Schiphol Catalyst Multi-Tenant Office | Except Systemic Design

The Schiphol Catalyst Office is a concept for a multi-tenant and healthy office building at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, designed to create a fully integrated and self-sufficient business precinct. Given the airport's rapid and large-scale development, this project ensures the business environment is as environmentally and socially sustainable as possible. The design goes beyond a single building. It functions as a catalyst for circularity within the entire Schiphol business precinct, demonstrating how commercial architecture can regenerate its surrounding neighborhood and ecosystem.

The Problem

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol's expansion required commercial buildings that could meet ambitious sustainability targets while navigating complex restrictions on birdlife, health, and safety measures unique to airport environments. Standard green building approaches fell short for a site demanding both ecological ambition and aviation-compatible design. The challenge: create a multi-stakeholder office environment, engaging over 70 stakeholders, that achieves self-sufficiency while remaining flexible enough for decades of evolving corporate tenants and their unique spatial needs.

Process

Multi-stakeholder engagement

With over 70 stakeholders involved, the process used systemic design methods to align diverse interests. Schiphol's operational requirements, tenant needs, and sustainability ambitions were synthesized into a unified design brief that no single party could have produced alone.

Metabolic building concept

The core structure combines offices, business spaces, and parking within a metabolic framework. The upper level features a lush elevated landscape contained within a transparent enclosure, addressing Schiphol's birdlife restrictions while creating a controlled green environment crucial to the building's sustainability performance.

Modular pavilion system

Multiple stilted office pavilions sit within the park landscape, keeping the environment open and flexible. Each pavilion permits cyclical renovation and relocation, accommodating a wide range of designs for each company's unique needs and expression.

Outcomes

Stakeholders: 70+; Multi-stakeholder design process for a shared precinct
Self-sufficiency: Full; Energy, water, and waste systems designed for autonomy
Flexibility: Modular; Pavilion system allows tenant turnover without structural waste
Circularity scope: Precinct-wide; Catalyst for circular flows across the entire Schiphol business district

Gallery

S_Catalyst_Exterior_v004_rgb_016final_asset_wideimage.jpg — Aerial render

circular flows catalyst.jpg — Circular flow diagram

circular schematic catalyst.jpg — Circular schematic

Credits

Except team: Tom Bosschaert (Director), Antonia Sore (Architect), Luca Gennari (Environmental Engineering Consultant).

With: Albertien Perdok (Ecosystem Designer), Arjan Luiten (Sustainable Spatial Designer & Architect), Bart Stoffels (Urban planner, process manager), Elsa Semin (Sustainable Cities Intern), Libera Amenta (Urban Planner, Metabolism & Circularity), Marta Suanzes (Architect), Michiel van der Vight (Senior Associate), Mirjam Schmüll (Urban strategist, process manager), Bart Verhagen (Quality Control, Rotterdams Ontwikkelcollectief), Cecile van Oppen (Business Modeling, Copper8).

Except team: Tom Bosschaert (Director), Antonia Sore (Architect), Luca Gennari (Environmental Engineering Consultant).

With: Albertien Perdok (Ecosystem Designer), Arjan Luiten (Sustainable Spatial Designer & Architect), Bart Stoffels (Urban planner, process manager), Elsa Semin (Sustainable Cities Intern), Libera Amenta (Urban Planner, Metabolism & Circularity), Marta Suanzes (Architect), Michiel van der Vight (Senior Associate), Mirjam Schmüll (Urban strategist, process manager), Bart Verhagen (Quality Control, Rotterdams Ontwikkelcollectief), Cecile van Oppen (Business Modeling, Copper8).

Partner: Schiphol Real Estate.