Technical Union combines store, showroom, offices and logistics in one building

New concept for housing Technical Union

At Boekelermeer industrial park in Alkmaar, a new branch is under construction for Technische Unie. Here store, service center, office and logistics will be combined, creating a very efficient location for the region. Construction company Aan de Stegge Twello is realizing the building. Completion is imminent, furnishing will start on short notice.

Aan de Stegge Twello previously realized branches for Technische Unie in The Hague and Amsterdam. Reason enough for the client to also ask Aan de Stegge for the new branch in Alkmaar. This will replace the current branch, which will close its doors. This allows the services to be expanded.

Technische Unie is the wholesaler of technical installation materials for construction and industry. So everything here revolves around technology, including new construction. No wonder visitors to the building can feel free to see what is possible! For example, the roof will have a showroom function with an outdoor installation and 400 solar panels. Through a monitoring system, the building managers can see how much power is being generated and this is also presented on a screen at the entrance to the office. The energy generated by the panels is used for the Daikin air-to-water heat pumps. "The building has three facets: showroom/shop, sales office and logistics center. This combination makes the project special," says commercial project manager Evert Veerman.

Permanent architect

To create unity in Technische Unie's various buildings, the wholesaler works with a regular architect and consultants. The same materials and colors recur throughout, such as Technische Unie's greenery and high-quality facade panels. Much attention is also paid to the surroundings. For example, a green plan was developed that integrates the building into its surroundings and gives the whole a friendly appearance. Together with the architect, structural engineer and client, Aan de Stegge Twello worked out the new concept from a suitable design to the building plan for the Alkmaar branch.

Comfortable working

The intended Zero-Meter building will be completely home automation controlled. Light sensors and motion detectors ensure that energy is consumed only where necessary. Great ease of use is created by the touchscreens, with which the entire lighting can be controlled. For employees, the building will be comfortable thanks to the sustainable heating and cooling installation, good ventilation and workplaces with plenty of daylight.

Optimal cooperation

The new building is expected to be completed in its entirety in May. That was actually supposed to be earlier, but because certain building materials could not be delivered, construction started in October 2021. The parties would have liked to have started earlier. A lot of time and energy went into the preliminary process, says Veerman. "In particular, the new business park and utility connections required a lot of attention. An awful lot of coordination took place beforehand and each of us showed flexibility. We cooperated optimally in the preliminary process, which meant we encountered few if any surprises during construction. I think it's great that we can work with Technische Unie in this way. We can deliver another great project."