PI59 - Prinses Irenestraat 59
From an old school building to a sustainable and comfortable office building
How do you transform an old-fashioned, energy-guzzling school building into a comfortable, contemporary and sustainable office building?
PI59, located at Prinses Irenestraat 59 in Amsterdam, has a rich history. It once housed the renowned accountancy firm KPMG. After they vacated the building, it was repurposed as a school. However, two years ago, Nuveen Real Estate and G&S Vastgoed decided to return PI59 to its original function as an office. But this time, an office tailored to modern requirements in terms of comfort, climate and energy.
Sustainability
Sustainability was a key priority in the project, as the building needed to hold a BREEAM Excellent certificate upon completion. With this in mind, PI59 incorporates a range of sustainable features, such as:
- PV panels: These solar panels generate clean energy.
- LED lighting: Thanks to smart LED bulbs, employees enjoy bright light without unnecessary energy consumption.
- Climate ceilings: A smart way to regulate the indoor climate and optimise comfort.
- Seasonal thermal energy storage – Dubotechniek: This system generates both heating and cooling, whilst respecting the environment.
Progressive benchmarks
The PI59 redevelopment goes beyond mere sustainability – the building has been designed according to progressive benchmarks, including:
- BREEAM: BREEAM-NL Excellent certification
- WiredScore: An assessment system for evaluating the connectivity of office buildings.
- RE\DEFINE: Principles relating to health, safety and productivity have been fully integrated into the design.
- Net Zero Carbon: Carbon goals in line with The Paris Climate Agreement – use of low-carbon materials and reuse of the existing structure.
Here, we are committing to the climate goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. In the redevelopment of PI59, the majority of the existing structure has been retained, and low-carbon materials have been used to minimise embodied carbon. As a result, PI59 is well ahead of the 2030 goals of The Paris Climate Agreement. PI59’s energy system is so advanced that, upon completion in 2023, it will already be close to meeting the Paris Climate Agreement’s operational carbon goals for the year 2050.
Stronger together
This impressive end result was achieved through exemplary collaboration. Hanab Installation Technology provided the installation engineering, the network installations and installed the solar panels, whilst Dubotechniek supplied it’s ONE seasonal thermal energy storage system.
The technical installations
Installing the technical systems was a major challenge for Hanab Installation Technology. A challenge that began as early as the design phase back in 2020, after Hanab Installation Technology had been commissioned by Wessels-Zeist to handle the mechanical and electrical installations for PI59. The ‘skeleton’ of the building (the floors and ceilings) remained in place, which limited the space available for installations. Thanks to 3D models and virtual planning, we managed to fit all of the installations into a space of approximately 30 cm and install them above the ceilings.
Climatological
Another challenge was the building’s large window area. ‘Because the architect opted for transparency and light, the concrete façade has been replaced by six storeys consisting solely of large windows with curved glass. It looks fantastic but will soon mean highly fluctuating cooling and heating requirements for the hundreds of employees in this building. When the sun shines, everyone wants cooling at the same time. That ‘unpredictability’ makes it challenging to meet the building’s high climate and energy requirements.’