Anika de Croon

As an intern, she instantly felt part of the team. She is now combining her work as a BIM Modeller with a Master’s degree programme in Architecture. Meet Anika de Croon.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

“My name is Anika de Croon. I’m 23 years old and grew up in the village of Beugen, which is near Boxmeer. After spending some time in Nijmegen and Spain, I returned to Eindhoven, where I also lived during my internship.”

“I enjoy fitness and doing outdoor sports like mountain biking. And apart from my work at Bulsink, I’m also pursuing a part-time degree programme, a Master’s in Architecture at the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture and Urban Design.”

How did you end up working at Bulsink? And why did you choose Bulsink at the time?

“In 2020, I visited a university fair for internships during my construction engineering degree. I definitely wanted to do an internship with an international company, and actually preferably with an architecture firm. But when I started chatting to Bulsink, I was instantly excited and decided to apply here.”

“The international aspect was the deciding factor for me. Not many construction companies have projects abroad. The ultra short lead times were also appealing to me. My other internship was with a contractor in serial housing construction. There, you only get to see the beginning or end of a project. At Bulsink, you get to experience multiple projects from start to finish, even during a six-month internship. And you’re not just ‘the intern’ but instantly a part of the team.”

“If they see that you can handle it, they aren’t afraid to give you a lot of responsibility. Actually, I started in a different position as a work planner. But you get the opportunity to see all of the departments, the freedom to move in any direction. That’s how I ended up becoming a BIM Modeller.”

One of the greatest things about my job is how fast you learn to model. You can turn it into a kind of game.

What do you do as an BIM Modeller?

“Making models. First the draft model. Then the final design. After that comes the calculation model. And lastly, the output model. This means you are building a project virtually before it is built physically.”

“One of the greatest things about my job is how fast you learn to model. It’s a challenge every single time, trying to do things just a little smarter. You can turn it into a kind of game. I’m constantly discovering new tools and ways of doing things.”

“I also like the variety. Sometimes you’re working on a new Rituals project where the focus is on speed, and other times you’re working on a project that requires a lot of creativity. For instance, I got to work on the Efteling hotel during my internship. That was completely unique when it came to modelling.”

Bulsink uses B.U.I.L.D. as its core values: Brand-conscious, Ultra-fast, Inspiring, Leading and Determined. Or in other words: brand-conscious, ultra-fast, inspiring, leading and determined. Can you pick out one or two core values and explain what they mean to you?

“I’d say Inspiring and Leading. The way we deal with technology here is really inspiring. Not only for clients, but also for other market players. We were one of the first contractors to do so much with 3D modelling and to work so much with rendering and QR codes. We are really ahead of the curve here, which means we are leaders.”