supporting informal gatherings and reinforcing the relationship between interior spaces and nature. The project also introduces a new entrance to the adjacent restaurant garden, strengthening connections within the urban block.

Sustainability Strategy and BREEAM Excellence

Sustainability was a core driver throughout the design process, resulting in the building receiving the BREEAM Excellent certification. The project replaces a fully paved site with a green, permeable environment, transforming the office building into an ecological asset rather than an isolated urban object.

All roofs are designed as green roofs, including a substantial roof garden above the parking structure with substrate depths reaching up to one meter. This allows for robust planting and contributes significantly to thermal regulation, water retention, and urban biodiversity. Climbing plants are integrated into street-facing and interior facades, softening the building’s appearance and supporting micro-ecosystems.

Biodiversity and Ecological Design

In collaboration with Corridor cvba, an extensive ecological analysis was conducted to enhance the site’s biodiversity. The study identified the swift and the black redstart as key bird species to support within the area. Nesting boxes for these species were seamlessly integrated into the architecture, ensuring ecological interventions became part of the building’s identity rather than an afterthought.

Plant selections emphasize flowering species that attract insects, creating a food chain that supports bird populations. Maintenance strategies were also reconsidered to reduce biomass transport, with minimal pruning and cutting. An oak tree trunk placed on one of the flat roofs is intentionally left to decay naturally, providing habitat for insects and contributing to long-term ecological cycles within the built environment.

A Green Urban Office Model

The De Watergroep Office Building stands as a compelling example of how office architecture can move beyond functional efficiency to actively contribute to urban life and environmental resilience. By combining contextual facade design, flexible workplace planning, and a deeply integrated sustainability strategy, evr-Architecten has created a building that redefines the role of contemporary offices in European cities. Rather than remaining a paved island, the project becomes a green anchor within the urban block, offering long-term value to its users, neighbors, and the broader ecological network.

All photographs are works of  Stijn Bollaert