IFF, Leiden

A shell around V-shaped atrium
EHA’s design takes full advantage of the client’s diagonally truncated plot and consists of a three-storey building atop an indoor car park concealed in a storey-high raised platform. The structure forms a shell around a V-shaped atrium that houses a reception area, a kitchen, a meeting room and a canteen. On either side of the atrium are column-free wings that, thanks to the building’s flexible layout and modular partition walls, can be adapted to serve as offices or laboratories.

The atrium also houses a clever system of bridges and staircases that not only provide access to all floors but also anticipate evolutionary changes in health and safety regulations. These bridges and staircases also lend structure to the atrium by sectioning the space into dedicated zones for the reception desk, a lecture and presentation area, and a food and drinks spot. Last but not least, they provide an unbroken series of vantage points from which workers and visitors alike can observe what’s happening inside the surrounding laboratories.

Healthy work environment
IFF is committed to maintaining a safe work environment for its workers and partners, so the design team gave a great deal of thought to factors that can affect this, such as air quality, daylighting and the availability of pleasant views. The result, in typical EHA fashion, is a building whose form and orientation are optimised to deliver the perfect balance between transparency, thermal comfort and the harvesting of solar energy. The project was built according to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and certified Excellent.