'Hybrid transformation adding value to community'

The South School and a gymnasium on the site will also be remodeled. 'Park Oud Zuid' will also feature ground-level new construction housing in a car-free courtyard. Stedenbouw spoke with Herman Dolstra of developer Schavast and Gerrit de Brake of main contractor Salverda Bouw.

Park Oud Zuid has a total of forty houses and apartments, to be divided between the main building of the HBS, the Zuiderschool, a detached gymnasium and ground-level new construction on the lot. The project management is entirely in the hands of the Schagen Groep, with Schavast and Salverda Bouw as its components. Dolstra: "Meppel City Council has earmarked Park Oud Zuid as an owner-occupied housing project with monumental supports; we are the owner. The site is in a prominent location, on the south side of the city center. By combining existing qualities with contemporary comfort - a large part of the homes will be realized gas-free, we are creating a new and appealing residential environment together with architectural firm 19 Het Atelier."

Restored to its former glory

The main carrier of the area is the monumental HBS, which will be restored to its former glory through complete restoration of the exterior. Luxury apartments will be created. On Prinses Marijkestraat, five town houses will be built, in a robust style that refers to the Hague School. These ground-level homes form the link between the main building (provincial monument) and Zuiderschool (municipal monument); they will be built on the site of a demolished, non-monumental wing. De Brake: "The old gymnasium is also a provincial monument. Three ground-level homes will be realized in it by means of a steel box-in-box construction, while retaining the existing exterior facade and details. In the car-free, green inner area, we are building thirteen court houses with pergolas. All the visible roofs of the storerooms will have sedum roofs."

Special in auditorium

Closing the development is a detached new home on Zuideinde. Park Oud Zuid is a hybrid project, with the necessary layers of development. Dolstra: "The zoning plan does justice to old and new. The classrooms of the school buildings become living space; the architectural design and materialization of the new building fit seamlessly with the monumental character. It is quite challenging to create living space in such a setting. The courtyard and galleries of the apartments in the HBS are realized in the former auditorium, where a monumental spiral staircase has been retained. As a developer, you can't escape such specials. The community is looking over your shoulder; that requires intensive efforts by developer and architect."

Says De Brake, "To ensure proper execution, we are using the same subcontractors for restoration, transformation and new construction. The development will be realized with equal construction flows in one year, starting this spring." This should result in a top reference for the Schagen Group. Says Dolstra, "We develop to create volume for the construction group. That turns out to be quite possible in this kind of project; our expertise from acquisition to site design can fully unfold in a project with added value for the community - a versatile and special development in a characterful part of Meppel. Buyers will soon be living in and around the school buildings of their youth."  

Construction Info

Client 
Schavast BV

Architect 
19 The Atelier

Implementation 
Salverda Construction

Construction period 
spring 2021 - spring 2022