The First Stone I & II: Back to the original look with new techniques

Residential buildings De Eerste Steen I & II are located on Bilderdijkstraat in Rotterdam's Spangen district. Willems Vastgoedonderhoud is the main contractor on the project in which the buildings will receive a technical and aesthetic facelift on behalf of Woonstad Rotterdam. The project started in December 2022 and within a year and a half, the original streetscape of the complexes will be restored as much as possible.

From replacing window frames to installing new balcony railings: Willems Realty Maintenance is refurbishing De Eerste Steen I & II from head to toe. During the renovation, residents will continue to live in the buildings. According to project manager Robin Hassankhan, this is quite a task in terms of planning: "Some people like to be home when we come and others prefer not to be. Planning this is a lot of fun, but also makes it complicated."

Much needed

First Stone I & II were built in the 1920s. They were renovated in the 1980s, but nothing has happened to them on a project-by-project basis since then. "It was also really necessary now," Hassankhan says. "The insulation left a lot to be desired, the floors on the first floor contained mold, and asbestos was present in the storerooms in the garden. And that's not even half of what we were doing."

The doors, stained glass and diagonal glass rods will return. The window frames will regain their original green colors. "At first, opinions were still divided on that," Hassankhan says. "I understand that not everyone was jumping at the idea of green window frames, but once we're underway and the buildings are getting their uniformity back, opinions have fortunately changed." What is special about this project is that the complexes have a long history, he says. "We want to honor that history, of course. We are giving the buildings back their old look by using new techniques." 

The residents

This project is no stranger to Willems Realty Maintenance. With her years of experience, she has come across many such assignments. Willems Vastgoedonderhoud almost always works for housing associations. There are both rental and owner-occupied houses in De Eerste Steen I & II and the maintenance task lies with the housing corporation. The complexes are in Rotterdam's Spangen district. "It doesn't get any more Rotterdam than this," Hassankhan says. "It's a working-class neighborhood where all nationalities are represented. We have two resident consultants on this project who maintain contact with the residents. We hear from the residents that they are extremely happy with the communication from us. This is an important reason why we work so well in occupied conditions. Because the residents always know where they stand, we never have any hassles."

"Our workers are social people and talk a lot with the residents while working. The other day a resident brought a cake to our performers because he is so happy with us! We really do it together and that's what makes this such a great project!"