Download The District of Tomorrow

The District
of Tomorrow
is an innovative programme in
which educational institutions,
researchers, businesses, public
authorities and environment
join together to create an
exciting environment for the
transition to a sustainable
built environment at the
European Science and Business
Park Avantis in Heerlen/Aachen.
The butterfly is a symbol of lasting transformation. The transformation
that it undergoes parallels our aim of bringing about lasting change in our
lives and surroundings, as well as creating new conditions and improving
existing ones.
Foreword 3
Background 4
Tilt to the Sun
5
Did you know that...
6
Building 4
8
A sustainable and
innovative Limburg –
and earning money too! 10
Contents
Research
12
What partners say
13
Partners & sponsors
15
Colophon
Editorial board Gabriël Bergmans, Bert Schröen,
Ludo Kockelkorn, Ronald Rovers, Franc Coenen Publicity,
Karina Ratejec Rappp Communicatie
Final editing Karina Ratejec, [email protected]
Photography Marcel van Hoorn, Crasborn
Graphic Design Crasborn Grafisch Ontwerpers bno
The District of Tomorrow project is made possible in part by
a grant from the European Regional Development Fund within
the framework of OP-Zuid and by funding from the Dutch
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.
This is the fourth edition of the “District of Tomorrow” booklet. The previous editions are
available at www.thedistrictoftomorrow.org or www.dewijkvanmorgen.nl.
The District of Tomorrow is an innovative programme in which educational institutions,
researchers, businesses, public authorities, and the environment join together to create
an exciting centre for a transition to a sustainable built environment at the European
Science and Business Park Avantis in Heerlen/Aachen. This innovative programme
involves designing, studying, and testing sustainable technologies so that they can be
utilised – starting today – in towns, neighbourhoods, and buildings within the MeuseRhine Euroregion.
3
Developments
Foreword
There have been a number of recent developments that we would like to share with you.
We are proud that we now have European funding, for example, in the context of the
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). A programme for Future-Proof Technology
Education in Parkstad Limburg has also commenced, aimed at strengthening both
education and the commercial sector. Both these developments place us in an even better
situation for achieving our various aims and objectives.
Where necessary and desirable, new partnerships will be added to the existing
relationships that make up the District of Tomorrow partnership. These will include
Citaverde College, which provides vocational training for the “green” professions.
This will make possible educational participation in the design of the site and the
green roofs.
Buildings
The first building – Tilt to the Sun – is now finished and can be utilised for research and
demonstrations. Before the end of 2011, the office of the District of Tomorrow will be
moving into the first building pending completion of the second, which will in fact be the
central building of the District of Tomorrow. This booklet also gives an idea of the wellattended festive opening of the first building on 23 September 2011.
The fourth building – the “MAXergy” building designed by Ilse Schoenmakers and
Ruby Willems – was selected in June 2011. It is devoted entirely to the use of renewable
materials and itself generates energy. The booklet tells you more about the design of
this building, which has been called the “Flower”.
These are just a few of the many developments at the District of Tomorrow over the past
year. You will undoubtedly find them very interesting.
Gabriël Bermans
Director, the District of Tomorrow
Bert Schroën
Chair, District of Tomorrow steering committee
The District of Tomorrow began as
a programme at Zuyd University but it
in fact serves as a partnership of
educational institutions, research
organisations, businesses, public
authorities, and the environment.
The partners and sponsors are listed
on the final page of this booklet.
An open innovation model has been set
up jointly by them in the field of
sustainable design and construction.
Innovative technologies will be applied
in an environment which facilitates
practice-based learning.
4
Background
The project began in 2006 when the
directors of the building and
technology faculties announced their
aim of setting up a “Research and
Innovation Centre for Building and
New Energy” at the Avantis crossborder business park. The aim of the
Centre is to give students a learning
and research environment for new
building techniques, with the emphasis
being on sustainability.
The Centre has already become the leading
demonstration environment for new developments in sustainable building and sustainable
energy provision for the built environment.
Businesses and students work together on
exciting projects, always making use of state-ofthe-art technology. New product ideas are being
created within this environment and developed
further in partnership with companies, Zuyd
University, and other knowledge providers
within the Euroregion.
Avantis is an entirely logical choice as a location.
