‘We give existing buildings a second life’

Charting his own course

Rudy has been immersed in the construction industry since childhood. “My father worked in construction, and I often accompanied him. I really enjoyed it, which led me to pursue a degree in architecture. After graduating, I worked for various contractors and construction companies.”

It was 6 years ago that Rudy joined Laudy in Eindhoven, a subsidiary of Ballast Nedam, as a Senior Project Coordinator. After 2 years, he was promoted to lead the Renovation and Maintenance department at Ballast Nedam Zuid. “I had previously held a similar position at my former employer. However, I was initially hesitant because I wanted to focus more on the technical aspects. Ultimately, I decided to accept the role, provided I could approach it in my own way. Thankfully, I was given the freedom to do so and could steer my own course.”

Preservation

“In the beginning, we primarily handled mutation maintenance, such as door handles, windows, kitchens, and bathrooms. But a few years ago, I thought: we are facing such a big sustainability challenge. Shouldn’t we focus much more on sustainable renovation? This approach saves materials and prevents demolition waste. At the same time, we can make homes more energy-efficient and healthier, for example, through better insulation and ventilation. Residents benefit immediately. They get a healthier home and a lower energy bill,” says Rudy. He gathered a team of enthusiastic colleagues and set to work. Two and a half years ago, the first chain collaboration (a collaboration between several contractors) for sustainability was established. “Currently, we have several sustainability projects in preparation or implementation. Since these are often large projects, we usually work with multiple contractors,” Rudy explains.

Occupants and users

Ballast Nedam Zuid almost always preserves and renovates houses and buildings while they are occupied or in use. “As a result, our clients do not have to find replacement living or working spaces. But it also means we always have to consider the occupants or users of a property. That’s why we always make good arrangements about working days and times. We also set up a customer journey for each project, in which we guide the occupants or users through the entire renovation process,” says Rudy. “During the process, we continuously measure resident or user satisfaction. There are always a few people who are not satisfied, even if they get golden taps. That’s part of the job. But I estimate that 95 percent of the residents and users are very satisfied with our way of working.”

Refurbishment

Meanwhile, Renovation and Maintenance has become one of Ballast Nedam Zuid’s key areas of expertise. For example, in early 2024, a new chain partnership was signed to make 1,600 homes more sustainable. Rudy says, “Besides homes, we also renovate offices and other buildings. For example, for the province of Gelderland, the ANWB, and Carglass. We give all these buildings a second life. Because why demolish something if you can also renovate it? Nowadays, people tend to buy new stuff all the time, when that is not necessary at all. For example, my parents had an Opel Kadett that they drove all over, and their kitchen is over thirty years old. We need to go back to that a bit. Not just renewing everything, but first seeing if something can be refurbished. That’s also what we do at Renovation and Maintenance. In the past, when there was a tenant change, we often installed a new kitchen right away, but now we first see if we can refurbish the existing kitchen, for example with a new countertop or a new faucet.”