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One sunny Monday morning in April 2015.
Ellen and Peter are woken up gently on the 62nd floor of the Belle van Zuylen tower by the sound of the curtains slowly opening. Due to climate warming, the outside temperature is already 25 °C but the intelligent temperature-regulating windows keep the interior comfortable. The building is also CO2-free and uses the latest energy recovery and energy regulation technology in combination with an underground storage system for heat and cold energy.
After Peter and Ellen have eaten breakfast and taken a shower, they start work. Peter avoids early-morning traffic by spending an hour answering his email before descending to the garage on the lower levels where he gets into his car to drive to work. There is room in the garage for both of their cars and their bicycles. In fact, more often than not, Peter and Ellen leave their cars at home as the NS railway station at the foot of the Belle van Zuylen tower offers a 10-minute service to Utrecht's Central Station right in the heart of the historic city centre of Utrecht.
Ellen is a freelance journalist and works for a number of clients from home. However, Ellen is also a regular visitor to the Belle Samenwerkingsplaats (Belle Collaboration) area. This is where she meets other freelancers and home-workers who live in the tower or in the modular homes in and around Leidsche Rijn to exchange information and (potential) orders or just meet each other during the breaks. The Belle Samenwerkingsplaats is a bustling centre for small and medium-sized businesses and self-employed entrepreneurs.
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