New facade turns residential complex into Pendrecht’s showpiece

"We didn’t change the balcony side of the building, we only did some paintwork and installed new balcony railings. The gallery side however, was an all-together different story. During construction in the 1970s, a curtain wall facade was installed with glass panels and steel flashings. Under the consoles, the glass facade was completely open for proper ventilation in the event of fire. Through this opening however, the rain could easily enter the gallery if falling at a certain angle. And you really don’t want a wet and slippery gallery in an apartment building for seniors.”

Contemporary curtain wall facade with glass panels

"That is why we completely replaced the old curtain wall facade with a contemporary version with fixed glass panels that provide sufficient ventilation but also keep the weather out. To make sure we didn’t completely change the building’s old look and feel, we again worked with various closed metal flashings with a light grey powder coating. The interplay of lines is a reference to the old facade but with a more contemporary look.”

New Rockpanel Colours facade with false vertical joint

The facade was then cladded with vertically installed Rockpanel facade panels. "The old facade consisted of a combination of solid and glass panels, creating a restless, busy pattern. We soon realised that we wanted to simplify the design of the facade by creating a simpler surface division and this has worked out really well. The design of the new facade is much calmer and more contemporary thanks to the warm colour and vertical lines.”

Rockpanel Colours suitable for non-ventilated building

The Rockpanel facade boards were chosen because they can also be used for non-ventilated applications, Boy Schamhart, project manager at construction company Constructif, explains. "When using Rockpanel Colours facade cladding, it is not always necessary to build a ventilated substructure, giving you much more freedom in detailing. This can be particularly useful in renovation projects, because you can work in a more compact way and achieve greater energy gains with the same amount of space. And of course, it is also more sustainable, because you need less material to build the facade."

“Moreover, we were very pleased with the way the colour of the false joint changes over time", says Schamhart. "The joint was very green immediately after milling. Fortunately, after a few weeks the colour changed to a beautiful, warm brown colour, which perfectly matches the light colour of the Rockpanel Colours facade boards."

Easily cut to size

It was the first time Henk Simonse, owner of finishing company Simonse B.V., used Rockpanel facade cladding for such a major project.  And he was especially pleased with the straightforward installation of the facade panels. "Every ten centimetres, the panels have a vertical false joint, which is 1.5 millimetres deep and 10 millimetres wide. The biggest challenge for us? To make sure the joint was perfectly aligned across the entire facade. Besides, the facade used to have various window areas. This required quite some thinking, from the drawing table to the model house, to ensure that everything was evenly aligned. Fortunately, the installation of the facade cladding itself was a piece of cake. The panels are lightweight and very strong. You can easily cut them to size on site with the standard tools that we always use. You do need a special saw blade however, but this blade is also very strong.

Strong collaboration

Simonse is very enthusiastic about the collaboration with Rockpanel. "The first days are always exciting, especially as it was our first major project. Fortunately, the Rockpanel team was always willing to give advice and support. They provided extensive guidance during installation and monitored, right up to the building site, the division and fixing of the panels and ensured they were installed in the best possible way.”

The result of this excellent collaboration is great, says Reichard. “The building looks wonderful again. Especially in the dark when the lighting in the glass facade literally puts the colours of the Rockpanel panels in the spotlight. Korpersteijn is once again a building where its residents can comfortably live for years to come.”

*Disclaimer: Due to changes in our assortment, it is possible that the designs shown in this case study are no longer available. Feel free to contact us in case of doubt.