mlm-umbrellaCan I ask you something? Who do you think is the best sponsor when it comes to your new home or workplace? Is that the investor, developer, architect or contractor? No, that really is you! For years BRIQS has been arguing passionately for more influence for you in the development and construction process. Experience and research clearly show that the final result is better and that costs are lower because of it. Open Building has a lot to offer you here, because you can use this method in almost every open space in many different type of buildings. In the coming decades that flexibility and your creativity is much needed for your health and wellbeing.

Numbers or quality?

You see, we really have a problem with the number of buildings. Churches close their doors, many shops and offices already stand vacant, care is reorganized so nursing homes are closed rapidly, the countryside runs empty, and there is a surplus of social buildings such as schools. The amount of vacant properties will increase to alarming heights in the coming years. But there is more to it. In 2020, we will be short of 290,000 homes in the Netherlands. Does one and one add up to three, here? Are you or is someone you know looking for a suitable place to live or work? Then it can be worth your while to look beyond the obvious solutions to everything unoccupied or vacant, in the city and beyond. This type of property offers a wide range of opportunities. Monuments especially. Thanks to your new interpretation and use, all of these buildings will retain their value. For you, for the owner and also for the environment they are a part of.

The fit-out as your domain

For you as a user, it is often the most profitable and attractive to only be involved with the fit-out. Involvement with the rest of a building requires special knowledge of foundations, structures and façades for which calculations and permits are required. All very time consuming and an expensive hassle. In addition, you are of course mainly interested in the decoration with furniture and other personal stuff. So you preferably leave concerns about the base building to the owner or another party. The fact is that the fit-out and decoration for the most part determine your living and working enjoyment. In the coming years, thanks to the advent of Open Building you can order a complete fit-out with more and more suppliers. We have had enough pilots now. They show that industrial fit-outs can yield superb tailoring

What do you think of this: You walk through your entire new home on the factory floor, the actual real thing, before you close the deal. A few weeks later they install it one-on-one on site for you. The job is done within a week! All circular and energy efficient and fairly easy to adjust to your ever-changing demands without disturbing your neighbors too much. This is how reconstruction becomes the new standard, with new or existing base building as a jacket around it. Do you already see the possibilities for yourself?

Better results with your involvement

That your involvement and input positively influences the result certainly applies to renovation projects aimed at saving energy. RoI2: Return on Investment by Involvement this is sometimes called! The value of what you pay for is greater if you are directly involved. In other words, DIY fit-outs are going to give us a lot of fun. Several studies confirm that[1]. I will tell you more about that in another blog post. What I still want to share in this blog is this: Do not be misguided by calculations that indicate how much energy you can save with technical measures. This will certainly lead to disappointments, as recently happened with a major renovation project in Amsterdam. Since calculations do not take human behavior into account. What would you do in a house where the heat goes through the roof because of poor insulation? Exactly, you put on an extra sweater and turn the thermostat down. If our home has been properly insulated, the sweater comes off and we warm it up, nice and snug. That is never taken into account!

Take the next step and share your experiences

Do you want to take a next step? Come to the FREE* Masterclass. We will work with practical tools to instantly implement the actions of my ebook in your organizational, fiscal or financial projects and organization.

Join the conversation

Do you know how to build that new way and what you need? How well do you manage to shape your ideas and exert your influence? Share it in the comments below.

To your health and wellbeing,

Remko Zuidema

[1]          ‘Retrofitting owner occupied housing: remember the people.’ door Kirsten Gram-Hanssen, 02 May 2014