Tilburg: a city that keeps on giving! This city in the Netherlands seems like the prime spot for architectural innovations which frequently pushes the limits of sustainable building. We have the LocHal, a re-purposed locomotive hall which is now one of the top four libraries in the world; a completely solar-powered bus station; and now, they have what could be the world’s most sustainable building: the new Rhenus Warehouse.
Rhenus Logistics partnered up with Dokvast and Heembouw to build a distribution center in ‘Het Laar’, the industrial area in Tilburg.
What makes it rank high on the sustainability index?
Solar panels on the roof
As soon as you come up to the roof of the warehouse, you will see 13,000 solar panels which are used to produce energy to power the distribution center. According to Rhenus’ senior vice-president Alphons van Erven, these panels not only cuts down on their energy consumption but also yield enough to power 750 households a year in the country.
Triple-glazed windows to keep the cold out, and allow the sunshine through
The company has also invested in installing huge triple-glazed windows along the sides and either end of the building. Additionally, the building is airtight ensuring that it stays warm indoors when it’s cold outside. These huge glass windows also allows natural sunshine to come through. All in all, their energy costs to keep the building warm and bright has been cut phenomenally!
Sustainability in the loo
Yes, their toilets too could not escape their well thought out sustainability measures. They will be using rainwater to flush their toilets. This will be collected on their roofs and be redirected to the loos around the building.
Landscape design
The brains behind this building also wanted to make sure that they would “re-establish the local flora to create appealing outdoor recreation areas to be enjoyed by the staff“. With these goals in mind, they curated designated areas around the building with plants and trees which will welcome staff and cheerful, chirpy birds alike! They hope these green patches will be brimming with employees looking for refuge from their everyday grind.
Pretty neat, huh? If you want to know more about Tilburg and other innovative building projects, start with our video with Levi Hildebrand on how the city is leading the way in re-purposing old buildings!
If you want to know more about Tilburg and everything this city has to offer with its vibrant culture, music, and beautiful nature just head on over to the website! You won’t be disappointed 😉
Or if you need a short introduction to Tilburg, we have a short video for you!
How do you think this new warehouse fits into the whole vibe of Tilburg? Let us know in the comments below!
Feature Image: Rhenus B.V.