Efficiently building a large-scale campus

Heylen Warehouses is greatly expanding its operations in the Netherlands. The logistics provider is currently building a large-scale, state-of-the-art distribution center at Kampershoek business park near Weert, at a high-profile location along the A2 motorway and Ringbaan-Noord. The logistics campus consists of a modern distribution and storage center with a total of 118,085 m² of warehouse space for multiple tenants. The development consists of two parts, through which meanders a green lung with hundred-year-old trees.

The construction period, spread over the period 2020-2022, covers only a few months per rental unit, for which specialist parties were brought in. "Heylen has a thoughtful and sophisticated way of designing and executing," said director Roel Coenen of Verelst, the construction company doing most of the building work. "For example, Heylen's centers are not invariably classically constructed, in all-steel finished sandwich panels, but are also equipped with concrete columns and inner boxes with cladding." Increasingly, a hybrid structure mixing steel and concrete is being chosen. Architect Wilma Wastiau describes this as "Funky Industrial Architecture.

Rough Construction

Groep Verelst, an all-round construction group from the province of Antwerp with an annual turnover of 180 million, is the structural contractor for this project. The foundations, structures, roofs and façade finishing, including mezzanine floors, are being carried out by Verelst Bedrijfs- en Projectbouw. The installation technology and other concrete floors are in the hands of ancillary contractors. "A fast way of building is paramount," says project manager Stefan Vervullens. "To allow tenants to start furnishing as quickly as possible, we deliver in different phases. For example, tenants were already operational while we continued construction on the other units." 

Coenen: "As a structural contractor, we can work independently of others, with our own equipment and our own people. The industrialization of construction does not prevent us from making a commercial profit in this way. We also faced few delivery problems on this project in Weert. This is the result of sustainable partnerships, both with our subcontractors and suppliers and not least with our customer Heylen. Moreover, we have our own workshops for the production of steel and concrete, which enables us to act proactively."

Indoor Garden

The logistics campus in Weert has no fewer than 138 loading docks and, in addition to its volume, it excels in the level of finishing. 'Logistic Mill 21 Campus', as the DC is officially called, will soon be the first and only large-scale campus with an indoor garden of approximately 7,000 m², with hundred-year-old trees. The green part is an integral part of the plan and is centrally located on the campus grounds. Employees will soon be able to take a stroll or eat their lunch there. The intention is to make both buildings "open" on the side of the green area, so that the courtyard garden is visible from the buildings. "A unique set-up for a distribution center," Vervullens says. The garden plans are being further developed with a landscape architect. "A series of old trees were moved from elsewhere on the site to the courtyard garden," he says.

Logistic Mill 21 Campus will be a hybrid complex with initially three tenants. This spring, the partially refrigerated DC for Movianto (pharma) opened. Kubota (construction machinery) will soon open a state-of-the-art DC there, and Cargo Services Europe (logistics warehousing) will also move in.