Prefabricated shell speeds up construction of iconic Kadegebouw

The Spark project is taking shape on the Smakkelaarsveld, next to Utrecht Central Station and Hoog Catharijne. This project by developer Lingotto consists of two residential buildings with owner-occupied and public housing units, an office building, an urban park with dining options, and a small harbor. Commissioned by Vink Bouw, Stabiel Management constructed the prefabricated shell for the office building, which has been named the Kadegebouw—handling everything from engineering to production and assembly.

The Kade Building has a gross floor area of approximately 6,130 m², is located in the heart of Utrecht, and spans an existing tram track, which will remain in use during construction. The bottom four floors adjacent to the tram tunnel were cast in place by Vink Bouw. Stabiel Management supplied various separate prefabricated elements for this purpose. “Above that, we constructed the six-story superstructure, which is built entirely from prefabricated elements,” explains project manager Marcel van Drunen. “The challenge here was not so much the shape of the elements, but rather their composition, detailing, and logistics. For example, in this project, we had to work around scheduled closures of the tram tracks on agreed-upon days so that assembly could be carried out safely above the tracks. Careful planning and coordination were crucial here.”

More efficient and faster

According to him, the decision to use prefabricated construction was a logical one, as it allows for much more efficient and faster construction. “Together with Vink Bouw, we carefully considered the right structure and materials, resulting in an optimal design. Because all elements are prefabricated, the work on-site is essentially limited to assembly. This leads to a significantly shorter construction time and minimizes disruption to the surrounding area. Everything transported to the construction site is actually used. There are also far fewer people driving to and from the site, which improves safety around the construction area.”

Combination of concrete and steel

“All assembly work was completed between early May and late June,” says Van Drunen. “We worked closely with our installation partner, DWM Nederland BV, on this project. The building shell includes a significant number of precast concrete columns, concrete walls, concrete piers, solid floor slabs, hollow-core slabs, and two elevator/stairwell cores, combined with steel beams and columns. Where necessary, we applied a fire-resistant coating to the steel in advance.”

Good attention to detail

“The architect designed a unique building, in which angled corners ensure maximum natural light,” Van Drunen emphasizes. “That made our work challenging, as did the hybrid combination of concrete and steel. During the engineering phase, we paid close attention to the detailed design of these elements to ensure efficient and rapid assembly. This is a particular strength of Stabiel Management, as is their excellent logistical coordination.”

Due to the inner-city location, all prefabricated elements were transported to the project at exactly the right time and via a designated access route. “Efficient load planning resulted in a minimum number of transport trips. All elements were delivered on special transport frames and positioned in the correct locations using a tower crane.”

The Kade Building is the first project Van Drunen completed for Stabiel Management. “I’m extremely proud of this work,” he concludes. “But I’m also proud of the collaboration between the teams at Vink Bouw, DWM Nederland BV, Snijders Ingenieursgroep, and Stabiel Management. This project has left me wanting more.”