On Friday, 7 June, Ray Klumpert and André de Brouwer from Campus & Facility Management presented the next phase of the design for the Hogekamp square to key parties located around the square. The presentation was attended by users of the High Tech Factory, the Vrijhof building and what is currently the Drienerburght hotel. The design and planning schedule were discussed with them in detail and numerous questions and concerns were dealt with.
Alongside a more detailed schedule of what is happening where, there have also been several changes to the design in the light of reactions from stakeholders to the first design presented at the start of this year. At that time, the hotel said that it was important for U Parkhotel for the terrace outside to link in with the restaurant site. On behalf of all ‘local residents’, a key concern was also expressed concerning good accessibility to the buildings on the square versus the ability to close the square to through traffic to prevent cut-through driving and to ensure proper parking facilities are available.
Car park behind Hogekamp square
The car park is now in preparation. There will be 240 parking spaces in total, including several wider spaces directly in front of the hotel for disabled drivers. The hotel will have a large turning circle in front of it. There will be eight charging points for electric cars and these can be extended in the future if necessary.
The aim is to enable parking to take place on the day on which the Hogekamp building is completed, 10 July. Local residents are not expected to be inconvenienced by vibration noise caused by the street-paving work at the rear of the building. As soon as paving work starts at the front, tests will be conducted together with users of the High Tech Factory to determine how this vibration noise can be reduced.
There will be clearly-defined walking routes from the existing car parks around the Hogekamp building to the adjacent buildings for employees, visitors and suppliers. For access to the campus from the car park behind the Hogekamp building, more detailed arrangements will be made concerning the use of the intercom by U Parkhotel and High Tech Factory to allow suppliers to enter and the use of access cards by staff at High Tech Factory, for example. This therefore also means that it will be possible to drive over the square if necessary for suppliers and emergency services.
Cement-free concrete is being used to pave the whole of the car park. Its use on the campus will be the first ever in the Netherlands. Some of the rubble from old paving that is to be used for this actually originates from our own campus.
The Hogekamp square
The square will be given a sandy colour, with red 2m-high stands at the front ends, combined with seating towards the square and planters on each side.
The square has been designed to be open, accessible and suitable for use for a range of small-scale activities, spontaneous or planned.
For the ‘local residents’, it is important that the square is accessible and easy to find. The High Tech Factory wants to have good visibility for visitors when they arrive in the square from behind the Hogekamp building. A landmark to help draw attention to the building is under consideration. In addition, sustainability and innovation are key themes in the design and realization of the square, which are reflected in the use of cement-free concrete as well as the dimmable lighting and water drainage.
The cycle path from the Vrijhof building across the square towards the back of the campus forms a diagonal line straight across the square. Along this line, there will be a range of seating made of concrete combined with wood. Low-level lighting along it will illuminate the cycle path. On the square itself, there will be high-mast lighting and the footpaths will be lit at knee height. All of this will be dimmable LED lighting.
In order to collect rainwater, a helophyte filter has been incorporated into the plan to ensure that the water draining into the pond has been properly filtered. As a result, the water in the existing Hogekamp pond will be reinvigorated and any contaminants removed from it. This will create more space for a range of flora and fauna to develop.
Internet and glass fibre are being installed in order to ensure full digital accessibility.
The timing of the landscaping of the square is closely linked to developments in and around the Hogekamp tower and will start in January of next year, running through to December 2019.
Nuisance and inconvenience
The Hogekamp building will soon be completed and it will be ready to use. Camelot has already begun the application process for letting the student studios. The U Parkhotel is scheduled to open in February next year.
It is now known that the tower linked to the Hogekamp building will also be renovated and converted into larger apartments that Camelot will let. Work on the demolition of the interior of the tower and the removal of the outer facade has already started. The demolition work will mainly be done from the inside, in order to reduce nuisance for neighbours to a minimum (U Parkhotel, Hogekamp residents and the High Tech Factory). However, the renovation of the tower means that there will be inconvenience caused by construction work around the Hogekamp building for more than a year, construction trucks will continue to enter and leave the area and construction lifts and cranes will be in use. In order to minimize inconvenience, there will be a smaller cordoned-off construction zone, a fixed position for an electrically-driven crane and a temporary road that will be laid in the coming months from the new car park and around the hotel to the High Tech Factory.
Schedule
May to July 2018: Car park behind the Hogekamp building
June / July 2018: Opening of building site for the Hogekamp tower + road around it to HTF
September / January 2019: Exterior facade of tower December 2018
September / January 2019: U Parkhotel terrace and garden
January / June 2019: Vrijhof garden side next to water area
June 2019: Hogekamp tower completed
June / December 2019 Landscaping of Hogekamp square
For the High Tech Factory, a weekly and monthly schedule will also be available in the restaurant. Here, you can find the online planning schedule from the car park to the tower and landscaping of the square.
Visual impression
Here, you will find an impression of the planned Hogekamp square. People attending the presentation expressed their enthusiasm about the design, stating that the landscaping of the square will be a huge improvement, with a hotel with good facilities and an attractive and vibrant look and feel for the area. A 3D animation of the actual design will be available within a few weeks.
However, there are still some concerns about accessibility, findability, safety and security during the construction period and the level of inconvenience. Project managers will liaise closely with local residents on these issues, ensuring that any necessary measures are taken.
More information: via The Long-Term Strategy for Housing (LTSH) website: https://www.utwente.nl/en/ltsh/hogekamp/news/.
Also view the frequently asked questions and answers: https://www.utwente.nl/en/ltsh/hogekamp/faq/.
Questions or comments: André de Brouwer, Site Contract Manager, Campus & Facility Management, T: +31 (0)53 - 489 6901
