Similar projects are already implemented by MVRDV, a Dutch architectural office whose founders are some of the most influential starchitects in the world. In 2023, MVRDV unveiled Matrix ONE, a state-of-the-art laboratory/office center designed to be easily dismantled when needed. Designed to be dismantled (designed to be dismantled) is the slogan of the project. Ukrainian architect Evgenia Koval, who received her first education in Kyiv, also worked on the ecologically sustainable Matrix ONE concept. Now she is part of the MVRDV team, where she works on architectural and urban sustainable projects. On October 4, Evgenia held an online lecture for the participants of the student architectural competition Steel Freedom 2024: on the example of the Matrix ONE case, Evgenia told how sustainable and ecological projects can be transferred from the category of utopia to the present. PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA listened to a lecture by a Ukrainian architect and recounts the most important points.
About the goals of Matrix ONE and the ecological concept
Matrix ONE is a six-story eco-efficient office-laboratory built in an innovation park in Amsterdam. The architects were tasked with creating not just an office center, but an innovative hub of the future that would serve as an example of sustainable development for all other buildings on the campus. Environmental friendliness and sustainability required new innovative design approaches - this is why MVRDV decided to conceptually design a building that is almost completely demountable (the house can be disassembled into elements, moved and then reassembled) and energy neutral (as proof of this the project received the BREEAM certificate Excellent).
Ukrainian architect Evgenia Koval worked on the Matrix ONE concept for several years. Photo: MVRDV
"I worked on the Matrix ONE concept for several years — starting from the conceptual phase and ending with implementation and supervision. And the MVRDV office building project itself began to be created in 2017," says Yevgenia Koval.
Matrix ONE was built on the territory of Amsterdam Science Park, a science and technology park in the capital of the Netherlands, which began to be developed 15 years ago. The neighboring buildings of Matrix ONE had an introverted character - the architects noticed that the public spaces in them were hidden and closed. Therefore, the goal was to design a new building that would become the new social hub of the campus and the Matrix Innovation Center division—hence the name Matrix ONE. The team of designers also took into account that the technology park has a very extensive network of paths and trails, which are often used by residents: they rest, communicate, drink coffee. After analyzing the location, MVRDV began the conceptual design phase with two questions:
- how to create an environmentally sustainable laboratory, ready for future changes?
- how can the building enhance campus life and promote social interaction?
At the core of Matrix ONE's architectural concept are open facades that transform the building into the center of campus social life. Photo source: © Daria Scagliola / MVRDV
So, the architects identified three main goals of the project: social interaction, energy efficiency and circularity (using the least amount of materials and reducing waste in the construction process). Social interaction was achieved thanks to the accessibility of the building and the open architectural concept. Evgenia told how it was created:
"We decided to visually open public areas and laboratories (which are usually hidden inside) and place them on the facades - this became a key element of the architectural concept. We also continued the network of public paths from the main square of the campus and directed them literally inside the building: through the transparent facade you can see how they stretch to the very roof of the building. We designed the stairs in our favorite style, making them a giant public space. Now it is not only a staircase, but also a social infrastructure that connects all levels and zones and leads guests to the highest floor, from where a panorama of the entire technopark opens."
Inside the Matrix ONE is the atrium, the largest public space, visually connected to the recreation areas and office spaces. Photo source: © Daria Scagliola / MVRDV
Inside Matrix ONE is the atrium, the largest public space and the heart of the building, visually connected to recreation areas and office spaces. That is, residents can see what is happening in the atrium during work, and vice versa. The large meeting room and the auditorium are located on the side of the facade that is visually connected to the scientific complex - this is how the architects tried to emphasize the public nature of the building from all sides.
Environmental friendliness and sustainability required new innovative design approaches - that's why MVRDV decided to conceptually design a building that is almost completely demountable: it can be disassembled, moved and then reassembled
Another important goal of the project was high energy efficiency. The basic task for achieving this goal was to obtain the BREEAM Excellent certificate, which means that the building is environmentally efficient in the maximum number of requirements. Here are the "green" and technological solutions implemented by the MVRDV team: natural ventilation was used in the building, plants were planted on the roof ("green roof") and 1000 square meters of solar panels were installed, the building also has a smart lighting system that is responsible for reasonable energy consumption : sensors with artificial intelligence turn the lights on and off by themselves. Matrix ONE is heated using heat pumps.
