It is completely unclear whether Dutch new construction homes meet the rules for sustainable construction, as laid out in BENG and the so-called Mpg. This is what Sybren Bosch, consultant at Copper8, warns against in the latest episode of the podcast Bureau Stoer.
According to Bosch, enforcement is lacking. It's true on paper, but whether builders and installers actually build what they promise in the calculation is unclear, he says. The consultant believes that they should be, also to learn from what works and what doesn't. "Especially at a time when we are talking about tightening standards, monitoring what is happening in building practice is crucial."
Harold Verkuijlen, building quality coordinator at TÜV NORD Netherlands, agrees with Bosch. According to him, it is not in the DNA of quality assurance companies (they are called in to check whether new construction houses comply with building regulations) to check whether the Mpg calculation is fulfilled during construction.
"That's not yet woven into their work. They mainly look at whether a house meets the rules for fire safety and structural safety." In doing so, Verkuijlen points out that builders can juggle numbers relatively easily to meet requirements.
Sustainable cap
Judith Anjema, sustainability manager at construction company JP van Eesteren, agrees, but does not have the impression that builders are deliberately throwing the 'sustainable' hat around. According to her, it is rather the other way around: "Most of them actually want to build more sustainably." She agrees that in practice there is hardly any enforcement of the Mpg or BENG. "It should be."
In the latest episode of the podcast Bureau Stoer, the trio urges solutions. Bosch: "Builders, sureties and the government all basically do what they are supposed to do and behave according to the law. But what we actually build, we don't know. That's where the shoe pinches, and we need to get out of that black hole together."
Curious about the whole story? Listen to the latest episode of the podcast Bureau Stoer here:
