a.s.r wished to create a space that brought their values to life. Allowing them to care for their people, reflective of their respect for the environment and supporting sustainable living. Situated in the middle of the Netherlands in the city of Utrecht, keeping the environmental impact into account a.s.r chose to renovate their unused building with minimal waste. The horizontal structure to the new building promoted collaboration and equality among the staff.
A big part of the content provided to us was of the renovation process through the 7 years of its construction. But when we dug a bit deeper into the purpose and goals of the company, we realized that the focus for this publication must include not just the grand building, but above all the people that make the company and what it means for them to work in this space. Our approach from here was to show the perspective of the staff and all the goals they had helped the company achieve collectively. The title inspired by this family-like togetherness shared by the employees was called - a home for a.s.r.
With deep involvement in environmental issues, the publication also showed the interdependence and interactions of the outside flora and fauna with the people living within it. Energy-saving was a key goal in the whole construction process. The story starts with the construction stage going into this state-of-the-art building. Communicating through rich textured pages and brilliant colours the vision of a.s.r as a family working towards one common goal.
This publication is a kaleidoscopic view into a.s.r’s core within the settings of a new building adding great value to the fields of architecture, ecology, and the environment. But more importantly, bringing together various human qualities and celebrating collaborativeness and a sense of belonging for all the people working in it.
client: a.s.r. , Fiona van’t hullenaar / book concept, art direction & ontwerp: Lopezlab Amsterdam / production: Sacha Happée / text: Juul verheijen / illustrations & infographics: Bodil Jane & Mariola López Mariño / photography: various authors / printing: robStolk