Voiceworks | Almere

New construction embedded in the dune landscape

At the Duin location, an expansion site in Almere, the new headquarters for ICT company Voiceworks is being realized. The building will have an appearance that matches the ambitions and character of the still relatively young (founded in 2005) Almere company. Builder of the project is Pleijsier Bouw, which was involved in the preparations at an early stage by its client, Onis Vastgoed.

Fresh, modern and very transparent, including large glass curtain walls and also inside glass elements, is how work planner Jeroen van Dijk describes the new building for Voiceworks. A contemporary eye-catcher, embedded in the dune landscape. "The dunes undulate, as it were, right up to the facades." He points to the steel structure visible behind the glass facades, to the sleek, cantilevered concrete canopy elements that segment the building. "Those canopies are both aesthetic and functional - they can be used for glass washing. Because of the tight adjustment margins, they received a lot of attention in the preliminary project. Thus, more components were prepared very carefully." He explains that as a user, Voiceworks had very specific requirements and was expressly involved in design, preparation and execution.

In the preliminary process, carried out in a construction team construction, Pleijsier Bouw was involved at an early stage, says Van Dijk. "As mentioned, we made a careful translation from design to execution so that we didn't quickly run into unexpected issues." That execution began in November 2018, when the first piles went into the ground. Voiceworks' new building has a basement that is connected to a nearby building using an underground tunnel under the road. "There in the basement will be parking facilities for Voiceworks employees. In our own building, in the basement, there will additionally be 33 parking spaces with fast chargers." Tunnel and basement, Van Dijk clarifies, are poured in situ; the rest of the building consists of prefabricated elements.

He then describes the layout of the new building. It has a large reception hall with a void over three floors. He also mentions the monumental staircase with lots of glass. Also on the first floor are an experience center and training and meeting rooms. On the three floors above are office gardens, meeting rooms and concentration rooms. An auditorium is provided on the second floor, with a void over two floors. Light boxes will be incorporated into the metal stud walls on which projections can be used. On floor four, in addition to offices, there will be a game room and loggia. Floor five is for the installations. Some of these are also placed on the roof, where solar panels will also be installed. "Obviously, it will be an all-electric building with modern, sustainable installations," says Dr. K. K., "and it will be an all-electric building."

Van Dijk concludes by saying that the highest point has now been reached and the finishing work will now begin. "Thanks to careful preparation and good communication, we are on schedule. We are expected to be able to deliver by the end of this year."