Studio PROTOTYPE's Justice Office in Zaanstad Balances Security with Openness

Studio PROTOTYPE, led by founder Jeroen Steenvoorden, has completed a new Justice Office in Zaanstad, Netherlands, that reconciles security requirements with a connection to the surrounding polder landscape. The low-slung building comprises four volumes connected by three enclosed light courtyards filled with plants, a mature tree, and a covered balcony. These atria serve as social spaces and reference the region's polder landscape, which inspired the project's spatial logic. The design incorporates a wadi drainage system that guides rainwater toward a peat lake. The structure is built entirely from cross-laminated timber (CLT), with visible glulam beams and columns in the courtyards offset by zinc cladding and bio-based green clay plaster. Bright color accents in communal spaces, such as a green kitchen and blue pantry, aid wayfinding. The louvred facade, developed with Rotterdam's ArchiTech Company, limits visibility from outside while preserving daylight and views. The modular design allows for future longitudinal expansion.