Platform on new construction, renovation, restoration and transformation
On Spuiboulevard in Dordrecht, offices are making way for homes, gray for green, and cars for cyclists and pedestrians. In between, a beautiful community center is emerging: the Dordthuis, where the municipality, city library, Social Services Drechtsteden, and tourist office will work together under one roof starting in 2026. Vorsselmans NV created the impressive element facade for the new building, on which terracotta elements in Dordrecht colors have already been pre-assembled. In addition, the family business from Loenhout was responsible for the production and installation of approximately 2,500 m² of curtain walls and 264 window frames.
Vorsselmans NV has been the go-to company for high-quality aluminum windows and doors, complex (curtain wall) facade constructions, and solar systems for many years. Its track record includes numerous iconic projects, such as Crossroads, the BrinkToren and Inholland University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam, Wonderwoods in Utrecht, and its own Evergreen headquarters in Loenhout. The new Dordthuis building has recently been added to this list, says project manager Johan Hendrix. “Our assignment for the Dordthuis was threefold. On behalf of contractor J.P. van Eesteren, we engineered, produced, and installed a 6,000 m² element facade.2, which brings Schmidt Hammer Lassen's unique visual design to life. What's more, our element facade is excellent at absorbing the building's significant deflections.”
Hendrix explains that a hybrid combination of wood and concrete was chosen for the construction of the Dordthuis. “This is an experimental construction method in the Netherlands which, in combination with the impressive cantilevers and voids, causes considerable deformation and settlement during and after the construction phase. Whereas 10 to 20 millimeters is normal, the Dordthuis has to contend with deformations of no less than five centimeters! For this reason, we have developed and tested specific seals and rubbers, for example.” But that is not the only special feature of this project. “The element facade is truly a feat of engineering. This is partly thanks to the terracotta facade elements, which facade builder Sorba has already installed in our assembly hall in Loenhout.”
In order to closely coordinate the element facade and architectural decorative elements, Vorsselmans NV and Sorba worked together from the outset. “We regularly sat down together and actively shared and collided 3D/BIM models to enable smooth implementation and a high-quality end result. This also applied to the irregular corners. The brackets and other construction elements were developed through co-engineering.”
The Schüco façade system with specially designed profiles forms the basis of the element façade, explains Hendrix. “For example, to ensure good wind load and weight transfer from the terracotta elements. Our engineers have succeeded in absorbing these forces in the façade system itself, while maintaining high thermal performance. This is a fine example of craftsmanship, which also applies to the techniques. For example, we have integrated lightning conductors and concealed ventilation wings into the element façade.” In total, Vorsselmans NV produced 630 elements measuring approximately 2 meters wide and an average of 4.5 meters high, in 250 different models. “In accordance with the architect's wishes, we played around with widths and colors of terracotta, for example. There is very little repetition in this work, which resulted in a unique 6,000 m² jigsaw puzzle.2."
To create an accessible plinth for the Dordthuis, Vorsselmans NV installed approximately 2,500 m2 Curtain wall with impressive glass surfaces, based on the Schüco FW50 system. “For the office section, we also supplied 264 Schüco window frames, around a quarter of which are fire-resistant,” says Hendrix. “A kind of grid was designed for this part of the building, with solar panels and third-party metalwork installed between the window frames. Access control, fire and burglary protection in the window frames and curtain walls have been concealed.” The final components were installed in September.
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Vorsselmans has been designing, producing and assembling window and facade structures for prestigious buildings throughout Belgium, the Netherlands and England for 50 years. We realize office & industrial buildings, schools, hospitals, apartments and residential towers, and industrial buildings. With our focus on proactive and open communication, we think along from design to completion and there [...]
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