Badhotel | Scheveningen

Flawless window frame renovation the Badhotel Scheveningen thanks to clever teamwork

'Every step watched and prepared down to the half hour'

In a short period of just three weeks, the Badhotel Scheveningen was fitted with new window frames and windows in January this year. Not only was the short execution time a challenge, but also the fact that almost every window surface had different dimensions. "The team has done a fantastic job," he says.

Dekker Kozijnprojecten was chosen to carry out the work. Project managers Piet van den Berg and Ivo Middeldorp say it was clear right from the start that it would be an exciting project. "The application came in October and the project had to be carried out in January - at relatively short notice. Because the hotel closed during the works and January is their quietest period."

That meant there was immediate work to do, with measuring and then ordering the materials. During the measuring, it soon became clear that the building - a protected townscape - is extremely crooked. "No window section is the same, the differences ran up to 14 centimetres," Van den Berg and Middeldorp clarify. "But of course this was not to be reflected in the final result. That was solved by working with set frames with different dimensions. In the end, 89 different types of frames were used for the 102 windows. Each frame was carefully measured from a hanging basket. The data was then processed in an Excel file so that we had a good understanding of the differences."

Another challenge was that the work should not be delayed. After three weeks, the hotel reopened. "And that in January," says Van den Berg, "when you can experience anything in terms of weather. We therefore decided not to work with cranes, but from scaffolding. These were fitted with wind-reducing nets and a rainproof canopy." And then there was the logistics component: all materials in the right place at the right time so that assembly could take place without delay. That too was prepared to perfection, Middeldorp explains. "We watched and prepared every step down to the half hour. We recreated parts in the workshop and practised with them so that we gained insight into how to process it adequately on site. Then everything was prepared in the workshop so that it arrived at the site in Scheveningen quickly and in the right order." Middeldorp and Van den Berg praise the commitment of all employees involved. "That everything went smoothly is thanks to a fantastic team effort. The cooperation with the people at Badhotel Scheveningen was also excellent. We received full cooperation and everything was negotiable."

Those same positive feelings about the course of the project and cooperation have Thea van de Koppel, interim manager of the Badhotel Scheveningen. On behalf of her employer Metterwoon, owner of the hotel, she was closely involved in the whole thing. In addition to Metterwoon's wishes, there was also the municipality's involvement, she says. "Because it is a protected townscape. For us, it was important that the window frames were given the look that matches our house style, in this case the Metterwoon blue combined with white concrete. The windows had to be both sound- and heat-insulating. In the north façade, we wanted more light, so part of the stairwell façade was cut out there. Furthermore, there was indeed our request to carry out the project in three weeks in January. That was the most favourable period for us."

Van de Koppel says he is very satisfied with how everything went. "What they promised, Dekker delivered. They closely monitored the schedule and where stagnation threatened, they intervened. That shows their flexibility. There was also always intensive consultation, we were kept informed of everything. In the end, they delivered in parts, back to front and floor by floor. That gave us the opportunity to have the hotel ready in time for the guests who had booked by the end of January."