This development is a response to a continuing trend seen throughout the maritime industry. Instead of aesthetically pleasing vessel interiors only being important in the cruise, yacht and ferry markets, the ‘look and feel’ of interiors is something that workboat owners are also having to pay more attention to.

“This is certainly important for workboats,” says C-Job Lead Engineer Gijs Peters. “What’s more, because it is becoming more difficult for ship-owners to find and keep crews for their vessels, it is something that is actually becoming more important.”

Anecdotal evidence from the offshore wind installation market backs this up. Crews have been known to switch employers (and therefore, vessels) based on how comfortable a vessel is. “If you take into account the fact that these crews are living on board for half a year, this is understandable. You want to make it as comfortable as possible. Therefore, Interior Design and Engineering is just as important for these markets as for the cruise ships and ferries where passengers are paying for the accommodation.”

Gijs takes this point further with the fishing sector, where Captain-owners spend a huge amount of time on board. “There is even more desire to have a well-designed interior because the emotional connection with the vessel as a living area is even stronger.”

Cruise & ferries too

What makes C-Job’s Interior Design and Engineering discipline special is that the company can now offer an even more integrated service. “When we speak to clients the feedback that we often hear is: ‘We either talk to designers or we talk to engineers. We never talk to a party that can combine both disciplines.’ In other words, what we are offering is really unique,” says Gijs.

He goes on to say that this discipline is relevant for the cruise and ferry markets too. “There are lots of interior designers in these markets, but they don’t have the engineering skills that we do. By integrating this Interior Design and Engineering work we become an attractive partner.”

An aesthetic point of view

The combination of these skills is the main benefit. “It means that we carry out the engineering with a design background – from an aesthetic point of view. And we work on design with an engineering point of view – keeping in mind the technical aspects such as materials and construction methods.”

The last point warrants extra attention; it is actually one of C-Job’s USPs. “Our integrated multidisciplinary approach is more streamlined and efficient in terms of timing.  Structural engineering, mechanical engineering, piping, HVAC, and other areas – because all these subjects are considered in the interior design, the quality of the finished vessel is improved.”