Frencken Scholl Architecten Office

Project: Kantoor Frencken Scholl

Segment: Office

Country/city: Netherlands, Maastricht

Architect: Frencken Scholl Architecten

Installer: Gepla BV

Photographer: Hugo de Jong

Frencken Scholl’s new premises – taking work to new heights

The Frencken Scholl architecture practice relocated at the end of 2018 to a space in the monumental Eiffel building, the iconic symbol of Maastricht’s thriving industrial past. Renovated from top to bottom, the reinvigorated building now houses The Student Hotel, several businesses in the creative sector and loft apartments. The new workplace, a large open space in a concrete industrial setting, was the catalyst for a refreshingly different way of working. The acoustics were a challenge, but turned out really well in the end. 

A new way of working to promote knowledge sharing

Previously the team worked out of city centre premises consisting of two former residential properties joined together and containing a variety of smallish workspaces. Rosanne Jansen, a partner at Frencken Scholl, explained:

“We were finding that our team members had few natural opportunities for interaction. Meanwhile, sharing knowledge and expertise was becoming increasingly crucial to the success of our projects. When this opportunity presented itself, we seized it. In view of the upcoming changes, with Peter Scholl and Huub Frencken handing over the practice to Monique Vroomen and myself, and the fact that we wanted to do things differently, we saw this as a fantastic opportunity.” 

Challenges of an iconic building

The space was handed over as a shell and had to be fully finished. Owing to the building’s iconic status, not much in the way of changes was allowed. For instance, the raw concrete walls had to remain in their original condition. There is a strong repetitive character and rhythm to the architecture, which ultimately determined the choices made.

The layout of the workstations took its cue from the position of the large windows. Each group of three workstations forms an island, centred on a steel frame supporting the lighting that illuminates the ceiling from below. Cables and services can be run inside these frames and concealed above the suspended ceiling. The row of workstation islands forms a beautiful workspace where the distinctive architectural details remain visible. The suspended ceiling above the workstations reinforces the clean lines. 

Hard concrete surfaces posed acoustic challenge

The bare space with the hard concrete surfaces echoed tremendously. Acoustics was one of the major concerns. A solution was needed that suppressed noise but was aesthetically compatible with the character of the space. “We have known Ecophon for a long time and have had positive experiences with their acoustic solutions, which we often deploy in our projects for the education sector,” said Rosanne. The Ecophon Master Matrix system turned out to be the perfect solution for the new office. The flexible system suits the setting perfectly in terms of proportions and scale, while its floating appearance and clean lines emphasise the roominess and loftiness of the space. 

An end-result that exeeded all expectations

The team are very positive about their new location. “The result exceeds our expectations. The acoustics are superb, and here we have the ability to work together on challenging projects in one large, inspirational space,” explained Rosanne. “Working in such a beautiful space is a breath of fresh air, and the abundant natural light and stunning city views are a bonus.”