The Green House, Utrecht

The Green House is a temporary pavilion at a place where new construction will eventually be built. It contains meeting rooms and a circular catering concept with its own greenhouse for vegetables and herbs. It is based on easily removable Stelcon plates and designed as a demountable kit with dimensions derived from the smoked glass facade panels of the former barracks building that was transformed into a government office next door; these have been reused for the second skin and the greenhouse.

The ground floor consists of pavers from a quay in Tiel. The storey floor consists of prefabricated wooden elements that are filled with insulation for good acoustics. The floor of the roof is made of a light, perforated steel plate. The closed facade parts are made of recyclable (H) CFC-free timber frame construction parts. The pavilion is equipped with solar panels and connected to the thermal storage system of the adjacent government office. Most of the furniture has been reused. After initial use, the pavilion is easy to disassemble and rebuild elsewhere.

Rethink

For the project, from ideation to development, circular aspects in the broadest sense have been considered. Not only are the design approach and construction technology part of the total concept, but also the business case for the operation and implementation of the circular catering and meeting functions. The building is composed of highly standardized, prefabricated and dry-assembled components. A smart measuring system, a minimization of the total use of materials and the reuse of materials were important starting points. Circularity is even reflected in the menu, which is partly aimed at reducing meat consumption and stimulating healthy eating. Light and furniture are leased.

Reuse

Reused include: the glass second skin and greenhouse facade, the clinkers of the ground floor floor, the insulation materials of the wooden floor parts, the wainscot of these floor parts, the inner walls and a large part of the furniture. The pavilion can also be completely dismantled and can easily be rebuilt elsewhere. If desired, the constituent parts are also independently reusable or recyclable. The toilets are housed in a prefab unit that is installed in one go and is also suitable for other configurations. The greenhouse is also composed entirely of previously used parts.