The renovated Tinbergen Building on Erasmus University Rotterdam’s Woudestein campus has reached its highest point. On Tuesday, those involved celebrated this construction milestone on the nineteenth floor of the university building, which is set to become one of the most sustainable educational buildings in the Netherlands by 2027.
Ellen van Schoten, Vice-President of the Executive Board, spoke at the meeting about the significance of the project for the campus. 'We are not just building a building here, but a place where new perspectives emerge.'
Sustainable university building
The Tinbergen Building, a listed building, is to be fitted with modern teaching and research facilities for the Erasmus School of Economics, amongst others. Sustainability is at the heart of the refurbishment.
The roof will be fitted with 260 bifacial solar panels that generate energy on both sides. The building will also be equipped with a thermal energy storage system, which is expected to reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling by 60 to 80 per cent.
In addition, half of the coating used on the steel structure on the nineteenth floor is made from recycled PET bottles.
The building has now been awarded BREEAM Excellent certification, the international sustainability rating for buildings, and is in the running for the highest rating: BREEAM Outstanding.
'For many of us, this building is much more than just concrete and steel. It is a place full of memories, encounters and academic life'
Prof. Patrick Groenen
Dean of Erasmus School of Economics
Celebration on the nineteenth floor
The celebration took place on the nineteenth floor, which has walls made entirely of glass and offers a panoramic view over Rotterdam, matching the renovation’s motto: New Perspectives. The event provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress of the construction work and the future of the campus.
Patrick Groenen, Dean of the Erasmus School of Economics, emphasised the building’s significance for students and staff. 'For many of us, this building is much more than just concrete and steel. It is a place full of memories, encounters and academic life.'
Appreciation for builders
During the meeting, attention was paid to the builders and project teams who work on the building every day.
Van Schoten expressed her appreciation to everyone involved in the construction. 'They have worked here day in, day out, even when things weren’t going well. The fact that we can celebrate reaching the highest point today is truly significant.'
Dennis Krol, director of Heerkens van Bavel Bouw, also spoke on behalf of the Berghege Heerkens Bouwgroep: 'Today, we are celebrating above all the people who, both on site and behind the scenes, are working on this project with such dedication. Their craftsmanship is what makes the renovation and sustainability upgrade of such a large-scale building possible.'
The official opening of the renovated Tinbergen Building is scheduled for the summer of 2027.
- More information
Sander Wageman, Press Officer Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam:
sander.wageman@eur.nl / +31(0)6 24 579 146Ilse Bakker, communications advisor, Beghege Heerkens Bouwgroep:
i.bakker@berghegeheerkens.nl / +31(0)6 83 104 274- Related links
- Discover more about the Tinbergen Building renovation
