Kraaijvanger

Office building Bold at Strijp-S has been completed and the first tenants have moved in. We talked to Marij Ummels, development manager at SDK Vastgoed B.V. and David Hess, architect and partner at Kraaijvanger, about this new acquisition for Eindhoven and about the collaboration in this special project.

BOLD is realized at the head of Strijp-S: a vibrant place where Eindhoven creativity and ambition come together. The raw and industrial edge of Strijp-S is combined with high-quality architecture, in which transparency and openness are very important. For example, the floors on the first floor can be freely partitioned, which gives tenants all the space they need to create their own ideal workspace.

Marij Ummels; ''SDK vastgoed is strong in complex inner-city area developments, we like to make dreams come true by creating places where people want to live, work and relax. My role within a project is primarily to ensure that everyone is empowered and that we are a team, so that everyone can carry out their work in the best possible way. In addition, there are always various interests at play, which we as development managers need to deal with properly and provide guidance on, so that we can bring the project to a successful conclusion. The end result is impressive, just like the road that brought us there. It makes me proud that SDK Vastgoed has made another beautiful addition to the city of Eindhoven.''

David Hess; ''We are an architectural firm dedicated to socially engaged architecture, and we have been doing so for almost 100 years. We have learned many lessons from our years of experience, and we are able to apply this experience broadly in all sorts of areas. By being critical, also of ourselves, and by being creative in our search for solutions. In doing so, we have the decisiveness to change our negative impact on the climate into a positive contribution to our world.''

Connection

The main motif in the design is connecting. Connecting entities, volumes and people of different scales. Thus the building plays an important role as a connecting point between the city and Strijp-S. Because of its position at right angles to the PSV-laan, this is the first building at Strijp-S that is visible, coming from the city.

Marij; "What I see when I stand in front of Bold is a building that fits perfectly into its environment, a robust and sturdy building but also one that exudes power. It is a nice addition to the buildings that are already there, like for example the old Phillips building.''

David; I am proud that we were able to translate very complex circumstances, conditions and interests into a clear, simple and future proof building. For example, the large window openings from floor to ceiling give the building the possibility to be transformed into another function in the future, such as a residential building.

Dare to be Bold

Marij: ''Dare to be Bold is the slogan we use for the rental of space in this building, and it really symbolizes this project. It was a bold step to put a high-quality office building here, because there was nothing like it in the area. VolkerWessels has been involved in the development of the former Philips site Strijp-S since 2001. There are many different companies located in Strijp, with an active community. SDK Vastgoed's drive is to develop environments in which we ourselves would like to live, work and stay, and that opportunity now presented itself here. We are now in this vibrant environment ourselves and that results in us being able to get the best out of ourselves. SDK real estate will be located on the seventh floor, and we are very much looking forward to that.''

There is also connection on the scale of where the building will be located. Here, two volumes are linked together. A smaller volume of 5 layers has been pushed into a larger volume of 8 layers. The volumes are clearly part of the same family but have subtle differences.

Marij; "We once started with a design of two office buildings with a very illogical layout. Together with leasing agents and the architect, we did a study on how we could convert these volumes into a more usable office building, in line with the demand from the office market. We really puzzled together to get this done, in consultation with the supervisor Adriaan Geuze (West8). As a developer we are a kind of hub in the web, we have to ensure that all parties are empowered and can do their work in the best possible way, within the framework that we give them. I think that is the most important thing in this process; that the cooperation goes well and that we are a team. I am really proud of the good cooperation in this project, in which we had the right discussions with respect for each other's interests.

Experience & Expertise

Marij; "The expertise that Kraaijvanger has in house makes this collaboration very pleasant, especially because their experience enables them to think along with us in finding solutions. I think that together we were really able to ensure that we achieved the best final result within the means that we had. A building we are both proud of. We really looked for solutions together, as a team, not only Kraaijvanger and SDK vastgoed together but also with the contractor and the suppliers. This was done in a very constructive manner and with respect for each other. They really thought along in all kinds of areas, about transportation of materials but also about cost savings without detracting from the design. In this way, the image that was initially designed still stands.

David; ''By being able to sit at the table with the client, contractor, subcontractor and suppliers early on in the process, we were able to make many design decisions much earlier. And for the elaboration of the design we understood where each other's interests lay and looked at the technical possibilities in much more detail.

Marij; ''We also had to overcome a number of obstacles, of which you think at times: is this going to be okay? For example, budget overruns but also discussions with the supervisor or the concrete supplier. Kraaijvanger, with all its experience, good contacts and the superiority they have, was able to mediate well, so that it all worked out.