Power for the Pearl

A new office for a partner you have been working with for years is special anyway. "Especially when it comes to a remarkable building like Pearl in the Polder," says John Gielen, project manager on behalf of Van den Pol Elektrotechniek. In the same role, he is working with De Vries en Verburg on the new Logistics & Environment building for TU Delft. The two companies also regularly realize housing projects together.

Space for specialists

At Pearl in the Polder, Van den Pol deploys its wide range of services: E-supply, fire alarm installation, intrusion installation, data installation, charging facilities, LED lighting and PV installation. "Early on in the process, the construction partners were involved in the preparations. Such an integral approach where there is plenty of room for the input of specialists certainly benefits the end result."

Experience in wood

Timber construction is not new to Van den Pol. "We are installing the Rotterdam residential complex SAWA and working on the Redwell company building in Waddinxveen, which is being constructed almost entirely in wood." Building in wood impacts the process. "Modelers and engineers have to calculate all recesses early on for wall sockets, fire alarms and emergency lighting, for example. Those cutouts are made in advance so everything has to be right."

Two color piping

Piping goes from the computer floor to the E-facilities on the same floor and to the lighting one floor below. "To make it easier for mechanics, both conduits have a different color," he said. Control of the LED lighting will be integrated into the building management system. "At the entrances there will be control panels that switch on the corridor zones. In sunny weather, the lighting can be limited to 20%, while in cloudy weather it burns at full strength. Motion sensors control the light at the workstations."

Puzzling with panels

It is quite a puzzle for Van den Pol to install the desired number of solar panels without affecting the appearance of the striking building. "There will be 103 panels on the roof, 44 will have a place on the canopy of the parking lot." Definitely worth mentioning finally is the battery system in the basement. "With this, consumption and generation of energy will be balanced. Furthermore, we are considering bi-directional charging stations that we are installing. With this novelty, electric cars can also be used for temporary energy storage."