Dutch businessman Barry Verdel’s dream was to take his technology company, Verdel Digitaal Partner, to the next level. With the goal of building an inspiring space for the business as well as the employees; Design & Meer the studio responsible for the design and production, together with VRP architects, took on the project to convert an old secondary school into a workplace and campus dedicated to information and communications technology.
It was fundamental that high-quality materials, such as HIMACS, should be used for the build, which encompassed not only the creation of the company’s offices, but also a limited amount of housing where younger employees would be able to stay for up to seven years.
The original building, a secondary school located in the Netherlands, consisted of various spaces such as classrooms, a gymnasium, an auditorium, etc., and it was precisely this characteristic layout that won the owner over.
“We wanted our company to be a school, too,” explains Barry. “At the end of the day, you work in a classroom and the corridors are where you meet with other colleagues to chat or make calls.”
The building’s entrance, also intended as a coffee and meeting area, is home to a large counter made from HIMACS acrylic stone. Designed in the Urban Concrete shade of HIMACS, the choice of this greyish colour sought to keep the tones of the original building, while creating the perfect match for the corporate green of the company that owns the project, as well as the wooden elements incorporated to add warmth to the spaces.
Measuring a substantial 10 metres long, the counter has an eye-catching, clean, robust look, while the large worktop allows this HIMACS piece to be used both as a reception space and an employee meeting point.
“Many people have wondered how we managed to fit such a huge counter into the space, and it’s precisely because HIMACS allows different parts to be joined together without any visible seams,” explains Design & Meer studio.
This special attribute of the material – which for this project made it possible to work with 35 pieces and be able to join them together to create a unique counter with a totally uniform design – rounds off HIMACS’ outstanding hygienic properties. The entire counter surface is non-porous and smooth, preventing any unwanted build-up of dirt, bacteria and viruses. It is for this very reason that this solid surface material is ideal for projects subject to high everyday traffic.