Avantis presents itself as the European Science
and Business Park for technology-oriented
companies in general, but with a specific focus
on developing ideas and applying new energy
systems. Parkstad Limburg has made “new
energy” one of its priorities and the literally
cross-border character of Avantis fits in
perfectly with the Euroregional aims of the
project. The District of Tomorrow is
consequently part of various international
networks, for example Cradle to Cradle (C2C),
and international studies such as the IDES-EDU
master’s degree programme and iiSBE
(International Initiative for a Sustainable Built
Environment).
You can find more information at
www.thedistrictoftomorrow.org or
www.dewijkvanmorgen.nl.
To contact the team about specific matters,
please send an e-mail to
[email protected].
The work of more than 250 students and
pupils culminated in the opening of Tilt
to the Sun, the first building at the
District of Tomorrow, on 23 September
2011. “That’s the first building
finished, to be followed by three more,”
said Gabriël Bergmans, director of the
District of Tomorrow, at the official
opening. “We’ve still got several years
to go, and for that we need the
involvement of our partners and also of
students.”
5
Tilt to the
Sun gives
the District
of Tomorrow
a face
There was great interest in the opening.
More than 250 guests watched as
Mr Bergmans and three students
(representing the various echelons of
secondary and higher education) pressed
a button to start up the PV system that is
integrated into the roof. The building’s LED
lights came on immediately – after all, Tilt
to the Sun is completely self-sufficient as
regards energy.
The opening was accompanied by a varied
programme. The day started with a panel
discussion prior to the official opening.
Specialists gave tours of the building, where
partners for the neighbourhood’s first building
had had the opportunity to set up their own
exhibition. There was also every opportunity for
networking.
The role of Zuyd University
in the region
During the panel discussion, Remmelt Vetkamp,
a member of the board of Zuyd University,
referred to the ambitious project at Avantis as
a tangible example of how the university is doing
things that make a difference to the region.
“We are making connections using knowledge
and expertise in matters with which companies
can earn money and the region can play a role.”
The contribution of the university is important,
said Gosse Boxhoorn (formerly director of
Solland Solar), another participant in the panel
discussion. “There are still a lot of questions
regarding legislation and financing that we need
to resolve in order to make solar energy readily
available to the consumer. Zuyd University can
play a role in that.” Heerlen’s mayor, Paul Depla,
noted that we are “trapped in the paradox that
projects like this have to be profitable. That’s
why we have undertaken to also be responsible
for what comes after the decimal point. When
you buy a new stereo or build a bypass, you don’t
ask how soon they will pay for themselves. So
why is that necessary with solar panels?”
Open Day – and then
the finishing-off work
Gabriël Bergmans enthusiastically described
how the day after the official opening was an
Open Day, with no fewer than 450 visitors being
given a tour of the building in just four hours.
It was an excellent turnout that those involved
can be proud of. Over the next few months, Tilt
to the Sun will be finished off by Zuyd University
students together with pupils from Arcus
College, Herle College, and SVO|PL. But in fact
the building will never actually be finished.
As Gabriël Bergmans explains, “the District of
Tomorrow is a real-life laboratory”. The four
buildings are specifically intended to give
businesses the opportunity to experiment with
new systems and students the opportunity to
carry out research.
The District of Tomorrow team gained
five new members:
Ukraine
• André Volders, responsible for
building management.
• Ed Loijens, responsible for building
operation.
• Ed Schreurs, project leader building
• Raymond Lahaye, coordinator of
student affairs.
• Andrea Moerkamp, project assistant.
(Iris Verlinden, is now chair of
the design team for the District of
Tomorrow)
6
Sustainable ca
fé
Topping out ceremony
Did you
know that...
Sustainability Salons
Lectures, discussions, and networking
take place at the monthly Sustainability
Salon at the presentation area of the
District of Tomorrow.
The first Salon was on 18 January. You can find
out more about the monthly Salons on the
District of Tomorrow website, with information
about the topics to be dealt with.
Kerkrade West 2050
At the first Sustainability Salon, Associate
Professor Ronald Rovers (Zuyd University)
presented the results of the Kerkrade West 2050
case study. He explained the exploratory study
that had been carried out of the approach to the
Existing District of Tomorrow in Kerkrade West.
After the transition period, this neighbourhood
will, on balance, no longer consume energy,
materials or water. More details are given on
page 12 of this booklet.
Future-Proof Technology
Education in Parkstad Limburg
(TBTOP) has now started
Some thirty technology and building
instructors from Arcus College, SVO/
PL, LVO, and Zuyd University attended
the first TBTOP meeting on 11 January.
