In Tiel (The Netherlands), a new rehabilitation centre was built. Thanks to the striking, curved facades of glass, brick and three variations of Rockpanel Woods facade boards, the new futureproof building called “Markant” leaves a unique mark on its surrounding environment.
Futureproof design
Grunstra Architecten was responsible for the design of the new rehabilitation centre. Gerrit van der Steege, board member and construction manager, describes more about the project: “Markant has three floors with 51 single studios of approximately 30 square meters each, which all have their own sanitary facilities. The building also has a multifunctional space for treatment and therapy.”
Recyclable building materials
Dennis Kooyman, who works as a planner at construction firm P. van Leeuwen, was involved in the project from the start. He explains that one of the decisive factors for choosing Rockpanel was that these facade boards are very sustainable. “Sustainability played a major role in this project. Thanks to good insulation and the use of PV panels, a gas connection became unnecessary. Moreover, it was built in a very flexible way, so it’s easy to adjust the building for other uses in the care sector. It’s a very nice bonus that we could use materials that are also highly sustainable, such as Rockpanel. These natural facade boards can be recycled if the building owner wishes to change the building.”
Low-maintenance and firesafe
Architect Gerrit van der Steege is enthusiastic about how low-maintenance Rockpanel products are. “Thanks to a high-quality water-based coating, the boards will look great for years, without having to pay a lot of attention to maintenance. Cleaning it once a year with a simple cleaning agent will do, which helps keeping the operating costs low, which is of course extra important in the care sector.”
Van der Steege adds: “What’s also very relevant for building in the care sector, is fire safety. Buildings like this rehabilitation centre are high-risk buildings where the impact of a fire can be catastrophic, which is why we also looked at fire safety when choosing facade materials.”
Easy to process
The ease of use of Rockpanel Woods also played a part in the choice of materials. Kooyman: “What makes this project special, is that we didn’t use large facade elements, which would be the most common way to clad a building like this. Over 460 square metres of narrow planks were used here. To make it seem like the building is actually complete round, the back construction was segmented. Rockpanel Woods can be processed with standard tools, and if necessary, you can add detailing on-site.”
Three varieties of Rockpanel Woods
Architect Van der Steege: “We have deliberately chosen three shades of Rockpanel Woods Oak, which are installed in different patterns. This makes Markant appear much more lively than when you only use one colour.”
