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Campus Development Campus Development

LAB42 wins National Steel Award 2024

16 October 2024

LAB42, located at Amsterdam Science Park, has won the National Steel Award in the Steel Reuse category out of 38 submissions. The jury praised the UvA building for its high sustainability and future-proof ambitions.
LAB42 at Amsterdam Science Park
Picture: Liesbeth Dingemans
This is circular design and construction in its finest form Jury of the National Steel Award on LAB42.

Circular design as core value

LAB42 houses the Faculty of Science degree programmes in Mathematics and Computer Science, the Informatics Institute, the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation, the Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence and partner companies. The building is characterised by its transparent and accessible design. Circularity was a prominent theme in the design, which the jury also highlighted: ‘This project is designed and set up for future reuse, function change, or expansion, facilitated by detachable connections of modular components. The structural and architectural design resonate with the famous quote by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: “Less is more”. By designing soberly and reservedly, more impactful construction can be achieved. That is evident here.’

Cooperation with innovative partners

This award is not only a great compliment for us, but also for our partners: first, for the sustainable and circular design by Benthem Crouwel Architects, construction consultancy firm Strackee, installation consultancy firm Deerns, and engineering consultancy firm DGMR. Second, for the future-proof construction by Visser & Smit Bouw in partnership with Kropman Installatietechniek. They built the 100% reusable steel structure, which can be adapted and reorganised easily to accommodate future changes.

The jury was particularly charmed by the ‘Lego-like’ construction and the motif: for the future. Creating something like this with public funds deserves loud applause Jury of the National Steel Award on LAB42.

Visit the project page about LAB42 to learn more. Also, check out our plans for the development of LabQ at Amsterdam Science Park.