In the neighborhood of De Hofstad in 's Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, the large-scale renovation of 234 homes is nearly complete. Caspar de Haan, part of OMDUS, was tasked with improving the residents' lives not only in terms of comfort, but also in terms of sustainability. Janneke Portz, residential advisor of Caspar de Haan, acted as the point of contact for all residents in the past 2.5 years. Now that the project is nearly complete, she and contractor Albert van Vendelo are looking back on a special time.
Enjoying peace and quiet
“Of course, it's great news for the residents that the project is nearly finished now”, Janneke said. “This is a very compact neighborhood, so we have been working in an area the size of a postage stamp for the past years. It's been a bit of a nuisance for residents, because of the noise, but also because of traffic disruptions and construction containers taking up space on the street. Outside of holidays, our presence was causing a continual bustle in De Hofstad, and not necessarily the desirable kind. The residents can now finally enjoy their much-deserved renovated homes and peace and quiet in their neighborhood.”
A special connection
Being involved in each other's lives for 2.5 years, a special connection developed between the residents and the employees of Caspar de Haan. Janneke said: “As a residential advisor, I have met almost everyone who lives in those 234 homes we are renovating. With some of them, I only talked once or twice, while others I met frequently. Naturally, you develop a connection. I'm glad to have the opportunity to give people that personal attention when and where they need it. That's one way I can help ensure that the work progresses smoothly and according to the planning.”
Albert van Vendelo, contractor on the project, agreed: “You develop relationships with people, especially after a long project such as this one. And having a good connection with the residents makes the renovation work a lot easier, too. You can adjust to the circumstances more flexibly that way.“
The neighborhood is home
“We really built a well-oiled team here – a necessity if you want to make a project into a success for residents. We definitely succeeded at that in De Hofstad. I am glad that we will continue working together on our next project”, Albert said. “The first time I came to De Hofstad, I was never able to find the right addresses and none of the street names, phases, and blocks made sense to me”, Janneke said. “By now, I know the neighborhood very well, and thanks to the intensive contact with the residents, it even started to feel a little like home. I will miss the contacts with residents after the project is completed.”
Happy residents
Janneke and Albert heard back from most residents who were very happy with the improvements made to their homes. They share a positive final impression: “Of course, not everything will always go exactly as you planned it and people are inconvenienced a bit, but all that is quickly forgotten once residents see the results. We got a lot of positive feedback about the new look of De Hofstad. It's great to finish the project in such good spirits.”
