#vmzinc&facade

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Prize-winners in the 8th edition of the ARCHIZINC TROPHY by VMZINC

The winner of the 2nd Special mention in the Public buildings Category: : Medisch Spectrum Twente Hospital in Oldenzaal (Netherlands) by Harry ABELS, Marta LACHOWSKA, Rick BRUGGINK, Michelle BOOLTINK, Marc WOOLS, Jan VELDSCHOLTE, Stefan BONNES (IAA Architecten)

SURGICAL BLOCK

Hospital developments are constantly growing and evolving. The most recent extension of the Oldenzaal hospital reunites disparate elements to create a functional whole.

The Medisch Spectrum Twente in Oldenzaal perfectly sums up the logic underlying the design of medical healthcare buildings. Founded in 1895 by the Franciscan Sisters, the establishment moved into a building of Neo-Gothic inspiration, where it has remained to this day. This building was regularly extended (in 1930, 1959, 1979 and 1992). What was originally an isolated construction became the main body of the building, the central element of a collage mixing several periods of the history of architecture, from Neo-Historicism to the functional Modernism of the 1960s. A decrease in the number of inpatients changed the purpose of the establishment, which became specialised in outpatient medicine, focusing on short stays or treatment requiring no hospital stays at all.

The IAA architecture firm led this significant project, restructuring an occupied site, inaugurated in 2017 This new configuration required the destruction of the inpatient wing, which was no longer in use. The historic buildings were restored and all the exterior areas were redesigned. The car park was placed further away from the building, nearer the street. The most significant part of the architects' work was the building clad in PIGMENTO® Brown, erected on part of the former inpatient wing. Its height is in line with that of the existing buildings. The construction of this block made it possible to completely reorganise the hospital's reception area and circulation structures, by giving it a new, clearly identifiable entrance, which opens onto a spacious atrium that becomes the main square of the establishment.

The atrium gets its views and natural light through long horizontal windows, the lines of which are blurred by long vertical zinc profiles. From the outside, the extension looks almost opaque. Intermingling with the veranda, the brickwork and the modernist openings, this facade system creates an elegant concentrate of all the establishment's architectural styles, and prepares it for its new departure.

Jury's assessment: The extension asserts a specific contemporary identity yet blends harmoniously with the varying architectural styles of the existing hospital.

PHOTOS CRÉDIT: VMZINC® - HENNIE RAAYMAKERS

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VMZINC & FACADE

Tailored projects

The standard offer of zinc façade products meets the majority of configurations for architectural projects.  In cases where these are not suitable, tailor-made solutions can be carried out by the façade specialists on the site or can be offered by VMZINC in accordance with the architect’s vision. 

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VMZINC & FACADE

 The Bauve architecture studio designed a program of seven houses to accommodate teaching staff at the Van Dongen Senior School in Lagny for the Conseil Régional d’Ile-de-France (Ile-de-France regional authority). Following the demolition of an old unattractive building, a terrace of seven HQE (1) two-storey houses were built.

Architectural choices

To successfully integrate the project into its environment, the architect used the themes developed for the Senior School and opted for similar materials: wood and zinc cladding for the facade and standing seam zinc for the roofing. He had a very clear vision of the design he wanted: “we worked on volumes and sections so that the units would look like private houses even though they are not. We wanted to preserve residents’ privacy. The juxtaposition of different materials on the facade – wood and zinc – and the play on volumes contributed greatly to this.”

Technical focus

Special attention was given to the aesthetic aspect of the layout plan for the facades. Early discussions between the architect, the installation company and VMZINC led to harmonious blending of the different facade materials and elements.

  1) Haute Qualité Environnementale (French High Environmental Quality standard)

 Staff accomodation, Van Dongen Senior School in Lagny (France) by Atelier Bauve

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VMZINC & FACADE

 Designed by Sheppard Robson architects, City Quarter is made up of five buildings positioned around a huge water garden and a courtyard. Cladding on the facades differs according to their position. The walls overlooking the garden are clad in white shingles that echo the glazed bricks on the rear facades of the existing industrial buildings. Different colored zinc profiles are installed on the gable ends. The overall effect is one of natural shades that contrast with the bright colors of the former brick factory incorporated in the complex.

Environmental standards

The most recent construction methods were used for interiors and exteriors. On the exteriors, refabricated balcony elements were simplified using innovative structural solutions for cladding.  terraced apartments are supplied with hot water by solar water heaters, the buildings feature integrated biodiverse roofing, the pond is used as a basin to collect rainwater and the zinc facade provides the final touch to the environmental vocation of the complex.

