From outdated pavilion to modern bedhouse

Connecting to a working healthcare environment

On Prins Constantijnweg in Rotterdam, AKOR is working to replace an outdated pavilion of the former Bouman Clinic, now Kliniek Rotterdam Alexander. The older building section had too little internal height for a modern layout.

After preliminary research by GGH Architects, a new building was chosen: three floors with 93 patient rooms and functions such as the High Intensive Care Unit, the Psychiatric Somatic Unit, the Crisis Center and a closed admission Psychiatry & Addiction.

Building in a place that doesn't want to be a construction site

Martijn Icke, branch director of AKOR Pijnacker, calls the construction site ‘a puzzle that you put together anew every day. On one side, the site is adjacent to the Alexandria ’66 sports fields and on the other side to Antes’ fully operational clinic, next to the IJsselland Hospital site. “We can just get in with a truck. The crane is almost up against the fence of the soccer fields. That requires creative phasing.”

The building is constructed in parts: first one half of the shell, then the other half. Storage space is virtually nonexistent. “Everything that arrives has to be processed immediately. That means tight scheduling, short lines and lots of coordination.” Because the clinic remains in operation during construction, AKOR chose a foundation of soil-formed, vibration-free combi piles to minimize inconvenience to the vulnerable target group. Pace and noise on the construction site are also deliberately controlled.

Technical puzzling on the connection

Connection to the existing building is one of the biggest technical challenges. Floor levels, building systems and installations vary from building period to building period. A combination of steel, concrete and sand-lime brick ensures a tight transition. Sam Onderwater, project manager at AKOR Pijnacker, says, “Thanks in part to good cooperation and communication with our client, we are able to carry out the construction process in a streamlined manner.”

Inside, everything revolves around safety and sustainability: an extra sturdy finish on walls and ceilings, high noise requirements, many strong facades, a focus on fire safety and special hardware and security systems, also in combination with architectural details including the façade frames. Completion is scheduled for late 2026. “It looks like a compact expansion,” says Icke. “But in reality, we are building a completely new healthcare building. That's what makes this project so special.”