New building prepares Axalta for the future

At Bedrijvenpark Medel in Tiel, Aan de Stegge Twello is currently constructing the new office of Axalta Refinish Nederland, a partner in paint repairs and part of Axalta, a leading global coatings company. The plot on which the company's 7,250 m² new building is rising is 12,000 m² in size. The high-quality, future-proof building includes a dye shop and a warehouse for storing hazardous materials. There will also be offices and a modern, well-equipped training center that will provide an inspiring workplace for automotive painters. The complex will be officially inaugurated in the middle of next year.   

Text | Chris Elbers    Image | Aan de Stegge Twello/Palazzo Architects

While the construction delivery is already scheduled for the end of January, the final touches will be added until the middle of next year. "The project roughly consists of two parts," said Maurice Smits, commercial project manager at construction company Aan de Stegge Twello. As the person with final responsibility on behalf of Aan de Stegge Twello, he was closely involved in contract formation with client Focus Projectontwikkeling and obtaining the required permits. "We expect to deliver the building at the end of January. This will be followed by furnishing the training center in particular with the practical areas. That activity is largely completed by Axalta itself, but coordinated in its entirety by us. We are, however, making a sunken floor pit under the spray booths in this particular part of the building."

Impressions Axalta Tiel, by Palazzo Architects.

All-electric

Axalta Refinish Nederland's new office will be a sustainable and future-proof accommodation in every respect. In order to accommodate all business activities for now and the future in the building, an overcapacity in terms of floor space has been created. After all, governing is looking ahead. "In addition, the building is being constructed in accordance with the legislation as laid down in the Buildings Decree," Smits continues. "As a result, the building is highly compliant with sustainability requirements that are the standard nowadays. Furthermore, the building will be built all-electric. Initially, a heavy connection to gas was foreseen, especially for the process plant. However, the recent legislative change regarding nitrogen deposition made that impossible. We therefore went in search of an alternative and converted the entire installation to gas-free. A comprehensive process that took quite some doing in terms of design, engineering and obtaining the right permits. Ultimately, this solution resulted in a lower deposition rate and issuance of the required permit. A credit to all parties involved."

The foundation of the office is complete. Mini vibro-piles are being made in the background.

Functionally diverse

The project in Tiel is right up Aan de Stegge Twello's alley. "We always go for a turnkey total solution," says Smits. "And that goes beyond construction alone. We also like to show our added value around obtaining and processing permits, for example." These are qualities that come together nicely in the Tiel project, which, because of the somewhat unusual plot shape, presented Aan de Stegge Twello with a wonderful, new challenge. "The plot is triangular in shape," Smits explains. "As a result, it took quite a bit of time and energy to arrive at a logical interpretation and routing from Axalta Refinish's logistics process in combination with the diversity of functions housed in the building. An average new building includes a hall and office. Here you have shipping, storage, paint mixing room, training center, offices with instruction rooms, locker rooms and washrooms. So I would venture to say that all the facets you might encounter in corporate housing are included in this project."