With all the negative world news and the rush for emergency supplies, we’d like to share something positive with you. Positive news that we take so much for granted that we almost forget its news value. Because, in fact, we are champions!
The Netherlands ranks exceptionally high in several areas. Below, you’ll find an uplifting list, including housing tips—just as you’ve come to expect from us.
The Netherlands has the best internet
The image accompanying this blog shows internet density on a world map. You might shrug it off, but this photo wasn’t taken in the Netherlands. I took it at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore. So, on the other side of the world, they recognize how special our internet infrastructure is! The Dutch CBS (Statistics Netherlands) already confirmed in 2017 that 98% of Dutch households have internet access at home—mostly high-speed broadband. We don’t even notice anymore that video calls are of excellent quality.
Where offices once had dedicated video conferencing rooms, every computer and internet connection can now easily handle the task. The only thing to consider in office design is ensuring enough spaces where employees can take calls alone or with a colleague without disturbing others. And by “enough,” we mean within reach (<10 meters), non-reservable, and multiple rooms per floor.
The Netherlands has the highest density of charging stations
Anyone experienced with electric vehicles will agree: in the Netherlands, “range anxiety” is a thing of the past. With more than half a million charging points, the Netherlands leads both in absolute numbers and relative to population.
Considering this in the office context, you may want to rethink the necessity of having charging points at the workplace. Employees commute an average of 30 to 40 kilometers to work. Assuming their electric cars charge overnight on the street or driveway, they can easily make the round trip. Keeping in mind the limitations of grid congestion, this could mean that when searching for an alternative office location, the requirement for employee charging stations could be reconsidered—potentially increasing the number of suitable options.
The Netherlands has the highest percentage of people cycling to work
In the UK, less than 10% of people commute by bike, while in the Netherlands, that number is a staggering 27%. The bicycle has become our national mascot. In recent years, a new trend has emerged: the electric bike. Today, 43% of people own an e-bike, and the average commuting distance has doubled as a result.
Offices need to adapt to this shift. You can chain a rusty old bike to a lamppost, but a pricey electric bike deserves a safe, dry parking space. The same goes for the cyclist, who may want a place to hang up a wet raincoat or freshen up before work. Lockers, charging stations, or even an on-site bike repair service—there are plenty of ways to encourage cycling to work.
The Dutch sit more hours per day than anyone else 🙁
Oops, something to be less proud of. TNO (the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research) calculated that the average Dutch employee sits for a staggering 8.9 hours per day! That makes us the European champions… Even with sit-stand desks, we often “forget” to stand up.
You can help employees break free from their chairs through smart office design. You’ve probably heard of most ideas already: removing trash bins or printers so people have to walk further, making stairs more appealing, setting up standing meeting rooms, or—if you dare—raising all sit-stand desks overnight.
With these championships, we can count ourselves lucky to live in the Netherlands. We wish you a peaceful and hopeful holiday season.