Platform on new construction, renovation, restoration and transformation
A new care complex of Aafje that will be connected to a completely new church to be built: the Molenlei at the Meidoornsingel in Rotterdam is exceptional in every way. For Bectro Installatietechniek, this very complexity presents an opportunity to demonstrate its broad expertise. Project leaders Sjaak Remmelswaal and Bryan van Zanten take us through their work on a building in which care, technology and liturgy come together.
Bectro is a total installer with expertise in both electrical and mechanical facilities. Van Zanten explains, “We provide all installations from central heating to chilled water, tap water pipes, air treatment and heat pumps. In Rotterdam, we provide the complete package for both the care section and the parish.”
Remmelswaal has been working for both Bectro and client Aafje for seven years. He sees the project as a continuation of a strong collaboration: “This is the fifth project we are doing for Aafje. We know each other's way of working well and are given room to think along as specialists.”
Combining a modern healthcare complex with a new Catholic church poses special challenges. “Building a church hardly ever happens anymore in the Netherlands,” Remmelswaal says. “It really requires a different approach. Think of specific lighting, the lighting of crucifixes or the drainage of the altar, which may not be connected to the regular drainage.” Air movement also required customization. Van Zanten explains: “The spatial layout of a church is different from a residential care building. We made extensive calculations for the right air flows, including thermal images. That collaboration with the building partners determines the quality of the final result.”
The healthcare building will be completely all-electric, with heat pumps, air handlers, LED lighting and solar panels on the roof. “New construction is nice because you can design from scratch,” Remmelswaal says. “This allows you to immediately make the sustainable choices that fit the future of care.” Aafje also maintains high standards for comfort and safety.
Cooperation with all construction partners is intensive and constructive, according to Van Zanten. “We work with a team that knows how to find each other quickly,” he says. “There is a lot of room to think along and fine-tune technical choices. That makes the work enjoyable, because together you look for the best solution.” It is precisely this collaboration that makes the project attractive to both men. “It is a complex building with many different functions. That requires craftsmanship on all sides and certainly also from the mechanics on the project, It's nice to see how all the disciplines interlock.”