The aims are:
•collaboration so as to meet the needs of the
regional labour market more effectively;
•employees with wide-ranging, cross-sector
training.
The participants met at the presentation area of
the District of Tomorrow at the European
Science and Business Park Avantis.
Participation at Provada
The District of Tomorrow took part in Provada
(The Real Estate Meeting Point) at
Amsterdam’s RAI exhibition centre. This was an
appropriate event to raise the profile of the
District of Tomorrow and to bring it to the
attention of various target groups. The District of
Tomorrow was part of the large-scale regional/
Euroregional stand, which made a real impact.
Gaining inspiration at the District
of Tomorrow
On 13 May 2011, the District of
Tomorrow held one of Europe’s
Open Project Days, organised by the Operational
Programme for the Southern Netherlands
(OP-Zuid). The project was open to the public.
Ukraine
A delegation from the Ukraine visited the
District of Tomorrow at the initiative of NL
Agency. The group was made up of
representatives of government bodies, the
education sector, and businesses. They were
given a tour of the building and a presentation.
The Ukrainian guests were enthusiastic and
showed great interest in the District of
Tomorrow. They are considering making use of
the concept themselves.
Topping out
Friday 13 May 2011 saw the topping out
ceremony for Building 1, Tilt to the Sun, with
the traditional fir tree being placed at the
highest point of the building. This represented
a real milestone in the creation of the District
of Tomorrow.
The District of Tomorrow
and Russia
For the second year in a row, Russian students
have been working at Zuyd University’s
graduation studio for the District of Tomorrow.
This year, they designed a small school, which
will be built in a new area of the Russian city of
Vyksa. Preparations for constructing the
Russian zero-energy home – last year’s winning
design – have now started. Assistance is being
provided by staff of Zuyd University.
Sustainable Building Western
Europe 2010 (SB10)
RiBuilT, Zuyd University, and a number of
universities of applied sciences in Aachen and
Liège organised an international conference
last year, with the focus being on the transition
to a zero-impact built environment and the
District of Tomorrow as a project.
More information about the contributions by
the various participants can be found at
www.ribuilt.eu. A book has also been produced
with contributions by the associate professors
involved and the best conference papers.
Lector Ronald
T he w
Rovers at SB10
dule
This can be ordered from the publisher,
Technepress (www.technepress.nl/
publications).
high-efficiency cells – with all the advantages
that back-contact cells offer – into the Sunweb®
modules.
Finland also interested in
the District of Tomorrow
Besides the exceptional improvement in
performance, the Sunweb® product range
features attractive design. Each 60-cell module
generates 6% greater performance with 4% less
surface area. Compared to the market standard,
the Sunweb® concept provides 10% higher
energy density per square metre.
The combination of high-efficiency, top-quality,
and unique design makes this module a perfect
solution for the roof of a house, making it
possible to utilise the free energy that the sun
provides in an innovative and attractive manner,
thus contributing to a sustainable future.
Solland Solar
If it is to turn a tremendous
idea into reality, an
innovative project like the District of Tomorrow
demands partners that are just as innovative.
That is exactly why Solland Solar is enthusiastic
about supporting this unique project by
providing 24 Sunweb® modules.
The Sunweb® module concept enables Solland
Solar to offer a highly efficient product that
clearly distinguishes itself from every other
product and concept in the PV market. For this
concept, Solland has integrated its most
innovative MWT (“Metal Wrap Through”)
p l an
7
Solland Solar: Sunweb® mo
Early this year, a delegation from Zuyd
University visited a university of applied
sciences in Finland. The aim was to explore the
possibility of collaboration between the two
institutions. It was decided that they should
cooperate to see whether it would be possible to
create a District of Tomorrow in the Finnish city
of Pori. Instructors and students will first
design a zero-energy home for the district in
Pori. Finnish students will also attend Zuyd
University’s graduation studio in the same way
as Russian students do already.
a te r
Wanted: bio-based materials
Companies that manufacturer or produce
building products on the basis of renewable
materials (“bio-based” or “C2C”) are requested
to contact us. Our preference is for less obvious
building components such as piping, door and
window hardware, sanitary fittings, gutters,
and light switches. In fact, we are looking for all
components of a building. Please contact
Associate Professor Ronald Rovers at
[email protected].
Site under development
Early 2011 saw the start of designing and laying
out the site for the District of Tomorrow.
