Public Works Depot North, Apeldoorn

In Apeldoorn, a new operations building for the municipality has risen — designed by Courage together with our studio, a unique collaboration between two architects. The result is a robust and striking building. The guiding concept is the all-encompassing solar roof: a large canopy with deep overhangs, supported by six prominent columns. Beneath and through this roof, a variety of large and small functions are accommodated, creating coherence within the whole.

Because the site connects to two urban directions, we introduced a three-dimensional design grid that incorporates both. This “terrain grid” provides a structured framework for arranging vehicles and bunkers. The building grid, meanwhile, follows a different orientation within the urban fabric. At the intersections of these two grids, interesting spatial solutions emerge — a concept also reminiscent of Cerdà’s expansion plan for Barcelona.