Is your question not listed here? See first the wegwijzer Onderzoeksgebouw: a useful guide to everything you need to know when you start working in the Research Building. Then you can also send an email to: VOproject.fco@vu.nl
Which rooms are suitable for confidential discussions or emotional conversations?
There are small consultation rooms on all floors that can be used for this purpose. These are located within the office areas. The glass walls of these rooms will be fitted with privacy film.
Will there be single-person quiet rooms where you can have a call or phone conversation?
There will be small consultation rooms on all floors. These are suitable for calling or conferring.
Will there be separate call boxes for Team meetings or confidential calls?
At the time of move-in, there are no call boxes. There are several places in the building to work quietly or hold Team meetings.
Is there any possibility to place our art/photos in the new working environment?
From the project team, offices and small consultation rooms are provided with an opportunity to hang something. This is done in close consultation with those preparing the move.
From the project, the walls of all large meeting rooms adjacent to the living room will be provided with a picture. The other public rooms, like the rest of the campus, will be decorated in consultation with the art committee.
Are there blinds and how can you operate them?
Yes there are blinds that you can operate yourself. There is a panel for this in each room. On-site instructions will be provided.
How does the operation of the curtains work?
You can adjust these yourself. There is a control panel in the living rooms for this.
Why was this type of floor chosen for the living rooms (because of stains, etc.) How do we keep this clean?
VU Amsterdam has a good cleaning company for this. They have also looked into the materials and positively assessed that the carpet can be cleaned well.
What are the electrical facilities at the meeting center's conference tables?
Electricity is available on the meeting tables (surface-mounted).
Is it possible to put extra chairs (stackable) in the meeting room?
Depending on the space, chair capacity is provided. The air capacity is also adjusted accordingly. It is not comfortable to exceed this. Supplementary:
Where will the microscopes be located (Earth Sciences)?
There are 4 microscope workstations provided at Earth Sciences, on the 10th and 11th floors, on both floors 2.
Which workstations (for Neuroscience) are suitable for working with a microscope?
For Neuroscience, 2 microscope workstations are provided on the 9th floor.
Where can I put my personal belongings?
There are personal lockers on all floors. These are located in the living room, next to the pantry. The starting point is that everyone gets their own locker.
On the first floor and 2nd floor (near the seminar room) are lockers for general use. You can use these during the day, but they are not personal.
In the office areas, closets are provided for general use. These are neither personalized nor lockable.
We always get a lot of interns. Can desks be added?
No. We recommend discussing how to handle this as a department in the in-depth interviews.
Do all desks (also in larger, open workplaces) have data/electricals?
Yes, all desks have data and electricity.
Are there enough power outlets in the open work environments?
Yes, there are ample power data outlets. All desks/workstations are provided with data/electricity. The connection (and neatly concealing the cables) is part of the layout and is done by IT together with the furniture supplier. There is also power on every facade column and also in the living room in the form of floor pots. Desks are equipped with a port-replicator with a usb-c.
Is there room for 40 people (whole department) to get together, with screen (for weekly closing/meeting)?
Groups of up to 80 can use the event space on the 2nd floor. Suitable spaces are also available elsewhere on campus.
There are colleagues with fixed desktops who do not use laptops. Where do they leave these? Or in a fixed location?
These exceptions are in view and will be given a place in the work environment by mutual agreement.
Can I bring my plant(s) into the work environment? And other items (paintings etc)?
More information on this follows in the moving instructions. The possibilities for taking along items that contribute to the identity of the department will be looked into further. There is no room for personal items.
Will there be an area in the building where you can do your prayers, for example, or something of a silence room/lactation room?
There are a lactation room (12th) and a quiet room (basement) in the building. The quiet space is for staff and students with a (temporary) disability or illness and is set up for that purpose. Access works with a VU pass with proper authorization (on request).
In the Main Building are a silence room and an Islamic prayer room. These are campus-wide facilities that all staff and students can use. There is no specific facility in the Research Building.
Will there be any kind of film on the windows of the offices on the 6th floor? This is a long window that you can see completely through. This is quite distracting if you are easily distracted by people walking by all the time, especially if your office is opposite a toilet.
The small meeting rooms in the office area will be fitted with privacy film to prevent people watching. Meeting rooms and offices will have walk-through security (donuts), no privacy film.
Half-height cabinets form an additional partition between offices and where people pass by.
The regular toilets are not located near the offices, but opposite the lift. In the office area is only the disabled toilet.
Are the desks and office chairs adjustable?
The furniture complies with health and safety legislation. All desks and office chairs are new and adjustable in various ways, with the exception of landing desks (for short-term use).
And as many as 30% of the desks are sit-stand desks.
Instruction is available on site. And there will be a guide about working in the Research Building. This will also include manuals for using furniture.
On the page Working in the Research Building, under ‘Use of furniture’, you will find manuals for this in the menu. These will also be included in the workplace guide Research Building (Wegwijzer Onderzoeksgebouw).
Can we take the sit-stand desks we already have for employees who need them? Or do we have to request them again, and what is the procedure for that?
There are several sitting desks in each office space. It is not possible to move furniture from the W&N building to the Research Building, unless prescribed by the occupational health and safety doctor. For these and other 'specials' such as an RSI mouse or a sitting ball, a request must be submitted to Districon. These items will then be specially stickered and moved to the new building. Instructions for this will follow.
What facilities are there in the building for employees with, for example, an auditory or visual impairment or who are in a wheelchair? And how is it ensured that these employees are reached and helped in case of an emergency (such as a fire alarm)?
We will determine together what an employee needs and how we can support them.
Is it possible to get shelves in a room?
No, this is not possible. Everyone has a flexible landing place.
Are special daylight lamps provided in the Elektro room?
Only functional lighting, to be able to work, is provided.
Does Elektro get access to all labs? They often work in other users' labs.
No, this has to be requested separately for each lab due to data security. The person in charge of the lab decides on this.
Is the agenda with room reservations visible on the physical Teams facilities in the meeting centre (as with the Logitech Taps in Transitorium; landscape screen)?
Yes, there will be a similar facility.
Sometimes someone from Elektro only does computer work (e.g. programming) for long periods of time. Can that person then use a workstation in the office environment on any floor?
This is possible in consultation with the users of the room(s) in question.
Does Elektro get access to the office environment of other users?
The assumption is that all beta users will have full access to the office area.
Can more anti-glare film be placed on the glass adjacent to the Atrium containing the text 'The Electronics Engineering Group' to improve the findability of Elektro?
The windows adjacent to the conference centre and the pantry will have privacy film with the name. For the windows adjacent to the Atrium, we will first move in and see how it is perceived in practice.
Will there be a fridge in the pantry at the meeting centre (opposite Elektro)?
Yes, there will be a fridge in this pantry.
How can requests for furniture be made?
This goes through the regular procedure. You can submit a request via the service desk/portal.
Will there be a workplace reservation system?
No, there will not.
Will there be instructions on how to adjust a desk (chair)?
There will be clear videos on the website. Sessions are also planned with the occupational health and safety service. Further information on this will follow.
Will there be space for a table tennis table and dartboard?
These facilities have not been included. For a ping-pong table, this can possibly be determined later. A dartboard is not allowed.
Will there be a kind of 'building police' that removes all things from the desks in the evening?
No, leaving a workplace neat and empty is the responsibility of the employees themselves.
Can the 8-person meeting room in the meeting centre be allocated to the TC?
No, that is not possible.
Can the freight elevator be used for large materials needed in the labs?
The freight elevator has a two-way opening. It can be used for transport to both labs and offices.
Where will the labs of Complex Trait Genetics be located?
Neuroscience labs will be on floors 2, 7, 8 and 9.
Are vacuum pumps available in the labs?
No. The advice is to bring the vacuum pumps you use in the W&N building. If there will be a shortage, you can purchase new vacuum pumps.
Is it possible for the FMIB to have standard access to all labs? This is for (ad hoc) repairs in the labs.
No, Access is always given in consultation with the person responsible for the lab.
Where is the bicycle parking and how do I get there?
Bicycle parking is located in the basement and is accessible via a ramp from De Boelelaan. Access only with VU pass. From the bicycle basement you can go directly to elevator plaza/stairwell (if authorized).
Is there a covered parking area for scooters and cargo bikes?
There are stairs at the entrance where you can walk down with your bike in hand. How about cargo bikes and scooters for example?
At the W&N building this was possible, but scooters, mopeds, motorbikes and cargo bikes cannot be parked in the basement of the Research Building. There are other places on campus for this. Find out more on this page.
Is the parking garage only accessible with your pass?
There will not be a parking garage for cars. There is a bicycle basement, which is accessible with your VU pass.
Are there showers?
Yes, adjacent to the bicycle basement are locker rooms with showers. Access also via interior stairwell/elevator. Access with your VU pass provided you have proper authorizations.
Will there be an area in the new building where you can do your prayers, for example, or a quiet room?
VU Amsterdam has chosen to house this centrally in one place on campus. This place is in the main building. You can find out more on this page about prayer rooms at VU Amsterdam.
Why was a bamboo floor chosen? This floor was recently removed in another VU building because of its bulging and stain sensitivity.
This was chosen in the design process both for aesthetic reasons and sustainability.
To what extent were acoustics taken into account since the living rooms are so open?
Pleasant acoustics were taken into account in the design and furnishing of the building. Consider ceilings made of soft material, carpet and a curtain and furniture that has soft absorbent material on it.
Will the squeak we hear stay in the building?
No, the squeak in the building will disappear once access is controlled through Salto throughout the building.
Are there blinds and how can you control them?
Yes, there are blinds that you can operate yourself. There is a panel for this in each room. On-site instructions are provided.
Can I adjust the temperature?
Yes, you can adjust the temperature within a certain range.
Can I open windows?
There are air vents in the building in the office spaces that you can open for fresh air.
How is emergency power provided?
Emergency power is provided for critical building systems for research and security.
Do you need your pass to use the elevator?
You can access the elevator plaza through the work café (no pass required). The elevator is free to use from the first floor to the 2nd floor; for higher floors you will need a pass with proper authorizations.
Visitors have free access to the first floor, the meeting center on the 1st floor and the event space on the 2nd. These are the public facilities in the building. Visitors cannot simply access the higher floors on their own. This means that, as a visitor, you must be picked up. This is the same principle as in the O|2 Lab building.
What if I forget my access pass one day? How do I then get in and out of the building?
Then contact your department secretary.
Can the freight elevator be used for large materials needed in labs?
Yes, for functional and logistical purposes by authorized lab staff.
Will the computer science department not be in the Research Building? If so, where?
You will find the computer science department in the NU Building, floors 10, 11 and 12.
Can the door by the elevator on the 7th floor be opened for direct access to the labs?
No, access to the lab area is through the lock on the east side of the building (security protocol). This also applies to upper floors 8 through 11; these are all equipped with an access lock.
How is weekend/evening access arranged? Will this be in place by September?
At the rear is the employee entrance and also night lock. Outside regular opening hours, employees (if authorized) can use this. This will be operational from the first move in.
The 'night lock' procedure will be worked out in more detail.
Do all four lifts have glass walls?
No, lift 1 (see this image, if you stand in front of the lifts, most right) is blinded at the back. This one is especially for anyone with vertigo or who finds the lifts with a glass back wall too exciting.
Is it possible to keep the Salto locks on the doors?
No, all Salto locks will go eventually.
Will there be facilities in the locker room to dry wet clothes?
This is not planned, but this is still under discussion.
Is the bicycle storage secured?
Yes, only with your VU pass you have access.
Are there charging points for electric bikes and scooters in the bike shed?
Yes, for electric scooters and bicycles this is possible. Cargo bikes are not suitable for the underground bicycle parking and cannot charge there.
Wish: additional chairs (stackable) in meeting room? (also in the context of departmental meetings)
Yes, we will ensure that extra chairs are available.
The meeting rooms at the living rooms have a capacity of 10 people. The seating capacity of the meeting center is: 12, 15, 8 and 12 chairs. For the event space, this is 80 chairs.
Is my VU pass usable for every floor in the research building or only my department's floors?
The office environment is accessible to every beta user in the Research building. The LABS are accessible only to the department and sometimes only to specific individuals.
Will there be an IT help desk? For example, for when I forgot a cable or the like?
No, there will not be a physical help desk in the building. The IT help desk is located in the Main Building and can be reached by phone.
How do visitors/students gain access to the building and floors?
During regular opening hours, visitors and students are free to enter the building. They have access to the public areas on the first floor and the 1st and 2nd floors (including work café, catering, vender center, event space).
Access to the upper floors and enclosed areas is supervised only. Visitors can be signed in or report themselves to the host. The host will contact the staff member for whom the visitor is and they can pick up the visitor downstairs or meet them in the central areas.
The basic principle is that visitors are picked up downstairs or that the meeting takes place downstairs in the central areas. This is also how these areas are set up.
Visitors can register via the Service Portal: Registering visitors
Could a halal option be added in the restaurant on the ground floor?
The restaurant concept, and details, is currently being worked out.
Will the lockers on the 2nd floor near the seminar room be public?
The lockers on the 2nd floor will be 50% public and 50% allocated to employees.
Where will there be post boxes for physical mail?
There is no central place for post boxes. This can organised by each department.
Will there be parking spaces for loading and unloading?
On the east side of the building is the logistics street and the goods receiving area for the Research Building. Please note that this goods receiving area is only for deliveries of hazardous materials to the Research Building received by Logistics.
Other deliveries (think regular mail and packages) will be received at the FCO Logistics Centre in the Transitorium and transported to the Research Building by Logistics. Ordering instructions for this will follow.
Delivery services and non-VU suppliers (e.g. Albert Heijn) cannot use the logistics street at the Research Building. These deliveries will not be received through the Research Building goods receiving area. Temporary parking must be via the public road.
What parking facilities are available for visitors?
The VU Campus is car-free. Parking is available in the parking garages on and around campus or on public roads (where permitted). For more information, see: parkerenbijvu.nl/.
Will there be a pedestrian crossing on the road in front of the building's main entrance?
No, an additional pedestrian crossing will not be provided. Use can be made of the two existing pedestrian crossings with traffic lights between Transitorium/O|2 and at the Main Building.
How long will the soccer fields last?
At least until the end of 2028.
What will replace the soccer fields?
New buildings to be developed in this location in the time frame to 2040.
Will there be space for outdoor lunch/seating?
Yes, picnic tables/benches will be provided at the rear of the building. Seating is also provided on the west side of the building (around the ramp to the bike parking area).
It is expected that many colleagues who will work in the Research Building and come from P3 will not use the zebra crossing, but will cross via the shortest route over the tramway. Is a zebra crossing possible here?
No this is not possible. And it is also a possibility to park in P2.
How will chemical transport be organised between the Research Building and other buildings as there is no tunnel connection?
This will be by road on the one hand and otherwise directly on site. Another option is from the campus via ADR transport.
Will there be a road on the west side of the building for the truck delivering nitrogen?
Yes, there will be.
What will VU's new tunnel system look like, specifically the connection from the AB wing to other buildings? For FMIB, this is important for the transport of equipment/machines during rain.
This tunnel will not be accessible after the demolition.
Will there be a tunnel between the O|2 Lab Building and the Research Building?
No there will not be a tunnel.
Is venting bulk gas tanks next to the building dangerous?
No, this is not dangerous. The gas tanks vent automatically and this does create a loud noise. This is not dangerous and no cause for concern. If you do have questions about this, please contact the FCO Service Desk.
What is happening around the building in terms of construction activities?
And when will construction start on the other buildings next to the Research Building?
Site preparation for the construction of the Matrix Building on the west side of Amsterdam UMC has started. On the east side the soccer fields will be moved, this will happen from the end of 2028.
Will we experience inconvenience from the construction of the buildings around the Research Building?
Once the construction of the Matrix Building has started, this may cause some noise or logistical inconvenience. We are carefully mapping this out, in what way this will be and in what way it will cause inconvenience. Coordination on this will be done carefully and communication on this will follow.
Is a list of first-aiders and evacuators available?
The emergency response organization is yet to be set up with those in charge of this.
Where will the SPAR that is now in the W&N building move to?
This is not yet known.
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