FIFPro Opens and Bluewater breaks ground in the Netherlands Park 20|20 Development

BEUKENHORST ZUID, HOOFDDORP, The Netherlands, June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In recent weeks, FIFPro, worldwide representative union for professional soccer players, opened its new headquarters building and Bluewater Energy Solutions, a technical service provider to the energy and industrial marketplace, broke ground for a new building at Delta Development's Park 20|20,  the first full-service Cradle to Cradle-inspired development in the Netherlands, designed by William McDonough+Partners.

Park 20|20 was designed to stimulate creativity and effectiveness of employees by creating safe and healthy places for work and recreation. It synthesizes the issues of access and mobility, connectivity, passive design, and integrated renewable energy, water and waste management systems. The 114,000 square meter site sits adjacent to Schiphol Airport and provides easy rail, bus, and bicycle transit. Beyond mobility, green zones, urban plazas, public gardens and canal boardwalks within Park 20|20 encourage a connection to the larger community. Cradle to Cradle inspired, each building's size and massing is optimized for solar orientation so that these exterior green spaces and the building interiors are flooded with daylight.

Coert Zachariasse, CEO of Delta Development Group, said: "The opening of FIFPro and the start of construction for Bluewater's new head office, the latest development at Park 20|20, are two more great examples of the on-going implementation of Cradle to Cradle in the built environment. It is a great journey and one we are immensely proud to be in on with William McDonough + Partners.''

FIFPro's global reach and cultural diversity has influenced the dynamic design for the new headquarters building. The monumental glass structure enables abundant natural lighting, in addition to the renewable solar shade canopy. Flexible floor plates with interiors showcase different colors and worldly sustainable materials. In the garden, a sculptural auditorium anchors outdoor passive recreation, broadcasting international matches on an LED screen, connecting players to matches from across the world.

"By designing a connective instrument of openness, transparency, and responsive design, we created a new home for FIFPro that supports their mission of promoting fair play, equality, and solidarity among its global family of athletes," said William McDonough of William McDonough + Partners, Design Architect. "We are pleased to continue our involvement with Delta Development. Park 20|20 is a demonstration of the Cradle to Cradle framework—practical, principled innovation and dedication to continuous improvement—in action."

Bluewater is designed for disassembly and utilizes McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry's Cradle to Cradle® Product Screening to ensure materials are recovered as nutrients for safe, continuous cycling—becoming assets with real economic value, not liabilities sent to landfills. For example, the facade features a Mosa Tile rain screen system that is Cradle to Cradle Certified^CM and can be disassembled and reutilized again safely. Supporting innovation at Bluewater Energy Services will require continuous improvement and adaptation over time. Technologies change daily, research approaches range widely, people work differently, the balance between business units will change—all of these dynamics require a building that will meet today's needs and anticipate those of tomorrow. The client, design team, and construction team are creating an environment that enables easy spatial and technological reconfiguration to support Bluewater's workplace and diversity over the long term.

About William McDonough + Partners

William McDonough + Partners is an architecture and urban design firm with offices in Charlottesville, Virginia, and San Francisco. The firm applies a positive, principled design philosophy based on Cradle to Cradle^® thinking, which takes its cues from living systems and seeks to expand on enduring standards of quality. Cradle to Cradle is a registered trademark of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry. To learn more visit www.mcdonoughpartners.com and www.mcdonough.com.

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415 690 0182, [email protected]

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415 381 1100, [email protected]

SOURCE William McDonough + Partners