The challenge
The former municipal town hall building in Haren in the Province of Groningen no longer met the modern-day needs of the city officials and residents. Moreover, the building’s architecture also no longer complimented the surroundings. For these reasons, the Municipality of Haren commissioned the construction of a new town hall building, based on a design by Kraaijvanger architectural bureau. With flowing lines and an elegant yet simple structure, the new building is characterized by a sustainable design. The ‘House of Four Seasons’ sports balconies clad in greenery, which serve as rustic sunshades. The city’s desire was to add more seasonal interest to the building and to bring nature inside. In addition, there was a desire for a clever water management solution for the plants.
Our approach
In order to give the building greater seasonal interest, Copijn were commissioned by Brands Bouwgroep B.V. to plant the pots on the balconies with native plants such as shadbushes, Cornelian cherry dogwood and snowball Viburnum. These plants bloom profusely and also show foliage coloration. In order to also bring nature inside more, the contractor also commissioned Copijn to create a 12 x 4-metre ‘Copijn Wonderwall’ in the public hall. HB Watertechnologie water technology company designed and implemented an irrigation system for all the outdoor and indoor plants. The system is easily operable and controllable thanks to the iMC Box’s various sensors.
The results
Elongated, natural planting bands were used in the planting plan for the green wall in order to accentuate the looming height of the hall. Maintenance of the wall is also carried out by Copijn, thereby ensuring consistent quality.