Case Study
Bouwinvest’s Centre Court is given a second life
With its high windows and sleek lines of its façade, The Centre Court building in The Hague exudes a timeless majesty. The office also holds pride of place at an A location: the centre of Beatrixkwartier, a spot that is easily accessible by train. Despite that fact that it would not be a struggle to rent the space, Bouwinvest still opted for a thorough ‘upgrade’. Centre Court – with its new interior, two new levels and added sustainability measures – has now added 10,000 square metres of high-quality real estate to The Hague’s office market.
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BREEAM Excellent
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10,000 m²
high quality floor space
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2
new levels
More potential and more meterage
When the Center Court’s southern tower’s former occupant left the building, it released 8,000 square metres of prime office space in one fell swoop. That is, in potential alone. “The location and property were fantastic, but the interior was in need of a cosmetic and sustainability upgrade”, said Jan-Wellem Kos, Senior Asset Manager at Bouwinvest. “We also wanted to raise the rental potential by adding even more square meterage. We worked together with CBRE on those three topics – interior, square metres and sustainability.Reacquainting with an old friend
CBRE was a logical choice for the building’s revitalisation project, said Kos. “CBRE has performed the daily management of Center Court for years, so they were already familiar with the building. That gave them the edge. In addition, it was a fairly easy process to stitch together a design, sustainability, and project management team. We then didn’t have to waste any time, which was of great advantage to us”.A sleek interior to arrive in
The first step was refreshing Center Court. Despite its timeless exterior, the interior was in desperate need of a freshen-up. “Orange tones dominated the space, just like the small rooms and narrow corridors”, Kos said. “It was really from a different era. We worked with CBRE to restore the general spaces, from the corridors and toilets to the car park and interior garden. The area is now more spacious, neutral and light-filled. It’s stylish, in a very classic way”. Extra attention was paid to the entryway. “It was rather dark and cramped”, said Kos. CBRE’s designers planned out an open and flowing foyer with a high glass revolving door system that lets in plenty of light. The vide above the reception area has a staircase next to it, and makes the area feel a lot more spacious. Tenants can now properly receive visitors, work and organise meetings.
1,800 space square metres
Bouwinvest wanted to add two levels on top of Center Court. “We knew that there was demand for large, adjoining floor space in The Hague’s office market”, said Kos. “That’s the reason we increased the space that emptied into Center Court from 8,000 to around 10,000 square metres. It was not possible to add that space on the ground, so we decided to go up”. That plan called for a technically high position, said Koos. “There needed to be a featherweight support structure, otherwise we would have had to reinforce the rest of the building, which would have been too costly and complicated. We got the job done with our special project team of engineers, contractors and a CBRE project manager”.Excellent sustainability ratings
Finally, the revitalisation process was also a great time to concurrently improve the Center Court’s sustainability rating. “We worked together with a CBRE sustainability consultant and took considerable steps forward. LED lamps and climate ceilings were placed all over the building. The latter is sort of like a blanket that either cools or heats the room, depending upon the outside temperature”. “Daylight controls the lighting – the brighter the day is outside, the more the LED’s dim. They also use presence detection to detect when spaces are used, which light up accordingly. There is a green roof and the toilets are more economical with water. We were able to achieve a BREEAM Excellent certification thanks to these measures. It was nice to collaborate with CBRE on this – we both share ambitious sustainability objectives, so there was good alignment”.A second life with one tenant
Once the renovation, expansion and addition of sustainability features was complete, Center Court was just as suitable for a single tenant as it was for a multi-tenant rental. “We bet on both horses in the beginning”, said Kos. “But there was only one ticket in the end – the Central Government’s Real Estate agency. They now rent all the floors and will soon decide what government agency will move. The mission was a success thanks to CBRE’s involvement”.Related services
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