To address the housing shortage, the national government plans to build nearly one million additional homes by 2030. But space is limited, and building regulations are becoming increasingly strict. If, as a land developer, you also aim to build in a nature-inclusive way, you’ll need to seek out new, innovative solutions. Through NL Greenlabel, developer Heijmans discovered Greenwall. The use of an innovative noise barrier at the Vijfsluizen project in Vlaardingen enables Heijmans to comply with both the government’s noise standards and the nature-inclusive principles of the NL Gebiedslabel. A win-win situation that was made possible with the help of NL Greenlabel.

Text: Sander Louis, NL Greenlabel
Image: NL Greenlabel

The Park Vijfsluizen residential neighborhood in the municipality of Vlaardingen is being developed on a former Shell sports complex. With this project, area developer Heijmans aims to make its mark in the field of future-proof construction. The nature-inclusive residential environment, featuring 400 sustainable, energy-efficient homes for sale and rent, is therefore being developed entirely with nature and the landscape as its guiding principles. It is intended to be a green and healthy neighborhood, rich in biodiversity, featuring native and non-native trees and plants, fruit trees, nut trees, flower-filled fields, pick-your-own meadows, and water features.

NL Area Label

To assess and ensure its nature-inclusive ambitions, Heijmans has been having all its construction projects analyzed by NL Greenlabel for several years now. Steven Kamerling, senior process manager at NL Greenlabel, explains why: “By striving for an NL Area Label A for every area development, Heijmans commits itself to making the best possible contribution to a living environment that is as green and healthy as possible for future residents. Issues such as biodiversity and climate adaptation play an important role in this. Through NL Greenlabel and our network of partner companies, we wholeheartedly support Heijmans in this ambition. It aligns seamlessly with our corporate mission to double the value of nature in the living environment by 2030.”

Noise Pollution

Although there are calls from the construction industry and the political sphere to enshrine nature-inclusive construction in building codes, area developers are not currently required to go as far as Heijmans is doing at Park Vijfsluizen. However, anyone wishing to build homes along a road or near an industrial park must comply with legally established noise standards. Kamerling: “For Park Vijfsluizen, which is sandwiched in a busy area with national highways, railroads, and the Port of Rotterdam, Heijmans has to pull out all the stops to meet the requirements of the NL Area Label. The adjacent A4 highway, for example, causes such significant noise pollution that a noise barrier between the highway and the neighborhood was necessary in order to be allowed to build there at all.”

But where can you find a product that not only provides sufficient sound insulation but also meets the sustainability requirements of the NL Gebiedslabel? Kamerling: “We direct every area developer or municipality that comes to us for an assessment of a site or area to our product and plant catalog for the living environment. In it, we’ve compiled and labeled all kinds of nature-inclusive innovations for outdoor spaces. The green sound barrier from supplier Greenwall is included in the catalog and, with an A-label, scores exceptionally well in terms of comprehensive sustainability. Since Heijmans is also aiming for an A-label for the entire Vijfsluizen area development, using Greenwall is a logical choice.”

Network

Erik Muggen, director of Greenwall, agrees that the partnership with NL Greenlabel was one of the factors that led to him being awarded the contract from Heijmans. “We became a partner of NL Greenlabel because our philosophy aligns with their mission. But also because their business network offers us many opportunities. The fact that major real estate developers, including Heijmans, have also embraced this vision makes the partnership particularly interesting for us.”

Apart from the A-label, what else makes this Greenwall innovation attractive to area developers? Muggen: “Our product can best be compared to a sound-absorbing earthen embankment. But an earthen embankment is often twice as wide as it is tall, whereas with our sound barriers, it’s exactly the opposite. A Greenwall sound barrier therefore takes up much less space while still providing effective noise reduction. This leaves more space available for the developer or municipality to use for the construction project.”

Earthmoving

There’s another important advantage to this Greenwall system, says Steven Kamerling. “Every construction project generates soil that needs to be removed. Earthmoving costs the developer a lot of time and money, and transportation emits_CO2and nitrogen. That’s why the NL Gebiedslabel includes earthmoving in its assessment. The less soil that needs to be transported, the better. The Greenwall system used at Park Vijfhuizen immediately earns Heijmans a higher score, because local soil is used to fill the noise barriers.”

What do Greenwall’s innovative screens look like? Muggen: “The base consists of hot-dip galvanized steel A-profiles, into which mesh netting and coconut fiber fabric are stretched. We can stack these up to a maximum height of 10 meters. By comparison, a traditional noise barrier often only reaches a height of 8 meters. We fill the profiles with soil native to the area and let the entire structure become overgrown with climbing plants such as Hedera, better known as ivy. Not only does this look beautifully green, but this plant also has the advantage of absorbing particulate matter. Moreover, it is hardy and evergreen. Birds and insects find shelter and food among the leaves. In this way, the noise barrier not only provides the necessary quiet but also contributes to biodiversity in Vijfsluizen.”