Cepezed Architects – Cepezed Office in Delft, 2014

#OFFICE #TRANSFORMATION #REUSE

Cepezed Architects: www.cepezed.com

The Delft, The Netherlands, based architectural office cepezed acquired a monumental, early 1900 s former laboratory block originally of the renown Technical University and transformed it into a collective company complex for enterprises in the creative industries branch, including its own. Characteristic elements are the brick fa ades that are rich with springstones and bands, as well as the pitched roofs covered with blue slates. These have open constructions of iron and are interrupted by clerestories with continuous strips of glass. Together with the large windows, this allows a great deal of natural light into the interior. Gallery floors, a variety of constructional-decorative details and a heavy crane way in the largest hall are also defining features. For the restoration, cepezed followed its vintage approach of maximum effect with a minimum of interventions, which it combines with a high degree of lucidity and a strong contrast between old and new. Since earlier adaptations had undermined the original architecture, these were removed in order to fully reinstate the inherent allure. Especially the changes carried out in the early 1990 s for use of the complex as a Technology Museum were done away with. These included a postmodern entrance and intermediate structure, which was replaced with a daylight-flooded, transparent entrance and facility zone with a slender steel construction that now serves the new cepezed-office. An innovative climate concept based on a light overpressure has eliminated the need for air pipes, thus adding to visual serenity.

CREDITS

Architects: Cepezed Architects

Location: Ezelsveldlaan 61, Delft, The Netherlands

Surface: 3.750 m²

Year/Status: 2014/built

Structure: Existing brick structure, glass-clad steel structure with composite steel sheeting in intermediary construction section

Materials: Steel, glass, composite slabs with profiled steel sheeting, perforated sheeting with acoustic insulation, BaOpt climate system

Project Team: Jan Pesman, Ronald Schleurholts, Jeen Pot, Peter van der Heuvel, Willem Kok

Client/Contractor: made in delft

Partner/Consultants: \SmitWesterman, Gouda; IMd Structural Engineers, Rotterdam; Linssen engineers, Amsterdam; DGMR, Den Haag

Photography: Jannes Linders