On Friday February 20th 2015, the second phase of the large-scale renovation of the a.s.r. headquarters in Utrecht has officially been completed. This means the second office wing, called ‘Ochre’, is taken into use. Also the tower and the semi-public reception area are officially opened, including the company restaurant, coffee corner and work lounge. The underground conference center, which is part of the reception area, has been in use since November 2014.
Semi-public space
A large part of the ground floor, basement and first floor are used as a semi-public reception area. All functions in the building are accessed through this area, providing maximum opportunities for casual encounters. The area is accessible without an access pass, so also a.s.r. visitors can use the catering and meeting facilities. The different types of seating areas in the restaurant are outside lunch hours suitable for small meetings and teamwork.
Flexible work space
The office wing ‘Ochre’, like the previously completed ‘Green Wing’, is arranged according to the principles of flexible and activity based working. Most workplaces for short stay and meetings are placed in the ‘center’ and around the void, while further into office wings workplaces for longer use are situated. The a.s.r. employees choose their workplace based on their type of work; short or long stay, teamwork or focused work, confidential work, formal or informal meetings, phone calls, et cetera. Access to advanced ICT facilities gives the employees the freedom to work anywhere in the building, even on the roof terraces and winter gardens.
To celebrate the completion of the second phase, a.s.r. made a stop-motion movie showing the renovation process.
Third phase
Meanwhile, the third phase, which is also the final phase, is in full swing. This phase includes the office wing ‘Purple’, which houses the data center. The entire renovation will be completed by the end of 2015.
Photographer Rob Hoekstra captured the construction process in a nice series of photographs:
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