How the Glass City became the source of inspiration for a new office in the Netherlands
The renowned company PB tec has technology and innovation in its DNA. The business develops advanced horticultural solutions and is a front runner in the international horticultural sector. Thanks to the company’s great success, a new building with enough space for expansion was necessary. Rotterdam based agency MoederscheimMoonen Architects designed the new headquarters for the organization, which is situated in a prominent location along the highway.
During the design process, MoederscheimMoonen Architects dove deep into the working methods and operations of PB tec. With this knowledge, they designed an ideal working environment for the office and the workshop. To ensure that all departments function fluently with each other, the team investigated the different disciplines and how they work together. As a result, the heart of the organization (the assembly area) was given a central place in the building between the production area and offices.
The office floors are divided over three layers against the façade of the production hall. With this configuration, the offices receive an optimal amount of daylight. This is further enhanced by the glass front which runs from floor to ceiling. Additionally, glass is largely used between the office and the production hall to create contact between the various departments of the company.
PB tec is located in the Westland area in the Netherlands, an area filled with greenhouse horticulture that is named ‘the glass city’. With the roots of PB tec in mind, MoederscheimMoonen Architects used the iconic top view of the greenhouse landscape as a source of inspiration for the building’s facade. The top view of the ‘glass city’ was the starting point for the building’s front, which is made up of various frames. These frames also symbolize the different functions in the company and emphasize certain focal points in the building, such as the entrance, the management office and the fitness room.
MoederscheimMoonen Architects managed to break away from stereotypical Dutch highway architecture that consists mostly of old grey buildings by introducing this new façade. One thing is for certain: PB tec’s new office is definitely turning heads on the highway.