Renovation of historical buildings requires a long-term vision.

Characteristic, historical buildings are popular, both to live in and to work in. Even if there is deferred maintenance and a poor energy balance, this real estate has a lot of potential. This is proven by a large-scale renovation project in the development area Strijp-T in Eindhoven.

Ton van Lions

Former industrial estate Strijp-S has been known for years as a prime example of redevelopment.
It was once owned by Philips and grew into a popular breeding ground for the creative sector. About ten years ago.
The company Geva Real Estate was approached to buy a part of the adjacent land: Strijp-T. 'At that time, the ownership of that site was still fragmented among Philips and a number of other parties,' says director Bob Goevaers. Step by step.
In recent years, the company acquired more properties in the area; the Brabant-based company now owns approximately 17 in total.
21 hectares. 'We bought the real estate for a strategic position and out of historical awareness.'

Missing link

Commercial space with a story Geva is a family business that distinguishes itself through an integral approach: the company combines management, development, and operation. Real estate is not acquired for trading purposes, but purely for the company's own portfolio. From this perspective, a plan was also made for the operation of Strijp-T. 'Because there is quite a lot of vacancy, you won't make it by just being another industrial estate,' says Boudie Hoogedeure, responsible for the acquisition of Strijp-T within Geva. 'We wanted to further strengthen Brainport Eindhoven, but at the same time be a missing link. The solution was found in the historical character of the buildings. Research showed that innovative entrepreneurs are mainly looking for high-quality commercial space with a story.'

Comfort of now
Dat verhaal speelt onder meer een belangrijke rol in de battle for talent. 'Voor Strijp-T kijken we niet alleen naar de ondernemer, maar ook heel bewust naar de medewerker', legt Hoogedeure uit. 'Die stelt steeds hogere eisen aan de werkplek. Werknemers willen niet alleen comfort en een goede bereikbaarheid, maar ook een aantrekkelijke en inspirerende omgeving. Het voormalige Philips-terrein leent zich hier uitstekend voor; het is een locatie met karakter, dicht bij de binnenstad en met een treinstation op loopafstand.' Om het gebied daadwerkelijk geschikt te maken voor huurders, koos Geva voor een omvangrijke transformatie van de historisch interessante gebouwen. De belangrijkste doelstelling hierbij was om de architectonische waarde te behouden, en die te combineren met het comfort van nu. Een van de eerste gebouwen waar het bedrijf mee aan de slag ging was gebouw TAQ, een voormalig pompgebouw op Strijp-T dat vroeger door Philips werd gebruikt voor de watervoorziening. Inmiddels is het een inspirerende werkomgeving voor ingenieurs, waar een speciale plek is ingeruimd voor een karakteristieke boom uit het verleden. 'In dit gebied spelen we continu een delicaat spel tussen behoud van het oude en implementatie van het nieuwe', vertelt Goevaers. 'Het is dan een voordeel als je als vastgoedbedrijf bouwkundige kennis hebt. Dan kijk je niet alleen naar de beperkingen, maar vooral ook naar wat er nog wél kan.'

Original face
Good architects, with a good imagination and perseverance, play an important role in this, says Goevaers. Just like
A solid and motivated team around it, where advisors are often also installers at the same time. 'We actively involve them in the design process. Designing often continues during construction, because you encounter new challenges along the way.' Geva also followed this approach with the two newest acquisitions at Strijp-T. In December 2015, the company acquired building TQ, with over 40,000 m2 of floor space by far the largest building in the area. And a few months later, the old power plant followed: TR. 'The easiest would have been to demolish this building and build a new one, but
"then we would have removed the soul," emphasizes Goevaers. The main supporting structure and foundation served as a stable base;
To ensure this, the company continuously had a structural engineer on board. With that condition, the building was transformed into
A modern building that can be cleverly divided for various purposes. 'We have made the building as flexible as possible.'
Designed, including in terms of clearance height and load capacity. For example, 3D printers have a strong, heavy base.
Not necessary. We did not make them with system formwork, but with traditionally scaled concrete floors, to keep the original appearance intact.

