A beautiful material with intrinsic qualities

Bamboo cladding and terraces at extreme heights

The tops of The Roofs (formerly: Grotius Towers) are striking in several ways. Because they stagger asymmetrically on the upper levels, a characteristic landscape of stacked terraces has been created. But no less striking is the change of color. The facades and terraces of the upper levels are clad in bamboo. 

The warm color of the bamboo cladding gives the crowns of the Hague towers a special accent. Both the terraces and the facades are clad with MOSO® Bamboo X-treme®. To meet the architect's wishes, the standard product was slightly modified optically. Because of this, the fire resistance had to be tested again. Did it also meet the requirements for buildings at extreme heights (100 and 120 meters, ed.)? It proved to be so; the required fire class B-s1,d0 was achieved. 

Intrinsically fire-safe and durable

On the fire safety of the bamboo elements, Michael van Houten, sales manager North-West Europe of MOSO International, would like to elaborate. "As a rule, the fire resistance of wooden elements is achieved by applying an impregnant or fire-resistant coating on or in the product. But something you apply can also come off. The bamboo for The Roofs' facades and terraces is thermally modified at 200°C and then pressed under high pressure. This Thermo-Density® process gives MOSO® Bamboo X-treme® the properties that meet a fire safety class of B-s1,d0. We are talking about an intrinsic property of the material. It cannot wear out or be washed out. In addition, this material falls into durability class 1 (EN 350). This is the highest durability class within current EU standards." 

Customization design

The design of the closed Cladding profile was modified at the request of the architect. "This one wanted to enhance the plank look by widening the groove between the sections," says Van Houten. "We adjusted the design and new fire tests were done on this material. Once these two factors - fire safety and design - were settled, the ball could continue rolling, from development to assembly."

Sustainable

Further delving into the wood species bamboo reveals that here we are dealing with the fastest growing plant on this planet, making it abundantly available. During growth, bamboo absorbs a lot of CO2, which is stored during the product's lifetime. As a result, almost all MOSO® bamboo products have a negative carbon footprint over the life of the product. This makes bamboo the most sustainable alternative to plastic and metal materials and tropical hardwood.

Outdoor bamboo

MOSO® Bamboo X-treme® is suitable for outdoor applications. The natural look, durability and stability make the material popular and suitable for cladding, decking, fence boards and furniture beams. The material gives every patio the natural look like that of hardwood. With more than ten years in the decking business, MOSO® has built a wide range in this. Moreover, it remains interested in new designs and willing to adapt the standard profile to the wishes of architects and designers.

25-year warranty

The warranty on Bamboo X-treme® thermally treated outdoor products is 25 years. "With all certifications and more than six million square feet of decking installed, we are ready to provide this optimum reliability. In addition, we are proud that our product has been used in a project like The Roofs. As a supplier, that is something you want to put your name to. Often our products are applied in projects up to twenty meters high. That makes The Roofs unique for us. A photo of the towers adorns the cover of our third MOSO inspiration book. Surely that says it all."