Workshops took place with experts and market
parties about topics including the greenhouse
and growing food on the site, as well as the
water supply and water purification. The
programme also covers energy generation on
the site as a whole and the layout of the green
areas, particularly how they can be utilised for
production. Another topic is the construction of
a road that will be innovative as regards the
material for the surface, energy generation on
and around the road, and the lighting in the
public areas.
The water plan
Major progress has been made with the water
plan for the District of Tomorrow. The zerowater requirement was for water to leave the
site as clean as when it arrived. This means
that the neighbourhood will rely virtually
entirely on rainwater, which will be used either
directly or turned into drinking water. After use,
the water will be purified to rainwater quality so
that it leaves the site as it arrived.
Various purification techniques are possible, for
example using large areas of land to purify the
water naturally in ponds or by using helophytes
in a kind of marsh. Installations can also be
used that achieve the same effect. Careful
consideration is necessary to arrive at the right
choice. We will keep you updated. More
information is available from expertise
manager Willem Janssen at willem.janssen@
zuyd.nl.
Built Environment students design office
building using 81% locally renewable
materials: the “MAXergy” building.
8
A flower as
inspiration
for
sustainable
building
A flower – that’s what Ilse Schoenmakers and Ruby Willems had in mind when
they began designing the fourth building for the District of Tomorrow. The result:
not only is this office building self-sufficient as regards energy, but over the next
50 years, a lot of the necessary building materials will be regrown on its roof.
This goes to show that zero-energy and zero-materials building is by no means
a utopia.
“When I go to Germany
and see all the solar
panels in the noise
barriers along the
motorway,” says Ilse,
“I always wonder why
we don’t have them
here in the
Netherlands.”
A slender stem through which the sap flows.
Leaves that collect energy from daylight and at
the same time protect the flower and the fruit.
A lightweight structure that does not use
nutrients unnecessarily, and strong enough to
support the flower throughout the summer. And
when the flowers and leaves die off in the
autumn, they break down to create nutrients for
the new plant that will sprout again next spring.
“Nature is a perfect example of closed-loop
recycling, says Ruby Willems, “and that’s what
we’ve imitated”. Together with Ilse
Schoenmakers, Ruby sought inspiration for a
sustainable office building close to home as part
of their graduation assignment for the Built
Environment programme. The two up-andcoming architects have thus succeeded in
designing a three-level office building
constructed largely of locally grown, renewable
materials. The total weight is only 130 tonnes.
As a comparison: the second-place design
weighs more than double that.
Three stages
“130 tonnes is sufficient to meet all the
structural requirements,” Ilse explains. “But it’s
also light enough for the Stelcon slabs used for
the foundations, for example. The trick is that we
always worked in three stages.
Firstly, we minimised the use of materials,
leaving out what was unnecessary. Then we
made use of sustainable, locally renewable
materials. And then – but only if it was
unavoidable – we utilised non-renewable
materials.” As a result, Ilse and Ruby were able
to use no less than 81% locally renewable
materials. One essential feature of their
approach is that it is integrated; after all, every
decision has consequences further on in the
design.
Chip-fat coating
At the heart of the building, there are laminated
pine columns, twisted as if in a gigantic game of
“Mikado” (“pick-up sticks”). Ruby explains: “They
symbolise the stem of the flower through which
the sap flows. They look good, but they also have
a structural and sustainability function.” On the
roof, there is a solar chimney. In combination
with the open structure of the columns, this
creates natural ventilation. The wooden exterior
walls (ecoboard, made of agricultural fibres with
only 3% added material) will be coated with a
special coating of used chip-fat. This is an
American product that has hardly been used in
Europe yet. It has a dual function, protecting the
building against wind and rain but also
insulating it. “In the winter,” says Ilse, “the
coating turns black, thus retaining heat within
the building. In the summer, the building turns
white and reflects back the sunlight.
Throughout, we have always tried to find
integrated solutions.”
Ilse Schoenmakers
and Ruby Willems
Simple concepts
Has the District of Tomorrow changed the two
designers’ approach to sustainability? “It’s made
me think differently about sustainability,” says
Ruby. “I now try to come up with fully developed
concepts that are entirely logical and simple, as
with the concept of a flower. But as an architect
you are also dealing with the client, who has to
approve the concept too.” And Ilse says that that
is the problem: sustainable building is still
always more expensive than traditional building.
