Energy-efficient homes on historic site

With the lowering of a wooden bridge, representatives of the Municipality of West Maas and Waal, the residents, Woonstichting De Kernen and construction company De Vree en Sliepen opened restructuring neighborhood De Wamelse Poort in Wamel. The main contractor from Tiel realized 25 very energy-efficient social rental homes and 8 owner-occupied homes there in a construction team formula on a historic site where Sterkenburg Castle stood in the Middle Ages. De Kernen initiated the project in 2016 and conducted many individual discussions with the then tenants. In May 2019, demolition of a total of 38 outdated homes began, which was done in 3 phases. On Oct. 7, the project was festively opened.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - on that day the demolition of 38 homes at the entrance to Wamel was started. It immediately marked the beginning of a restructuring project that two and a half years later would result in 25 social rental homes and 8 owner-occupied homes, all gas-free. "The outdated homes dated back to the late 1950s and early 1960s, and residents had complaints about moisture and noise pollution. The oldest homes still had thatch instead of insulation under the roof tiles. De Kernen therefore decided to demolish the existing homes and build new ones. From 2016 to early 2018, we held talks with each individual tenant. We proposed our plans to them, and together we then mapped out the residents' needs and possibilities. Some of them agreed immediately, while others had doubts," explains Marco van Herwaarden, project manager at Woonstichting De Kernen. "We knew that this project would have a major impact on the residents involved. So in early 2018, we organized an information evening in the village hall to present the result of the talks. We also created a drop-in center, an empty rental house in the neighborhood, where people could go with all their questions or just have a chat over a cup of coffee. In the end, 12 tenants from the existing neighborhood remained in the new Wamelse Poort residential area. The remaining tenants chose to leave or move elsewhere."

Building in phases

This "gateway" to the village of Wamel is spacious. There are different types of rental housing: starter, single-family and senior housing. Sufficient consideration has also been given to parking spaces. Within the construction team, De Vree and Sliepen was responsible for the construction of the homes. "We were involved in this project at an early stage. While the competent authorities worked out the zoning plan and the design was drawn, we already determined the concept and the construction methodology. We also made a schedule in advance, so it was clear to the residents well in advance when their homes had to be empty and they had to have another home," says Teunis van Voorthuizen, head of existing construction at De Vree and Sliepen. "Because of the presence of bats, sparrows and swallows, we also had to take flora and fauna into account. In order to install solar panels, the utility tracks were renewed throughout the neighborhood."

History

There used to be a fortress at this location, so archaeological research was advanced. The preliminary process therefore took a long time, but in May 2019 the contractor was finally able to start the demolition of the existing houses and the realization of the new construction project. "The materials were carefully selected: traditional masonry and tiling, ready-made window frames, precast HSB for the roof, walls made of sand-lime brick, sand-cement floors on the first floor and hollow-core slabs on the first floor as well as energy modules from Factory Zero," Van Voorthuizen explains. "In the summer of 2020, the 14 rental units and 8 owner-occupied units of the first phase were completed. Six months later, we began construction of another 11 rental homes. In early October 2021, the neighborhood was festively opened and attendees were also able to discover the finds from the archaeological survey. This project also unveiled the first 'Wamel' gargoyle, designed in consultation with the village council, as a unique feature for and by the village."