Studio Massimo's Grass-Topped Office Blends into Dutch Heathland

Amsterdam-based architecture firm Studio Massimo has completed 'Office in Nature', a bio-based office building in the Netherlands that integrates with its surrounding woodland. The 1,120-square-metre structure, located on the Tafelberg heath in North Holland, replaces a derelict events hall and draws inspiration from the historic plaggenhut dwellings made of turf and grass. The building features bark cladding and an expansive green roof planted with around a hundred native species, which founder Max Verhoeven says 'adds habitat rather than taking it'. The design aims to act as an extension of the landscape, with the roof serving as an active heather landscape. The northern facade is nearly invisible from approach, with a low wall of repurposed tiles and a geometric wooden wall framing the entrance. Inside, a seven-metre-high central space features gabled ceilings lined with pale timber battens, and interiors are finished almost entirely in Red Grandis wood. The southern side opens to the heathland with full-height sliding glass doors, and two cut-outs in the roof create terraces for meeting rooms and workspaces. Verhoeven emphasized the importance of direct access to nature from every workspace and the minimization of technical elements to maintain a peaceful interior. The project was photographed by Riccardo de Vecchi.