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Veldhoen_Stadskantoor Venlo_Kraaijvanger Architects - original_fSbC3la_case study hero Veldhoen_Stadskantoor Venlo_Kraaijvanger Architects - original_fSbC3la_case study hero

Municipality of Venlo, Netherlands

A sustainable spacefor human exchange

Case Study Overview

Case Study Overview

EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE, FLEXIBLE & GREEN: HOW A CITY HALL BECOMES AN ARCHITECTURAL AND CULTURAL LANDMARK

Organisation: Municipal Government of Venlo

Location: Venlo, the Netherlands

Office Footprint: 13,500 sqm

Employees: 950+

Key Concept: Creating added value for people and the environment

Background and Aims

Background and Aims

A decision was made in 2009: Venlo City Council needed a new premises for its nearly 1,000 employees. Previously spread across various locations throughout the city, one central location would allow colleagues to be able to work together as much as possible. But that was not all: The city also wanted a working environment that would create sustainable added value for the people and be based on the cradle-to-cradle (C2C) principle. The intention was to benefit not only employees, but also citizens who should be able to rely on better service in the future. In addition, the new City Hall should also offer added value to its immediate surroundings. 

“When you visit City Hall and interact with us, you should not be under the impression that the City Council is more important than you as a visitor or stakeholder. "
ANTOIN SCHOLTEN
Mayor | City of Venlo
01

The Challenge

In collaboration with Venlo City Council, we were faced with a challenging task: Namely, to define innovative ways of working together with the organisation, to reconcile multiple diverse needs and goals within a specific budget, and simultaneously to prepare and support our 1,000 employees for the upcoming transition process. 

Veldhoen_Stadskantoor Venlo - Kraaijvanger Architects - original_h46Y7kp
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The Approach

Such extensive projects need a vision that clarifies the aim to all participants. We therefore developed this vision together, in a co-creative process involving numerous interviews, workshops, and surveys. And it is precisely this vision that has helped all stakeholders involved in the construction and transition process to come up with a building in line with the C2C principles that facilitates activity-based working (ABW) at the same time. We also examined the ways in which employees will likely work in the future to develop an appropriate office space concept based on the activities and needs of the people working there. In order to facilitate flexible and hybrid-based work in the future, and to be able to offer the citizens of Venlo a good level of service, we supported the organisation with workshops, training courses, and keynote speeches in overhauling and digitising processes and preparing for innovative, flexible working methods. Throughout the entire process, we not only fulfilled the role of the project team’s “right hand”, but also that of the architect. 
Stadskantoor_Venlo_-_Veldhoen+company
03

The Results

The City of Venlo not only has a new City Hall, but also a new landmark boasting an eye-catching green exterior. A meeting space has been created in which employees, citizens and all visitors feel equally at home. Due to the separation of front and back office, an open design citizen service area and an appointment system, not only do citizens feel genuinely welcome, but employees also benefit from more security and peace of mind. In line with the activity-based working concept, employees now have autonomy when deciding when, where and with whom they work. With rooms for targeted work projects, telephone booths, meeting rooms, common areas for informal exchange, ergonomic workplaces, a restaurant and much more, all employees can now choose the workplace that best supports their current work needs. This has resulted in an approach to work and a working environment that has not only increased employee satisfaction, but also made a significant contribution to making work processes within the organisation run faster and more efficiently – and all this in a far smaller building and, thanks to the C2C principles on which it is based, one of the healthiest in the country. 

 

Specifically, the new building based on the C2C principles and the adoption of activity-based working has produced the following results: 

+ Employee satisfaction has increased to 90% 

+ Employees enjoy flexibility and a better work-life balance 

+ More teamwork and better collaboration following the breaking down of departmental units 

+ Reduction in sick days 

+ Digitisation of administration and citizen services 

+ Reduction of office space by 6,000 m2 through ABW 

+ Energy consumption reduced by a third compared to the previous location 

+ The building generates its own energy 

+ The air in the building is cleaner than the outside air 

+ The building absorbs 30% fine dust and CO2 within a radius of 500 m 

Veldhoen_Stadskantoor Venlo_Kraaijvanger Architects - original_4MNZzw4
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Take a Tour

Would you like to take an official guided tour of Venlo City Hall with Veldhoen + Company? 
Veldhoen_Stadskantoor Venlo - Kraaijvanger Architects - original_dYkpeLi

Take a virtual tour around the
municipality of Venlo offices

development of municipality of Venlo offices

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Ultimately, we will work with you to create a unique culture and environment where people will have the space to thrive, the freedom to genuinely connect with one another and will proudly work as a part of your organisation.