Initially, rehabilitation and demolishing won’t be all too visible from the outside, says Mirjam van Rooij of DH. All asbestos will be removed from the building first, floor by floor – a rather time-consuming process. Only after that they’ll start the demolishing work.

It’s expected that in a year’s time the Hoofdgebouw will be nothing but a concrete carcass. The façade of the building will remain for as long as possible lest the concrete will suffer from weather conditions like rain and frost, Van Rooij explains. “The façade will stay right up to the moment the building contractor takes over.”

Rehabilitation and demolishing works will start as soon as the plan submitted by the contractor, who won the tender, is approved. According to Van Rooij it’s only a matter of details, and she expects the plan to be approved later this month. The moment the company starts its construction activities, the parking lot and outdoor bicycle parking next to the building will become unavailable. The road between Hoofdgebouw and Auditorium will also be closed.

Following the plans of DH, the renovated building should be completed somewhere around September, 2018. It will then be the new home to Industrial Design and Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, and all supporting services at TU/e.