EeStairs Headquarters / Bronsvoort Blaak Architecten

Curated by María Francisca González

Architects: Bronsvoort Blaak Architecten
Area: 4800 m²
Year: 2018
Manufacturers: Reynaers Aluminium, Schneider Electric, Bolidt, Plan Effect

Text description provided by the architects. International staircase manufacturer, EeStairs, has completed the construction of its new headquarters in Barneveld, the Netherlands. Spanning across three floors, the 4800 square metre building has an ‘Outstanding’ BREEAM rating, making it one of the most sustainable production sites in the country.

EeStairs Headquarters / Bronsvoort Blaak Architecten - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade — Courtesy of EeStairs

The task set by EeStairs for architects Bronsvoort Blaak, was to create a new headquarters that combined a production site with work spaces, which was ‘contemporary, challenging and cool’. A secondary aim was to create a building that expressed to visitors what the company is able to achieve in terms of design and production.

“For us, the building’s character is elegance meets functionalism, and from day one we wanted to change how people felt about visiting production sites. EeStairs is a hugely creative company that excels in its field - and the new headquarters had to reflect that,” explains Anton Bronsvoort of Bronsvoort Blaak.

EeStairs Headquarters / Bronsvoort Blaak Architecten - Interior Photography, Windows, Facade — Courtesy of EeStairs

“The building’s giant roof is one of its most impressive features, acting like an umbrella, as we have a lot of rain in the Netherlands! There is an element of storytelling to the roof, too. EeStairs is under one roof – and it’s here that we achieve excellence. Hospitality is important to EeStairs and glass has been used throughout to make guests feel as though the building is somewhere that is open to explore.”

Visitors to the building are greeted by a statement helical staircase at the front of the building that combines with a spiral stair that provides access to the building’s main entrance. The entrance is a large, open space with a curved ceiling and an information desk, created by the team at EeStairs. From this space, guests can enjoy impressive views of the surrounding green areas.

The three key departments in the production space consist of a steel workshop, a finishing area and a wood workshop. All three departments are connected by overhead doors, allowing movement between departments in a logical order as production progresses.

Achieving an ‘Outstanding’ BREEAM (the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for buildings) rating was a priority for EeStairs and an integral element of Bronsvoort Blaak’s brief. The building features high-performance insulation in the form of sandwich panels that consist of two colour-coated sheets joined to a core of mineral wool, which have achieved A ratings in industry evaluations. In addition, the building is entirely gas-free, with solar panels providing the majority of electrical power for the space.

An intelligent KNX system allows EeStairs to closely monitor energy consumption - and has the ability to deactivate lighting in spaces that aren’t being used, while automated heating and air conditioning ensures optimum working conditions.

EeStairs Creative Director, Cornelis van Vlastuin comments: “We are incredibly proud of our new headquarters - it was important to create a new office and production site where people want to work, and I believe we have achieved that.

“The building expresses just how much we value what we do, how we push boundaries and how we are absolutely committed to delivering the very highest standards across our business.”