PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The new office building of SZV will be designed by Independent Consulting Engineers (ICE), in collaboration with Caribbean Engineering & Consulting Company and Arka – Architecture, Development and Design. ICE won the competitive bidding with five participants, which was issued by SZV for the architectural design of the office building and parking spaces that will be located on Government land in Cayhill, next to the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex.
SZV currently pays rent for its office spaces in Philipsburg and aims to see a significant cost saving by having its own building. The design of the office building will be centered around efficiency, sustainability and wellness; incorporating “green” design principles, state-of-the-art technology, a hurricane resistant structure and will be better accessible for all, especially clients and visitors with special needs. SZV employees can look forward to an office where they are able to serve clients with ease, be it virtually or by appointment.
Flexible working spaces and “wellness” areas will be included, as a means to further stimulate balanced and healthy lifestyle options for employees and the community.
“We’re building a ‘smart’ place for us to work, develop our country’s health care systems and stimulate a healthier lifestyle for our community. I would really love to see that we create a space where not only the administrative work is carried out, but that we can offer our community members spaces where they can share and get better access to prevention and patient resources, network, and stimulate a mindset for wellness to support the care options that are already in place. At this moment, I would like to express my gratitude to Minister Irion for being involved at the beginning of this process, Minister Doran for his help and assistance throughout the process and Minister Ottley for supporting this important development, a good example of ongoing collaboration. ” – Mr. Glen A. Carty, Director SZV
The next steps for the architectural design process will commence with the selected bidder.
These include; the functional requirements list, the design of the office building, the bidding process for construction and the construction itself. The current projection for when the new building will be move-in ready is the second quarter of 2024.
