coast guard den helder

In view of the expected sea level rise, the MOC is placed on a new one-metre-high 'mound', including the leafy entrance plaza. The building has a glass plinth, on top of which a two-storey volume with a bamboo facade is placed. Over time, the bamboo will weather to a beautiful warm-grey, befitting the coastal location, but in line with the Central Government Real Estate Agency's high sustainability standards: it is low-maintenance and bio-based material.

Besides choosing bio-based material where possible, an efficient installation concept keeps energy consumption low. The building is also sustainable through the use of PV panels and its high degree of flexibility and demountable construction. Installations are set back on the roof at the ends and on the ground floor on the side facing the bridge, as no further extension is possible there. The other end lends itself to possible expansion.

Both the main building and and training site are demountable with a view to unforeseen future developments - the façade is a separate removable element and dry dismountable connections are used. The floor fields can be flexibly partitioned. The actual operations centre is a six-metre-high space with a large screen and a panoramic view of Den Helder and the sea. The middle zone of the MOC is intended for visitors, who are given their 'own' route in the building.

The office spaces of the MOC catch daylight through large windows, with vertical 'gills' as shading. Functions such as the bicycle shed, changing rooms and so forth are instead low in daylight and placed in the centre of the building. In the interior of the middle zone and the operational part of the building, the sustainable choice of as much wood as possible creates a warm, soft atmosphere.