The town hall in Dronten will be equipped with modern installations: Sustainable, energy-neutral and comfortable

Mechanical ventilation was very limited, cooling was lacking and spaces were inadequate for the new way of working. Therefore, the interior will be completely overhauled. Masonry interior walls will be demolished, creating a light, open and modern building. In addition, the entrance will be renewed and expanded. The entire building will be made gas-free and equipped with modern installations. Approximately 1,450 PV panels will be installed on the roof and parking lot. Commissioned by the municipality of Dronten, Lomans is providing the design and realization of all installations. From the mechanical and electrical installations to the measurement and control technology, telematics, security, sprinkler with source installation, PV installations and the gray water circuit. In addition, the total installer from Amersfoort is responsible for aftercare and maintenance.

In a construction team with building contractor Bramer, architect INBO, consultants Nieman and De Groene Jongens and structural engineer Lucassen, Lomans is building a sustainable building, taking into account environmental impact, circular construction, energy consumption (EPC = 0) and a favorable Total Cost of Ownership. "The ultimate goal is to give the municipality and its residents a building that is future-proof and where they feel welcome," says consultant John Weitz. "In the design phase, we looked explicitly at which systems and architectural elements could be retained. Among other things, we retained the emergency power generator and portions of the cable tray routes and rainwater drains, as well as the fixtures that support the monumental look of the building. Excess materials were dismantled and collected in a shed, where Dronten residents were given the opportunity to pick out materials for their own use. The rest was disposed of to (local) recycling companies, giving maximum substance to the concept of circularity."

Maximum comfort, minimum energy consumption

To ensure a healthy and comfortable indoor environment, at minimum energy consumption, low-temperature systems were chosen. "Next to the town hall there will be two air/water heat pumps, which will provide heat and cold generation," says Weitz. "Because of the limited ceiling space, the installations in the building have been carefully split and distributed. A total of four air handling units with heat recovery are installed. Induction units were chosen as the delivery system for the offices. The larger rooms with widely varying occupancies are controlled variably in air flow, with after-heaters in the ducts for heat supply. An underfloor heating strip will also be installed along the existing facades, preventing local discomfort due to cold radiation. On the first floor, underfloor heating is installed to counteract rising cold from the basement." To flush the toilets, rainwater collected will soon be used, which will be stored in a large buffer tank. In addition, a large number of PV panels will be installed on the roofs.

Energy neutral thanks to PV park

To make the building energy-neutral, a PV park with about 1,200 panels above the existing parking lots including energy storage (battery), lighting, cameras and charging stations will be set up in cooperation with Eneco, MorrenSolar and Petawatt. The energy generated will be used not only to charge electric cars and general lighting under the PV panels, but also to power the systems in the town hall itself, Weitz said. "The renovation and modernization of the town hall really involves all of Lomans' disciplines. That makes the project a great calling card for our family business, which for more than 100 years has focused on designing, realizing, managing and maintaining installations in all disciplines and in close contact with the client as well as all parties involved. In this project, too, this approach translated into a pleasant collaboration and a high-quality end result."

Construction work and building-related installations in Dronten were completed on Dec. 31. This will be followed by furnishing, after which the town hall will be in use in March 2021.