projects overview
Redevelopment new housing estate Sterrenwachtlaan
Leiden
Living in a prime location in Leiden

Delivered: 2018
Client: Jansen de Jong Projectontwikkeling
Contractor: UBA Bouw B.V.
Architect: WAM Architecten
Photo credits: Gerard Saarberg

A project at a unique location in Leiden, with various types of housing and a residential tower with parking basement. Sounds like an inspiring assignment for a structural engineer! And it was, because the tower is full of structural challenges; also because floors have been merged. Our colleague Eric Noorduin, who also has a personal connection with this spot in Leiden, is happy to tell you more about it.

Naam: Eric Noorduin
Functie: BIM Modelleur

Eric's whole family is from Leiden, his grandparents used to live around the corner. So this location was familiar territory for him, all the more fun to work on such a cool project at this very spot! Eric explains that the location of this project has history. It was part of Leiden University, which housed the Biology faculty in the past. So it was mainly the university that had a specific need for this part of Leiden.

First and foremost, they wanted a plan that did justice to the historic location next to the Observatory and near the historic city centre. And a nice return on the land for the university that has been occupying it for centuries. The municipality also had a twofold need namely to develop the plan within the existing contours of the buildings that were already there. And as little inconvenience as possible to the vulnerable roads, bridges and buildings around the plan.

Eric explains that all the needs and wishes were gathered together and led to the plan as it stands today. "We subsequently took on a number of nice challenges:
1. the existing Biology office tower was demolished. The new tower with flats is the same size and built on the existing piles of the old tower. Because the new tower is significantly heavier than the existing tower, additional piles were added.
2. The entire pile foundation is soil displaced and screwed with Omega piles.
3. Because the architectural design was richly decorated, special constructions such as glued brick balcony railings were used."

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