De Oude Beek, Vogelenzang In 2016 we were approached by Waternet to transform a former drainage building in the Amsterdam Waterleidingduinen to a conference hall. The building ‘De Oude Beek’, (translated ‘The old brook’) currently resides a meeting location for managing board where it is also possible to receive business relations. There are propositions to open the location to the public so everyone can visit. From 1929 to 1964 water extracted underground was being pumped from this building to the adjacent collecting basin ‘Oranjekom’. From there the water led through the purification station ‘Leiduin’ towards Amsterdam. Interieurontwerp The windows in the building are quite high up from the floor. By raising the conference area, a better view of the surrounding area was created to really give the feeling of ‘Conferencing in nature’. The symmetry already present in the building was continued throughout the furniture. On the inside of the entrance facade, a glass hall with toilet and cloakroom was placed. This transparent solution combined with the open roof construction with led lighting on the beams makes for a very open chamber. Pompkelder The pumps were removed years earlier and the basement was filled with sand and a covered with tiles. During improvements, a decision was made to dig out the basement again and put the pumps and installations on display. The basement can be reached via a hatch in the hallway and the newly placed metal staircase. The added led lighting does not disturb the original image of the basement but rather highlights the earlier locations of the pumps and installations. This also brings out the ocher and red tiles nicely. Duurzaamheid Sustainable material is used wherever possible. Wool from sheep of the dune area is used to create the blue felt paneling. The carpet tiles have a biodegradable chalk back on their glue side. The manufacturer used the chalk gained as a residual product from the water purification process. Due to the strong regulations within the water extraction area, special manufactured paint is used both outside and inside. The building is fitted with a smart installation system that ensures the correct climate conditions. Lighting, heating, and ventilation can be operated both at the location and at a distance to save on energy. Amsterdamse school ‘De Oude Beek’ has multiple style elements from the Amsterdam School, e.g., the hipped roof made from slate. In the adjacent pumping station ‘De Oranjekom’, also made by Anoldus Peltzer and now used as visitors center, these styles are much more prominent. For this reason, we used current day materials and details to pay homage to the Amsterdam School when designing the conference room. Some references: The attached walls in de hallway and the conference room, the decoration on the closets, the fixture above the table and the overall color scheme.