15 September 2022 | News
Stedenbouw, the Dutch magazine covering new construction, renovation, restoration and transformation, has published an interview with Dennis Meerburg, SADC project manager, about Brocacef’s Value Added Plan at Business Park Amsterdam Osdorp. You can read the article below.
The Value Added Plan: creating working environments where people want to be
A new multi-channel distribution centre for Brocacef is under construction at Business Park Amsterdam Osdorp. The distributor of medicines and medical devices for pharmacies, hospitals and institutions will supply the entire city from this strategic location on the outskirts of Amsterdam. But the location is more than a strategic choice. Supported by area developer SADC, Brocacef will also achieve a huge reduction in CO2 emissions.
The Schiphol Area Development Company (SADC) is committed not just to financial returns but also to social returns, including contributing to the transition to a circular economy. It therefore imposes sustainability requirements on new buildings.
The Value Added Plan
“There are numerous ways to connect with our goals,” says Dennis Meerburg, a member of SADC’s Sustainability Team, which is affiliated with TU Delft and includes project manager Yasha Schadee. “We set a number of standard requirements for all users of ‘our’ sites. These include installing solar panels, limiting energy consumption and using sustainable materials. But there is always room for improvement. To achieve this, we ask users to develop a Value Added Plan. How are they going to contribute to a circular economy?”
Electric transport
The SADC Sustainability team is keen to offer support. “Some clients have already embraced the circular idea and taken action, others have yet to take the first step. Brocacef is an absolute frontrunner, having included the goal of emission-free distribution of its products in its Value Added Plan. This will be achieved this by using electric vehicles and cargo bikes, with plenty of charging stations in the car park, but also, for example, at the docks where truck drivers wait for deliveries to be loaded.” Brocacef is also investing in 5,758 solar panels for the roof of its building and will meet its own energy needs – an amount comparable to the energy consumed by 500 households in a year.
Surrounded by greenery
Brocacef is committed to visually expressing its sustainability ambitions, too, with planted façades and green roofs contributing to biodiversity. And then there is the use of circular building materials. Meerburg: “The concrete used is produced with considerably less environmentally damaging cement, and as many building materials as possible are re-used, repaired, refurbished or recycled. Brocacef estimates that, in total, these measures create a footprint that is 41% lower than the norm.”
Circle of influence
Meerburg appreciates that area developer SADC has the most influence in the area overall. To ensure circular ambitions are reflected in the implementation stage, he seeks as much dialogue with clients as possible. Once an initial reservation agreement for a site is agreed, he offers his support for the mandatory development of a Value Added Plan. “The client decides in which areas it wants to excel. The leasehold contract is only signed after approval of the Value Added Plan. Only together can we achieve a sustainable working location.”
“You get a lot in return,” Meerburg emphasises. “SADC locations are ones where you want to work as an employee and be successful as an entrepreneur. These aren’t dreary grey boxes, but pleasant working environments with plenty of light and surrounded by greenery. Brocacef – currently in the construction phase – will offer a beautiful, sustainable location by the summer of 2023.”