Kasper Noordover, Developer

“Continuous improvement”

At least two days a week, Kasper Noordover visits construction sites across the Netherlands, and he absolutely loves it. Talking to contractors, architects, municipal officials and end users; this 32-year-old property developer relishes it.

And you can bet that Kasper knows what he’s talking about. He first studied mechanical engineering, then threw himself into technical business administration, and is now pursuing a Master’s degree in Real Estate at the Amsterdam School of Real Estate. He also has the necessary practical experience. He worked for a project developer for four years before joining Layers in 2021. ‘A young and enterprising team, with short lines of communication – in short, the best choice I’ve ever made!’

What makes Layers so special in his eyes? ‘The fact that we look at each project individually. In the four years that I’ve been working here, we’ve already achieved a great deal, but we look at each subsequent project separately. And we ask ourselves the question, “How are we going to build the very best business units here?” I think that’s what makes us unique.’

A lot of work goes into each new project. ‘Such as soil research. And we also carefully examine the flora and fauna in the area where we want to build. You sit down with people from the local council. But also with parties involved in quality assurance.’ That variety makes his work as a Real Estate Developer extra exciting. ‘As a developer, you have to be the spider in the web who can put all the pieces of the puzzle together.’

The Layers project in IJsselstein is a striking example for him. Right next to the motorway, a large agricultural site is being redeveloped for commercial use. Layers has purchased the first plot there and will therefore be the first to build. Fifty-five units will be constructed. The municipality has high standards in terms of sustainability, choice of materials and green spaces. ‘So we have a model project for parties who will also be building there later. It’s a challenge we’re happy to take on.’

Anyone who thinks that building commercial units throughout the Netherlands is a matter of “copy-paste” is mistaken. No, each location has different requirements. One municipality is intensively involved in how much is built, the height of the buildings or what the facades should look like, while another pays close attention to traffic access or the number of parking spaces. ‘Every location requires its own programme. That is a challenge every time, and we at Layers enjoy solving such puzzles.’

With every new project, everything is reviewed from scratch. What do buyers consider important? Where can the process be accelerated at the contractor’s end? Or at the local authority’s end? ‘Yes, we work a lot with processes, but actually our most important process is continuous improvement. That way we get the very best product.’