VUmc Awards Contract for Construction of New Imaging Center Amsterdam

NIEUWEGEIN, Netherlands, January 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Ballast Nedam together with the ULC Groep constitute the consortium  

After a successful verification phase, VU University Medical Center (VUmc) in Amsterdam has officially awarded the contract of building its brand new Imaging Center to De Beeldbouwers VOF, a joint venture involving Ballast Nedam and ULC Groep. The contract for VUmc Imaging Center Amsterdam includes the implementation of architectural and technical installations, conveying systems and cleanroom facilities, the construction itself and the construction of a basement facility for the future Diagnostic Center.

Construction project 

VUmc plans to locate this new facility in the garden next to its existing clinic. The Imaging Center project will cover 16,000 m2, of which approximately 14,000 m2 will be new building. The Center will comprise six floors and will bring together the hospital's Radiology and Nuclear Medicine departments with BV Cyclotron VU and LaserLaB Amsterdam. In addition, the basement level of the future Diagnostic Center will be constructed adjacent to the Imaging Center. Construction work is due to begin in March 2016. The Imaging Center expects to welcome its first patient in the first quarter of 2019. In the words of Wouter Bos, Chairman of VUmc's Board of Directors: "This building is a shining example of what VUmc is all about: academic, innovative and leading the way."

Flexibility  

The VUmc Imaging Center Amsterdam has been conceived with flexibility in mind. Innovation and state-of-the-art imaging technology will be given a prominent place under one roof. Its extensive range of imaging equipment, its high-quality laboratories and the wide diversity of its users will place considerable demands on the building's flexibility. It has to be able to adapt quickly to the constant developments in research equipment.

Sustainability 

VUmc is keen to obtain objective confirmation of its sustainable approach to construction in the form of a BREEAM certification. The hospital's ambition is to achieve 'very good' BREEAM status for the Imaging Center Amsterdam project.

VUmc: We see a bright image

VUmc wants to continue to lead the world in the field of medical imaging and tracer development. All of the university hospital's imaging-related activities are being brought together in one brand new Imaging Center. The aim is to house first-class care and leading research in a single building that is both modern and flexible.

Ambitions VUmc 

With its new Imaging Center, VUmc aims to fulfil three goals: synergy, flexibility and sustainability. Physically uniting all of its imaging disciplines is a major step towards achieving substantive synergies between departments and with external parties. The new building is designed to promote synergy and cooperation between everyone involved. Encounter, communication and collaboration are therefore key to the building's design, enabling it to serve as an interactive platform for its various users. Bringing together the latest imaging techniques and experts from various disciplines is sure to provide significant benefits for patients, including those with cancer, brain disorders or cardiovascular diseases, and for companies that focus on drug development.

Ballast Nedam targets its strategic focus at successfully acquiring and carrying out integrated projects in the working areas of housing and mobility in the Netherlands and internationally. We also work on projects where we can make a difference for the client with our expert knowledge and skills. Ballast Nedam applies a differentiated market approach for its three divisions.

With further industrialization of the building process through the use of innovative modular concepts and standardization Ballast Nedam creates enduring quality at the lowest possible life cycle costs for its clients and society. The Ballast Nedam share is included in the Amsterdam Small Cap Index (AScX) of Euronext. http://www.ballast-nedam.com

ULC Groep is one of the largest nationwide, multidisciplinary building services contractors in the Netherlands. A family business that is committed to meeting its clients' goals sustainably. ULC Groep designs, installs and maintains all building installations. Highly motivated employees work on new constructions, renovations and extensions of hospitals, laboratories, museums, universities, office buildings and other structures. Other projects involve conversions in which office buildings are transformed into student housing, for example. The ULC Groep was founded in 1923. It consists of three companies: ULC Installatietechniek, ULC Technisch Beheer and Bectro Installatietechniek.