Platform on new construction, renovation, restoration and transformation
Large glass curtain walls, long stretches of window frames, and a building that is part of a complex rail environment. The train depot in Haarlem placed high demands on the aluminum exterior facades. With approximately 422 m² of Schüco FWS 60 curtain walls and about 995 m² of Schüco AWS/ADS 65 window frames, Lieftink Geveltechniek made a significant contribution. “Technology was important, but collaboration was just as crucial to the project’s success,” says Technical Director Tom van Dorp.
Schüco’s systems were specified in the project specifications from the very beginning. That’s how Lieftink Geveltechniek came into the picture. “We were brought into the construction team almost immediately,” Van Dorp recalls. That early involvement proved valuable, as the project presented its fair share of challenges. “The biggest challenge here was definitely the available space—or rather, the lack thereof,” Van Dorp notes. “It was quite a puzzle to get all the different disciplines to work side by side on such a large project. The tight schedule put additional pressure on the project.”
According to Van Dorp, the difference in this project was already made during the engineering phase. “We actively contributed ideas regarding the detailing, various connections, and, above all, the feasibility on the construction site. The focus wasn’t solely on the quality of the Schüco systems. Within the systems themselves, we also constantly sought the highest possible quality in execution and detailing. For example, attention was paid to the connections within the window frame system and to wind and water tightness. The connection between structural work, sheet metal, and the facade also regularly required custom solutions and intensive consultation.”
The complexity wasn’t limited to the facade itself. The scope of the project was also broader than usual. To take the pressure off the client and general contractor Visser & Smit Bouw, Lieftink Geveltechniek took on work—in addition to the facade systems—that is normally outsourced to other parties. “For example, we supplied and installed the membranes, and a relatively large amount of formwork was part of our scope. This allowed us to keep the number of subcontractors on the construction site to a minimum. This was an explicit request from the contractor. BIM was therefore extremely important for this project due to the many points of intersection between our facades and the activities of the other parties.”
Van Dorp believes that the strong collaboration with the contractor played a key role in the project’s success. “Thanks to close coordination, we were able to work together to resolve technical and structural challenges. That was especially important because conditions at the construction site weren’t always ideal, and we didn’t always have access when we needed it. In those situations, it’s essential to remain flexible, think ahead, and work well together as construction partners. We succeeded in doing that very well here, and the result speaks for itself.”
