'As this was a Design and Build contract, we were involved early in the process. We were there from design to realisation. This degree of control helped contribute to the fantastic end result,' says Peter. 'The teams from Copijn and HB worked together from the beginning. Incidentally, that only works when there is mutual trust, but we have built that together over the past 15 years.' 'We were asked by Copijn to help think about water management in the broadest sense of the word,' Kris adds. 'Because of climate resilience, Erasmus' Executive Board wanted a good solution for buffering and delaying rainwater discharge. Our proposal was twofold: water buffering on the roof and a storage tank in the basement. The smart control system measures the amount of water on the roof and pre-sorts for expected precipitation. The roof weir is opened before the first drops fall so that there is sufficient capacity to collect new rainwater. Water from the buffer is stored in the collection tank. From this tank, the plants and trees in the property are watered. Only when the rainwater runs out does the irrigation system switch to using tap water.'
To experience the feeling that nature brings even inside the university building, Copijn planted several imposing Bucida trees on different floors. Along the interior facades, hanging planters with hanging plants have been placed as eye-catchers, and custom-made planters with a rich assortment of plants have been realised throughout the building.
'The design presented great challenges. Every floor of this building is different. The planting is varied and the manner of planting (horizontal and vertical) is diverse. This called for a solution based on optimal control, meaning that many water pipes and groups were needed. Thanks to the good cooperation with Copijn and BAM, we were of course able to figure that out. It was a bit of ping-pong, but with the desired result.'
You cannot get around the fact that things go somewhat differently in practice, according to Peter. 'Improvisation and flexibility are part of the deal. So too in this project. The trees, some six, seven metres tall, would be hoisted into the building via the roof. And then it turned out that the roof could no longer be opened. The damaged window on the ground floor offered a solution in this case. On the day the window was replaced, we transported all the trees inside.'
'Construction just rumbles on, so it’s up to us to time it optimally,' says Kris. 'The complexity lies in the fact that you want to apply plants as late as possible, and our irrigation system has to be operational roughly at the same time.
You can arrange everything beforehand, but things will always come up that you have to deal with. And we do. Together.’ Copijn is a party that also takes care of the maintenance of its projects, so that the condition of the planting remains optimal. 'It is therefore incredibly important that the construction of HB Watertechnologie's systems is done with precision. This keeps us in control of quality for years,' Peter adds. 'Did you know that only 1% of buildings in the Netherlands have a BREAAM outstanding qualification? It's great that we get to be part of this!'
With this project, both parties have a new starting point in terms of quality and possibilities. 'Working for ambitious clients is incredibly beautiful. Going to the limit and achieving the maximum gives unprecedented energy.'
