Platform on new construction, renovation, restoration and transformation
On Valeriusplein in Amsterdam-Zuid, on the site of the former clinic for the mentally ill, the finishing touches are being put on Valerius: a high-end residential location with 28 exceptionally spacious and luxurious apartments for people over 55. Parking, wellness and a swimming pool are included, as well as a concierge. A high-quality renovated adjacent care villa with 12 care rooms, a recreation room and additional amenities additionally supports any care needs. The design for Valerius is by MVSA, which succeeded in incorporating some beautiful elements of the old clinic into the new, sleek design. Construction company M.J. de Nijs en Zonen B.V. translated the design into an end result with grandeur.
"In order to ensure a fast and smooth design and construction process, this project was split into two," says Martin de Waal, business manager at Bouwbedrijf M.J. de Nijs en Zonen B.V. "We first received an order for the basement, including all facilities. Commissioned by Valeriusplein BV, under the management of real estate company De Jong Group and in close cooperation with our partner Hiensch Engineering, we developed the technical design into an implementation design. In doing so, we were faced with several challenges. We were expected to dig a hole for the basement in the middle of Amsterdam and up to 9.30 meters below ground level. A particularly risky assignment, because the groundwater level in this area stands at about -1 meter. Should something go wrong, it would affect some 1,200 housing units in the area. Therefore, an RI&E was made in advance and clear ground rules were drawn up." A large sheet pile wall was placed around the proposed basement. "Also, the wide surrounding area was continuously monitored: were we not extracting water from this area? Because the pumped up water absolutely could not be discharged through the sewer system, we drilled a discharge pipe to the Noorder Amstel Canal."
The new basement accommodates a 2-story parking basement, 28 storage rooms, a wellness area and the complete pool and CHP system. "We chose a traditional construction with concrete," says De Waal. "But even here we encountered several challenges because the superstructure was still under development." The finishing of the basement and the complete superstructure were only developed and adopted in a second term. "The superstructure provides space for 28 spacious apartments ranging from 170 m² to 400 m², which are delivered casco+. In line with the basement, a concrete skeleton was also chosen here, which derives its rigidity from the long and far-reaching walls. Floor heights of up to 4 meters contribute to the chic appearance of the apartments."
Most interior walls are concrete or sand-lime brick. "In addition, to increase flexibility and save weight, quite a few metal stud walls were installed," De Waal said. "For the facade finish, black manganese bricks with a combed surface texture and an enamel top layer, which reflect beautifully in sunlight, were fired specifically for this work. Combined with the solid stainless steel balcony railings and frame frames, Valerius takes on a particularly chic appearance."
On the courtyard side, large, sliding glass walls and planters have been installed. "These planters are plastered with relief tiles by Royal Tiggelaar. Eight different types were chosen, which were also specially manufactured for this project."
The common areas and basement are completely finished. A high standard has also been chosen here, De Waal says, with lots of natural stone, bronzed brass and specially treated walnut. "The balconies are finished with aluminum cladding. Heaters are integrated into the ceilings, so residents experience maximum comfort." Seven elevators were installed for the 28 apartments, which stop in the apartments. In addition, the building is full of high-end home automation. "The residents literally lack nothing."
Near Valeriusplein in Amsterdam, 28 apartments are being built for people over 55 in the upper segment. These are very spacious apartments with a beautiful garden surrounding them. In the basement, in addition to parking spaces, there will be space for wellness, fitness and a swimming pool. Duyts Bouwconstructies B.V. worked out the structural advice.
Duyts Bouwconstructies is an Amsterdam-based engineering firm with 21 employees, including three directors and project managers. They work on a variety of projects, including new construction, conversions, renovations and restorations of monuments. From large to small. For them, the project at Valeriusplein is among the larger projects. "As chief structural engineer and coordinating structural engineer, we worked out the entire main calculation. We did a lot of preliminary research," says Afshin Mahram, director at Duyts Bouwconstructies.
The building has five floors above ground with residential and social spaces. The basement has a dimension of 8.5 meters deep and 50 x 50 meters. To build it, tension drainage was chosen instead of underwater concrete. A pumping test was done beforehand for this purpose. Everything was also monitored closely during the project, Mahram says. "A monitoring and management plan was drawn up for a 300-meter radius around the project. That's about 700 addresses. Constant monitoring was done during implementation to keep an eye on subsidence and groundwater levels."
The project was worked out entirely in 3D Revit and BIM. Half of the basement is under the building and the other half is under the garden and is virtually unloaded. The pressure of the building had to be well distributed to prevent the basement from tilting. Mahram: "The parking garage and swimming pool required a lot of space in the basement, which meant that columns and the load-bearing lines of the superstructure could not extend to the foundation. The access to the garage was a brain teaser. That is an 11-meter opening on the side of the building, under a load-bearing facade. There, a HEM 800 with high quality steel was concreted in. In combination with a load-bearing facade above it, which also had to provide the second load-bearing path, that gave a complex detailing between all the structures."
For Duyts Bouwconstructies, it was a learning project in which the cooperation was pleasant, Mahram concludes. "It was nice that all parties wanted to achieve the best result here. The end result is beautiful."
Valerius offers residents an optimum in luxury and comfort. Both the apartments, wellness and pool areas, parking garage and adjacent care villa are equipped with all modern conveniences. Also when it comes to sanitary techniques. Under the design and realization of the sanitary installations is the signature of Lenting Techniek BV.
Lenting Techniek BV has been the specialist in plumbing and sanitary installations for almost 85 years. "We have already been involved in the preparatory phase by Hiensch Engineering, to create a design for all sanitary techniques," says Erik Rijpkema, Project Manager at Lenting Techniek BV. "From the water pipes to the rainwater drains, gas pipes, dry fire lines and sanitary facilities. We refined the specifications and technical drawings from Technical Project Advice (TPA) into a final design and execution design. In doing so, we paid explicit attention to the comfort and well-being of the residents."
The systems are sized so that residents have maximum hot water comfort. Moreover, waiting times are limited, says Rijpkema. "To take legionella safety to the highest level, we have drawn up a comprehensive (legionella) management plan. In the care villa, we also chose Schell faucets with automatic flushing cycles, which means that legionella safety here goes hand in hand with easy management."
The installations in the care villa have now been completed, Rijpkema says. "And the shell installations in the apartments are also almost finished. Right now we are busy with the finishing touches, commissioned by the residents themselves and/or in combination with construction company M.J. de Nijs en Zonen B.V. We have made two test homes with very luxurious plumbing, which has convinced a large group of residents."
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