A new look for sports park de Braak
Ed Controls contributes to the transformation
It was in the planning stages for a long time and the preparations took considerable time as well. But the transformation of the De Braak campus in Helmond is now truly taking shape. On behalf of the municipality of Helmond, a completely new football stadium has risen, serving as the home base for the Helmond Sport football club.
In addition to Helmond Sport, the campus accommodates the Practical School of Helmond. There will also be a NOC*NSF(a Dutch sport association) sports hall, several gymnasiums, and facilities for SV de Braak and JVDI Physiotherapy Club. There is still a lot of work to be done before the project is completed in the next summer break, but the stands, business lounge, sports halls, and the supporters' clubhouse are slowly becoming visible. The main contractor Wijnen Bouw, along with Metadecor, is responsible for the spectacular façade of the new stadium. This unique feature consists of enormous aluminium slats. For the insiders: a curtain wall with MD Slat. We spoke with project leader Edwin Wesselink about Metadecor's role and the involvement of Ed Controls.
Final phase
The curtain wall is undoubtedly the ‘face’ of the new stadium and the entire park. The powerful and dazzling, gold-coloured façade elements give the building stature and dynamism. “Those gold-anodised slats are truly top-notch,” Edwin proudly shares. “Technically, the project may not be the most challenging, but installing the façade is extremely labour-intensive. Every part of the process requires our full attention. And yes, aesthetically, it is, of course, outstanding. We always dedicate a lot of care and time to engineering so that we encounter as few surprises as possible during execution. Currently, we are fully engaged in the execution, moving towards the final phase. Including our preparation, we will have spent over a year on this project.”
“We employ Ed Controls on multiple fronts”
Multiple Fronts
Metadecor has been using Ed Controls since around 2017, and the tool is employed on multiple fronts. “Sometimes we align with the main contractor if they also use Ed Controls,” Edwin explains. “In any case, we use it for delivery points, quality assurance, audits, and inspections. For most projects, we already work according to the Dutch Quality Assurance Act (Wkb), so we do for this project as well. For the stadium façade of Helmond Sport, we use the app for inspections of the substructure and the slats. We also use the app for HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) inspections or VCA (Safety Checklist for Contractors). We check points like orderliness and cleanliness, whether first aid and fire extinguishing equipment, and personal protective equipment are present. And we verify that safety rules are being followed. We are very satisfied with the app: it is clear and straightforward. Loading drawings is very easy. It's great that we can now also load 3D drawings. That makes our work even easier.”
Twice as Good
Helmond Sport is expected to start playing in this new stadium from January 2025. Afterwards, the old stadium will be demolished to make way for training fields. There were a few times when it was uncertain if the new construction on the De Braak campus would proceed, but fortunately, at crucial moments, everyone got back on the same page. As often happens with projects of this scale, it became more expensive than initially budgeted. However, just one look at the futuristic façade of the new stadium is enough to know that all the hurdles – the difficult start, the extensive preparations, and the costs – were more than worth it.
