Herman de Groot and Holtman, SKETCH OF THE DSBV BUREAU (1941-1995) The history of the DSBV office goes back to 1939. In that year architect Adrianus van der Steur (1893-1953), former city architect of Rotterdam, started his own business. Immediately after the Rotterdam bombing in May 1940, the commissions were so numerous that he could no longer do them alone. In 1941 Van der Steur associated himself with K.I. Ruige (1914-2003), who had already been employed by him as a young structural engineer, and with a civil engineer, W.A.C. Herman de Groot (1889-1952), working for Provincial States of South Holland in The Hague. This collaboration, which combined architecture and civil engineering in one firm, formed the basis for later expansion. In times of reconstruction, the assignment portfolio expanded even further. Important commissions at that time included the Eye Hospital in Rotterdam, the reconstruction of the Town Hall in Gouda, the Twentsche Bank on Blaak in Rotterdam and the office for the Eerste Nederlandsche and Nieuwe Eerste Nederlandsche (EN-NEN) on Churchillplein in The Hague (now Yugoslavia Tribunal). K.I. Ruige left the firm on April 1, 1950, and established himself as an independent architect. The following year, in January 1951, the hydraulic engineering consultancy of ir. J.G. Christiaanse, who wished to retire, was incorporated into the firm of Van der Steur and Herman de Groot. This expanded the work to include sewers, sewage treatment and general civil engineering. On October 30, 1952, during a luncheon offered by the Eerste Nederlandsche and Nieuwe Eerste Nederlandsche N.V., on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the new headquarters in The Hague, ir. Herman de Groot died suddenly after giving a speech. Van der Steur remained with an office of fifty employees. Ir. Herman de Groot was succeeded on February 1, 1953, by ir. J.P. van Bruggen (1896-1985), former chief director of the Rotterdam Municipal Works Department, and on May 1, 1953, the architect Geert Drexhage (1914-1982) associated himself with Van der Steur and Van Bruggen. Drexhage already had a wide portfolio of commissions in Noordwijk and the surrounding area. Before the association, both were required by Van der Steur to undergo medical examinations. The results of the examinations were positive. On December 13, 1953, Van der Steur died. After becoming unwell during a study trip to Paris with the management of Museum Boijmans, he returned to Rotterdam where he died shortly thereafter. However, the sudden death of the two founders proved to have a serious impact on the continuity of commissions and the continued existence of the firm. To anticipate possible continuity problems, it had already been decided earlier to change the structure of the firm, and have the firm consist of two architects and two civil engineers. This led on December 7, 1953, to the accession of ir. Johannes-Jacobus Sterkenburg (1906-1998), previously city engineer of Amsterdam. And in the last hours before his death, Van der Steur suggested contacting the architect Alexander (Carl Georg) Bodon (1906-1993), also from Amsterdam. So it happened. At the time, Bodon was in charge of the interior of the boardrooms of the Eerste Nederlandsche in The Hague. The firm continued under the name "Van Bruggen, Drexhage, Sterkenburg, Bodon, engineers and architects" from April 1, 1954. Bodon's office passed entirely into the combination; as of April 1, 1954, this meant that the firm had an office in Amsterdam. The firm subsequently ran well. On January 1, 1954, 77 people were employed; by January 1, 1965, the firm had grown to 184 people. Important works the firm designed in the 1950s and 1960s include the office for EN-NEN on Coolsingel in Rotterdam, the RAI in Amsterdam, the Triumfator Church on Laan van NOI in The Hague, various buildings for TU Delft, the Apollo Hotel in Amsterdam and the Chemistry Complex for Leiden University. In 1967 Van Bruggen retired and his place was taken by ir Frits (Ferdinand) Venstra (1915-unknown), previously director of Gemeentewerken Arnhem. The name changed to "Drexhage Sterkenburg Bodon Venstra" (DSBV). On January 1, 1974, Messrs. Sterkenburg and Bodon left the partnership and continued to provide their services as consultants. Their places were taken by ir. Johan (Willem Bernard) Enserink (1927-unknown) and architect Jan Hendrik Ploeger (1923-2004). Both gentlemen had previously worked in service at the firm for some twenty years. From January 1, 1974, the work was carried out under the name "DSBV engineers and architects. On January 1, 1982 the association took place with Raadgevend Bureau van der Wolf, specialized in the field of traffic engineering, traffic technology and road construction. On May 1, 1995, DSBV was incorporated into the Van den Berg Group. Housing Van der Steur started his office in his own home at 40 Graaf Florisstraat in Rotterdam. The attic was converted into a drawing room and on the second floor was the boardroom. In 1946 a semi-permanent drawing office was built in the courtyard of a municipal warehouse behind the garden of Graaf Florisstraat 40. From January 1, 1951, a floor was rented in the office of the Nationale Verzekering Maatschappij on the Boompjes as an annex for the construction department and the hydraulic engineering department. On March 1, 1953, this annex was vacated and part of the office moved to Schiekade 166. The new office was soon too small so a former carpenter's workshop and storage space in the backyard were converted into a canteen and drawing room. In 1955, the Schiekade 172 building was rented in addition. On April 1, 1960 followed the move to Glashaven 20 where the office has been located ever since. It was only from this date that the office on Graaf Florisstraat was also vacated. Overview A. van der Steur establishes himself as an independent architect 1941 Association A. van der Steur / K.I. Ruige / W.A.C. Herman de Groot 1950 Ruige withdraws from the partnership 1951 Bureau J.G. Christiaanse becomes part of bureau A. van der Steur / W.A.C. Herman de Groot 1952 Death of W.A.C. Herman de Groot, office continued by A. van der Steur 1953 J.P. van Bruggen joins the bureau of A. van der Steur, that same year association with G. Drexhage 1953 Death of A. van der Steur 1953 Joining J. Sterkenburg and A. Bodon: Van Bruggen / Drexhage / Sterkenburg / Bodon J.P. van Bruggen steps down, F. Venstra joins: Drexhage / Sterkenburg / Bodon / Venstra (DSBV) 1974Sterkenburg and Bodon step down, accession by J.W.B. Enserink and J.H. Ploeger: DSBV engineers and architects 1982 Association with Raadgevend Bureau van der Wolf. 1995 DSBV becomes part of the Van den Berg Group Sources DSBV archive, NAi Thesis by Willemineke Hammer, 1995.