KB Building, Kleefsche Waard, Arnhem (The Netherlands)

A major transformation is underway at the former Kleefse Waard industrial site, which was recently renamed Cleantech Park Arnhem. What used to be a heavily polluted area, cut off from the outside world, is now a modern, welcoming and green working environment. The aim of the transformation is to preserve the industrial and monumental atmosphere and to green the outdoor space. The planting of large trees plays an important role in this. At the KB building, one of the many monumental buildings, we see this in the choice of locally occurring plant species that match the wild vegetation of the nearby Veluwe.

The total area of the industrial estate covers approximately 90 hectares. The site is owned by an investor who won the Golden Pyramid award for the development of the area. Due to the central location of Cleantech Park Arnhem, at the junction of the Lower Rhine and the IJssel rivers and the sand ridges of the Veluwe, the area is ideal for creating different biotopes, an aspect that plays a key role in the thoughtful design of the landscape architects.

Strong appearance with large trees
Trees and other plants enrich the working environment, contribute to the well-being of users and create a pleasant, informal and inspiring atmosphere. The outdoor space and corridor have been landscaped with local species including Scots pine, oak, birch, broom, ferns and grasses, resulting in a rugged, wooded landscape that perfectly complements the building. The use of large trees immediately creates this strong image and gives the impression of a landscape that has always been there. Nothing betrays the recent construction. The green design of this building is the result of intensive collaboration from idea to implementation and is the prelude to further greening of the business park in the coming years.