Picturesque Rockpanel facades for Hof van Monet in Zaandam

Zaanse architecture

Partner and architect Edwin Smit from M3 architects explains, "The plot on which Hof van Monet is built has a beautiful location, about 100 meters from the dam, and is surrounded by national monuments and a protected cityscape. If you build here, you must comply with strict architectural guidelines. This means buildings must follow traditional Zaanse architecture. Therefore, we delved into the archives and based our facade design on old drawings. The result is a lot of variation in height, style, and protruding and recessed facade elements."

Hof van Monet is built using traditional sand-lime bricks and concrete floors. A timber frame construction has been attached to the outer-wall together with Rockpanel facade panels. For the facades facing the inner courtyard, horizontal strips of Rockpanel Lines XL in a light color were chosen. "Certainly not traditional, but necessary to prevent the courtyard and balustrades from appearing dark." The elegant facades facing the street have a stone base with vertical Rockpanel cladding in three characteristic Zaanse colors of green.

Dimensionally stable sheet material

In the past, hand-planed spruce timber boards would have been used. However, thanks to the use of Rockpanel cladding, Smit achieves two goals at once: adhering to the architectural guidelines and providing a sustainable, maintenance-free facade. "Rockpanel Lines XL is perfect for the traditional side facade with large horizontal cladding boards. The ornate facades require vertical panels, some of which need to align precisely with the width of the window frames to avoid any protruding elements. Thanks to the dimensional stability of Rockpanel, we can stay within the specified frame width with millimeter precision."

Stefan Wever, Project Leader at De Jong Ursem, explains, "A traditional wooden facade made of tongue-and-groove or shiplap always reacts to changes. Rockpanel is dimensionally stable and is resistant to moisture and temperature fluctuations. So whether you work in the heart of winter or in the blazing summer sun, your dimensions remain consistent. To adhere to the unique dimensions of Zaanse architecture, especially around the windows, you need to do a lot of research and pay extra attention to detailing. But once that's done, you can work quickly, easily, and with great precision on the construction site using Rockpanel."

Maintenance-free facade

Rockpanel not only performs well in terms of workability but also in terms of maintenance. "For rental properties, this is always an important aspect of material choice. In the design of the roof structure for Hof van Monet, there are many angles so nothing is truly consistent. For example, some roofs end at the first floor, while others end at the second. It is challenging in terms of execution but also in terms of maintenance. You won't have easy access to everywhere in the future. That's where it really makes a difference in terms of time and effort if you use a material that only needs occasional cleaning."

The Rockpanel facades of this exceptional design make Hof van Monet an impressive project. Wever says, "The ornate facades live up to their name. Building with modern materials in one of the oldest parts of the city center is always exciting. But the end result fits perfectly within the existing streetscape. And thanks to the colorfastness of Rockpanel, it will remain that way for many years to come." Smit is also more than satisfied with Hof van Monet and the use of Rockpanel cladding. "The success of this project depends on the detailing of the facade, and thanks to the dimensional stability of Rockpanel, it turned out exactly as we envisioned. We are very proud of the execution and the end result."