UTRECHT, 27 April 2010. Kromhout Barracks Utrecht public-private partnership has been nominated for a Public Private Finance Award 2010 in the category ‘Best International Project’. The project is being implemented by Komfort (Ballast Nedam, Strukton and John Laing) by order of the Ministry of Defence. The winner will be announced during an Award Gala in London on 13 May 2010.
The PPF Award is an international award presented annually. It is intended to promote best practices in the field of public-private partnerships (PPP) and to reward quality and innovative applications. In the category ‘Best International Project’, PPP projects signed between January 2008 and December 2009 are eligible.
Defence pilot project
Kromhout Barracks is the first project by the Ministry of Defence to be tendered by means of PPP. Komfort offered all the links of design, construction, financing, facility services, maintenance and management in an integrated DBFMO contract (Design, Build, Finance, Maintain and Operate) for 25 years. The complete contract represents a value of around € 450 million. Komfort will create about 3,000 workstations for defence employees. The Royal Netherlands Army headquarters will be established on the barracks grounds, as well as parts of the Support Command and the Defence Materiel Organisation. Within Komfort, Ballast Nedam, Strukton and John Laing work together with Meyer en Van Schooten Architecten, Karres en Brands landschapsarchitecten and ISS Facility Services, among others.
Kromhout Nomination
Five reasons why the PPP Kromhout Barracks project has a chance to win this award:
- Largest PPP accommodation project
Kromhout Barracks is the largest PPP accommodation project in the Netherlands, possibly even in all Western Europe. The project concerns about 80,000 m2 of offices and other buildings and the restoration of three listed buildings. In addition to offices, sports facilities, a health centre, parking garage, conference centre and housing for 150 employees will be constructed.
- Lower lifetime costs
The lifetime costs of the new facility will be lower, as all services have been offered in a single integrated contract. This manner of tendering yields savings of about 15% for Defence, compared to traditional tendering.
- Very short construction period
The very short construction period (18 months) is made possible by an innovative architectonic design, which, among other things, makes use of large prefab elements and excellent cooperation between all parties involved.
- Financing contracts arranged in a very short time
Komfort arranged the financing contracts in a short and efficiently-used period of time. Just six weeks after the DBFMO contract was signed, everything was arranged financially. Furthermore, during the start-up stage, an additional contract was signed to expand the first contract by 1,000 workstations.
- Flexible, transparent, sustainable design
The flexible, transparent, sustainable design of Kromhout Barracks is evidenced by maximum reuse of materials, versatility of building use and an integration of landscape and architecture. The many gardens between and around the office buildings strengthen the green character of the design and by concentrating functions over the grounds, open space is an added quality and growth can be realised.