Student
Buildings

Living in Aalt Dijkhuizen’s office

Always wanted to know how it feels to be the boss of Wageningen UR? It will soon be possible: Aalt Dijkhuizen's office is being converted into a student room.

The old admin building on the Costerweg, which has been empty since the beginning of 2012, will be used to house students for five years from this summer. About 180 students will be put up at Duivendaal. The building is now being converted by STW Nederland, a foundation that transforms abandoned office blocks all around the country into temporary student housing. According to Pim Koot, director of STW Nederland, no much needs doing to the rooms in the building to make them suitable. Extensive changes are needed, however, to create large kitchens and bathrooms. The offices on the atrium side will be used for these purposes. Making the building fire-safe will put a big hole in the budget. The investment needed for this was a reason for Wageningen UR to shift to the campus, but Pim Koot thinks his advisers have come up with smart solutions. ‘We are going to remove a lot of the glass from the side walls at the level of the atrium, creating two separate wings and a covered outdoor area. That will solve the fire safety issue.’ Forty students are helping convert the offices to student rooms, in exchange for reduced rents and first choice of rooms. It is also a chance to get to know their future roommates.

Leave a Reply


You must be logged in to write a comment.