Few clients look at the costs as a whole, in other
words the overall cost of constructing and using
the building. “People don’t yet realise that
sustainable building can save money.” That
mentality needs to change. “When I go to
Germany and see all the solar panels in the
noise barriers along the motorway,” says Ilse,
“I always wonder why we don’t have them here in
the Netherlands.”
Building materials grow on the roof
That integrated approach can also be found in
the garden on the roof of the building, for which
the designers have chosen to plant hemp. This
produces a great deal of material and can be
processed into building materials with hardly
any waste remaining. “Hemp also absorbs the
greatest quantity of CO 2, and it requires little
water. That means we don’t need to have a large
water buffer on the green roof, which in turn
reduces the weight of the structure.” Water
consumption is reduced even further by utilising
Nonolet toilets which convert human waste into
compost, heat, and energy.
Amorphous PV cells
The energy for the underfloor heating – piping in
a cardboard insulation layer – comes from the
amorphous solar membrane, a foil incorporated
into a kind of “petal” which hangs down the front
wall. Selecting amorphous PV cells is largely
because in the Netherlands sunlight is generally
diffused rather than direct. The lighter weight
and flexibility of PV cells of this type are also
advantages. There is about 50 centimetres of
space between the “petal” and the actual front
wall. As Ilse explains, that also has a dual
function: “In the summer, it keeps the wall cool,
while in winter you have the opposite effect.”
Integrated mirrors ensure that daylight can
penetrate deep into the building. The division of
rooms has been kept flexible by working with
folding partition walls made of cardboard. These
have a honeycomb structure that provides
strength and also noise insulation.
4
Building
Design assignment
for Building 4
Each house or other building at the District of Tomorrow has a
particular aim. In Building 4, the emphasis is on materials.
The students were given the task of creating a building made entirely
of renewable materials. The floor weight also had to be less than
750 kg/m2 and the building naturally had to be zero energy.
What are 100% renewable materials?
A wooden structure is one example, as are foundations made from
renewable material. But the door and window hardware – which is
traditionally made of steel – and the water pipes and electricity
cables can also be renewable.
Four out of the many designs were nominated. Calculations have
also been made for the amount of land that they require. Renewable
materials have to grow somewhere, and they take up land while doing
so. The land area involved was one of the criteria when judging the
homes. The aim is for the construction materials to actually be grown
(and regrown) in the “garden” behind Building 4 as a demonstration.
The designs worked out by the students were judged by an international
jury on 12 July 2011. The jury was extremely impressed by them all,
but ultimately a single winner had to be chosen, and that was the
“INDUBIO” project. The student designers, Ilse Schoenmakers and Ruby
Willems, explain their design in the following article.
9
Bart Jan Krouwel, pre-coordinator for
Centre of Expertise New Energy,
Built Environment & Renewables
10
A sustainable
and innovative
Limburg –
and earning
money too!
If Limburg aims to play a pioneering
role as regards the sustainable built
environment and “new energy”, its
initiatives cannot be limited to just a single
town or city. We need to tackle things at
provincial level because that will create
the critical mass that really speeds up the
conversion of knowledge into successful
applications. “It’s all about the objective,”
says Bart Jan Krouwel, now the precoordinator for the Centre of Expertise
New Energy, Built Environment &
Renewables, previously co-founder and
first director of the Triodos Bank, and most
recently director for Corporate Social
Responsibility for the Rabobank Group.
“Every day I’m alive is one less.” Bart Jan
Krouwel has been saying that for years, and that
belief gains an extra dimension where
sustainability is concerned. There isn’t enough
time to philosophise – the problems of climate
change, energy, and raw materials are too
serious. “The plans that we come up with need
to be realistic. They have to generate down-toearth added value.” That is precisely what the
Centre of Expertise wants – no fantasising but
specific, practical initiatives that make Limburg
more sustainable, create jobs, and strengthen
the economic structure of the province. As an
ex-banker, Bart Jan Krouwel knows all too well
that you mustn’t just pursue sustainability for
reasons of emotion: “It has to make money too.”
(How). New companies can be created as
spinoffs from the Centre of Expertise, or a
private equity fund can later be set up for
innovative businesses. Zuyd University plays a
major role as regards the valorisation,
dissemination, and management of knowledge.
The partners in the Centre of Expertise are
discussing how to manage multidisciplinary
activities within the province with the aim of
promoting sustainable innovation and new
economic activity. The Centre of Expertise is
consequently a leading knowledge centre in the
field of “new energy” within the built
environment and fits in with Brainport 2020 and
the national portfolio in following the route
“from knowledge to skill to till”.
