Court of Sustainability shows that green building really is possible

'No More Blah, Blah, Blah'

Future-proof building should be done now, not in 2030. At the Court of Sustainability in Amersfoort, construction company Karbouw shows that much more is possible than most people think, such as serial wood construction, reusable materials and a clean construction method. Karbouw's goal is to lead the way and show what can be done. "Many entrepreneurs say they are going to build sustainably, but in the end it will still be traditional construction," said Karbouw director Marco Berger.

On the 70-meter-long scaffolding banner in front of the new Court of Sustainability building is the slogan: No More Blah, Blah, Blah. A quote from climate activist Greta Thunberg, by which she meant to say that the climate meetings so far have led nowhere. Karbouw is also calling other companies to action, Berger says. "We proved at the Court of Sustainability that serial wood construction really is possible. We hope that other entrepreneurs will also start building this way."

The Court of Sustainability will consist of 110 apartments, 7 urban villas and 40 single-family homes, intended for a mixed target group. The urban villas and single-family homes will be built from Crosslaminated Timber (CLT), wood sourced from European production forests. "This reduces CO2 emissions, transport movements and makes the homes recyclable. Both the walls and floors consist of this wood. Besides being a sustainable material, it also provides a fast and clean construction method," Berger said. As a matter of course, the homes are completely gas-free and will be equipped with a heat pump and PV panels.

Less waste

Wood is a lot lighter than concrete. This makes it more suitable for prefabricated construction: the number of transport movements decreases, lighter foundations are needed, disassembly for recycling is easier and it is lighter work for employees. Berger: "In a day and a half you put up a shell house. Within a day and a half we were watertight, which is very nice in the Dutch climate."

All the elements were also lifted and assembled ready-made into the homes just before the roof was closed: the technical installations, bathrooms, toilets and stairs. "By working this way, we have minimal waste. We wanted a clean construction and a pleasant working environment for our people," Berger said.

Challenges with wood construction are always sound insulation and fire resistance. For the single-family houses, this was not a problem, but the urban villas consist of higher-end apartments where the houses are also located below each other. "That required some clever engineering, but in the end it worked," Berger says.

Green outdoor area

The outdoor area will have a very green character with shrubs and trees. The open paving with lava rock underneath ensures that rainwater drains away just fine. Rainwater runoff runs through ditches that empty into wadis. Residents are free to design the gardens as they wish. Berger: "We are now delivering the CLT homes. The outside area, the paving, rainwater drainage and planting will be ready in the third quarter of 2022. Then the official handover will take place. After that, it will be the apartments' turn. Those do consist of traditional construction, because that is how it was licensed."