Platform on new construction, renovation, restoration and transformation
Circular construction is hot. Both new construction and renovation projects pay explicit attention to raw materials, energy and ecology. The focus here is a closed cycle, in which raw materials, products and components lose as little value as possible, sustainable energy sources are used and system thinking is central. The system walls from Maars Living Walls contribute to this like no other. The modular walls are not only hyper-flexible and demountable, but above all they can be remounted. They can be (re)used in numerous ways. At the end of their useful life, the wall components are also easy to separate, making them even more recyclable.
"A system wall is pre-eminently a moveable product, which offers solutions in numerous projects," stresses Evert van den Enden, General Manager Netherlands at Maars Living Walls. "Among other things, office buildings, schools, hotels, hospitals, laboratories and clean rooms are often designed on grid dimensions. With our wall systems, we respond excellently to this. We think and build with modules, which allow flexible layouts per 0.90, 1.80, 3.60 or 5.40 meters. Regardless of whether a room needs to be enlarged, reduced or divided up." All Maars system walls, window and door elements are delivered to the project in advance and in manageable modules, he says. "On site, all that remains to be done is to install the clamp profiles between the finished floor and ceiling rail, after which the panels can be easily clicked into the profile with clamp strips and clips. When space requirements change, our service department is happy to help exchange window or door elements, close openings and/or move system walls."
In the design phase, Maars Living Walls advises clients to keep a fixed ceiling height wherever possible to maximize interchangeability of products and components. Not only between floors, but also across buildings. "All of our system walls are easy to clean and non-scratch, so they retain their beautiful appearance for years. Combined with interchangeability, the walls offer the most durable solution for years to come."
For Maars Living Walls, circularity also relates to the use of materials, says Product Manager Sanneke Horstman-Peffer. "In the production of our system walls, as many parts as possible are screwed or clamped instead of glued, allowing for easy de- or remounting. All materials are also chosen consciously. For example, we work with less polluting EPDMs and the use of PVC is kept to a minimum." Van den Enden: "Our steel, glass and aluminum has an ample percentage of post-consumer and pre-consumer content. This allows us to fit in seamlessly with the Cradle-to-Cradle ambitions of many companies. The system walls have an aesthetic lifespan of about 5 years, an economic lifespan of about 15 years and a technical lifespan of no less than 50 years. This is why we are happy to think along with our clients during any renovations about how the walls - with minor adjustments - can be preserved. For example, in a renovation project in Utrecht, some of our system walls are receiving an aesthetic upgrade. The panels are provided with a white foil on site, making them like new again."
For a technology company in Eindhoven, Maars Living Walls dismantled, refurbished and replaced the system walls on 12 floors. This included replacing all 12 mm tempered glass with insulating glass, perfectly meeting the new noise requirements. "Another great example is a financial services company, for which we have carried out various office renovations in the past. From Amsterdam to The Hague, Utrecht and Enschede. Some time ago, these branches were centralized. The system walls from the divested premises were dismantled and temporarily stored by the company itself, after which they were redeployed at the new locations." At the Palace of Justice in Den Bosch, an upgrade was unfortunately not possible, Van den Enden says. "Here the Styleline gypsum panels are not thrown away, but after 22 years of faithful service harvested, processed and reused in our production. For example, as reinforcement for the new steel panels."
Unique in the range of Maars Living Walls are the room-in-room solutions, which guarantee optimum flexible use of space. "With our Core and Cube system walls, users easily create, in any open space, a place for quiet (video) calls, meetings or consultations," explains Sales Manager Xander Bernaards. "Because the systems are only attached to the floor, we move away from the fixed grid dimensions of the building. Moreover, the Core and Cube walls can easily be moved or adapted when space requirements change. Now that's circular! The system walls are suitable for spaces ranging from 1.20 x 1.20 to 4 x 4 meters and can be connected, extended or divided up as required. What's more, all Maars systems can be integrated, making functionality and aesthetics perfectly compatible."
