52Nijmegen fitted with the Smart Actuator System
52Nijmegen fitted with the Smart Actuator System
An iconic 18-floor building underwent modernisation in 2024, incorporating advanced SAUTER systems to enhance sustainability and flexibility. The renovation, featuring the Smart Actuator system, improved comfort level and energy consumption, aligning with the owner’s sustainability goals.
This building is an iconic landmark of Nijmegen, a town in the east of the Netherlands. Named today after its location and the latitude on which it stands, 52Nijmegen is not your typical high-rise office building. The building has 18 floors and is 86 metres high. What makes it remarkable is the 10-degree bend in the facade.
Originally planned as a knowledge and innovation centre by Philips Semiconductors, the tower has become a multi-tenant building offering over 25,000 m2 of lettable floor space comprising of laboratories, offices, meeting rooms, a bar and a restaurant. In 2017, the property was bought by Kadans Science Partner, which already owns three adjacent properties on the Novio Tech Campus, a high-tech and health hotspot.
The solution
When the building was completed in 2008, 52Nijmegen was already equipped with a SAUTER installation. In 2024, renovation work started to modernise the building with state-of-the-art technology. The renovation work is carried out by ReMe Techniek, a Dutch specialist in control technology and building management, who has maintained a good relationship with SAUTER Netherlands ever since its establishment in 2007.
After many years of faithful service, the originally fitted room control units of an earlier generation of SAUTER’s ecos room automation system as well as several faulty air valves had to be replaced. The replacement should continue to enable the flexible and diverse use of the building whilst also supporting new sustainability requirements, which are carried out in several phases.
SAUTER Netherlands presented the Smart Actuator for ball valves in combination with a clamp-on flow meter. A new ecos room automation station is at the centrepiece of the modular room automation. Communicating via BACnet, it integrates all room functions into the building management system implemented by ReMe Techniek.
The “Flowmeter – Smart Actuator combination” was extensively tested on-site and, after approval by the building owner, 738 solutions were installed. Thanks to the plug-in cabling with pre-assembled cables of the Smart Actuator system, the retrofitting required only one week per floor – without interrupting business activities in the building.
The result
ReMe Techniek and SAUTER Netherlands can look back on a successful project. The Smart Actuator system proved to be extremely suitable for the renovation and modernisation of the building. It required few constructional measures such as chopping and breaking. In a building where tenants are present, this is a huge advantage.
The combination of Smart Actuator for single room control together with the SAUTER ecos room automation system offers an expandable solution, thus a secure investment. This makes it ideal for both new and existing buildings. What’s more, the SAUTER solution supports 52Nijmegen’s owners’ sustainability plans by offering the highest comfort level with optimal energy savings. This means that the field-level technology is equipped for further sustainability measures in the coming years. It also makes it possible to expand room automation with smart sensors. The Smart Actuator system provides a lot of flexibility for this endeavour.
