|
The new City Hall in Venlo, NL, was designed to be Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certified and was situated in an area in need of regeneration. The vision was to create a building that would enable better connections between different city departments, take the health of workers, visitors and the surrounding environment into consideration, and reduce costs in the long term through material choices and energy saving technologies. Cradle-to-cradle or C2C design for continuous material recovery and reutilisation in a technical or biological system is one of the schools of thought that underpin the circular economy. Through healthy material choices and design for disassembly, it is possible to recoup some of the original investment, at a later date, as materials can be sold back to manufacturers through a ‘buy and buy-back’ scheme, and ultimately used again. In designing Venlo City Hall, careful attention was given to the structure of the building, and also to the interior fit-out and furniture installed. The close attention to detail extended to the procurement of products within the building, such as soap. The city council’s allocated budget for the project was EUR 53 million. It was supported by a loan from Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten – a local government funding agency. When the project came in under budget, EUR 900,000 were returned to the city council for reinvestment in other areas. The new city hall has played a key role in updating the city’s image – traditionally associated with agriculture and logistics, Venlo is now increasingly associated with innovation and circular economy opportunities that are attracting both businesses and skills. The 18–24-year-old city population has increased, as well as the number of companies basing themselves in the city. Between 2016-2018 the city hall received over 32,000 visitors and the project led to Venlo requiring C2C compliance for all future construction projects in the city. More information: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-examples/city-hall-from-cradle-to-cradle-venlo |
