On January 16, the winner of the Trespa Project of the Year election was announced in the atmospheric Castle De Vanenburg in Putten. The prestigious grand prize - the event was organized for the second time - went to Bureau Bos, architects, engineers and consultants, for their innovative design of Christian Child Center De Ark in Bunschoten-Spakenburg.
Led by architect Elianne Reijers, the firm created a building that is not only functional and sustainable, but also blends seamlessly with its natural surroundings. "It is great that our project is so well appreciated," Elianne let us know immediately after completion.
Designed with the future in mind, the Ark offers an inspiring learning environment for children in a growing neighborhood, according to the jury. The design combines playful shapes, rounded corners and angled lines with the warm look of Trespa® Meteon® Wood façade panels.
Elianne says, "For the users of the building, it's great that this has worked out: the round shapes and wood look fit the desired look, but they were apprehensive about the financial feasibility and technical execution. We are happy that we were able to show that this is possible with Trespa. It was also great to see that the projects nominated for this award were so incredibly diverse. I think it was perhaps an apples to oranges comparison for all the people who got to vote, as each project stood out in its own way. We are proud to receive the award in the end."
The second prize went to Leferink Architects from Oldenzaal for their design of the NX Filtration office and production building in Hengelo. This project is characterized by an innovative combination of transparency and closedness: the front facade consists of large glass sections that provide a light and open appearance, while the rear is clad in Trespa® Meteon® Natural panels.
Olaf Leferink, project manager on behalf of Leferink Architects, is naturally proud of the recognition: "We worked hard on this building with all parties involved and are very proud of the final result. The cladding plays a major role in the appearance of the building. The fresh white and blue colors refer to the character of the company and give the building an accessible, modern look." About the competition during the Project of the Year election, he says, "The other entries were of a high level. This is precisely why we feel very honored to stand among such strong projects."
Third place went to the colorful and bold design of the Tulpenark in Amsterdam, a project by Studio Anton Surink. The architects achieved a unique aesthetic for this 'water house' using Trespa® Meteon® panels, which not only make a visual statement, but also contribute to the sustainability of the building.
"The choice of material was driven by the search for durability, long life, colorfastness and a rich spectrum of color options," says Anton Surink. "The uniqueness of Trespa® was the ability to place the panels as if they were tiles, creating shadow edges that enhanced the pixelated effect. This was crucial to achieving the desired image and design."
During the well-attended event, not only were the awards presented, but there was also room for substantive discussions and presentations on architecture, material innovation and the future. Ruud Veltenaar, author of the bestseller 'Once Upon A Future' and gifted TED speaker, spoke for over an hour in an inspiring and stimulating (and very interactive!) manner.
The bottomline of his message? We can also just embrace the future with all its uncertainties. The climate crisis, the energy transition ... you name it. Architects can do something with that! But you have to do it. The reactions to his keynote were very positive. Afterwards, all participants received his book, a beautiful reminder of the day and the critical interaction that Veltenaar engaged in.
After dinner - when the votes were counted - Archicomm - partner of Trespa - presented another fun panel discussion on stage. Led by moderator Jerry Helmers (Archicomm), architect Ronald Surink - who, by the way, was also nominated - and Marcel van der Most, Trespa regional manager, were put through their paces in a light-hearted manner about the architectural profession, their expectations for 2025 and the sometimes complicated (and often) contradictory regulations that architects face.
And, what will Artificial Intelligence bring us in the coming months and years? The participants in the panel discussion agreed that AI is going to have a big impact but that regardless, the personal touch will continue to lead the way in how design is done for clients and customers.
Trespa account manager Jim Wolters, who got to announce who the winner of the annual award was, looks back on the evening with great satisfaction. "Looking back on the event now, we can definitely be satisfied. There was a good turnout, there was a good exchange of ideas: from keynote to panel discussion and, not unimportantly, the atmosphere was great. Really nice that so many architects from all parts of the Netherlands came to our event."
"Moreover, we are proud to have been able to contribute to these impressive projects with our innovative cladding. Congratulations again to Bureau Bos, Leferink Architects and Studio Anton Surink for pushing the boundaries of design and sustainability! But actually the congratulations are also for all the other nominees who did not win the awards now: they too deserve a big 'thank you' for their inspiration and innovation!"
As far as Jim is concerned, the event will be back on the program a year from now. "In fact, starting today, we will already start announcing the Project of the Month every month again. So after 12 months, that's all going to come together again next January at the third edition of this wonderful event. I'm already looking forward to it!"