UNStudio has completed One Helix, a 6,515-square-meter life science building in Amsterdam that redefines sustainable laboratory design through a whole-life carbon approach. Developed by Breakthrough Properties for AstraZeneca, the project combines biotechnology laboratories, offices, collaboration spaces, and employee amenities within a flexible workplace designed to exceed conventional environmental performance while supporting future scientific innovation.
Located adjacent to Amsterdam UMC, One Helix was conceived as a net-energy-positive building and is designed to exceed the Netherlands’ Nearly Zero-Energy Building (NZEB) requirements. UNStudio embedded environmental performance into every stage of the design process, allowing carbon reduction, energy efficiency, adaptability, and occupant wellbeing to shape the building’s architecture from concept to completion.
The project accommodates high-performance laboratory environments alongside offices, meeting rooms, storage facilities, technical infrastructure, and shared amenities within a compact footprint. Its adaptable planning strategy ensures that the building can respond to evolving research requirements while extending its operational lifespan through flexible spatial organization.
One of the project’s most significant achievements is its reduction of embodied carbon to less than half that of a typical Dutch laboratory building. This was accomplished through an extensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) process that optimized material quantities, prioritized circular construction methods, and incorporated reused urban materials wherever possible. Instead of relying on an all-timber structure, the design team determined that a hybrid structural system combining low-carbon concrete and steel would deliver superior environmental performance while meeting the technical demands of laboratory construction.
The lightweight structural system has been designed for future disassembly, allowing building components to be separated and reused with minimal waste. A simplified structural layout further improves adaptability, ensuring future renovations can be completed with reduced material consumption and environmental impact.
Operational carbon reduction is achieved through an integrated suite of passive and active environmental systems. Building-integrated photovoltaic panels, high-efficiency energy recovery ventilation, heat exchange systems, thermally activated ceilings, and underground thermal energy storage work together to minimize energy consumption throughout the year. A green roof and integrated rainwater retention improve biodiversity, reduce urban heat island effects, and enhance climate resilience, while shared electric mobility facilities and EV charging infrastructure further support the project’s low-carbon ambitions.
These sustainability measures have enabled One Helix to achieve both BREEAM Outstanding and Nearly Zero-Energy Building (NZEB) certifications, demonstrating that high-performance laboratory facilities can meet ambitious environmental targets without compromising commercial viability.
The building’s distinctive architectural identity is defined by its high-performance facade, which evolved directly from environmental analysis rather than formal expression alone. Early facade studies focused on minimizing solar heat gain while maximizing daylight and occupant comfort. This led to the development of bespoke external shading elements created in collaboration with i-Mesh.
Manufactured using robotic weaving technology, the shading screens are fabricated from resin-infused basalt fiber through a zero-waste production process. Each screen was calibrated according to orientation, solar exposure, and wind loading to balance transparency with effective solar protection. Extensive daylight simulations, mock-ups, and environmental testing informed the final system, ensuring stable performance under varying climatic conditions while giving the building its distinctive appearance.
Inside, UNStudio sought to challenge the conventional image of laboratory workplaces by creating interiors that feel calm, welcoming, and connected to nature without compromising the technical requirements of scientific research. The design embraces circularity and biophilic principles, responding directly to AstraZeneca’s ambition for a workplace where sustainability is both visible and tangible.
Material selection followed a rigorous environmental methodology. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) were evaluated alongside Life Cycle Assessment targets, with priority given to bio-based materials and recycled content wherever practical. The design team also incorporated strict indoor air quality standards by specifying low-volatile organic compound (VOC) materials throughout the building.
Natural materials, including timber, stone-inspired finishes, living planting, and textiles informed by organic patterns, contribute to a warm interior environment. The project’s color palette was developed through an analysis of Impressionist landscape paintings, translating recurring natural tones into architectural finishes that reinforce the building’s biophilic character.
Throughout the project, UNStudio balanced ambitious sustainability goals with commercial feasibility by selecting readily available materials that offered comparable environmental performance whenever highly innovative alternatives exceeded project budgets. This pragmatic approach demonstrates how measurable carbon reduction and circular design principles can be implemented within mainstream construction practices.
Commenting on the project, Ben van Berkel, Founder and Principal Architect of UNStudio, said:
“This new headquarters building will strengthen AstraZeneca’s ongoing efforts to pioneer the field of T-cell receptor therapies in a healthy and collaborative work environment that meets, and at times exceeds, the highest sustainability standards. We have also integrated biophilic design elements and natural materials into the design to supplement the technical system design and create healthy work and leisure spaces for all AstraZeneca employees.”
One Helix represents a significant milestone in UNStudio’s sustainable workplace portfolio, illustrating how life science buildings can simultaneously achieve environmental responsibility, architectural quality, commercial practicality, and long-term flexibility.
One Helix Project Details
Project: One Helix
Architect: UNStudio
Founder & Principal Architect: Ben van Berkel
Client: Breakthrough Properties
End User: AstraZeneca
Location: Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Status: Completed (2026)
Building Area: 6,515 m²
Building Volume: 27,100 m³
Site Area: 1,010 m²
Photography: © Evabloem, © Seth Carnill
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