Cas Bonnema | EDGE
Cas Bonnema graduated at the chair Design & Construction Management. During his time at MBE he was an active BOSS member, and was chairman of the RECD. While graduating he interned at EDGE, where he is still working today! Right now, Cas is part of the board of the BOSS Alumni and is busy with the delivery a big project of EDGE, the Valley.
Hi! Please introduce yourself.
My name is Cas Bonnema and I graduated at Design & Construction Management master-track. Since two years I am working at EDGE.
What is your experience with BOSS?
I entered the new board of BOSS a week after I decided to follow the MBE track, so for me it was a great way to get to know a lot of people and get insights in the master track at an early stage. As the ‘chairman’ of the RECD I had to assemble a good team and improve the organization of the great event. At the edition of the year after, conversations with EDGE started during the one-on-one meetings – so that also illustrates the possible long term benefits of BOSS activities.
Currently, I’m part of the board of BOSS Alumni. We organize project visits and drinks throughout the year and an annual study trip abroad. Graduates can join BOSS Alumni for free in the first year. A good way to meet and share experiences.
How do you feel about the prepartion of MBE for the real ‘working life’?
The master-track MBE provides a good overview of all the disciplines and facets within real estate. During the master I found out that property development was what I wanted to practice. I conducted my graduation research while doing an internship at EDGE, primarily assisting on a project named Valley. After graduating I was fortunate to start working at EDGE and at the same project, so in that sense it wasn’t a major transition.
You are working at EDGE, what kind of company is EDGE?
EDGE (former OVG Real Estate) is one of the larger commercial real estate developers in NL with a broad portfolio of (future) projects across The Netherlands, Germany (Berlin, Hamburg), the US (New York, Boston) and London. EDGE is known for developing highly sustainable, healthy and smart office buildings – with a shift towards more mixed-use projects including dwellings, retail and cultural amenities. In addition to delivering outstanding projects we’re aiming to guard these qualities during the usage phase by operating our future EDGE buildings, and offer smart data-based services for tenants and landlords. Therefore, the companies EDGE Workspaces and EDGE Next were recently launched.
Do you have a favorite project you worked on?
Working at EDGE on an exceptional project as Valley, also in my hometown, is something I really cherish. I work together with great colleagues and interact with several key stakeholders in the industry. Due to the size and complexity of the project and the diversity of work I keep on learning a lot.
Within EDGE, are there any specific sustainability ambitions?
We have a dedicated division for innovations within the company, besides the beforementioned smart-related developments within EDGE Next. In every new project we challenge the status quo of sustainable/circular and healthy buildings and implement better and new interventions.
Do you have certain goals for the future?
The delivery of Valley this year! After, I definitely want to keep growing as a developer by working on different projects within EDGE. In the future I might aim for a more entrepreneurial role as well.
What advice would you give your younger self, related to your graduation?
Choose a slightly easier topic! Yet that was my main motivation.
Lastly, if students are interested in working at EDGE, are you hiring?
Every year one or two graduate interns are being hired. EDGE is therefore always looking for students with interesting graduation topics who eventually would like to start working on our projects.