Special new building for Dimensio Packaging: Fresh, light and with maximum attention to nature

The new building in Almere is a striking example of this. In contrast to standard distribution centers, Sec.architecten has designed a transparent, fresh, light and inviting building with natural materials and colors, which lands on all sides in a green environment. The special new building is being realized by Aan de Stegge Twello.

Dimensio Packaging is a wholesaler of packaging materials, with a wide range of products from plastic bags to cardboard boxes. The company has been based in Almere for more than 25 years. For the third time in a row, Aan de Stegge Twello is realizing a new commercial building for this flourishing company, on a plot of approximately 5.2 hectares at business park Stichtsekant. The new building has a surface area of 34,000 m², divided into approximately 29,000 m² of warehouse, 1,400 m² of mezzanine and 3,600 m² of office space including showroom, fitness room, company swimming pool and a company restaurant with professional kitchen, where healthy meals are prepared. There will also be 290 parking spaces and dozens of loading and unloading docks. The building meets all the requirements for a modern logistics operation and provides for the company's rapid growth and high sustainability ambition, says Bas te Riele, commercial project manager at Aan de Stegge Twello. "The entire new building functions gas-free. Heat pumps provide all-electric heating, cooling and domestic hot water preparation. In addition, water-saving plumbing will be installed and rainwater will be efficiently collected from the roof." Sustainable and green choices have also been made at the architectural level. "Consider, for example, the use of natural materials such as wood, stone and textiles, as well as an efficient room layout. The warehouse has very flat floors, an excellent floor load of 5,000 kg/m and an ideal ceiling height. Under the sprinkler net, as much as 12.20 meters of free height is available for pallet storage." From March, the pallet racks will be installed, after which the new building will be commissioned in June.

Strong horizontal articulation

"In our design, we separated the office area from the warehouse, allowing daylight to flow in all around. This made the office stand a little more freely in its surroundings," says Robert Flier, architect and owner of Sec.architects. "In addition, it has given the building an appealing head." Whereas the warehouse is predominantly clad with vertical sandwich panels, a strong horizontal articulation was chosen for the two-story office building. Realized at 60 centimeters above ground level, the building stands out for its generous ceiling heights. "The storey floors are continued in large white canopies with a powerful zigzag movement, which soften the boundary from inside to outside and also serve as sunshades. The top of the canopies is lined with sedum, allowing employees to look away green over the canopies. This design also continues on the first floor, with large borders and generous use of greenery." The large expanses of glass are interrupted by solar shutters, which are perforated with a chemical translation of plastic. "This form element is a playful nod to the services provided by Dimensio Packaging," he said.

Fresh, light and with large spans

For the design of the new building, Sec.architects drew inspiration from architecture in South Africa: fresh, light and with large spans, lots of glass, natural stone and wood. "The natural stone was particularly implemented in the color schemes," Flier says. "For example, the sandwich panels, window frames and louvered shutters have been given a sand/bronze-like hue. The building incorporates several oak accents, and the floors in the offices will have loose-laid PVC tiles with a travertine-like look and feel, supporting the Cradle-to-Cradle ambition." The entire project will be built green-inclusively, Te Riele emphasizes. "Flora and fauna will have space to develop. Around the building, for example, there will be several bee greenhouses, a stork post and a picking garden with fruit trees. Space will also be reserved for cows and/or sheep. Between the office building and the warehouse will be an approximately 100-meter-long and 4-meter-wide basin in which not only will koi carp be stocked, but which will also serve as a water buffer for the sprinkler system. The sprinkler pump will be located in a separate room with a large glass facade, so that the technology remains optimally visible. These elements, among others, make the new building unique and a great calling card for our services."