Case study: the new office scoring high for sustainability

While the design already reflected a modern and healthy workplace, additional effort focused on choosing materials with a lower environmental impact to strengthen overall sustainability.

Working under Dutch legislation on the Environmental Performance of Buildings (MPG), we had to think about the MPG score we wanted to achieve.  The MPG score reflects environmental impact per square meter per year. Since the design was already complete, improvements focused on solar panels, low-carbon concrete, and other sustainable materials. Implementing these choices required a minor additional investment, and this resulted in an MPG-score of 0.7, an improvement of 30% on the legally required score of 1.0 for all new office buildings in the Netherlands.  

The construction method and connections between the different building materials were also closely considered, and as a result the building achieved an airtightness three times better than the standard score (0.16 instead of 0.42), significantly improving energy performance and reducing heat loss.

Furthermore, the building is BREEAM certified, meaning its sustainability has been independently assessed across nine different categories. The building received an Excellent rating, the second-highest possible level in the internationally recognised BREEAM system.

Together, these measures make the new Almelo office building a leading example of sustainable office design, demonstrating how thoughtful planning, material choice, and construction techniques can significantly reduce environmental impact.

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