On 8 April Dutch regional housing association GroenWest and construction firm Bébouw Midreth signed an agreement to build 16 social housing apartments in the Dutch town of Vinkeveen. Construction of the block of apartments is expected to commence around the summer.
Life cycle proof, zero-energy homes
The development of the 16 apartments in Vinkeveen is progressing quickly. A development agreement was signed at the end of 2018 and the construction agreement has now also been signed. All the apartments will be life cycle proof, i.e. apartments that are able to be adapted to the needs of the elderly and people who require care at home. These gas-free, zero-energy apartments with two bedrooms and a floor area of around 75m2 will generate as much energy as needed to heat up and ventilate the homes.
Innovative concept
"After a long initial period we are pleased to be able to start building the life cycle proof homes in Vinkeveen. They will be a great addition to the homes available in the municipality of De Ronde Venen, and tenants leaving social housing will be given priority. That way we are also trying to create a housing flow,” said Karin Verdooren (director and board member at GroenWest) at the signing of the agreement with Fons Pompe and Ralf Dressel, directors of Bébouw Midreth, a subsidiary of Royal VolkerWessels.
The apartments will be built entirely out of prefab components. The high-grade, ready-made building components (including the foundation, floors, facades, roof and stairs, as well as the bathroom, toilet, meter box and installations) will be fitted at the construction site and be plug & play. As a result the sustainable apartments can be built in a short period of time.
The block of apartments will consist of three floors and be fitted out with a lift. All the apartments are located next to a porch and offer views of the surrounding area from different directions. As such it is a compact building with plenty of room for greenery around it. The homes on the ground floor will have a garden enclosed by a hedge, while the apartments above will feature a spacious balcony. Storage spaces will be located next to the entrance on the ground floor where residents will be able to store their mobility scooters. The final rental rates have not been set yet, but the apartments will definitely be social housing with a net rental rate of no more than 720 euros a month.
Construction of the apartments is expected to commence around the time of the annual holiday break for the Dutch construction sector and is expected to take roughly six months. The apartments will be allocated via WoningNet, a process that will commence around the summer holidays. Tenants leaving social housing in De Ronde Venen will be given priority in the allocation of these apartments.
This is a translation of the Dutch press release.
For more information go to: www.bebouw.nl