Impressive transformation of extraordinary national monument

A special project; the transformation of the former hospital Meerenberg into housing. Heiko Hulsker is the responsible architect of this national monumental redevelopment. It bears the name Carré of Bloemendaal because of the square shape in which it was built in 1848. The building was designed at the time by J.D. Zocher jr.

"Unfortunately, it had been vacant for over 20 years and was hugely dilapidated," says Frank Hoegen, project manager at Heilijgers. "In August 2016 we started preparations and from May 2017 the actual execution began." Heilijgers likes to take care of so-called more complex works. This work has all the facets Heilijgers is good at: restoration, renovation, revitalization and new construction.

On the outside, conservatories were installed on the first floor against the original building. All of the approximately 500 m2 of Hermeta facades were coated with the seaside coat of paint, as this is a coastal project.

Preservation of old

Hoegen: "Meanwhile, an entirely new concrete foundation has been made under the building. Quite a drastic part of the renovation. Furthermore, the building has been provided with a completely new roof and the residential partition walls have been installed in the building. The old wooden beam floors were repaired and/or replaced where necessary. As for the roof as well as the facades, the authentic character of the building had to remain intact as much as possible."

The large sliding doors have an overhead light with insulated glass. Because most of these are first floor facades, they meet the requirements of burglar resistance WK-2. All facade frames were replaced with new frames with an authentic look and with classic frame details, but of course equipped with double glazing.

"After all the additions were removed, large wounds remained in the facade. Sometimes this could be repaired with a few bricks, but here and there the facade needed complete repair. All facade frames were replaced with new frames with an authentic look and classic frame details, but of course with double-glazing. Architect Heiko Hulsker consulted widely with the cultural heritage policy officer of the Municipality of Bloemendaal in order to preserve as much as possible the original appearance of the building."

An impressive transformation project: the building retains its original appearance, but meets the needs of our time.

Aluminum Greenhouses

On the outside, conservatories have been placed against the original building on the first floor. Heilijgers asked Hermeta to help think about the design and possible dimensions of the aluminum (sliding) facades. Hermeta has been a manufacturer and supplier of aluminum façade elements for decades. Wim Kok, account manager at Hermeta: "Taking into account the damage to the façade and the dimensions of the facades -in view of the height and size of the conservatories- was quite a challenge. It had to be aesthetically pleasing, but also functionally sound. The advantage of aluminum is that we also offer wonderful thermal solutions." The large sliding doors have an overhead light with insulated glass. "That has quite a weight to it and must definitely not bend because the sliding door could then jam. Therefore, the engineers of Hermeta Gevelbouw were involved at an early stage. Together with the structural engineers, our engineers calculated the reinforcements for the transition from the sliding door to the skylight. We always like to offer the total picture: engineering, production and assembly."

We used a modern plastic black spacer in the glass in this project. A great example of a small detail when modernizing an old building. Not only aesthetic but also functional, since plastic insulates better.

Trusted

The cooperation between Heilijgers and Hermeta goes back some time. "We have already done several projects together and we like that very much," says Hoegen. "Hermeta is a club that not only executes but also thinks along, also looks at the existing building in the preliminary phase, the global plan of repair but also doesn't shy away from the much research involved in such projects. It's nice to have been able to preserve old buildings many times while working together." Cook adds: "I can say that we as Hermeta are proud to be a purveyor to Heilijgers. For large projects like this, to residential towers and even their own front door. Trust is the most important foundation there is!"