Platform on new construction, renovation, restoration and transformation
The Gomarus comprehensive school in Gorinchem was outgrowing its premises. With the reconfiguration of the existing school building and a substantial extension, the school building can take it again for the time being.
The Gomarus Scholengemeenschap in Gorinchem had been using an emergency location on Lange Slagenstraat for some time. Now that the existing school is being expanded with a new building section of three floors, each with an area of about 400 m², the emergency location can come to an end in September 2019. The commute between the two locations will then be over and with it the loss of time and various unsafe traffic situations. Moreover, in the existing location, a section will be rearranged so that the classrooms are better suited to education. All construction work will be carried out by Burgland Bouw.
The main load-bearing structure of the new building consists of steel and sand-lime brick in combination with hollow-core slabs. On the outside, the facades will be constructed with traditional brickwork and aluminum facade frames. Extra attention is paid to the entrance. This will be enlarged and get a wooden cladding; this makes it more strikingly present. The appearance of the new building section fits seamlessly with that of the existing section.
"The project is going well and does not have extremely high construction requirements," says Hubert van Velden, project manager of Burgland Bouw. "It does require a lot of attention that we are building in and near a school where lessons are normally taught. Every day hundreds of students walk and cycle here to this school or to a school nearby. That requires extra safety measures. We only allow transports to take place outside these hours. Test periods of the highest classes were also on our schedule. On those days, we worked as quietly as possible."
"No, it takes no effort on our part to take this into account," Van Velden continued. "The school board also takes us into account. It has provided a part of the square for us, where we can store equipment and materials. This makes it easier for us to work. Just before the fall break, we will hand over the new building to the school. This part can then be furnished during the autumn vacations, after which some 450 students from the region can transfer to their renovated school in Gorinchem."
