Our answer is NICE
NICE Developers doesn't NICE Developers for change, it makes change happen.
Things must and can be better, is the loud and clear message from NICE Developers. They are surprised by the status quo in the construction and development world: the sector is stagnating and is not taking responsibility for really solving problems. Many parties talk about being 'green', but continue with business as usual. Empowered by their own knowledge and experience, Robert Winkel and Mark Compeer are therefore going it alone—with the support of progressive investor and developing investor Focus on Impact they are going into battle.
Developing architect Robert Winkel and developer Mark Compeer are determined individuals. For them, the realization of Paris Proof residential buildings is first and foremost a life mission. They see themselves not so much as 'developers' but as world improvers. NICE Developers not NICE Developers for change but brings about that change by actively helping to build a better world. They have seen in recent years that this is necessary. The current system of design, development, and construction is well past its sell-by date and downright rotten. Change is too slow, there are too many empty promises and mediocre ambitions. Mark: 'Building with wood would be too complicated and too expensive, so everyone chooses the easy way out. The impact on the climate is ignored.' In addition, according to Mark and Robert, the sector contributes too little to an inclusive society by failing to achieve a mix of owner-occupied, middle-income, and social housing. Mark: "This is precisely where we can create more connection and dynamism, just as we can by better mixing work and living." A new approach requires a radically different approach, cooperation, and a redefinition of the norm. The duo is determined to make a significant contribution to this by making their voices heard and with "NICE evidence." They are showing that things can be done differently!
NICE offers the answer to pressing questions from governments, housing corporations, and property owners who want to do better.
NICE concept the new standard
They discovered for themselves that things could be done differently. Robert talks about the 'voyage of discovery' of recent years. 'If you want change, you have to embrace experimentation. We are not the type to sit back and wait; we take risks in the firm belief that it will take us further, no matter what.' Their mission? To introduce and spread the new NICE concept, focused on the well-being of people and nature. Every 'NICE Building' has a positive impact on the neighborhood, people, and climate. SAWA is proof that NICE puts its money where its mouth is. It is the first high-rise residential building in the Netherlands with a wooden main support structure that is circular and detachable, because no concrete has been used on the floors. The ecological footprint is therefore small, but the impact on the neighborhood is significant, with 109 homes and 12,500 m².2 GFA – is significant. Robert: 'SAWA is the healthiest building in the Netherlands. This first circular timber high-rise project (50 meters) in Europe stores CO22 storage, contributes to urban biodiversity, is accessible to various income groups with (mid-rental) and owner-occupied homes, and facilitates the growth of a strong community.' Mark adds: 'SAWA demonstrates that it is indeed possible to develop sustainably, with an eye for climate, biodiversity, and people.' With this approach, NICE offers an answer to the pressing questions from governments, housing corporations, and property owners who want to do things differently – better. These are parties who also want to reduce CO22emissions and reduce concrete construction.NICE Buildingsare part of a new generation of buildings that serve the new generation of people.
Let's cut the nonsense: better construction for people and climate is indeed possible, because we are already doing it!
Robert: 'Initially, people thought we were crazy. SAWA was an illusion. But we pulled out all the stops, and with the help of everyone involved, SAWA is now a reality. The notion that it's impossible is bullshit. We don't make empty promises: better construction for people and climate is indeed possible!' However, this is not a defiant gesture towards all naysayers, but a helping hand: NICE aims to help others improve. Mark: 'We want to share our knowledge and collaborate so that others can learn from it.' Urgency outweighs the need for uniqueness. Temperatures are rising, and the budgets allocated to address this are evaporating. An agreement has been reached in Paris: we must keep global temperature rise below 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius. A maximum CO2-budget is linked to this target, including for the construction sector. This budget will decrease over the coming decades. Currently, the emissions from housing construction exceed the allocated budget. If we continue at this rate, we will exceed the CO2-budget for staying below a 1.5-degree temperature increase as early as 2027. The CO2-emissions must therefore drastically decrease, and quickly. Robert: 'Traditional concrete, brick, and aluminum must make way! The most significant change must truly be initiated as early as 2024. Our biggest frustration is that many – governments, investors, and developers – put this situation on the agenda without taking action themselves. There's too much talk and too little action.'
If traditional concrete construction is halted in the near future, how will we then realize the much-needed housing?
