Stairs as an eye catcher, totally in steel

"Because we offer a steel total concept, it is not necessary for a client to work with many separate parties, which would then all have to be coordinated in the chain," says commercial director Gerben van Beek. He explains that the projects Van Ee Staalspecialisten is working on are getting bigger and bigger. For example, the company worked on the National Military Museum and the new courthouse at the Zuidas in Amsterdam. For the new building of Dimensio Verpakkingen in Almere, Van Ee Steel Specialists provided no less than 1,200 tons of steel. "For this we made the complete steel structure, including stairs and balustrades, the true steel total concept. The main staircase in the entrance has really become a work of art constructed from steel and wood."

The beautiful customization

Van Ee Steel Specialists supplies products for a wide range of projects. "Sometimes we supply hundreds of meters of standard balustrades, but on average our work is customized. This is very much appreciated by our customers. We like to make it. Here we often combine steel with wood, concrete, glass and stainless steel. Through years of experience, we know what works and what doesn't, and we now reap the benefits of this with our clients."

According to Van Beek, it is important to be involved in a project as early as possible. "People have a particular staircase in mind, such as a large spiral staircase. A lot of force is then exerted on the floor and this has to be taken into account during construction. So the earlier we get involved, the better it is." 

For example, Van Ee Steel Specialists was at the table two years before the start of assembly to help think about the new railings for the court in Amsterdam.

The freedom of steel

The use of steel offers many technical and aesthetic possibilities, according to Van Beek. "Steel you can dimension very slim. In addition, it is possible to work with different qualities of steel in order to match the design to the wishes of the client and the architect. We have engineers who are passionate about 3D modeling the stairs. On site the product is assembled and provided with an exclusive coating for the optimal result. By playing with gloss or matte, the desired image can be created. This gives a piece of freedom."

Van Ee Steel Specialists encourages its customers to come and see how the products are made. "Our client's client is also welcome to come and watch. A staircase is often an eye-catcher and it is greatly appreciated that customers can come to us to see how it is created. The story is important, also when it comes to sustainability. We make a Dutch product and steel is well reusable." 

Van Ee Staalspecialisten's sustainability plan has recently been brought together in EECULAIR.nl In it, the company has laid down how it makes a structural contribution to circular- and future-oriented construction.