Swetterhage

In the residential and living community Swetterhage in Zoeterwoude-Dorp in The Netherlands, a brand-new activity centre stands out. The building is entirely constructed with prefab elements, including its striking facade, that features a playful and creative play with lines. This effect is achieved through the use of over 85 facade elements clad with Rockpanel Woods.

Swetterhage is a residential community where more than 300 people with mental impairments live, work, and gather. In the middle of the site, near a picturesque park, a new activity centre has been built for the residents, providing eighty day-care spots. Kokon Architecture & Urban Planning was responsible for the design. Architect Suleyman Ozbek explains, “This centre is the culmination of a metamorphosis of the location, which we have been involved in as an architectural firm for almost 20 years. Like the earlier realized buildings, the activity centre has its own architectural style, enhancing the diversity within the entire location.

Playful Facade Grid of Rockpanel

While surrounding buildings are made with traditional masonry and tiles, a different material was chosen for the facade cladding for the new centre. Using sustainable facade panels from Rockpanel, 86 elements of varying heights, widths, and depths were clad and installed on the facade. A playful facade grid with open-closed proportions and a lot of variation in depths makes the building a diverse, fresh, and playful eye-catcher that does justice to its central location.

Total Cost of Ownership

Sustainability is an important starting point at the day-care center, says Rembrandt Freitag, Project Manager at construction company Van Wijnen. “The structure is made of a hollow core slab floor on a steel construction, surrounded by HSB walls. All these elements can be disassembled and reused when needed.”

The choice for Rockpanel fits perfectly into this picture. “The material differs from the facade materials already used in the area and contributes to our goal of keeping the ecological footprint of the building as low as possible. The facade panels are made of a natural product that is almost unlimitedly available; the production process itself is efficient, and the panels last for decades. Afterward, they are almost completely recyclable.”

Simple to Process

The processability of the facade panels was also well received. “This was my first experience with Rockpanel. To broaden our knowledge of the product and processing, Rockpanel visited with a demo bus during the project. All Project Managers and Work Planners could thus roll up their sleeves and experience first-hand how easy it is to saw, fix, and later disassemble the cladding material. Especially the fact that no extra tools are needed to process Rockpanel is very nice.”

From the steel construction to the HSB walls, the entire day-care centre is prefabricated. The facade elements, clad with Rockpanel, also come from the factory, says Michel van den Hondel, owner of Van den Hondel Prefab. “The elements are built on a spruce frame, to which we first attached the Rockpanel Backboard. Then, strips of Rockpanel Woods in various widths were nailed on. This creates the illusion of an open joint.”

Natural Appearance, No Discoloration

“By choosing different widths, combined with a beautiful black Rockpanel backboard, we created an extra refinement and shadow effect, enhancing the playful character of the facade,” says Ozbek. The wood look of Rockpanel Woods also plays a significant role. “The appearance is hardly distinguishable from wood and gives the facade a natural feel that fits well with the location. At the same time, we have a very low-maintenance facade, where no discoloration will occur. Real wood tends to grey over the years, while Rockpanel facade panels have a coating that protects the panels from the sun and dirt and ensures optimal colour fastness. The facade also needs hardly any maintenance.”

Ideal Solution for Creative Users

The construction of houses and activity centres that started in 2003 ensures that Swetterhage fully meets the needs and requirements of today's clients. With its playful facade of Rockpanel Woods cladding, the day-care centre puts a powerful exclamation mark behind the metamorphosis of the institution's site. The parties involved are rightly proud of the project. “Thanks to the creative, playful facade, the building gives the residents a place where they can freely express their own creativity daily. That's wonderful to see. The fact that we did this with sustainable materials, which can be almost completely reused later on, is the icing on the cake.”

Project information:
Project Name: Swetterhage
Client: Gemiva
Architect: Kokon Architecture
Contractor: Van Wijnen Haarlemmermeer
Carpentry Factory: Van den Hondel Prefab
Location: Zoeterwoude
Product: Rockpanel Woods + Rockpanel Backboard