AMC Amsterdam as green lung for its inhabitants and environment

The Academic Medical Center (AMC) is one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands and it is located in the Bijlmer district. The complex was built in 1981 and consists of 64 hectares of land. The complex is surround by a green belt where also the former psychiatric center was located. The AMC can be seen as a stand-alone city, with daily facilities, the hospital, the university en its big variety of users. The characteristic feature of the AMC monolith, that it manifests itself as an inner city, with large streets and squares and a wide range of facilities, is why it can be compared to a big city as Amsterdam. Where life takes place inside the city. As a result, the AMC has never been built with a connection to its surroundings and is there no connection with the new park to be built near the main entrance. The main entrance is an unclear element from the parking space and also creates a certain boundary between inside and outside. When patients, employees, visitors and students enter the AMC through the main entrance, they enter the city through a dark, depressed corridor, which makes people feel even more inclined to feel ill. In particular, a hospital such as the AMC should contribute to the well-being of its patients and inhabitants.Climate change is an important point of attention for the whole world. Especially in big cities as Amsterdam, which is one of the most polluted cities in the Netherlands. Global warming is dangerous for the living environment in the cities and are in densely populated cities as Amsterdam a real thread and is one of the greatest effects of climate change. A second problem is the disappearance of greenery in the city, and the increasing air pollution. Nature, such as parks, shrubs, plants and trees (green) can contribute to creating a healthier living environment in the city. But instead of more green being realised in the city, it disappears by the fact that cities are getting overcrowded. In the past centuries parks were built to enhance the urban climate. Meanwhile the urban ground is developed in such a high density, and the costs for sites have risen so quickly that (new) parks are very rare in the urban structure. Urban parks disappear and they are transformed into “stamp” parks. The result: the city becomes more and more polluted and gets warmer. This report attempts to evaluate the positive effects of integration of nature on building scale. Research shows that green/nature can filter this air pollution and make a positive contribution to counteracting the rising temperature. The integration of a green façade and green roof in the built environment can play an important role in this. The green elements have besides an esthetically value, also psychological and energetic benefits. When these elements are designed correctly, the building can contribute to a healthier living environment.AMC Renovation | AMC HospitalArchitecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Intectur