Sustainable logistics centers, office and business parks for SMEs

We are writing 2018. Maarten Allijns and Jan Hooijmaaijer join forces to develop sustainable semi-industrial business parks for SMEs. Four years later, Hercull has already delivered four business parks and nine parks are under construction. Thanks to the success of the SME units, the first projects to develop logistics real estate, offices and studio housing are now also underway.

"Hercull undertakes from strong experience," Maarten Allijns outlines Hercull's startup. "Hoprom's 30 years of expertise in building residential luxury real estate on the coast and the technical support of that team allowed us to develop our first sustainable SME parks as a start-up."

Small SME parks and units

Hercull focuses on smaller parks from 3,000 to 4,000 sq. ft. with smaller commercial properties from 100 to 1,300 sq. ft. in size. In these, every space is utilized as optimally as possible. Target audience: self-employed, smaller and medium-sized companies. The concept caught on immediately, because the first project in Wielsbeke - good for fifteen premises - was sold out before work even started. The forty SME units and five industrial plots in Kuurne, Ingelmunster and Lauwe also sold out quickly. And no more units are available in ongoing projects in Bruges and Kortrijk.

Carried by the neighborhood

"We develop our business parks on industrial land and sites of old industrial buildings. Always in coveted locations that are easily accessible and where there is a need for SMEs. These are often sites close to residential areas. That is why we invest a lot of time in consultation with the city or municipality and the neighborhood. On every site we provide as much greenery and nature as possible, for example in the form of green roofs and wadis to collect rainwater. In Bruges, we are constructing two padel courts. Not between the buildings, but on one of the roofs, in the context of sustainable use of space. By building those padel courts at height and with noise barriers in an industrial zone, we ensure that the whole neighborhood supports this. It is by actively engaging in dialogue with the environment ourselves that we can include social responsibility and support in our realizations."

Common thread: quality and sustainability

Hercull's additional guarantee: lasting quality. "We think long-term. Therefore, we use only quality materials and we also do what we say and promise. If our customers have questions or additional requirements, we are there for them. We are always accessible and actively help look for solutions. And thanks to our short decision lines, we can work quickly and flexibly."

Urban Distribution

Hercull also wants to do his part to make parcel delivery greener and more efficient. "Parcel delivery has seen strong growth since the corona crisis, but it is totally disorganized. In one day, sometimes three to four vans from different couriers stop at one address. We want to get that distribution under control and make it viable. That's why we bought a 12,500 m² site in Breda just outside the city," says Jan Hooijmaaijer. "There we will build a CO2-neutral and BREEAM-certified last-mile distribution center of 7,000 to 8,000 m² in size with smart logistics flows, pallet stacking and racking. For courier companies, it is strategically located to connections to Rotterdam, Antwerp and Brussels. Parcel deliveries there will be made by electric cars and bicycles. By centralizing the parcels in distribution centers on the city outskirts, we believe that delivery will be much more efficient. With a livable city as a result."

Working and living in one building

Hercull's approach and knowledge of involving users in its projects resulted in several successful realizations. It made SME companies ask to also build offices, whether or not in combination with an SME unit. "We look at old sites and buildings that we can convert," confirms Maarten Allijns. "Our idea remains the same. We also want to develop autonomous office buildings with limited surface areas of 400 to 500 m² per floor. That offer is very limited on the market. In each building we provide spaces with common functions for all the companies, such as a restaurant or kitchen. We deliver shell and each company gets the freedom to furnish its floor itself. I'm thinking of scale-ups that have grown too big for coworking and want their own offices. We are already putting a lot of effort into studio apartments where owners can work and live in pleasant surroundings. Such SME parks with homes are coming soon in Marke and Tielt."