Amsterdam’s timber Traffic Control Centre

The new Traffic Control Centre in Amsterdam combines sustainable timber construction with smart systems and circular material use. It’s a future-proof building that manages the city’s mobility while showcasing how sustainable design works in practice.

Project facts

Client
City of Amsterdam
Location
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Date
2021 - present
Challenge
Translating ambitious sustainability goals into a technically advanced building
Solution
A future-ready traffic control centre, including a data centre, with integrated smart measures from requirements to execution

A smart and sustainable building for tomorrow’s mobility

The Amsterdam Traffic Control Centre is the beating heart of urban mobility. From this building, traffic in and around the city is monitored and managed. The new facility offered a unique opportunity to house this vital function in a building that is not only technically advanced but also sets a benchmark in sustainability.

The City of Amsterdam is working step by step towards becoming climate neutral. Its sustainability goals were therefore central to this project. Haskoning, in collaboration with Witteveen+Bos, translated these ambitions into concrete measures from the initial brief through to delivery.

Key design principles:

Nearly energy-neutral building (BENG 2015)

Gas-free and powered by renewable sources

Flexible and demountable, with a materials passport

Low environmental impact (MPG < 0.8)

Circular design and reuse of materials

Smart rainwater management and heat stress mitigation (≥ 60 l/m² retention)

Energy-positive and intelligently designed

The result is a building that exceeds BENG 2015 standards with an A++++ energy label. With 124 solar panels on the roof, it generates more energy than it consumes. Energy demand is minimised through smart architectural design, high-quality insulation, and the use of renewable energy sources.

Heating and cooling are provided by air-source heat pumps, and residual heat from technical systems is reused—creating an efficient, fully fossil-free energy system.

In the dynamic context of Amsterdam, the sustainable traffic control centre offers a calm and focused workspace where traffic is monitored 24/7 to ensure accessibility, liveability, and safety.

Richard van den BruleArchitect

Timber at the core

One of the building’s most striking features is its timber structure. The three-storey building is largely constructed from cross-laminated timber (CLT) floors, combined with a concrete core for stability and fire safety around stairwells, shafts, and the data centre. This hybrid structure balances sustainability with robustness—storing CO₂, creating a warm atmosphere, and supporting a calm working environment.

From the entrance, the central staircase is immediately visible. The lift is subtly tucked away to encourage stair use—a small design choice that promotes both health and sustainability.

Entrance with stairs Verkeerscentrale Amsterdam

Verkeerscentrale Amsterdam made out of wood

Smart design, sustainable choices

The building’s architecture actively contributes to indoor climate and energy performance. A central atrium with indoor planting brings in natural light, encourages interaction, and supports a pleasant working environment. The north façade is open to prevent overheating, while the other façades are closed for optimal insulation. Triple-glazed windows and façades made from recycled aluminium and steel reflect a conscious choice for reused materials.

The green roof enhances biodiversity and water retention, while also improving solar panel efficiency. Rainwater is collected in a WADI system, buffering at least 60 litres per m² and limiting discharge to the sewer to just 1 litre per m².

Energy-saving technology

The building services engineering has been designed with maximum energy efficiency as a guiding principle, based on the Trias Energetica approach. First, energy demand is reduced as much as possible. Next, renewable sources are used to meet the remaining demand. Only as a last resort is fossil energy considered—and even then, as efficiently as possible. In the case of the new traffic control centre, this final step is not applicable: all primary energy is sourced from renewables.

While staff at the Traffic Control Centre manage urban mobility, energy-efficient systems work behind the scenes to ensure sustainable building operations. The ventilation system, for example, uses heat recovery with an efficiency of at least 80%. The integrated thermal wheel in the air handling unit also recovers moisture, eliminating the need for additional humidification.

The ventilation rate is automatically adjusted based on the number of occupants using CO₂ sensors. In addition, the fan coil units are equipped with energy-efficient EC fans, and the heated and cooled water is circulated using pumps with a minimum energy label of A.

For the second step—utilising renewable energy—heat pumps are used to extract energy from the outside air, along with residual heat recovered from specific user installations. Furthermore, the solar panels on the roof generate more electricity than the building consumes, making the entire system net energy positive.

Lighting throughout the building is LED-based, with presence detection to prevent unnecessary energy use. Moreover, energy consumption can be monitored in detail per room and installation, allowing for quick identification and correction of anomalies. This makes the building not only energy-efficient but also smart and adaptive.

A site that supports sustainability

The surrounding site also contributes to the project’s sustainability goals. Car and bicycle shelters are made of timber and topped with moss/sedum roofs. Charging points support electric mobility. Paving and landscaping use sustainable materials with minimal environmental impact.

A model for the city of tomorrow

The Amsterdam Traffic Control Centre is a prime example of how technical expertise, vision, and collaboration can result in a building that is not only functional and future-proof but also actively contributes to the city’s sustainability goals.

Curious how you can realise a future-proof building that aligns with your ambitions?