The Floating Office Rotterdam (FOR) is perhaps one of the greatest marvels of modern-day architecture.

Located in Rotterdam, the floating office sits on the Maas River at the Port of Rijnhaven which is historic in the Netherlands.

Currently, the architectural masterpiece hosts the headquarters of the Global Center on Adaptation, a multinational organization that is focused on climate action solutions, where new University of Nairobi Chancellor Prof Patrick Verkooijen is the CEO. 

So what is so unique about the FOR?

One of the standouts in the design and features of the floating office, like the name suggests, is the fact that it sits on water. 

Currently, the FOR, a three-storeyed building with about 4,000 square meters area, is the world’s biggest sustainable building and is widely regarded as the pioneer of sustainable constructions on city waters. 

It sits on a big floating base measuring 90 by 24 meters that was prefabricated in different parts of the Netherlands.

Later, upon completion, the base was transported to its current location at the Rijnhaven in a monumental journey on Netherlands’ waterways.

In line with the goal of ensuring sustainability, the architects behind the building’s design chose to use wood over concrete.

This, according to the designers, was aimed at preventing the carbon emission that would have otherwise come from erecting concrete structures.

For its roof, the building is fitted with layers of solar panels which help to generate clean energy. 

In addition to the solar structures, the building has a heat exchange system that not only helps to regulate heat in the building but generates energy from the river.

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These two features make the building energy sufficient, with all being clean and renewable energy.

Its ground floor is largely dedicated to social areas with amenities including state-of-the-art restaurants, meeting rooms, and a reception. 

But that is just a snippet of the architectural minds and technology invested in developing the iconic structure.

According to GCA CEO, Prof Verkooijen, the floating office is designed to enable it to go up two meters or go down two meters depending on the level of waters in the River Maas.

Adaptability features of the FOR

During the summer season in Europe when temperatures go to extreme highs, the building can tap into the cold water beneath and manage to insulate its occupants from the effects of climate change.

Its design and the science behind it are similar to the one used in boats, leveraging on its big volume to remain floating. 

In case of a need to move its location, the GCA will have the convenience of moving the various parts by first disassembling them and transporting them to the new base.

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In a nutshell, the building structure is made of wood, from staircases to the pillars, and can easily be disassembled and used elsewhere.  

GCA to build new adaptation center in Nairobi

In September 2023, President William Ruto announced plans by GCA to construct the next biggest sustainable building in Nairobi as its operating base for Africa.

The building, according to Prof Verkooijen, will help to bring closer efforts to expedite sustainability measures in light of the vulnerability of Kenya and Africa as a whole.

Speaking in an interview on JKL, on January 31, the new UoN Chancellor said Ruto requested him to bring his operations closer to Africa after visiting the FOR in the Netherlands.

President Ruto appointed the environmentalist as the Chancellor of the University of Nairobi on January 12, 2024.

Verkooijen had been serving as the Chair of The Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies.