An ode to Jakarta

The first energy-neutral hotel in the Netherlands

Is a ticket to Indonesia unaffordable for now? Or are all your holiday-days already gone?
That makes no difference and is no longer a problem since January 2018: on the Java island in Amsterdam North one can go on a (mini)holiday without having to leave the country. Modern techniques stimulate your senses as if you are actually in Jakarta. It is possible that, while ordering your cocktail, you will see a Javan munia pass by, or that a beautiful butterfly will land right on your head. Yet the tropical and Instagram-proof interior is not the only thing that makes this project special: it concerns the first energy-neutral hotel in the Netherlands.

In 2021, every new building in the Netherlands must comply with the legal requirements of ‘Almost Energy Neutral Buildings’. For government buildings, this requirement applies from 2019. Hotel Jakarta in Amsterdam North may not be government building, but does focus on the future. Being a pioneer in the Dutch field of sustainability. ULC provides all installations that play a major role in this, commissioned by the Dutch hotel chain WestCord.

To achieve the status of an energy-neutral building, you must achieve an EPC (Energy Performance Coefficient) of less than 0.4. At hotel Jakarta everything indicates that this
score will be even lower, namely: 0. This coefficient is calculated according to the national interpretation of the ‘Energy Performance Buildings’ (Dutch: EPG) and expresses the energy efficiency of a building. The aim is also to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ score. BREEAM is an instrument for assessing and measuring the sustainability of a building, area or demolition project in an integral manner.

To realize this energy-neutral status, many different techniques are used. The roof and multiple parts of the facades are covered with solar panels to generate energy. The outside facade will consist of triple glazing; which provides a lot of natural light and a high isolation value. Of course, unnatural light is still necessary, which will be LED lighting. In the building material, the preference goes to wood instead of to the conventional concrete. Wood is not only more sustainable in production; it also isolates better than concrete and is stronger in relation to the weight. The EPC of 0 has been achieved through the use of Heat and Cold storage (HCS) in the ground, a technique in which ULC is specialized. The hotel chain will frequently monitor the various consumption parameters, such as energy and water, by means of digital measurement systems. The hotel also wants to make its visitors, local residents and passers-by more aware of the sustainable transition that is going on. This is one of the reasons why 20 charging stations for electric cars and 15 charging stations for electric bicycles are being installed in the car park.

In order to minimize the impact on the climate, the 172 hotel rooms were manufactured remotely and lifted into the frame in collaboration with contractor De Nijs. From a technical point of view it is possible to have the rooms ‘delivered’ by the manufacturer Ursem Modular Building Systems, including a clean bedding. One prerequisite is that no plans change, which is rare, especially for large-scale projects.

To ensure a ‘Jakarta experience’, the Hortus Botanicus is involved and that promises something good. And then we did not even discussed the view during the new editions of SAIL Amsterdam…

Hotel Jakarta makes a pioneering movement with a sustainable and modern character, but simultaneously refers to the (colonial) past. Namely, the hotel is named after the city that once was called Batavia, and is also located on the spot where people used to board the Dutch East Indies. The Java Island will soon gain an extra tourist attraction.