Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Architect: Benthem Crouwel.

The Dutch organization Goede Doelen Loterijen, the largest group of charity lotteries in the Netherlands, has designed a new office that is sustainable, open and accessible. The new building will house a public restaurant, a TV studio and an auditorium that can be used for exhibitions and lectures. The roof of the building is designed after workshops and meetings with employees, and is carried by six columns that are shaped like trees. The roof consists of 6,800 leaves of polished aluminum that create a beautiful and organic pattern of light and shadow. By constructing the roof over the entire, existing building, the current patio becomes a large and open courtyard. The new housing for the Charity Lotteries will be an almost completely energy neutral building and earns the BREEAM rating ‘Outstanding’.

Photo credit: Jannes Linders, Claes de Vrieselaan.