"We tried to integrate the principles of sustainable development from all possible angles. For example, during the design process, we realized that our public staircase could serve as a ventilation shaft and would be able to naturally exhaust hot air through vents in the roof. So we added sun shades and plants to the space to create the ideal indoor climate. Here's how it works: Air enters the building from the ground floor and moves naturally upwards through each platform. Thanks to additional cooling from the floor, the atmosphere is always cool, and plants help maintain an optimal microclimate. The space is ventilated naturally, and therefore does not need air conditioners," Yevgenia said.
The Matrix ONE staircase is a large public space where residents can spend time surrounded by plants. Photo source: © Daria Scagliola / MVRDV
An important feature of the project is social inclusion — social accessibility of the building. From the outset, the architects insisted that Matrix ONE's public staircase be accessible to all campus residents, not just the academics working inside. "On the one hand, we insisted on accessibility, on the other hand, it is still a laboratory, there is a very high level of security, so the idea of a security check was considered. Discussions took place throughout the project. In the end, the client agreed to make this space open and accessible to everyone. This is the most important trend and direction in which the whole of Europe is currently moving. We strive to create spaces open to all people, regardless of their status or belonging to any groups."
Designed to be dismantled: how the building was made dismantled
The Matrix ONE structure was designed to be 95% collapsible — it can be dismantled if the need arises, and installed in another location, using these materials again. If there is no such need, MVRDV recommends that the building be dismantled after 100 years - that is its term of "suitability". The team of architects created a video to show how this will happen.
All the components that make up Matrix ONE were divided into five groups: stuff, space plane, services, skin, structure. Each of the groups of elements has its own service life from 15 to 100 years. For example, the space plane (internal walls, movable partitions) in MVRDV is recommended to be renewed after 15 years of use. The skin layer (all elements of the facade) can theoretically serve for 50 years. The steel structure of the building will be suitable for 100 years.
The Matrix ONE public staircase is an extension of the network of paths on the campus and leads to the roof of the building to the observation deck. Photo source: © Daria Scagliola / MVRDV
"The building is considered to be demountable only by 95%, because the foundation of the building is a concrete core, to which all structures are attached. We considered the option of replacing the core with metal structures, but in our case, a concrete support was the optimal solution in view of fire safety and the requirements for the stability of the structure. If the building was lower, then we could do it, but in the Netherlands there are completely different height requirements," Yevgenia explained.
The facade of the building was decorated with so-called aluminum cassette panels - these are structures designed by MVRDV. Architects spent a long time deciding how to make these facades collapsible. Each cassette is made separately and is attached to the building with the help of hidden bolts - thanks to this, the facade can be easily disassembled.
The facade consists of aluminum plates, the design of which was developed by MVRDV. Photo source: © Daria Scagliola / MVRDV
One of the most difficult tasks was the construction of floor slabs and wall partitions - they should not be reinforced concrete and should form a structure that can be disassembled. Therefore, all floor slabs and wall partitions are made of metal structures and connected to each other using bolts or click-systems. That is, the floor slabs are not "glued" and not merged with each other (in reinforced concrete), so they can be disassembled or replaced. With this in mind, marmoleum — ecological linoleum made from recycled materials — was used to cover the floor on all floors. This material can be removed and updated. A poured floor was provided only in the atrium on the first floor.
The internal layout and technical installations serving the building have been designed to be as flexible as possible: offices can easily be converted into laboratories and vice versa, and laboratories can be easily upgraded with new systems to meet new standards over time.
Matrix ONE was designed in the BIM system: it allows you to immediately communicate with designers and establish all internal communications, that is, the architect integrates all building elements into one model and immediately sees whether they work or not. At the final stage, the author receives a complex model that covers all elements: construction, facade, interiors, installations, communications. Each element of the building is assigned its own code.
The space was designed to be as flexible as possible: offices can be easily converted into laboratories and vice versa. Photo source: © Daria Scagliola / MVRDV
“For Matrix ONE, we created a materials passport on the Madaster platform, which means that every material we use is codified and can be tracked globally. This is important to adhere to the principle of circularity. For example, the building consists of more than 11000 metal structures that have a unique code. Using this code, you can track the origin of the steel, its certification, the date of installation and the date of scheduled dismantling. That is, the BIM model contains all the data about every element of the building."
