The brand-new residential project De Schiethoek with 32 social housing units houses mainly tenants in Poelkapelle (Belgium). When entering the neighbourhood, the colour interaction between the facade and the sloping roofs immediately attracts attention, thanks to Rockpanel Colours RAL 7036 cladding. 

West-Vlaanderen in beweging (WVI), construction company De Mandel, social housing company Ons Onderdak and the local government authority Langemark-Poelkapelle together realised the new residential project De Schiethoek in Poelkapelle. Currently, the project comprises 32 rental and owner-occupied houses. In the future, the neighbourhood may be expanded to around 50 homes. During the design and construction process of the new residential area, the focus was on energy, accessibility and attention for the disabled. 

Used products:
Rockpanel Colours RAL 7036

10% better insulation 

The project in Schiethoek is a social housing estate consisting mostly of rental housing. The focus on renewable energy is limited, but that is a deliberate choice. "In these social housing estates, the tenant pays the external costs. We deliberately aimed for well-insulated houses up to more than 10% above the standard," explains architect Steven Nottebaere of Projekt -Team.

Range of colours attracts attention

When entering the neighbourhood, the cladding immediately catches the eye. "The colour combination of the cladding, the roof tiles and the stone colour of the facade are the eye-catchers of the project," explains contractor Bjorn D'Haenens of Damman. The construction company has almost 100 years of experience in flat and social housing construction. Expertise that results in successful projects such as De Schiethoek residential area.

High wind class

The striking facade cladding comprises of Rockpanel Colours RAL 7036. A product Steven is familiar with as an architect. "The facade material is maintenance-friendly, easy to work with and has an unchanging colour and shape for a long time," he says. "Rockpanel stands out in terms of durability, price and quality. That's why we often prescribe it."

When installing the facade, the wind loads in the area required special attention. Rockpanel is usually installed with a well-defined number of fastening screws per square metre. Due to a high wind rating, the external cladding had to be fixed with a larger number of screws. "This is more common, but unfortunately not everyone follows this guideline. This can result in dangerous situations should the wind pull boards off the facade," says Bjorn. Rockpanel provided the contractor with a calculation so that he could use the right number of fixing screws per square metre. 

Nice touch

The Rockpanel colour combination and some special details make De Schiethoek a remarkable project. Bjorn: "Many houses have sloping roofs. The cladding Rockpanel offers a nice touch."