building low-nitrogen? Yes, of course

Nitrogen is causing quite a stir in the Netherlands. 'You can't say: I'm not going to implement nitrogen policy, but I will build houses,' Minister Van der Wal said in a response to the results of the Provincial Council elections. Cepezed's work shows that more is possible than the black-and-white positions in the political debate suggest.

low-nitrogen
The number of permits for building projects has been in sharp decline recently. Within a radius of 25 kilometres, no vulnerable nature area may be damaged by extra nitrogen emissions during construction. However, this does not apply to low-nitrogen building projects. Cepezed designed a new care centre for PI Haaglanden that is being built next to a Natura 2000 area. Among other things, screw foundations were chosen instead of pile driving. Electrical equipment is used as much as possible. It is therefore not the case that we have 'ended up in a situation where nothing is possible anymore', as Esther Ouwehand (PvdD) pointed out in early March on the Buitenhof television programme.

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circular
Attje Kuiken (PvdA-GL) mentioned another solution to the nitrogen problem in the same broadcast: circular building. She thinks we should build more, 'but not only build, also transform existing construction'. Cepezed has example projects of this too. Together with dismantling company Lagemaat, it is working on a Knowledge Centre for Circular Building in Heerde and a theatre in Oss. For the knowledge centre, parts of the provincial government building of Gelderland are reused and for the theatre, almost one-on-one, parts of the Scheveningen Zuiderstrandtheater. Another project is Park Hoog Oostduin, a former Shell office transformed into an apartment complex.

more with less
Nitrogen and reuse both appear in cepezed's kit-of-parts method. By starting from prefab components that hardly have to be finished on site, relatively little material is needed. Thus, less steel, glass, (recycled) concrete and, among others, system ceiling need to be produced, which already reduces nitrogen emissions in the industry. The kit-of-parts is also detachable. The building components are long-lasting: they are intended for assembly as well as future demounting and remounting. Like the Temporary Court, which is moving to the Twente Knowledge Campus after five years of service in Amsterdam.