One Helix

Located near Amsterdam UMC, the 6,515 m² building shows how ambitious sustainability goals can shape not only technical systems, but also spatial quality, material choices and long-term usability.

Conceived as a net energy positive building, One Helix aims to outperform Nearly Zero-Energy Building requirements. From the earliest stages, the project was developed through a whole life carbon approach, balancing operational energy, embodied carbon, material efficiency and future adaptability. Rather than adding sustainability measures afterwards, the design integrates them into the massing, facade, roofscape, structure and interior atmosphere.

The building combines demanding laboratory functions with a flexible layout that supports present-day research use while allowing for future change. Offices, meeting spaces, storage, amenities and technical infrastructure are organised within a straightforward and efficient framework, helping reduce material use and simplifying later adaptation. This flexibility was essential to making the project both environmentally effective and commercially realistic.

A major achievement of the project was the reduction of embodied carbon to less than half of what is typically found in a comparable Dutch building type. Through detailed life cycle assessment, the team optimised material use and prioritised circular strategies wherever viable. The resulting hybrid structure, using low-carbon concrete and steel, proved more effective than a timber alternative for this specific brief. Lightweight, demountable components and reduced cement content further support future reuse and lower impact over time.

The façade emerged from environmental performance requirements as much as from architectural intent. Early studies focused on reducing solar heat gain, improving daylight conditions and supporting user comfort in both office and laboratory environments. Developed with i-Mesh, the building’s distinctive external shading elements respond to orientation, wind load and solar exposure. Robotic fabrication and a zero-waste production method enabled a custom basalt fibre screen system that balances transparency, protection and structural stability, giving the building its recognisable identity.

Operational carbon is reduced through a combination of passive and active measures, including bespoke solar shading, efficient air treatment with heat recovery, heat exchange systems, phase-shift climate ceilings, thermal energy storage and integrated photovoltaics. These systems work together with a green roof and water retention strategy to reduce heat stress, support biodiversity and strengthen climate resilience. Shared electric mobility and charging infrastructure add to the project’s wider low-carbon approach.

Inside, the design moves away from the clinical atmosphere often associated with research environments. In response to AstraZeneca’s brief, the interior makes sustainability visible through circular thinking, natural materials and biophilic elements, while fully supporting the technical demands of laboratory work. Material selections were assessed not only for embodied carbon, but also for indoor air quality, with environmental product declarations and VOC thresholds informing key decisions. Where highly innovative products were not commercially feasible, carefully chosen alternatives ensured that the project’s environmental ambitions remained present in the final design.

One Helix demonstrates that a life science building can achieve strong environmental performance while remaining buildable, adaptable and attractive as a workplace. It presents a practical model for how research environments can meet high technical standards and offer a healthy, comfortable setting for the people who use them every day.