Rays of sunlight were beaming down through a vast 166-meter-long wooden canopy above Berry’s head and illuminating the space all around him. Believe it or not, he was touring a train station – but one unlike any he had seen before, even with his 25 years in the industry.
Berry began walking to the opposite end of the station. He had never been here before, but he felt like he ‘knew’ where he was going and exactly how to get there. Just then, a friendly voice rang out. It was Jarko: “So… What do you think then?”
Before Berry could answer, the world around him evaporated and he found himself standing in Royal HaskoningDHV’s office in Utrecht. Jarko removed the virtual reality goggles he’d been wearing; it was time to give his feedback to the team…
It was at the end of 2019 when the final designs were agreed. Inspired by the local Veluwe landscape, high quality materials – such as wood, stone, glass and steel – were used throughout to complement the natural surroundings, as well as existing buildings and monuments already constructed in Ede. And there’s no doubt these materials came together to create a project with the ‘wow’ factor.
The canopy Kirsten was desperate to include is perhaps the showpiece – and consists of 24 triangles, each with sides 27-meters-long. The original triangle idea was from Mecanoo but the Royal HaskoningDHV team had well and truly made it their own. Mimicking a tree canopy and part glazed to let in an abundance of light, the wooden triangles were designed to suspend on different levels and be visually separate – free from support columns and each other.
With a proud smile on her face, Kirsten said: “Functionality was at the core of design too. Our team embedded intuitive spatial wayfinding to improve passenger flows – enabling people to move around quickly and easily. Passenger safety and wellbeing didn’t get ignored either and we made sure that no matter where you were standing in the station, you could be seen by somebody. Now when it’s late or dark, you feel safe.”
Showcasing all this to ProRail was where the team really had fun, as Berry remembers back to when 3D parametric design was used: “To help me understand what all this would look like in reality, Jarko had me wear some virtual reality goggles so I could tour the station – all while remaining at Royal HaskoningDHV’s office in Utrecht. It was incredible moving around in the VR and 3D world – and really helped me shift my perspective and give feedback to the team, as well as picture Ede-Wageningen in all its glory.”
Not only did the 3D world help paint a picture of the station, but it also showed Berry how each part of the design would impact and affect the other – and was a real turning point. Berry finished: “It helped bring the station to life.”
A journey to create something innovative and worthwhile is never without its obstacles. One standout moment, as Jarko looks back, was catering for a special group of local inhabitants… “In the Netherlands, we have a rare species of cricket called Spoorkrekel – it’s protected and only found in this part of Ede.” He continued: “So when designing the station, we had to make sure we didn’t endanger the species and actually ended up incorporating the old tracks into our design as a habitat for them.”
And crickets weren’t the only occupant the team had to overcome… When bats were found in the existing station, Jarko and Kirsten had to adjust their design to keep a building in place to act as a bat cave, as well as adapt lighting in the area to accommodate them.
Kirsten noted: “Building for a better future is always fun… You never know what’s round the corner.”
Thanks to the project, Ede will be able to attract more investment and local people can live more connected, fulfilled lives. Marielle finished: “What Ede-Wageningen needed was a little bit of time, energy, and love. Thanks to Royal HaskoningDHV, ProRail, Nederlandse Spoorwegen, and the Municipality of Ede, we’ve got all this and more and I can’t wait to see the new station when it’s ready.”
It begs the questions, what else can we accomplish when we build with design, functionality, and Mother Nature’s fussy friends?
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