Circular renovation, how? The most important lessons from the circular renovation of C-Bèta at Schip

Area developer SADC, DOOR architects and contractor Heembouw recently completed the circular renovation of the C-Bèta warehouse at the Schiphol Trade Park business park in Hoofddorp.

The ambitious project encountered many challenges for each of the three parties. Together they have listed their Lessons Learned. Circular construction is the future, where sharing knowledge with other 'pioneers' and trusting each other is a prerequisite for achieving good results. The 1,000 m2 converted warehouse is the most recent addition to the C-Bèta development. Start-ups and scale-ups can rent units and flex spaces to work and experiment in a circular community. Isaac Roeterink, project manager at SADC: “The circular renovation of the warehouse is a showcase for us with which we want to inspire others and drive the circular transition.

At the same time, the renovation has been an educational, but unpredictable and adventurous journey for all of us - client, architect, contractor and also suppliers. ” Martijn Icke, Jan Altorf and Bianca Woutersen van Heembouw, and Erik Brusse from DOOR Architecten evaluated the process with SADC. The full article of the evaluation is available on the SADC website, concluding with the ten most important lessons that the parties have learned. Erik Brusse, architect DOOR Architecten: “Many things do not yet fit into the (first) design. Leave room for free thinking; innovation also takes place in the workplace. Make sure to set out the demarcation lines in advance to keep up the pace: which parts are allowed to change and which are not. ” Martijn Icke, commercial manager Heembouw: “Make sure that the design process is interactive and that both the client, the architect and the contractor are included in all steps. This means that optimal adjustments can be made continuously. " Jan Altorf, Heembouw project manager:

“Determine at an early stage which materials are available at what cost. Also realize that many circular products do not yet exist. How long will you continue to shop for these materials? " Bianca Woutersen, work planner Heembouw: “Keep asking the question how to deal with residual flows and if necessary agree on a model that can serve as a guideline on the basis of which choices can be made. Warranty on "second-hand" materials and installations is also a point of attention. "