NIOZ SEEHOUSE

The Nioz Seehouse is a building that is close to the sea and is also meant to be seen. It is meant to be seen in order to make more awareness about Nioz and what they do. The building is located in a busy part of the Verdronken zwarte polder and is also positioned on poles to make it even more visible. From the outside, the design resembles two distinct structures: a tall, narrow building dedicated to work and a lower one designated for living. The tall narrow part of the building has a certain transparency, allowing people to look inside and see others working and conducting research. The living part has a more closed facade. The residents enter the building in the working area of the building. When entering the building it becomes clear that the two parts are more connected than expected from the outside. In the middle of the building, there is a patio and around this patio all the functions are located. While the facade of the living area is a bit enclosed, most light enters the building through the patio. The patio forms also the connection with the environment, allowing people to look down and see the water with high tide and the sand with low tide. Next to the patio, there is the library, this library represents the shelter of the building, being enclosed by the building but still very connected to the outside.