Zero-de-Meter: all at once or step by step

Sustainable and lifelong social housing

BAM Wonen preserved nineteen social housing units in Steenwijk to zero-in-the-meter standards. In addition, the homes were adapted so that the - mainly older - residents can continue to live there independently for as long as possible. "With Fits, making homes more sustainable becomes easier and more efficient."

The homes date from the 1970s and were tackled according to the Fits principle, says commercial manager Tom Stolker of BAM Wonen. "With the Fits concept, we offer clients a choice of various high-quality sustainability solutions to make homes Zero-Meter in steps or all at once. That's how we came into contact with Woonconcept, who gave us the confidence to do something innovative together."

And innovative it became. Whereas previously a "tea-cap" of insulation was placed around the house, here the client and contractor opted for other solutions such as very high-quality cavity wall insulation, CO2-neutral plastic window frames with triple glazing, ground insulation with chips, a heat pump with boiler tank and a heat recovery system. Solar panels also came on the renovated roof, which is partially covered with sedum for proper rainwater drainage and increased biodiversity. Bee stones will be bricked into the headstones and existing nesting boxes for house sparrows will be replaced and expanded.

The client sets the pace

Stolker: "In this way of working, we approach the houses at element level: wall fit, roof fit and insulation fit. For this we have coordinated all kinds of products with our comakers. This makes making homes more sustainable easier and more efficient. The client determines the pace: gasless in one go or in intermediate steps. In this way they can make their homes sustainable without doubt: all steps help towards energy-neutral homes.
by 2050."

When making homes more sustainable, part of the heat pump is often placed outside. In this project, on the contrary, the installations were all placed inside, in the storage room in the attic. "That gives a nicer image on the outside of the house. You only see the outlet and intake ducts, so that's real progress. Such solutions we look for together with our co-makers. We want to get the whole chain moving by facilitating and stimulating. That was also very possible in this project, because the client was open to other ideas."

Communication tailored to the target audience

In addition to making the homes more sustainable, they were also made life-proof. For example, modifications were made to make the homes accessible to residents with walkers and the hardware was placed at a different height. All the locks can be opened with the same key. "We installed an induction cooktop in all the homes. In this case, one with rotary knobs so that they can be easily operated by elderly people with rheumatism, for example. Communication with residents is also important in such a project and target group. These residents are less digitally active, so we started the conversation physically more often. What is also important to us is sustainable and circular work. In Steenwijk, for example, we replaced the front doors and turned the old doors into good outdoor benches to encourage social interaction between local residents."