According to the duo, everything now revolves around the question, 'Are you capable of adapting and changing?' Concrete construction is increasingly being questioned. NICE developers foresee a lawsuit against the traditional concrete industry, due to excessive CO2-emissions that violate the Paris Agreement. Such a scenario could bring concrete construction to a complete halt. What then? How will we realize the much-needed housing? Robert: 'We have our sights firmly set on the future. I hope that stakeholders will find us so that we can prepare for what is to come.' With the right information, NICE aims to provide governments and housing corporations with more ammunition to elevate sustainable construction on the agenda, separate fact from fiction, and actually implement it. Robert: 'We contribute ideas and are happy to help others further to arrive at the right product or tender request.' NICE is ready for it. Based on their own experiences and connections within the timber construction supply chain, they can act quickly. 'Within the given CO2-budget, we can also realize many more NICE buildings, simply because traditional methods deplete your CO2-budget much faster.
More homes
and a better climate
The answer is NICE
Small footprint, big impact
Robert and Mark have unwavering confidence in their mission and vision, strengthened by their experiences over the past years. They are particularly proud of the significant strides they are making in applying biobased and recycled materials. Robert: 'A remarkable 75% of SAWA's main load-bearing structure consists of these materials. Many of these materials, in this specific composition, had not yet been certified, which is why everyone deemed it unfeasible. However, in close collaboration with our co-developer and builder ERA Contour, we succeeded.' SAWA is largely constructed using cross-laminated timber (CLT). The building has a small CO2-footprint because it stores CO2 and is fully circular. The timber can be reused because the floors do not incorporate concrete, but rather recycled roof ballast: dry aggregate that is easily separable from the wood. This allows the materials to have a second life later on. Furthermore, its construction time is shorter than that of concrete construction. Another significant advantage of their experience with SAWA is the trust they have gained from timber suppliers. Mark: 'These parties carefully select their projects and partners. If you haven't previously completed a timber building, you represent a greater risk to them.'
Without attempting, no change will occur whatsoever!
Now Robert and Mark want to dispel the myth surrounding SAWA, precisely by sharing information about it. Mark: ‘There are stories circulating that are not true. For example, that we got the land for free, which is not the case. Apparently, many people still don't believe that this is really possible.’ Robert says that SAWA 'simply' complies with the Building Decree and has succeeded in using certified, recycled materials. 'Of course, there are things we would do differently now. Use water more wisely, for example. Currently, the green roof is irrigated with tap water, but next time we want to use rainwater by ensuring better water storage. We also want to look into better ways of dealing with waste streams. And although a large part of our volume consists of reused materials, we want to use NICE Buildings more bio-based and recycled materials in future NICE Buildings . For example, by replacing plasterboard with hemp or flax. There is still plenty of room for improvement in the next generation of buildings, but without trying first, there will be no change at all!
No empty promises, but a proven business case
With the development of SAWA, NICE invested—in collaboration—in innovation and research that led to a new concept. That concept is the sum of acquired knowledge, expertise, experience, and areas for improvement, which others can now benefit from. Robert: "If we want things to be different, we need a different way of life. Wood construction is not enough. It's about biodiversity, less loneliness, and ensuring a mix of owner-occupied, mid-range rental, and social housing. We want to create accessible and sustainable homes. For example, 50 of the 109 homes in SAWA are mid-range rentals. We are also working with housing associations to develop social housing based on the NICE Concept. These are healthy homes: wooden, biodiverse, and with shared spaces. Wood construction is just one part of it. More than building and developing, it's about gaining a different perspective on life. NICE welcomes the new law that will come into force in France in 2022, requiring half of the mass of government buildings to be biobased. Mark: 'That's an example! Because it's not a question of being able to do it, but of wanting to do it and doing it!'
The returns of this business case are measured not only in financial terms, but across generations
NICE developers the necessity, but also the feasibility and sound business case of this concept. Mark: "Yes, it is a challenging path, and yes, we are content with less profit. We put quality and sustainability first. As an independent player, we are not 'held hostage by money', like so many others. People we work with find us because of our content, energy, openness, and ambition. We don't make promises we can't keep and we separate the sense from the nonsense. We look for like-minded people. It's an adventure. It's pioneering. It means sacrificing some profit, but making a real impact." NICE also focuses on social values. NICE Buildings not only the owners and residents, but the entire neighborhood and city. A longer shelf life for the earth is the ultimate profit that Robert and Mark are striving for. A profit that pays off not only in money, but in generations.
