Added value in mobility

The demand for sustainable, flexible and integrated parking solutions for hospitals is increasing. Continental Car Parks, a subsidiary of Aan de Stegge Twello, assists hospitals from strategic parking policy to the design of public spaces. "This is important, for example, if the project budget needs to be optimized due to increased wishes and requirements," says director Jeroen Drenth. "We offer flexible, modular and integral solutions for parking."

Gone are the days when parking was a residual item in the industry. In addition to paid parking as a source of revenue, hospitals have started to think more and more about the future of mobility and sustainability, and comfort and use of space have increasingly become priorities. Drenth: "With building managements and architects, you see a focus on the healthcare parts of the hospital. We increasingly see parking being pulled to the front of the renovation or new construction process. And that's where we can play a decisive role. We can think along about budget possibilities, do location and capacity studies and build in phases with modular concepts. "Have you thought about that, too?" is a meaningful question. In financing a parking garage, for example, sustainability can be decisive for a bank. It's better to raise that issue as early in the process as possible."

The award-winning Tergooi MC in Hilversum is one of Continental Car Parks' new construction projects: a parking garage in the woods, at the front of the new hospital. The garage has six levels, a capacity of more than 1,000 cars and is equipped with solar panels, charging stations and a bicycle storage area. The parking garage includes user-friendly entry and exit, clear parking floors and one-way traffic and is designed based on a lightweight construction. Slender wooden FSC slats with high openings are mounted on the facade, and the two 'wokkels' for entry and exit are covered with ivy. Drenth: "In our view, parking should be as user-friendly as possible, with as little inconvenience to the environment as possible. We look at: can the existing infrastructure handle it? What is the connection with the hospital and the surrounding area? How do we realize the least possible stress in parking for the vulnerable user? And how can we build as cost-effectively as possible to achieve wishes and requirements within budget?"

As a specialist in the design, engineering and realization of above-ground parking facilities and mobility hubs, Continental Car Parks offers customized concepts around hospitals. At the Gelre hospital in Apeldoorn, an existing parking garage had to be replaced - very different from Tergooi. "The Gelre hospital wanted to create additional parking space within the new healthcare vision. At the same time, the existing garage was worn out. We then realized a temporary solution for ten years in the parking lots, which allowed the new garage to be built." The structure, a parking deck above existing parking spaces, is fully demountable and therefore easy to remove or move, making it ideal for temporary use. The whole thing fits within the framework of circular construction.

As project manager at Continental Car Parks, Aimée de Roos is the first at the table to identify hospital needs and offer new concepts. "For example, we have a complete concept ready for a garage based on an all-wood construction. We are waiting for the first one to be built in the Netherlands." According to Drenth, there is unjustified cold feet about all-wood parking garages. The existing modular systems mainly work with lightweight concrete/steel structures. "For the VUB hospital in Brussels, for example, we built a modular parking garage in three phases, including bicycle parking. We can fully incorporate the latter as well. In the case of the Gelre hospital, cheaper construction found additional space for the design of the public area. If desired, it is possible to rent the modular parts or the entire garage from us. In all areas, we think along with the hospital."