Five important elements
Trying things out
Bart Jan Krouwel considers a supply chain
approach to be a sine qua non. That’s why
businesses, public authorities, educational
institutions, researchers, and the environment
have come together at the Centre of Expertise.
The initiators include Zuyd University, the City of
Heerlen, the Province of Limburg, Chemelot
Campus, Brainport 2020, and a number of
companies and organisations that are involved
with the District of Tomorrow. “The Centre of
Expertise must be a means of achieving
something,” says Mr Krouwel. “We have a vision
and we must work together to make it a reality.”
The Centre of Expertise aims to do that by
pursing three programme lines: developing and
expanding an application centre for new energy
(What), restructuring existing neighbourhoods
(Where & Application), and chain integration
Bart Jan Krouwel sees a role here for the
District of Tomorrow. “The District of Tomorrow
offers scope for trying out the ideas we come up
with in actual practice. That’s essential.” After
all, seeing is believing. “Misconceptions arise
because people are not familiar with things.”
Moreover, the District of Tomorrow can act as a
laboratory where knowledge circulates and
open innovation leads to new solutions. There is
good reason why the District of Tomorrow is
mentioned several times in the Brainport 2020
report Top Economy, Smart Society of February
2011. However, the initiative now needs to be
strengthened and broadened so as to make
possible the necessary transition.
“As an ex-banker, Bart Jan Krouwel knows
all too well that you mustn’t just pursue
sustainability for reasons of emotion:
“It has to make money too.”
Not less but different
After more than thirty years, working towards
a sustainable world is still a challenge that
Bart Jan Krouwel enjoys tackling. “It’s very
satisfying! People often seem to think that a
sustainable lifestyle means not being allowed
to do things. Nonsense! You can still do
a tremendous amount – you just have to do it
differently.” The Centre of Expertise aims to
speed up that switch. “We need to do things
differently if we want future generations to be
able to survive on this planet of ours.”
The Centre of Expertise is an initiative in which
any party can participate that is active in the
field of “new energy” and the sustainable built
environment. The information given above has
been updated to 19 October 2011.
More information: Ludo Kockelkorn,
Expertise Manager Built Environment,
mobile 0031 (0)6 1299 7818 or e-mail:
[email protected].
11
RiBuilT, Zuyd University’s research
institute, is working on a zero-impact
concept. This involves experimenting with
applications in the buildings at the
District of Tomorrow and conducting
supplementary research to enable wellinformed choices to be made.
12
Research
The supplementary research focuses mainly on
assessing buildings. How do we measure the
impact that buildings actually have on the
environment, particularly in terms of the
amount of space needed (land use) to provide
the solar energy and renewable materials for
the buildings? Existing neighbourhoods have
also been examined. How can we redevelop
them so as to drastically cut their impact on the
environment?
Solar energy
A lot of research is being done on solar energy in
the context of the District of Tomorrow. One
study involves organic solar cells, while a start
has also been made on developing an integrated
wall element. The latter is made from renewable
raw materials and with the energy elements
integrated, for example PV but also solar heat
collectors or energy storage elements. One
striking feature of the District of Tomorrow is
the roof of the first building, Tilt to the Sun. One
of the studies led to the design for the roof,
which incorporates the most effective solar
cells in the world but still in an aesthetically
responsible manner.
Other studies involve:
• small-scale wind turbines for the District
of Tomorrow;
• optimum use of the rooftop greenhouse
for Building 2;
• the water plan;
• the effect of green roofs on the hydrological
balance.
A study is also ongoing of the critical points in
the design of a passive energy house (such as
Tilt to the Sun). There is still a lot we can learn.
The findings will be published later this year.
In addition to these large-scale projects, 10 to
20 students are also working on studies in the
District of Tomorrow ranging from organising
construction of Tilt to the Sun to the installations
and operation methods for the buildings.
More information about the studies is available
from Special Associate Professor Zeger Vroon,
[email protected].
Limburg in 2050?
Just one District of Tomorrow is naturally not
enough. In the next few decades, Limburg needs
to become less dependent on fossil fuels. We
will also need to limit climate change or adapt to
it. And we will also need to consider the scarcity
of various raw materials. In other words, we will
need to make Limburg “future-proof” and find a
way to organise and maintain the world around
us with different fuels and raw materials.
