World Trade Center Utrecht
| Client | AM Real Estate Development, on behalf of CBRE |
| Completion time | 2014 - 2018 |
| Market | Commercial real estate |
| Team | |
| In collaboration with | MVSA Architects, BAM Bouw and Techniek, Huygen |
| Location | Utrecht |
| Project scope | 33,600 m² bvo |
| Expertises | |
Central meeting place
With 19 floors of office spaces and public amenities, the new WTC Utrecht is a central meeting place for companies, institutions, entrepreneurs, and the public. MVSA Architects designed it to reflect the daily dynamism seen at Jaarbeursplein. The lower four floors house an entrance hall, conference center, restaurant and grand café, shops, and a bicycle parking facility. The characteristic rounded corners and large glass façades give the WTC the elegant and open appearance that suits the public character of the location.
One of the most sustainable WTCs in the world
WTC Utrecht has been developed to be considered one of the most sustainable WTCs in the world, both architecturally and technically. The building was delivered with a BREEAM Excellent rating and was the first building in the Netherlands to receive a WELL Building Standard certificate. It features energy-efficient LED lighting, solar panels, and climate ceilings, among other things.
Energy efficiency
To achieve a sustainable, cost- and maintenance-conscious design, ABT conducted early research into the energy efficiency and daylight access of the project, as well as the floor insulation. In the preliminary design phase, we examined the open-closed percentage of the façade in relation to energy efficiency and daylight access. The more daylight access, the more savings on lighting energy. An opening percentage of 55% was achieved, meeting the stricter energy performance requirement than the Building Decree (EPC < 0.85) and also meeting BREEAM criteria regarding the daylight factor.
Sustainable and cost- and maintenance-conscious
In addition to architectural measures, we researched a package of technical installation measures to achieve a sustainable, cost- and maintenance-conscious design. PV panels are installed on the roof, the building features sustainable LED lighting, and the project is connected to the district heating system in Utrecht. Special attention was given to saving on lighting energy consumption by designing a state-of-the-art lighting management system, achieving a significant energy saving of 7%. A major cost saving was realized by omitting thermal insulation under the ground floor. The project is founded on a thick pile slab foundation with substantial dimensions, under which a soil package is present. This created such a heat buffer under the project that, without applying thermal insulation under the floor, an equivalent level of thermal resistance is achieved.
Complex location of World Trade Center (WTC) Utrecht
The location of the WTC building posed an additional challenge. The project is situated in the middle of the city, near Utrecht Central Station. Utrecht Central is the busiest station in the Netherlands, with more than 900 trains per day and 57 million passengers annually. The station was renovated and expanded into an integrated central station that handles trains, trams, and buses within one building. This large project was completed in December 2016. The works on the station partly coincided with the works on the World Trade Center and the Hoog Catharijne shopping center, both projects in which ABT was involved. At no point was the operation of Utrecht Central compromised by the construction activities at the WTC and Hoog Catharijne.