Smart choice
Although broad floor areas may be more attractive in appearance, they are less optimal in terms of energy efficiency. The same applies to traditional facades: they will always be more difficult to insulate than facades of new buildings. Nevertheless, Goevaers managed to obtain energy label A for the buildings TQ and TR. "It's about making smart choices," says Goevaers. "We insulate where possible and earn a lot back through efficient and well-adjusted installations. From dimmable lighting in the outdoor area to a heat pump for underfloor heating, supplemented with a biomass installation for peak hours."

Sure, please provide me with the text you would like me to translate.Demolition and new construction would have been the easiest, but then we would have taken the soul out of it.

Costs
"Sustainability is moreover more than carbon dioxide reduction," adds Hoogedeure. "The circular way of building contributes just as much."
'Contributes to a sustainable whole.' This way, the old pavement is reintegrated into the sidewalks and the old pipe bridges are reused as walkways between the different buildings. 'This is also a positive message towards potential tenants. With equal suitability, a sustainable story can make your property more attractive, especially for the younger generation. A green rooftop garden and the presence of electric charging stations are important advantages for this group, for example.'
To be able to recoup the investments on Strijp-T, more is needed, Goevaers knows. The rental prices must indeed
Staying market-conform, and there is little room for flexibility. 'In these kinds of projects, you shouldn't aim for project profit, but have a long-term horizon. It all has to do with your business model. A project developer wants to build cheap and sell expensive at its core. Our customers are tenants; we want to still have them as customers in ten years.' The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl) and ING Green Bank have also contributed and calculated (see box). For example, with operating costs and risks. 'One of the pieces of advice we followed is to invest in proven technologies,' he explains.
Goevaers. "With the scale of this kind of projects, you cannot afford to experiment too much. If you build a building"
If you have to dismantle the installation after your investments, that is truly disastrous for your sustainability.

Wide floor fields may be more attractive in appearance, but energetically they are less optimal.

Great interest
Strijp-T is doing well. Building TR has already been taken into use and around this time the first part of building TQ is being rented out.
Afterwards, the renovation of the second part of TQ will start. A part of the buildings is already in use before renovation.
In the rental contracts, it is stated that in those cases, renovation is still planned. "We can easily temporarily relocate these companies to another building," says Hoogedeure. "This is an advantage of owning and managing properties. Our philosophy is: once you land on Strijp-T, you should be able to stay there. Even if for certain reasons you want to downsize to a smaller building." Geva prefers to collaborate with innovative entrepreneurs with growth potential for the new buildings that will become available soon. For example, a traditional accounting or staffing agency may be less suitable. "You also have to be able to say no," says Hoogedeure. "By focusing on high-tech companies, we create an innovative environment where entrepreneurs feel at home and can support each other. What is significant is that although we are very flexible in offering contract periods, almost all tenants prefer to commit to Strijp-T for a long time."
They also have a certain investment plan; they too are thinking long term.

Fate: Support makes investments bearable For the renovation of buildings TQ and TR, a green declaration was recently issued; a joint arrangement of the ministries of Infrastructure and Water Management and Finance. Part of this arrangement is to encourage sustainable and innovative (construction) projects. 'There is nothing as sustainable as breathing new life into existing things. Therefore, renovation and transformation projects can apply for a loan at a
"favorable interest rate," says Ruben Overgoor on behalf of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl), the organization responsible for implementing the green scheme. "Project managers must meet a number of requirements for this: a certain energy gain must be achieved, the wood used must be sustainable, and existing structures and materials should be used as much as possible. If ceilings, walls, or installations need to be replaced, a flexible design is required to ensure sustainable use for the future."
In the case of Strijp-T, Goevaers and his bank (ING Groenbank) had early contact with RVO.nl. 'The advantage of this is that the project manager can still make other choices at that stage,' notes Overgoor. 'Furthermore, as RVO.nl, we can already indicate which information is needed to assess a project.'
In short, it is easier to think along with each other. Goevaers also made use of the Environmental Investment Allowance (MIA), another scheme of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Both schemes were a welcome contribution to Goevaers' financing. "In terms of sustainability, our own requirements were sometimes stricter than those of RVO.nl, so we did not solely rely on them. However, government support does ensure that your investments are manageable."

source.

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