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Virgo Aalsmeer is special on account of its nature-inclusive character, which fits seamlessly with the ambitions of Schiphol Area Development Company and the City of Aalsmeer for the Green Park Aalsmeer business park. Thanks to our collaboration with ecologists and landscape architects, the building is blending in with the local flora and fauna, occupying a prominent and special place in the overall area.

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Inspired by the Westeinderplassen heritage.

The nature-inclusive design fits in seamlessly with the local flora and fauna. This special destination was created in close collaboration with ecologists and landscape architects.

The LED lighting in the aisles is equipped with presence sensors. The 1,900 m² biodiverse roof garden forms a green oasis for birds and insects. To keep this roof garden green, a maintenance irrigation system has been integrated into the building. There are charging stations for electric vehicles in the passenger vehicle parking area. These charging points are fully supplied with sustainably generated energy. Both staff and visitors can use the charging stations. With a roof area of close to 20,000 m2, almost 1,000 households can, after the installation of PV panels, be supplied with solar electricity.

Our ambition was to make this destination as sustainable as possible. The starting point was to save as much as possible on energy needs. In addition, we are using sustainable materials to optimize the shell of the building. For example, we selected Kingspan Quadcore sandwich panels for the façade, as they are light and use 12% less material. We applied effective technology to control temperatures, and monitor and measure energy consumption, among other things. The basic construction of the building consists of a steel skeleton with optimized dimensions and a main wooden supporting structure for the roof. All wood used in the building is FSC-certified.

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This sustainable, state-of-the-art distribution center is ideally located in the heart of the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam (MRA), between Schiphol and Royal Floraholland, the largest flower auction in the world. With the airport just 10 minutes away, this is a prime location for companies targeting the international market.

A gateway to the world.

Completed in Q2 2022.
Fully leased to Paardekooper.

Completed in Q2
2022. Fully leased to
Paardekooper.

Virgo Aalsmeer

Ara Almelo is unique because of how it blends in naturally with the scenic semi-open Twente landscape, with plots divided by hedges and wooded banks. The unique ecological screen and the pond ensure a natural connection to this characteristic landscape. The screen’s size allows it to fit in perfectly with the surrounding built environment, while the vegetation on the screen creates a strong ecological chain between the current business activity and the historical nature in the area.

We collaborated with Rebel Group, who assessed the ecological, social, and financial effects on our ecological contribution. The ratio between ecological measures and the yields for various groups have been broadly visualized within the Gaia® connection grid, uniquely designed to fit within the Stellar Development identity.

The most important conclusion; nature yields considerable added value and is a connecting factor for both end-user, environment, investor, and developer. For more information, download the report below.

Measuring our ecological contribution through the Gaia® connection grid.

The ecological screen creates an inside and outside world. The inside world is fully focused on logistical efficiency. The outside world is fully nature inclusive: blossomy grass, semi-paved where possible, climate adaptive and of course as biodiverse as possible.

The screen is the dividing line but also the connection between both worlds. The ecological screen is visible from all over the inside world and people will experience that nature is an integrated part of their stay at the destination.

Creating a “natural” connection between two worlds.

Sustainability is rooted in the brand identity of Stellar Development and reflected in Ara Almelo. The building components, for example, consist of carefully-chosen sustainable materials and sandwich panels were used to create the façade. These panels are light and reduce the use of materials by 12%. Ara Almelo is one of the first logistical buildings in the Netherlands to comply with the EU Taxonomy Regulation; a transparent classification system that was devised based on the Paris Climate Agreement, in order to objectively determine what is truly sustainable and what is not. The goal is to make investments more reliable and transparent and to tackle greenwashing. Stellar Development welcomes the EU Taxonomy, in the knowledge that what we build today shapes the world of tomorrow.

Charging stations for electrical cars are located near the parking spaces. They are available for both staff and visitors. The rows of LED-lighting in the corridors will be fitted with presence detection sensors, which prevent unnecessary and wasted burning hours. The entire building is fitted with LED-lighting. For the driving route of the trucks, SIM concrete plates (a semi-paving made specifically for heavy traffic) will be used in the form of grass concrete tiles. Inside the ecological screen, these robust tiles will also be planted with grass so they become part of the blooming grasslands on the outside of the destination.
With a rooftop surface measuring approximately 40,000 m², there is the option of providing electricity to almost 2,000 homes after the installation of solar panels.

XL Business Park Twente is a multimodal business park that is easily accessible by car, by boat, and by train. Its excellent location on the Twente Canal and the presence of the Combi Terminal Twente (CTT) inland terminal, makes it a perfect inland waterway connection to Rotterdam and Hamburg. 

Receive a digital edition of the Ara Almelo book

Completed in Q3 2023.
Available for lease now.

Completed in Q3 2023.
Available for lease
now.

Ara Almelo

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