One Helix, designed by UNS for developer Breakthrough Properties and the offices for AstraZeneca, has been completed in Amsterdam. Located near Amsterdam UMC, the 6,515 m² building brings laboratories, offices and shared amenities together in a workplace shaped by environmental targets and adaptability.

Developed as a net energy positive building, One Helix aims to outperform Nearly Zero-Energy Building requirements while meeting the complex technical demands of a life science facility. From the outset, the project was guided by a whole life carbon approach, in which operational energy, embodied carbon, flexibility and material efficiency were considered together.

A focus of the design was the reduction of embodied carbon. Through life cycle assessment and material optimisation, the team reduced embodied carbon to less than half of what is typically found in a comparable building type in the Netherlands. The completed building combines a hybrid low-carbon structure with demountable components, energy recovery systems, passive cooling, integrated photovoltaics, thermal energy storage, a green roof and water retention measures.

The facade, developed with i-Mesh, gives the building its identity. Its basalt fibre shading elements were designed in response to orientation, solar heat gain and wind load, helping to improve comfort, reduce thermal load and support daylight performance across both laboratory and office floors.

Ben van Berkel, Founder & Principal Architect at UNS, said: “This new headquarter building will strengthen AstraZeneca’s ongoing efforts to pioneer the field of T-cell receptor therapies in a healthy and collaborative work environment that meets, and at times exceeds, the highest sustainability standards.

“We have also integrated biophilic design elements and natural materials into the design to create healthy work and leisure spaces for all AstraZeneca employees.”

With its combination of technical performance, spatial quality and commercial realism, One Helix offers a clear model for the next generation of sustainable research environments.

Explore the full project here.