In this article, we introduce you to Koen Harleman. He is a new face at KondorWessels Vastgoed and he fulfils the role of project developer. He gets a kick out of making a success of projects which are seemingly impossible and what he likes about project development is that no two days are the same.
Who are you?
My name is Koen Harleman and I am 30 years old. I was born in Hengelo, in the province of Overijssel. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Structural Engineering and Construction and a Master’s in Management & Engineering from the TU Delft. In 2014, I completed my final year project at the Ingenieurs Bureau Amsterdam (IBA) and since then I have also lived in Amsterdam. I used to work at Lidl where I completed the management traineeship. After that I worked for two years as a developer in the Construction & Real Estate department, specialising in sustainable construction. I like to spend a lot of my free time on the water and I enjoy all kinds of DIY.
Why real estate and project development?
I have always been passionate about the built environment so that is why I decided to do a degree in Structural Engineering in Delft. For me, project development is a field of work in which I, as a generalist, can make optimal use of my practical and creative skills. As a project developer your working day is always different and that variation and my broad interests are a perfect match!
”For me, project development is a field of work in which I, as a generalist, can make optimal use of my practical and creative skills.
Which has been your favourite real estate project at KondorWessels Vastgoed?
I get a kick out of making a success of projects which are seemingly impossible. DeFlat Kleiburg in Amsterdam and the Pier in Scheveningen are good examples. In the case of DeFlat Kleiburg, KondorWessels Vastgoed believed there were opportunities that others failed to see. Thanks to a highly creative approach, we succeeded not only in developing a financially feasible and high-quality plan, but also maximum levels of sustainability! With a minimum of modifications, we turned DeFlat into a fully reusable apartment block.
What are your ambitions for the coming years and how are you going to continue developing?
I have gained a great deal of experience in the design and realisation phase and in the coming years I would like to become more familiar with the initiation phase.
My focus in the near future will be on acquisition and the bringing in of tenders and devising concepts. However, I also believe that supporting projects intended for sale would also give me valuable experience!
What, in your opinion, is a key trend within real estate at this point in time?
You can see that sustainability and circular construction are becoming important elements of real estate development. I think there is a need for future-proof projects – in other words, projects with a high degree of flexibility which can meet the ever-changing needs of end users. This capacity to adapt often makes the business case more interesting and also has a positive impact on people, the environment and nature. So it is a win-win situation!
At KondorWessels Vastgoed, Koen will be working on challenging and exciting projects such as Lumen, Elements, Lloyd Yard and IJgenwijs. If you would like to find out more about these projects, please contact Koen via: k.harleman@kondorwessels.nl.