Platform on new construction, renovation, restoration and transformation
Specialist in maintenance, renovation, building management and construction projects Raedts B.V. goes for long-term relationships with clients and partners. A good example is the relationship with Kersten B.V., for which Raedts has realized all new company buildings and renovations over the past 25 to 30 years. The most recent assignment includes a new, sustainable and future-proof head office on the Stayerhofweg in Wanssum, as a result of which the internationally leading company in curved steel and aluminum constructions benefits from one central (production) location in the Netherlands, even more comfort and a more efficient workflow.
On Oct. 27, the Dutch branch of Kersten Group moved into its new headquarters, which stands out for its modern look with lots of glass, a horizontal interplay of lines and a curved facade that stylishly continues into the site design. “A beautiful nod to Kersten Group's core business,” says Ruud Craenmehr, director of Raedts, which bore full Design & Build responsibility for the new building. “The main starting point for the new headquarters was the creation of spacious, bright workplaces for the administration,- engineering and sales departments, among others, as well as modern meeting rooms and a large multifunctional canteen where all employees can congregate,” he says. “But also a functional and sustainable building with a transparent appearance, which encourages cooperation and can also grow along with future ambitions and developments. To flesh this out as well as possible, we involved Driessen Architectuur at an early stage. We also took care of the complete plan development, permit application and turnkey realization.”
On Feb. 12, the first ceremonial shovel went into the ground to celebrate the imminent start of ground work. “To make the site suitable for the foundation, we first performed soil improvement,” Craenmehr says. “Then a traditional foundation was made with foundation strips and concrete piers that transfer the weight of the building to the ground. The building itself is built with a steel structure, which allowed for fast construction and maximum flexibility toward the future.” The upper floors and roof floor are hollow-core slabs with a compression layer that increase the load-bearing capacity as well as the stability and rigidity of the building.
The two-story headquarters is constructed in such a way that a third layer can be added in the future. “Both the engineering and the layout of the roof floor have already taken this into account,” Craenmehr emphasizes. “For example, we very deliberately placed the air handling units, heat pumps and solar panels on the roof of an adjacent existing hall, whose structure has been weighted down. This cleverly accommodates relocation of the installations in the future. Moreover, when the building is topped up, we can easily extend the stairs.”
For the facade finish, Raedts followed Kersten's mood board, on which, for example, horizontal lines, substantial overhangs and imposing fascias were key items. “We clearly communicated these wishes with the architect,” Craenmehr says. “This resulted, for example, in a facade finish with insulated sandwich panels combined with lots of aluminum facade frames and glass. In addition, the building was given imposing canopies that block solar radiation. As a result, Kersten's employees maintain a good view of their screens.”
To make Kersten Group's expertise in bending technology clearly visible to the surroundings, the building has been given beautiful curves. As an example, Craenmehr mentions the right corner of the building, for which Kersten itself bent the aluminum curtain wall profiles. “On the left side, the facade extends very nicely into the garden. This curved element was also made by Kersten. A nice finishing touch to a beautiful project!”
