Does your design comply with the Dutch Building Code and Design Brief (PvE)?

Marc Burgmeijer: "In principle, the Dutch government does not allow you to build or renovate without a licence. When submitting a planning permission (WABO), the applicant needs to demonstrate that the building complies with existing laws and regulations. We will verify whether the building plan complies with every requirement regarding building physics and energy as laid down in the Building Code (Bouwbesluit, Dutch building regulations). Or when a client has specific requirements with regards to the Design Brief. If your plan does not comply, we have all the necessary knowledge and experience available to provide you with a sound, pragmatic advice on design adjustments.

Our approach

We test building plans against building regulations and against a Programme of Requirements (PvE). Each building plan differs greatly from the next. We carry out a broad scan to work out which building physics and energetic aspects are important for your building plan. This will quickly give you the relevant information you need for the permit application and a broad assessment of the associated costs.

Building physical and energetic requirements

We check whether the construction plan meets all the building physics and energetic requirements detailed in the Building Decree; some examples include:

soundproofing of the façade
air and contact noise insulation
reverberation in traffic areas
surface condensation (cold bridge)
daylight
thermal insulation
energy performance

Furthermore, for the operation/sale/rental of the building, it is important to test other building physics aspects, for example:

internal condensation
insulation/shading
wind climate
vibration

Improving on the user comfort requirements required by the Building Decree

If a good PoR is missing and the Building Decree does not set sufficient requirements to enable comfortable use of a building, we can draw up a customised PoR for the situation.