For the circularity of the entire project, the architects tried to use steel, the logistics of which required the least costs. That is, the metals come mostly from European countries, which are located not too far from Amsterdam. "Transportation of raw materials takes a lot of energy, and the most CO2 is emitted during transportation, and it pollutes the planet a lot. We monitored this with the help of the Life Cycle Assessment system — it shows the entire list of materials across Europe, and when you create a project, you can see which of them can be used optimally," explained the architect.
Campus residents play volleyball on the court next to the Matrix ONE lab. Photo source: © Daria Scagliola / MVRDV
The construction process of the building was relatively quick, because most of the elements were manufactured in advance. After the foundation was poured, the structural elements of Matrix ONE were assembled in one year. The building now houses research laboratories and offices for technology companies (Qualcomm), as well as sustainability companies: Photanol, Skytree and the startup FUL Foods.
About MVRDV and advice to Ukrainian developers
The MVRDV architectural office was established in Rotterdam in 1992 by three architects - Vinnie Maas, Jakob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries (the name is formed from the initials of the founders' surnames). Over 30 years, MVRDV has grown to become one of the most influential architectural practices in the world, with offices in Rotterdam (headquarters here), Shanghai, Paris, Berlin and New York. MVRDV works not only in the fields of architecture and urbanism, but also engages in R&D - scientific research and development.
Since 1992, the bureau has implemented more than 1000 projects in various countries. One of the first and most resonant MVRDV cases is the Dutch Expo Pavilion. It's a vertical stack of six Dutch ecosystems designed for Expo 2000 in Hannover to show how the Netherlands makes the most of its limited urban space. Or the Markthal project of 2014, which combines an indoor market and apartments in one building. "As an office, we create very bold, social and playful architecture with an innovative approach to materials. For example, in one of our latest projects for BVLGARI, we decorated the facade of the store with material made of recycled glass," said Yevgenia Koval.
Markthal is a project by MVRDV in Rotterdam, which combines a residential complex and a large public space under an arch. In the first half of the day, the space serves as a market, in the evening as a platform for restaurants or events. Photo source: MVRDV
Another well-known MVRDV project is the Rotterdam Rooftop Walk. This is a system of paths that stretch through the urban space of Rotterdam and, in particular, include the roofs of buildings on their route. In this project, the bureau's team works on the border between architecture and urbanism and thus tries to explore the perspective of using roofs in an overpopulated city. Rotterdam Rooftop Walk is a vivid example of the R&D direction of the bureau's work. By investing in research, the MVRDV team is trying to shape consumer culture among Dutch citizens, on the one hand, and on the other hand, to lobby at the local level for solutions that will help transform the outdated regulatory system.
"Architects always have ambitions to make the building ecological and human-centric, but during the work on the project, these ideas are not always implemented. Therefore, it is the collaboration between the client and the developer, as well as the current economic situation, that are the key points that develop architecture" — Evgenia Koval
"In Rotterdam, it is officially forbidden to use the roofs of buildings, they are not adapted to put another function on them. It takes a lot of investment to make this possible. But as part of the Rotterdam Rooftop Walk project, we conducted research and found out what can be changed so that the city grows not only horizontally, but also vertically. After all, the Netherlands is a very small country, we cannot grow horizontally indefinitely. Thanks to such small experimental studies, we are moving step by step towards the realization of certain ideas in the future."
To the question of PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA, what changes should take place in the architectural and development environment of Ukraine in order to get closer to the implementation of projects similar to Matrix ONE, Yevgenia Koval answered:
"This is a symbiosis of such components as a healthy economy, as well as progressive values of the client and the developer. The architect does not really play such a key role as it seems at first glance. Architects always have ambitions to make the building ecological and human-centered, but during the work on the project, these ideas are not always realized. Therefore, it is the collaboration between the client and the developer, as well as the current economic situation, that are the key points that develop architecture. And, of course, developers must have appropriate technological capabilities, they must improve their practice, be in the context of progress, understand where the world and real estate are moving. That's how all changes happen: first in mentality, and then in reality."
