In conversation with Xavier Crolla and Hubrecht Van Ginneken

In this interview, David Clensy speaks to Buro Happold’s two newest Partners Xavier Crolla and Hubrecht Van Ginneken.

Xavier and Hubrecht will be working with Netherlands Office Director Dirk Visser and the rest of the team to build our presence in the country via a value-driven and client centric approach to engineering design.

What is your professional background and what attracted you to join Buro Happold?

Xavier: “I worked for 26 years for another engineering firm, mainly dealing with sustainability, building physics and MEP design. Together with Hubrecht, we were the Managing Directors of the Dutch branch office. I was responsible for several sectors, including public and commercial real estate, cultural and healthcare sectors, as well as airports. My experience of developing these sectors and advising clients, will be very valuable for the growth of Buro Happold’s Dutch office, as well as being a real entrepreneurial challenge.

“This challenge is what I like about our new position and is one of the reasons why we joined Buro Happold. But not the only one. What we also found important are the great, high-end projects on which Buro Happold is working, the community with a very inclusive culture and a clear focus on sustainability.”

Hubrecht: “I’m an electrical engineer by education. I spent 16 years in semi-conductors, working for a semi-conductor equipment manufacturer. The semi-conductor business is very much about engineering highly technical projects, innovation and digitalisation and strong client relationships.

“So, five years ago Xavier brought me in to our previous MEP firm to bring that experience into the consultancy. Now tech and sustainability come together in a company like Buro Happold.”

In the next 10-15 years, digitalisation, computation and automation will all develop further, and you need to be of significant size to invest in that. There’s a clear structure around this at Buro Happold. We also like the truly multidisciplinary nature of the business. You need an architect and us – we can do everything else, because we have all those different skillsets and expertise within the practice.

Hubrecht Van Ginneken, Partner, Netherlands Director & Regional Operations Manager, Buro Happold

Are there particular opportunities that you can see in the Netherlands and across Europe?

Hubrecht: “Buro Happold is extremely strong in the commercial and cultural sector and we have some really cool projects in sports and entertainment. Looking at the world around us, we see the science and technology sector growing in Europe.

“We like this market, it requires a thorough understanding of the end-client’s needs to achieve an excellent building that best supports the client’s processes and goals. Thus, we strongly believe in building ongoing relationships with end-clients that build on a common understanding of the challenges, especially of the science and tech sector.”

Xavier: “In addition to that, particularly after the pandemic, in the Netherlands we’re seeing the rise of the life sciences – with smaller laboratories or multi-tenant lab buildings. There are interesting developments going on in that sector. They have a focus on sustainability as well, and would like to run labs and facilities that are energy positive. So there is a real opportunity for us to support the industry.

“Besides this, as Buro Happold we have relationships with a lot of Dutch architects focussing on international work. Supporting these architects is also a clear focus-point which Dirk has addressed successfully in the past, and which we will continue doing.”

What sort of projects are coming through in the Netherlands at the moment?

Hubrecht: “From the Rotterdam office we’re working on a couple of high-rise towers. High-rise is “on the rise” in Rotterdam, as developers attempt to maximise urban space and create landmark buildings. The Netherlands hasn’t been a country with a lot of high-rise buildings so far, so the knowledge we have developed in many other projects outside the Netherlands is very valuable.”

“There is also a project we’re working on in cooperation with colleagues in the UK for a multi-tenant laboratory in the Amsterdam area. Amsterdam is leading the Dutch market with very high sustainability standards. Our client won the tender of the municipality also because of our combined ideas on sustainability. It will be an energy-positive building, with BREEAM Outstanding.

“That is the combination we’re looking for: life sciences and sustainability. Everybody knows, even if people are doing important life science research, they cannot damage the planet while doing it.”

What will the key challenges be for our industry in the coming years?

Xavier: “Talent is one of the key challenges, it is all about finding the right people, not only in this industry, but as a general trend. The need for the work we do will only grow, and although digitalisation will be more and more important, the need for personal interaction will stay, in decision making, in consulting clients, and in finding creative solutions.

“Finding the right people is maybe an even a greater challenge than finding the right projects with the right clients. However, with our understanding of the Dutch market and the reputation of Buro Happold with its amazing projects and truly inclusive culture, we expect to have strong arguments for winning talent.

“Another challenge which I already mentioned is digitalisation. In general, the built environment is lagging compared to other industries, but fortunately Buro Happold is investing a lot in this, ranging from digital twinning and products like SmartViz, to digital tools making design work more effectively.”

Talent is one of the key challenges, it is all about finding the right people, not only in this industry, but as a general trend.

Xavier Crolla, Partner, Netherlands & MEP Director, Buro Happold

Hubrecht: “That also frees up the engineers to do what they do best – creativity and consulting with the clients. The computer cannot talk to the clients but making a drawing for the sixth time after a small change, is not what we would like our engineers to be using their time doing. It’s important that we find the places where we can really add value.

“Using generative design at the concept stage of a project, will provide the design team with many options at an early point, so called rapid prototyping. These options can then be ranked against the client requirements, focusing on the value they bring to the client. Our consultants will guide the client in this process.”

Xavier: “One final remark. Hubrecht already mentioned our client-centric approach, which is key for our consultancy. The good news is, it also ensures we can bring sustainability into the discussion right from the beginning.

“We have the task to design buildings with a low CO2-footprint, and we’ve made a very clear statement that by 2030 all buildings designed by us will be net zero carbon in operation, and many of our designs are already now. We have also pledged to reduce the embodied carbon intensity of new buildings, major retrofits and infrastructure projects by 50% by 2030 – no time to waste in achieving these goals.

“What we experience is that these statements attract a lot of clients with the same ambitions, who really are dedicated to solving the climate crisis. It is not an easy task, but with a joined cooperation this goal will be achieved. That might sometimes mean that we miss a part of the market which is less interested in this goal, and just wants to comply with current legislation. But attracting clients that fit to our values brings much more in the long run, both for sustainability and a healthy business.”

The good news is, it also ensures we can bring sustainability into the discussion right from the beginning.

Xavier Crolla, Partner, Netherlands & MEP Director, Buro Happold