Future proof Rockpanel Woods facade for apartment building in Zwolle

Rockpanel Woods: safe facade cladding 

After an investigation five years ago, the residents of the 36-flat block realised that the wooden facade cladding on the inside and outside was in need of a thorough facelift. Marsman: “It started with the paint peeling off and continued until a wooden panel suddenly fell to the ground. In the search for the best solution, we examined various options with a special working group: repair and repaint, or remove the backing wood and all the facade cladding and replace them with another material.” 

While the working group was getting its bearings in the summer of 2017, the fatal fire at London’s Grenfell Tower broke out. “This highlighted a top priority for us: the new cladding had to make the new facade as fire-resistant as possible.” 

The Rockpanel Woods boards are all available as non-combustible A2-s1, d0 classified complying with UK fire regulations for high-rise buildings. 

Colourfast and low-maintenance 

“We were also looking for cladding that would match the original condition and colours of the plywood cladding as closely as possible. Rockpanel Woods has the same warm, organic look of real wood, and is available in a wide range of colours. After a brief search and consultation with the members, we settled on Woods cherry, an almost identical colour to the original plywood cladding. Another obviously important aspect: Rockpanel facade cladding is weather and UV-resistant, colourfast, and low-maintenance. This means we won’t have to worry about the facade for decades.” 

Easy-to-install cladding 

Jeroen van der Loos is a project manager at VM Geveltechniek, and has worked with Rockpanel before. He has only had positive experiences: “I personally like to apply Rockpanel facade cladding in renovation projects because it’s very easy to install. The shape of the facade at De Philosoof is not completely symmetrical. The original architect distributed the window frames and facade cladding on the facade with a certain playfulness.” 

“Because of this, there are a lot of dimensional deviations in the building. Normally, we make a demarcation beforehand, and produce from a drawing, for example, or we measure and then produce the pieces. However, the large quantity of L-shaped cladding elements meant the quickest and most economical way was to saw them on site. Fortunately, Rockpanel is ideally suited for this. The cladding is light, easy to handle, and can be cut to size quickly and accurately without the need for special tools.” 

Good cooperation between contractor and manufacturer 

Prior to assembly, they worked closely with Rockpanel, says Van der Loos. “We consulted regularly, for example to check that our working method was appropriate, the tensile strength was in order, and we were using the right screws. What I personally really like about this is that Rockpanel always takes any feedback seriously. If we want to do something slightly differently, there’s always room to take a good look at it together.” 

Finally, the facade of De Philosoof was given a new look with some 600 square metres of Rockpanel Woods. To the full satisfaction of the residents, according to Marsman: “We’ve received nothing but enthusiastic reactions, both from all the residents, including some from the very beginning, and those who regularly pass by. The building is finally looking as beautiful as it did in its first years. More importantly, the safety of the building has been greatly improved by replacing the wooden facade cladding with Rockpanel Woods facade cladding. With this, we’ve taken a giant step forward for maintenance and the safety of the residents.”  

*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.