“Final Bolt” for IMd’s new home

April 2011 In Rotterdam’s Piekstraat, a new EHA designed housing is being constructed for engineering firm IMd. A former steel factory with quite an imposing steel structure, the building will be transformed in a very innovative way to become an inspiring office environment – a “playground for engineers” as EHA’s Joost Ector likes to describe it. Since there’s no conventional reaching of the highest point to celebrate, the tightening of the “last bolt” was used as a motivation for a party on the 29th of April.
The design consists of a series of pavilions to be constructed within the original uninsulated building perimeter. The largest of these stand against the closed end walls and together hold some 70 workplaces. Several bridges and pavilions containing meeting rooms, combined with the existing steel structure and the partly glazed roof, create a rich and fascinating interior, perfectly fit for all kinds of new office concepts.
The reuse of an existing property, combined with the implementation of new energy saving measures and a choice of materials inspired by recycling, make up for a highly sustainable project. The building will be in operation in September 2011.