Technical focus

Zinc clads not only the facades but also the underside of the roofs, creating spectacular overhangs. The continuous strip of zinc, made up of different colored interlocking panels in natural zinc, preweathered QUARTZ-ZINC® and preweathered ANTHRA-ZINC®, doubles over to shift from the vertical to the horizontal plane.

 City Quarter collective housing in London (United Kingdom) by Sheppard Robson

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VMZINC & FACADE

  “This project goes quite a long way back”, explains Michel Gourion, the architect who designed this extension to house an arts room and a motricity room for the school in Percy.  “In 2002, I designed an extension for the pre-school and at the time I used zinc for the roof.  I like the material: it is malleable, it feels like velvet or concrete to touch, it catches the light and provides a dynamic that suits the shape of the buildings.” The school extension is almost entirely covered with a zinc skin. But not quite, because Michel Gourion likes to play with materials: “I opted for solar panels and solid laminate cladding, which echoes the tone of the zinc but has a different layout. The great thing about zinc is that it blends well with a lot of materials.”

 Architectural choices

“When designing a building for children, one has to see things from their point of view and avoid stereotypes. I designed this extension like a game of jackstraws, with dynamic, atypical forms”, explains Michel Gourion.  The wooden structure of the building and the wood fiber panel insulation contribute to users’ comfort: “the wood provides thermal and acoustic comfort, which is extremely important in a school.” As for the facade: “the zinc dynamizes the forms of the building and provides contrast between hollow and empty shapes.” Technically speaking, “almost everything is possible with zinc!”

 Technical focus

The architect wanted the photovoltaic solar panels on the facade to appear slightly separate from the structure: “I wanted the panels to look as though they were placed on top of the facade.” This necessitated a specific installation system on the standing seam facade.

  School in Percy (France) by Michel Gourion

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VMZINC & FACADE

Green facades

The concept of planting greenery on roofs is now being extended to facades.

As well as creating a grid of greenery and contributing to better thermal regulation in buildings, these facades are often chosen for their aesthetic qualities.   When combined with zinc, they create a natural effect with contrasting and complementary colors.

Please click here to see more projects.

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VMZINC & FAÇADE

The Bouvron cultural center has one important distinguishing feature: “the building is named... after zinc! Horizinc is a mix between concrete and zinc” explains the project architect, Michel Roulleau. The building houses a reception room and a hall with tiered seating for cultural events, both these independent functions being

intended for the associations in the town.  This emblematic building stands out in the landscape and is the only construction on a wide tract of land located on the edge of town. Its aesthetics were worked out by and with zinc material: “we built the facade with the different tones of zinc, which play with the light throughout the day and give a kinetic effect”.  The zinc cladding also unifies the two buildings which are separated by a porch.

Environmental standards

The building was constructed according to the HQE approach (French approach aimed at improving the environmental and sanitary performance of buildings) respecting certain specific target areas: solar and wind energy for lighting, air exchange and thermal comfort provided by an underground heat exchanger, external thermal insulation. In this construction, the zinc skin plays its role fully: “the concrete structure is insulated externally: thermal disconnection is increased by the air gap between the zinc skin installed on a wooden support and the structure enables the thermal phase shift to be increased”.

Technical focus

For this building composed of simple shapes, the standing seam was designed so as to integrate the window surrounds harmoniously into the facade. Technically, the most important feature is the continuity of the air gap at the interface between the zinc skin and the structure, which contributes to the thermal performance of the building and to the thermal comfort of its users.

 « Horizinc » cultural center in Bouvron (France) by Atelier Roulleau  

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FACADE & ZINC

 Origin of the project

 “Extraordinary riches and luxury” are what the investors in this hotel intended to show when they named it bajoński, which means “phenomenal” in Polish. Luxury is represented here by a zinc facade and by wooden windows treated as threedimensional forms. By contrasting two types of aesthetic and geometry, this building demonstrates the elegance that can be created by juxtaposing two noble materials: zinc and wood.

Zinc was selected for its aesthetic qualities, for its durability and because it is maintenance free. The building also had to be adapted to a strict urbanization plan which in particular demanded that the hotel be aligned with a circular plaza. This meant a special design to form an arc. In order to optimize space, the building was designed “as a compact block with a slight slant, overhanging the ground floor which follows the same alignment”. This choice imposed the use of a reinforced concrete structure which also answered the severe constraints imposed for fire safety.

Technical focus

Horizontally laid standing seam was chosen as a technique to make installation of zinc easier on the curved and inclined sections, and because it allowed for finely detailed finishings on flashings.

 Bayjonn hotel, Sopot, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 7, (Poland) by A-Plan bis Sp. z o.o