HVD Office building, Groningen
Client: Mabon, Rijswijk

The building for the Hulpverleningsdienst Groningen, HVD (Groningen Emergency Services) is a component of the municipal development plan for the south point of the academic hospital area (AZG-Zuidpunt). An essential element in this scheme is the interaction of the axes of the long side of a new, closed-off block on the inner-city side and a detached pavilion in the green zone along the adjoining avenue. DKV designed the long side of the block as well as the front on the square at the academic hospital. It is an L-shaped building in which, besides the Emergency Services, other health facilities are also accommodated.

The starting point of the design was a combination of architectural stateliness and ‘low-threshold’ public use. Massiveness has been avoided by having the main mass tapering off as it ascends, and by dividing the enclosing façade into elements with different material use: a long segment with orange-red brick, a steel structure with a curtain wall of glass and wood, and a curved wooden wall with deep-lying strip windows. An extended canopy links all the elements so that the building possesses the solidity and allure of a single construction.

The interior is determined by a large hall with an ongoing vide. The space works as a vertical plaza where everyone – public and personnel – can meet during the day. By also creating meeting spots in the corridors and passageways, an atmosphere is generated that stimulates informal contact. At various locations, the office area is divided into a zone with communal working areas and a zone with individual ‘flexi-places’, where work in a project-based co-operative setup is carried out. The design of the information desks and other specific furniture, the upholstery, and the signage are all an integral part of the design.