Zuidas Sustainability Award presented

November 13, 2025

On 13 November 2025, the Zuidas Sustainability Award was presented for the third time at DLA Piper in the Strawinskyhuis. An expert panel of judges chose winners across six different themes. A total of 2,430 people voted for the public award.

Sustainability

Where?

The public’s favourite for the Zuidas Sustainability Award 2025 (in Dutch) was Reflower (in Dutch), a subscription service for artificial flowers. Reflower helps organisations in Zuidas to switch completely from fresh flowers to top-quality artificial flowers.

The expert panel of judges (in Dutch) selected the following projects as winners:

General/Climate

The winner in this category is Compass Group & ISS (in Dutch). Thanks to a special alliance between caterers, wholesale company Bidford and clients in Zuidas, an assortment of regenerative vegetables was made available to wholesale for the first time on 6 October 2025. The vegetables are grown without pesticides or artificial fertilisers, with a focus on soil recovery and biodiversity.

Circularity & Waste

In the demolition of the former Mathematics and Physics building at VU Amsterdam – Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (in Dutch), 95% of the materials are being recycled or put to good use. The project is unique in that it is the first time that slightly radioactive concrete is being processed into a new raw material.

Buildings

In the ’buildings’ category, architects’ firm Nudus the prize for their design of the Matrix Innovation Center de prijs in de categorie ‘gebouwen’. It will be a sustainable multilab for start-ups and scale-ups in the Life Sciences. Mainly built from wood and designed to be demountable, the building has a façade made from recycled roof tiles.

Society & Economy

After trade shows at RAI Amsterdam (in Dutch), any furniture, plants, materials and food left over are donated to social initiatives in the city, such as the Salvation Army and Amsterdam Zuid Foodbank. In 2025, RAI is going a step further: suppliers and exhibitors are now being actively invited to donate using their ‘Donation Room’. This prevents waste and gives social organisations just what they need. Every year, around 12 events are now involved in the initiative.

Energy, Mobility & Logistics

Groenland Energie (in Dutch) connects batteries to solar panels, charging points and heat pumps and controls them smartly. This reduces peak load on the grid and lowers CO₂ emissions. The modular system can be used at business parks, in neighbourhoods and at parking facilities. The project shows that controlling energy usage is not only technically, but also economically feasible.

Water & Green/Public Space

Stichting Lievegoed (in Dutch) transformed a 1,000 m² area of paved land into a biodiverse and climate-adaptive experience garden for children with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD). The garden helps to boost biodiversity thanks to its plants, nest boxes, water-permeable ground and the circular use of materials. The Joristuin garden also has real social value: the sensory environment supports children’s development and well-being and gives them somewhere to play and relax at the heart of Zuidas.