Jelle Bos, Naval captain Central Militairy Hospital

Naval captain Jelle Bos was pleasantly surprised when he first entered the Central Military Hospital (CMH) after taking up his position in early 2019. He experienced the final stages of the thorough renovation of and extension to the hospital.

At the CMH, located at the Uithof in Utrecht and directly connected with the UMC Utrecht, military personnel are examined, treated and nursed. On behalf of the Ministry of Defence, Leo Eikelboom acted as project manager for the renovation, carried out according to a hundred-step plan to ensure that the hospital remained open throughout the process. ‘The first time that I entered here I couldn’t believe my eyes,’ explains naval captain and doctor Jelle Bos, commander of the hospital since the start of 2019. Eight years ago he himself had been a patient in the hospital, designed in 1991 by EGM. Over the past year the building has undergone a thorough renovation and extension, also designed by EGM. ‘I returned to find a very different building – very welcoming and a wonderful place to work. Now the building is bright, spacious and uncluttered.’

 

Hundred steps

The project kicked off with a hundred-step plan to ensure that the CMH remained open during redevelopment. This also formed part of the challenge for the architects. Architect Eric Wendel: ‘The CMH is basically a timeless building that has been well-maintained. The hospital as a whole had to keep up with the times, and with new insights. And in appearance it was also somewhat hard, because of all the tiles and glazed bricks.’ Much of the work was carried out during weekends and evenings. The operating theatre had to ‘relocate’ for just six weeks. Work stopped if the inconvenience threatened to become too much. Eric Wendel: ‘The step-by-step plan turned out to provide the basis for the renovation and extension project, which was a real collaboration between healthcare and construction. All parties understood one another better as time passed. Moreover, the flexible attitude of the staff at CMH certainly helped.’

 

Core values of the organization

The CMH organization selected five core values to steer the building’s redevelopment: trust, clarity, camaraderie, nature and ‘hostmanship’. Commander Jelle Bos immediately focuses on the last of these: ‘Hostmanship means more than hospitality. It means looking after military personnel who visit the CMH from the moment they walk in the door until they cross the threshold again on their way home. And not only the servicemen but also their families. Hostmanship also means incorporating all procedures and processes as efficiently as possible. A building must also facilitate that.’

 

Hostmanship also means incorporating all procedures and processes as efficiently as possible. A building must also facilitate that

 

‘The core values were developed within a working group made up of colleagues from the various branches of the military,’ explains project manager Leo Eikelboom: ‘That’s how the core value “nature” emerged. Most military personnel spend a lot of time outdoors – in the woods, the water, the dunes.’ With the views of the surroundings – the CMH is located along a green strip on the Uithof campus – and the natural materials inside, nature is both visible and tangible. Eric Wendel translated those values into the design: ‘It starts right at the entrance. That is now dignified, with a splendid flight of steps and offering a view of the space behind and the reception area on the first floor. We opened up the atrium and made incisions in the semi-circular wing of the building. Daylight now floods the building. The experience and appearance of the CMH now reflects the level of care provided.’

 

Excellent academic care

Commander Bos is delighted with his new place of work: ‘Like other government buildings, we have switched to modern working methods here, with hot desking and all that it entails. That calls for a change in culture, which needs time. Getting used to it in fine new surroundings certainly helps.’ But the most important result of the project, adds the commander, is something different: ‘The duty to provide care for military personnel is rooted in the constitution and also in a moral obligation. This building enables us – in collaboration with the UMCU – to provide excellent academic care to the armed forces.’

 

 

^{Caroline Kruit, journalist and publisher, interviewed Jelle Bos in November 2019}

^{Project: Central Militairy Hospital}

^{Image: defensie.nl}