Existing neighbourhoods
The District of Tomorrow is a model project that
shows that things can indeed be done differently
– as early as tomorrow! It teaches students how
they can give shape to this in the years ahead,
together with the companies for which they will
be working. But that is not enough: what we
actually need to do is redevelop hundreds of
districts in Limburg to make them more energyefficient, to reuse the raw materials, and to
utilise new, renewable materials. That requires
a properly organised plan.
Kerkrade West
We have already been successful with the first
such redeveloped district. Together with Hestia
Group and Cauberg Huygen, EOS has received a
demo grant for the renovation of about 150
homes in Kerkrade West, converting them into
passive-energy – or even zero-energy – houses.
Preparations have already started and
renovation of the first group of homes will
commence later this year. Consideration is
currently being given to what innovations can be
incorporated. One possibility is a smart grid
demonstration in which energy consumption is
coordinated so as to achieve savings.
More information about this project is available
from instructor/researcher Herwin Sap at
[email protected].
Roadmap
What we are concerned with is changes at the
level of materials, buildings, neighbourhoods, and
urban areas – and even in the landscape itself.
Based on that objective, RiBuilT aims to continue
working on the future of Limburg by drawing up
plans and strategies to implement changes in
various components. Supplementary studies will
be carried out when necessary. RiBuilT will
produce an annual update of these plans and
strategies, in the form of a roadmap presented at
the annual “Limburg 2050” seminar.
The forecast for Limburg in 2050 can be
downloaded from www.ribuilt.eu.
More information is available from Associate
Professor Jacques Kimman, jacques.kimman@
zuyd.nl.
Ideal testing ground
F
The District of Tomorrow is a
partnership between 40 organisations
in education, business, environment
and government. A full list can be
found on the District of Tomorrow
website.
“We think it’s important to let our
partners say what they think about
the project,” says Gabriel Bergmans,
the director of the District of
Tomorrow. “Here are some comments by
just a few of the many partners that
we work with, so as to give you an
idea of how collaboration works at
the District of Tomorrow.”
What
partners
say
or the firm of Burgers Ergon, the main
reasons for involvement in the District of
Tomorrow are to promote technology
and to benefit from an ideal testing ground at
which to convince clients of the advantages of
sustainable new energy technology and
materials. “The client will decide more readily
if he can actually see the new technology at
work,” says Pascal Bertram, the branch
manager.
Burgers Ergon (part of the Heijmans group)
focuses on complex technical installation
work in the higher segment of commercial and
industrial building construction. Clients
increasingly want the installations contractor
to also undertake long-term management of
the systems. “When selecting systems and
materials, we therefore need to bear in mind
future developments,” explains Mr Bertram.
An installation from 2011 still needs to be
state of the art in 2030.
Seeing and feeling
Clients are often hesitant: they may be worried
about the risks if they are the first to apply a
particular new technology, or they may be
scared off by the higher investment involved.
According to consultant John Schipper,
whether a client “thinks green” is often still
decided by the financial aspects. The District
of Tomorrow is therefore an ideal “testing
ground” where clients can actually see and
feel new technology. The use of “phasechange materials” to store heat is an example.
“We had already been using them, but for the
client it was just one step too far, so it’s
interesting for us to be able to use them in the
District of Tomorrow.
Knowledge source
Both Pascal Bertram and John Schipper also
welcome the fact that visitors can also see the
solutions of others. “It’s a matter of the public
interest,” they say. For Burgers Ergon, the
network is also a source of knowledge that
can be utilised for forward integration in the
design process. “The District of Tomorrow is
more than just a project,” says John Schipper,
“it’s a place where education and the
commercial sector meet.” For a construction
company that has made sustainability a
priority, that is indispensible.
Promoting technology
For Pascal Bertram, there is also another
reason for participating, namely to promote
technology. “With the District of Tomorrow, 13
we can show the challenging sides of our
work,” he says. “A student work placement
assignment is often theoretical, but what’s
involved here is practical implementation.
That makes the District of Tomorrow unique.”
John Schipper
Pascal Bertram
John Schipper (left) and Pascal Bertram
Burgers Ergon
convinces
clients at
the District
of Tomorrow
John Monsewije
Chair of the Board SVO|PL
Enticing young
people with
expressive
education
S
14
chools don’t just have an educational
task, they also need to play a role on the
regional labour market, i.e. to train
pupils for professions for which there is a
demand. “We need to get away from ‘doing
what’s fun’,” says John Monsewije, chair of the
board of the Parkstad Limburg Secondary
Education Foundation (SVO|PL). “Population
shrinkage demands a higher return from
education.” There is a crucial role here for the
District of Tomorrow.
