Police location Eindhoven: landscape and architecture ingeniously interwoven
Clusters
The police already stated in their request for proposal that the various units that will be based at the location will be working together extensively. This concerns the Oost-Brabant unit, the Police Academy, the Police Services Centre and services of the National Unit. Instead of each of them being housed in a separate building, programs will be clustered together. In the coming period, the design team and the police will specify the cohesion between and within these clusters. The buildings and the green outdoor space - at different heights - will be efficiently and logically distributed across the site.
Unique task
Designing a police location for multiple units and teams is a unique task, of which no examples exist yet. An important starting point for the new location in Eindhoven is the preservation of the existing ecology. People and animals will soon be using the site together. The landscaped outdoor space is also in line with the police's desire for more exchange and cross-fertilization between units. A green public space invites students and employees of the police and guests to take a walk and meet each other outside.
Challenge
From experience, our team knows that the police have a lot of ground-based program. The design team therefore introduces a layered ground level and buildings with entrances on different floors. The challenge now is to interweave these outdoor spaces with different heights in a logical manner and to allow the surrounding landscape to continue in the same manner on these different levels. In doing so, the police station must continue to meet the safety requirements and not burden the residents of the adjacent neighborhood with a view of high-rise buildings or an ugly fence.
Integral design
The police location in Eindhoven will be biodiverse, climate adaptive and nature inclusive. The buildings on the site will be energy efficient and circular. It will be an environment that invites to collaborate and supports the functional processes of the users. It is a complex task that requires an integral design. For example, an embankment can have an ecological function, keep parked cars out of sight, and contribute to security at the same time.
