Leading organic fresh produce distributor Eosta has laid the first foundations of its new headquarters at the site of the new facility in Waddinxveen, the Netherlands.
The Dodecahedron 'foundation stone' is the first part of the new €22.5m building to be put in place, with the facility set to cover 19,500m2 of land and be completed in mid-2018.
According to Eosta, the stone symbolically represents the core values of the company, as well as being the first step in the group's aim to operate within a circular economy.
“The foundation stone is more than just an object; it stands for our core values: authentic, together, responsible,' said Eosta chief executive Volkert Engelsman. 'They are the basis of all our actions so it follows that we chose a circular approach and matching work environment.
'The building will feature a large atrium in the middle of all the offices, many meeting places, fireplaces, and spaces for meditation and naps,' he added. 'The fireplaces are built into walls made from concrete and broken toilet bowls, while the company kitchen is furnished with second-hand to eighth-hand supplies.”
The circular economy approach is most evident in the lighting plan at the new facility, where Eosta is not buying lamps but rather ‘light hours’, where Philips Lighting provides light not bulbs – leading to a modular and demountable installation where nothing is discarded after use.
'Philips Lighting is developing the new circular approach, which encourages them to make the materials reusable and replaceable,' the group explained. 'Since Philips will also pay the energy bill, there is a continuous incentive to innovate and make the lamps as energy efficient as possible.'