Pupils at the foundation’s preparatory
secondary vocational schools (“VMBO”) have
helped to build the first energy-neutral home
within the District of Tomorrow. According to
John Monsewije, this is not only instructive for
the pupils – who have seen within a real live
environment that technology is a profession
with a future – but “also their teachers, who
have got to know new techniques and gained
new insights about what the building industry
involves. That is the double effect with which
the District of Tomorrow distinguishes itself
from work placements.”
Paradigm shift
John Monsewije speaks of a paradigm shift.
“We need to train young people for sectors
where there is a labour market demand. In this
region, that means care and welfare and
technology.” The District of Tomorrow plays a
role in this by enabling pupils and their parents
to see what it means to work with tomorrow’s
technology. Building with the sustainable
technologies of tomorrow and competitions
such as the solar kart race can entice young
people to choose technology as their
profession. “Together with the centre of
expertise and the centre for innovative
expertise at Chemelot, we are creating an
infrastructure for technology education here in
South Limburg.” The infrastructure can be
expanded by also working with zero energy
concepts in the case of existing homes. “The
shift from new buildings to existing properties
can be the next challenge for our pupils,” says
Mr Monsewije.
Expressive education
Teachers at Limburg’s VMBO schools are
utilising the knowledge generated by the
District of Tomorrow for curriculum
development. “The new curriculum makes
technology education more expressive (i.e.
visual) and approachable,” says John
Monsewije, “with new teaching methods and a
natural continuous learning pathway . The
District of Tomorrow fits in very well with this.”
Henk ter Stege
Unit director Arcus College
work when it comes to bricklaying and
carpentry,” explains Henk ter Stege, “but our
level 4 pupils can also help think up and
develop new concepts.” At the District of
Tomorrow, an attempt is being made to ensure
collaboration between HBO and MBO students
so that theoretical plans can in fact be put into
practice.
Incubator for
further
integration
T
he District of Tomorrow has brought the
education partners that are involved
closer together. But in the view of Henk
ter Stege, director of the technology unit at
Arcus College, it is primarily the pupils who
benefit from the special learning environment.
They learn to look at building in a nontraditional way.
“During a traditional work placement,” says Mr
ter Stege, “a company has pupils carry out only
simple tasks because it doesn’t want them to
make mistakes. At the District of Tomorrow,
however, they are allowed to make mistakes –
it means that they learn more.” That ultimately
benefits the building sector in Limburg
because it gets employees who are better
trained. ”With our pupils, companies can be
Continuous learning pathways
ahead of the game as regards sustainability.
They not only acquire knowledge but this
project also puts them in touch with the
sources of knowledge.”
Understanding one another better
For the education organisations themselves,
the project is also a learning process. It makes
it clearer what each party actually does. It’s
too easy to think, for example, that students at
a university of applied sciences (“HBO”) are
“thinkers” and those at senior secondary
vocational schools (“MBO”) are “doers”. In fact,
the latter students fulfil a variety of roles. “Our
level 1 and 2 pupils do indeed do hands-on
That is just what Henk ter Stege wants. The
continuous learning pathways in technical
education need to be given actual physical
form. “That doesn’t only generate synergy
advantages; it also has a positive effect on the
overall image.” Work processes and tasks in
the building sector are changing, for example
because of prefab construction. By working in
this way, pupils and students can demonstrate
the “new way of building” and the attractive
sides of the profession. The District of
Tomorrow creates an incubator for this kind of
collaboration, although the project also makes
clear that the coordination between the
curriculum and a real live project of this kind is
open to improvement. “The way teaching is
structured needs to follow the building
process. That’s something we’ve learned.”
15
Partners &
sponsors
Crasborn Grafisch Ontwerpers bno
The District
of Tomorrow
European Science and
Business Park Avantis
Tesla 1, 6422 RG Heerlen
The Netherlands
T. 0031 (0)6 4275 6681
Correspondence address:
P.O. Box 550
6400 AN Heerlen
The Netherlands
[email protected]
www.dewijkvanmorgen.nl
www.thedistrictoftomorrow.org
The District of Tomorrow project is made possible in
part by a grant from the European Regional
Development Fund within the framework of OP-Zuid
and by funding from the Dutch Ministry of Economic
Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.