Thousands of construction and infrastructure projects in the Netherlands have ground to a halt and farmers protest over what they view as attempts to blame livestock farming for nitrogen pollution. The project is set in the context of these challenges, focusing on a new methodology for NOx (nitrogen oxide) emissions. In addition to the need for nitrogen reduction, there is also the need to address a “PFAS” problem (carbon-fluorine contamination in soil).
A sustainable and innovative glass building in the form of The Co-Creation Centre (CCC) at The Green Village within the TU Delft campus is constructed. With a flexible open floor plan, the CCC has served as an event centre since June 2020 and offers space to up to 200 guests.
The CCC is essentially a collection of different research projects carried out by consortia of scientists from TU Delft and entrepreneurs and forms the heart of The Green Village, where innovation and co-creation help to work towards a sustainable future. It is a living laboratory for sustainable innovation in the urban environment and the first building in which recycled (end-of-life) concrete has been used, including for the durable foundations.
The CCC and Nonohouse buildings are connected by a small corridor, with the Nonohouse also serving as an annexe to the CCC, housing toilet, pantry and cloakroom facilities and technical installations. Both buildings are part of The Green Village and will be a testbed for new and clean building methods, circulation flows, materials and facades. Local and natural construction methods will be tested, together with a nitrogen absorbing water-retaining roof with algae that absorb nitrogen.
The intake of nitrogen will be shown using various means, such as moss facades that change colour with the variation in air nitrogen concentration. The first review shows that the Nonohouse will absorb more nitrogen (also CO2 and particulates) than it will produce. The production of the building materials, the construction itself and the building’s use will be investigated and further developed.
As new materials and processes continue to be tested, the Nonohouse will evolve. The structure is made of cross-laminated timber (CLT) instead of steel or concrete and the amount of nitrogen emissions were reduced during the construction process by looking at the number of transportation and construction site activity.