Apartments with a precast concrete shell

The Fountain Church in Voorburg

The Fonteinkerk in Voorburg is becoming an apartment complex, with part of the original building being preserved. Owner Gerald Tijhuis and project manager Arno Ruijtenberg of Tricon Beton explain what makes this project so unique.

For nearly 25 years, Tricon has been an expert in concrete and thus also in concrete airframes: building structures made of prefabricated concrete elements. These structures ensure a fast and efficient construction process. In practice, each precast concrete shell has its own challenges.

Puzzling with concrete

Hollow walls, wide slab floors, beams and columns, balconies and stairs came from different manufacturers, but Tricon made them into one. "With our knowledge of structures, we brought everything together," says Tijhuis. An unforeseen challenge was the fact that the houses had to be insulated on the stairwell side. The solution: one of Tricon's suppliers could supply insulated hollow walls. "We introduced those and that has become a very nice element of the building," says Tijhuis. Project manager Ruijtenberg is also proud of Tricon's solutions. "We have brought together various products from our field in one building, which makes this a very nice and unique project."

Maneuvering

It was not always easy to build within the existing walls of the church. "Within a margin of about 6 inches you have to maneuver heavy concrete elements, even when it's windy. That, of course, creates challenges," Ruijtenberg says. "With every operation you do, you have to take into account the building that was already there: the towers that were already there and the stained glass that had to remain intact. That does make the project special."

According to Tijhuis, cooperation in the construction team went very well. "Working with contractor Horsman, Schaal Ingenieurs and the various suppliers was very pleasant."