L’Oréal moves its Netherlands headquarters to sustainable and human-centric Park 20|20

Park 20|20, the world’s first business park designed on Cradle to Cradle principles, has attracted a new occupant – the Netherlands division of L’Oréal.

Based on the outskirts of Amsterdam, Park 20|20 is centered on human well-being, health and productivity and transforms the traditional concept of the working environment. Built with circularity at its core, the driving force behind the park’s development was the conviction that things can and must be done differently if we are to successfully curb climate change and make optimal use of natural resources in line with the Cradle to Cradle approach.

L’Oréal’s move to Park 20|20 reflects the global beauty company’s commitment to sustainability, having launched its sustainability goals and accompanying L’Oréal for the future project in 2020. L’Oréal is no stranger to the Cradle to Cradle concept, being a long-standing partner of the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products program in the US and having gained Cradle to Cradle Certified® for a range of its haircare and skincare products. Locating its Netherlands headquarters in one of the most sustainable offices in Europe is a reflection of the company’s sustainability ambition.

L’Oréal moved into the Share workspace hub in Park 20|20 halfway through 2021. The Share building integrates Cradle to Cradle Certified® materials into its construction and was designed for disassembly at the end of the building’s life cycle. Functioning as an inspiring, sustainable workplace, Share enables valuable materials and resources to be recaptured and reused in the future. The entire business park runs on renewable energy – a mix of solar, wind, geothermal heat and gravitation energy, and acts as a beacon for biodiversity through the integration of plants, trees and water reserves, the cultivation of vegetables, herbs and fruit. As part of the circularity system, gray water is collected, purified and reused in the business park. Waste is sorted using smart systems, and all buildings in the park connect to central heat and cold storage wells, utilizing water to deliver heating and cooling. The building of approximately 8,000 square meters is BREEAM Excellent certified and WELL Silver certified, and was designed by William McDonough & Partners and N30 architects, and developed by Delta Development Group.

Companies like L’Oréal are increasingly looking beyond the integration of circularity principles in the design of their products, and starting to consider the wider built environment – the locations and buildings in which they operate. This increased focus on circularity in the built environment reflects a more holistic approach to sustainability and it is hoped that more companies will follow suit in prioritizing sustainability and well-being as an integral feature of their future workplaces.