The Campus The Hague renovation is the third multi-million dollar project of my career. Previously at the Chamber of Commerce, I was also involved in major construction projects. Although the content is different, a successful project comes down to the same thing in my experience. Collaboration is vital; in a large-scale project like this, everyone involved should be pulling in the same direction. It’s something we were exceptionally good at in this project. With more than 20 determined core team members, a strong executive construction team and an array of disciplines, we made a beautiful campus for our students, employees and visitors.
Drawing board
Perhaps it sounds strange, you start a project like this, with a budget and then it remains to be seen whether it turns out as you imagined it. Of course, you want to create something aesthetically pleasing, but sustainability and functionality are also significant factors. For months, I studied the plans night and day. I started with the preliminary design and the technical design, made by the architects in consultation with specialists. Then I studied the final design carefully, and this was the basis for design execution plans which I discussed at the weekly construction team meetings with contractors and subcontractors. There were also partial drawings, for example, of a floor, installations, furniture etc. If you’re at the drawing board with professionals, the execution of the work on the floor will run smoothly. Every piece of the puzzle fit perfectly.
Bat colony
During the renovation work, we found out that the exterior wall masonry on the sides of the building was faulty. There was a real risk of falling pieces of masonry during drilling work or the insulation work. Meanwhile, there was also research into flora and fauna underway. It turned out that the gable ends were home to a bat maternity colony. As the bat is a protected species, a nest may not be disturbed during the breeding season. So we had to wait for the bats to fly out in September, and because bats return to their winter home in October, we had to do the insulation and anchoring work in just 4 weeks. With surprises like this, every day is a challenge.
The best thing about this project is the realisation of the original plans from four years ago into a great result. Covid-19 was a challenge and a blessing for this renovation, as it allowed us to stay on track despite the bats and other surprises. For now, I’m looking forward to the summer when the users will take over their campus, and I can start other great projects.
with a budget and then it remains to be seen whether it turns out as you imagined it.”
Share this page
