Old retirement home becomes modern apartment complex thanks to Rockpanel cladding

Contemporary appearance

The retirement home has been transformed into an apartment complex with 121 social rental apartments with two or four rooms. “We started the demolition and renovation works in the spring of 2020. In fact, only the concrete support structure remained,” explains architect Pieter Wagter. His architectural firm WagterKrijger was responsible for the plans. “As a result, the 1970s building has kept its original shape, while the completely new facade brings it to the 21^st century.”

Lightweight, easy to process facade panels

The original yellow and brown-black masonry has been restored on the front facade of the apartment complex. “But in a fresher shade,” says Wagter. At the north facade it was necessary to use other materials. Wagter explains: “The north facade was made of glass. In terms of energy efficiency, that was absolutely no longer desired. At the same time, however, the prestressed concrete floor shell would not be able to handle much additional weight. With lightweight facade panels such as Rockpanel Stones, we were able to solve this issue in a great way.”

Van Vreeswijk adds: “Thanks to their low weight, Rockpanel Stones facade panels are very easy to process. This makes them extremely suitable for use in high-rise buildings. At De Batouwe, we have used prefab facade elements with integrated Rockpanel Stones facade panels and frames. Prefabrication is certainly a pleasant option for renovation, because you have so much speed of action. In just a few days the entire facade will be closed and you can start with the finishing work.”

Colourfast facade

In the end, more than 1,700 square metres of Rockpanel Stones cladding was used. Wagter: “Because the building has a central corridor, you have balconies over the full width of the facade. If you just continue this image, you get a very uniform building. We have removed that uniformity by adding staggered, white, perforated fences to the balustrades. The stone look of the facade elements enhances the variation in the facade image. Thanks to the beautiful, cloud-like appearance of the panels, the facade simply looks like a brown surface from a distance, which fits perfectly with the combination of yellow and brown-black masonry stones that have been used for many buildings in the area. But the closer you get to the building, the more the facade reveals its details.”

Van Vreeswijk adds: “We also know that the colour and appearance of the facade panels will last”, The material is extremely colourfast. Years ago we already set up projects with facades with several types of Rockpanel cladding. Each and every one of them looks just as impressive today.”

*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.