STX

For the rapidly growing STX Group, a trading company in environmental commodities, the previous office in the city centre of Amsterdam became too small. We designed their new working environment, three floors in a BREAAM certified new-build complex in the Kop Zuidas.

client	STX
program	Office
completion	2024
area	5500 m²
location	Amsterdam

human-centric, healthy, biophilic and sustainable
The interior not only accommodates the growing number of employees, but also supports and encourages the STX team in both work and relaxation. To ensure a good spacial fit and to create a balance, we introduced architectural elements that provide contrast – from open to closed – and enable pleasant transitions – from office to restaurant. The design reflects furthermore STX’s mission: ‘We are traders of environmental progress.’ This is achieved by creating a human-centric, healthy, biophilic and sustainable interior that supports the specific work processes of STX.

Several arcades, one of the architectural elements, are prominently placed around a patio garden that generously provides the heart of the largest floor with daylight and greenery. These arcades not only set a strong architectural concept, but also connect various functions. There are, for example, places to meet and discuss informally, but also access is provided to the adjacent boardrooms. The strong rhythm of columns and the openings between them also create a pleasant transition from the entrance and reception to a coffee bar and restaurant.

“We introduced architectural elements like arcades. The rhythm of columns and the openings between provide a clear but pleasant transition.”

“A durable interior is also an interior that is as timeless as possible in terms of design, which ignores temporary trends."

Volumes
Another architectural element is recognizably present on each floor: a closed volume, placed in the core. These volumes clearly contrast spatially and in materialization with the open and transparent working environment. Where neutral and white tones characterize the workplace, the closed volume is finished with warm oak wall coverings, colorful acoustic photo prints and a light gray floor finish. Spaces to discuss in peace and quiet – for an online meeting or a conversation with colleagues or clients – and more informal seating areas to speak briefly are included in this volume.

“Meeting rooms, niches to sit and have a conversation: integrated into the oak volumes and materialized in warm coverings.”

Sustainable in multiple ways
As STX leads global change every day, away from pollution and depletion of natural resources, sustainability plays an important role in the design. For us, this starts with creating an interior that is as timeless as possible in terms of design, which ignores temporary trends. Every material used has also been examined and analyzed in terms of raw material and processing. The coffee bar, for example, is finished with fully recycled bricks, system walls are equipped with finishes that are easy to dismantle and reuse, all painting is done in non-toxic Ekotex paint and part of the floors consists of European oak parquet. The work environment we designed reflects STX’s mission: ‘We are traders of environmental progress.’ Achieved by creating a human-centric, healthy, biophilic and sustainable interior.

“A patio garden provides the heart of the largest floor with daylight and greenery. Another architectural element is recognizably present on all the three floors: a closed volume, placed in the core.”

Partners
This project was partly realized by many participating design partners and parties, with whom which we have greatly enjoyed working together with. Our thanks goes out to:

Contractor: Mokx projects
Project management: Sunday Real Estate
Interior builder: Hardeman, Wassenaar interieurmakers
MEP ADVISOR: Marcel van Bodegom – the building specialist
Landscape architect: Copijn
Photography: Stijn Poelstra