cepezed learns by doing, but that certainly does not mean it is non-committal. We collect data, survey innovations and organise “learning from each other” in the cepezedacademy and lunch lectures. For example, cepezed’s sustainability coordinator, Sonja Draskovic, recently updated us on the lessons learned from the circular project Universe.
At present, most of our ongoing projects are based on reuse. We are therefore well aware that the circular economy is not a given. Fortunately, we are not alone in our passion for circular construction. The renovation of Universe is a good example of this. This 27-year-old office building in Binckhorst, The Hague, is one of the most ambitious circular projects we are currently working on. It is currently in a shell condition and is being redeveloped into a government office with high sustainability ambitions on behalf of the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf (Central Government Real Estate Agency).
committed builder
Universe is currently in the TO phase, says Sonja. In a circular project, this phase involves searching for and inspecting the final donor materials. Because Universe is being realised within a Design & Build contract, builder J.P. van Eesteren, the main contractor of our consortium, has been involved from the very outset. By joining early on, J.P. van Eesteren committed to the programme of requirements, including the ambitious sustainability requirements, which we maximised in the tender phase.
from day one
During the tender phase, we worked with the Universe team to assess how much reusable material the building itself would yield. And from day one, additional material was sought from circular suppliers and demolition companies, including Verwol and Adex. Sonja noted that the demand for specific circular materials needs to be spread across several companies in order to be worthwhile. This has to do with the time frame in which circular materials become available and are offered. In the short period between vacancy and demolition, they must be tracked down, examined in relation to the design, and assessed against the programme of requirements and ambitions.