'You keep each other on your toes and climb together'

In Den Hoorn - next to exit 12 of the A4 motorway - the construction of a brand new Van der Valk hotel is in full swing. The new building will soon offer space for 142 rooms, 10 meeting rooms and 300 places in the restaurant and bar. The hotel will be 38 meters high and is located in a visible location from the A4.

The site for the Van der Valk hotel was developed by Ter Steege Bouw Vastgoed Apeldoorn and is now being built by Ter Steege Bouw Vastgoed West. This started with the driving of 276 piles, after which the ground floor could be poured and the partition walls could be put up for the entrance, the dining area and the lounge. From the second floor, the hotel room floors begin.

Develop and build in construction team

The hotel/restaurant in Den Hoorn is totally newly designed and developed. In a construction team - consisting of client, subcontractors and suppliers - the best solutions are sought for all situations. "A special approach," explains Mathieu Vlasveld, commercial liaison at TS Bouw Vastgoed. "As a contractor, we are very focused on the construction process and on clear agreements. Now all parties bring their interests to the fore and yet agreement must be reached on all items. This working method offers many advantages. You keep each other on your toes and learn from each other."

Precast concrete shell

One decision that was quickly agreed upon was precast concrete construction. This ensures a high pace of construction for everyone. The ground and second floors are unique, but once construction of the tower begins, there is a high degree of repetition and the shell is erected at a rate of one floor per week. 

Innovative facade elements

The facades will be constructed in a combination of wood frame construction and SIPS. "The exterior envelope is then clad with a combination of stone strips and facade cladding with 'fins' that frame the aluminum window frames," Vlasveld says. "The sawn bricks with the appearance of a completely masonry exterior façade are processed standing up and, as a result, have an attractive, luxurious appearance and a high insulation value."

Space and comfort

The construction site also deserves a mention. On the well-known inner-city "postage stamp locations," TS Bouw Vastgoed generally has to fend for itself with space, but in Den Hoorn, employees, suppliers and subcontractors arrive on asphalted construction roads and have access to a fully equipped chain park, waste containers and parking areas. "That is almost unique in this day and age and certainly contributes to well-organized construction."

Sustainability

To minimize the ecological footprint, the new building is being developed according to the Gold GreenKey certification and the European Energy Efficiency Directive ("EED"). The building is all-electric, which fits with the principle of the Cittaslow municipality of Midden-Delfland, which also stands for cooperation with local entrepreneurs and recipes composed with local products.