UGO Apeldoorn is ready for the future

Renovation and revitalization of a school building

Van Norel Bouwgroep renovated and revitalized the building of exploratory vmbo school UGO in Apeldoorn. The layout of the school was modified so that it is better equipped for practical education. The building was also insulated. In addition, Van Dorp Amersfoort performed many electrical and mechanical engineering works as a secondary contractor.

Project Manager Martin Heutink of Van Norel Bouwgroep says, "The client chose to tender both components of the work separately. We were leading and determined the planning." UGO works with learning squares and the layout of the existing building no longer met their needs. "We started in early September 2023 and the school had to be ready by the end of that school year. This obviously succeeded, despite a number of schedule shifts. In the end, the movers were ready the day after completion." 

Recycled materials

In addition to adjusting the layout of the building, Van Norel also provided the facilities for the new installations. For example, the ventilation system was renewed and to meet the current requirements, large ducts had to be brought into the building. The contractor therefore made large openings through which the ducts could enter. Because the ventilation system runs above the ceilings, several thousand square meters of ceilings also had to be replaced. "Throughout the project, we always looked carefully at what was needed. Where no work was needed, we didn't replace anything. Because of the budget, but also for sustainability reasons. For example, we temporarily stored ceiling tiles that were still good in the basement and reused them later. Then there is some color difference, but the client found that acceptable. We also reused several doors and window frames within the building." The roof was also insulated: Van Norel installed 2,500 m2 of insulation and replaced the roofing. 

'Old building creates surprises'

Finally, the school was refreshed by saucing the walls and renewing the floor finish. New PVC was installed in several places. The building originally dates from the sixties and that caused some surprises. Heutink: "We did encounter some things that we had not anticipated.

Sometimes the construction was done differently than on the drawing. In addition, the requirements for fire safety, for example, became much stricter in those years. So we had to do quite a bit of extra work to get the building up to date. The biggest challenge was to carry it all out within the time available." 

Fortunately, Van Norel Bouwgroep can count on reliable partners. "Just think of the upholsterer, the painting company and the coordination with the installer. It was an intensive project that required a lot of consultation and coordination. Also with the client, because work was constantly being added and therefore the costs were rising. In any case, the school can now move forward for another 25 years, with lower energy consumption and well equipped for the future. At the end of September the school was officially opened by the alderman. We were there and treated the teachers and students to ice cream. They are happy with the renovated building."