VEVS transformed DTI Group’s office building in Wijk en Aalburg (the Netherlands) into a contemporary office with a brand-new entrance and conference rooms.

DTI Group comprises three businesses that operate under the same roof. Their former office was built in the 1990s. It was unpretentious and nondescript. The entrance’s construction consisted of synthetic windows with Trespa eaves. The employees’ offices were dark, small rooms, lacking an inspirational atmosphere. When, early 2017, the three executive boards set out to rejuvenate and internationalize the corporation, they soon concluded their office building did not breathe their ambitions. Adjustments needed to be made.

Studio VEVS developed a vision much more comprehensive than DTI Group’s initial request. The studio proposed a complete conversion of the building: the demolishment of a section of the building (the entrance hall and surrounding offices) would make space for the construction of a whole new building.

The studio’s unique integral approach of architecture and interior did not only result in a larger-scale proposal, but also in a design that interwove inside and outside so eloquently that the new construction exposes a coherent whole. The design was not made from the inside out, nor from the outside in, but as a dialogue between both.

DTI Group’s businesses specialize in the production and retail of butter and puff pastry. Therefore, VEVS sought inspiration in the Dutch landscape, with its typical parcellation and agrarian barns. The flat low-rise was replaced by a distinctive design containing two sloped, sharp roofs. In the old building, daylight barely came in through the small windows. Now, a panoramic glass panel covers almost the entire façade. It pulls the passerby’s gaze inside, at the same time putting the staff in contact with the bustle outside. The four seasons garden, also designed by VEVS, will blossom in the next year. By whitewashing the older sections of the building, the new construction pops even more.

In the tallest façade, long and slim rows were cut-out and deep-set windows put in. Passing traffic first sees a dark façade, but notices the building opening itself up while passing the building. In the conference room, the windows stretch from bottom to ceiling, emphasizing the building’s height.

Upon entering, you immediately notice the ledlines, seamlessly integrated into the larch lining. The long, thin strips of light are playfully placed: some strips remind of drops trickling down the wall, others multiply as they are reflected in the glass partitions, creating dynamic angles. This lighting accentuates the tall windows and the long beams of the exterior’s Accoya wood facade.

The dark, oiled Accoya-wood beams that were used to erect the façade, reoccur inside to create separate spaces. Using lots of glass, placing daylight lamps and designing an open floor plan, VEVS constructed a legible office space in which lines of sight engage with each other. While behind their desk, employees experience spaciousness and a sense of being outdoors.

The Dutch agricultural landscape is reflected in the flooring: fields of Bolon recycled vinyl were placed throughout the entire office, varying in size, direction and colour. As the fields, not hindered by partitions or walls, continue from one space into the next, the different rooms connect to each other.

VEVS chose furniture with organic and round shapes to soften up the clean design. Sofas and armchairs are fitted in dark gray and wine-red felt. Side tables and conference room tables are oval or round. A felt wall hides the conference room’s high-tech climate system. The furniture and the powder pink center (housing both the lavatory and copy room) that holds the wall of Pikaplant Jars have almost all been custom-made for DTI Group. The three wooden side tables in the entrance hall each have a different engraving in its tabletop, showcasing the logo and individual story of all three businesses.

The old building’s lay-out made small offices even smaller due to cabinets and cupboard lining up along the walls. VEVS designed a fitted cupboard to entirely cover one of the office’s longest walls, creating both more floor space and more storage facility. The built-in closets in the conference rooms give space to stow away audiovisual equipment when not in use and store paper documents out of sight, leaving a tasteful space that invites to gather.

VEVS found excess wooden beams in DTI Group’s old hangar and gave them a second life as contours of the partition’s construction. The open floor plan is split in two by a large, green divider that functions as an informal reception desk. The tapestries on the wall were made by an executive’s family member.

VEVS created a new signature for DTI Group. The corporation’s new office building embodies the prominence and allure the executive boards desired, with an open character. DTI Group now has a representative office to welcome visitors from all over the world.

Copyright: VEVS
VEVS projectteam: Rob van Sprang, Martijn d’Herripon, Danielle Pennock
Projectmanagement: Platform Allround Den Bosch
Contratcor: Van Griensven Geffen
Interior Construction: Verbruggen interieur Schijndel
Contract Furniture: Charles & More Amsterdam
Glass partitions: Ardy Prijs Lienden
Garden design: Studio Frank Heijligers
E-installation: Gabriels Electro Veghel
W-installation: Verstappen van Amelsvoort Nuland

Photography: Mike Bink