Nonresidential construction at its best: new sleek commercial building for Front Barbers

At business park Zevenhuis in Zwaag, many companies have a home. This includes hairdressing wholesaler Voorkappers. In cooperation with Bouw Contracters West (BCW), Stabo Bouw realized a beautiful new company building. Project leader Ronald Ariens of Stabo Bouw takes us through this utility building project.

Stabo Bouw and Voorkappers.nl are family businesses: no wonder they are a perfect match. Ariens begins, "BCW was in charge of this construction project. We have worked together successfully before, so the company asked if we wanted to realize this project for her. Of course, it's always nice to be asked again when previous collaborations went well!"

More than a business building

"Non-residential construction, that's just what we're good at," Ariens continues. "Especially in projects like this, where it's more than just a commercial building. Industrial buildings used to be often square boxes, but today these buildings are all unique. They have a beautiful appearance and in the realization we take into account the environment."

So is the building of the barber wholesale business. In October 2023, the first pile was driven into the ground, and now the building with an area of no less than 5,000 square meters stands. The new building will house office space, a large warehouse and an experience center. A great challenge for Stabo Bouw: "We are creating the complete interpretation of the commercial property. All facets of construction are reflected in it. We take care of the entire finishing and decoration, so that the building is really finished and the client can move in immediately. We don't put the furniture in just yet," says an enthusiastic Ariens. 

Full realization

"The client had a design with drawings and from there we took care of the realization from start to finish, with the help of our regular cooperation partners," says Ariens. "So you start with the groundwork and piling, the steel structure and foundation. We finish with the floor and ceiling finishes in the offices and the experience center. And all in close cooperation with the client. Are there any additional wishes in the meantime? Then we always think along. There's just room for that!"

Such a realization has many unique elements. For example, the warehouse contains robots that sort products. "You also have to take those kinds of elements into account in the construction process," Ariens says. "A robot like that is a large piece of equipment. You take that into account in the planning: can it be done? Does it fit? And what about the floor load? We make sure that everything is logistically coordinated."

Another unique element was the construction of the vault for the storage of incendiary materials. "For this, we placed large concrete elements against a steel structure. All this had to remain stable during construction. Quite a challenge, but with our regular cooperation partners that was not a problem. We always look together how we realize it. We know that half a word is enough, and that it will be well worked out. Because good work preparation is half the battle."

Sevenhouse as home

Voorkappers' new commercial building is not the first building Stabo Bouw is delivering in the Zevenhuis business park. It has already filled sixteen lots on the site. Enough reason, therefore, to add a seventeenth lot. And a very special one at that: "We are going to fill a lot ourselves with our own business building. And that will certainly not be a boring building, it will have a beautiful, challenging shape. A nice cherry on top!"