Half-brick masonry bond in precast, without seams and joints

For the new construction of the Hermann Wesselink College, Leebo is supplying and installing the proven combination of fully glazed LeeFrame elements with the LeeBrick finishing system. "A concept based on BIM-modeled steel profiles including fasteners, tailored to the chosen brick, which is already pre-assembled seamlessly in the factory in all desired formats, dressings and textures," said Head of Calculation/Sales Jan Couwenberg.

Text | Jan-Kees Verschuure    Image | Leebo

At the new Hermann Wesselink College building, Leebo's facade-sealing, steel LeeFrame frame construction system is part of a totally prefabricated custom facade. "The LeeBrick finishing system then offers joint-less brick stacking with unlimited design possibilities, completely relieving the building partners," says Couwenberg. "The architect is completely free to choose the brick type, and the prefabricated production method does not detract from the final result." Each element is custom produced. "The special thing is that we work in half-brick bond without any visible seams; that is quite special in prefab construction. In addition, the facade is realized by us including E-installations for lighting and monitoring, as well as nesting boxes for swallows and bats. These facilities are also included in the prefab process, without additional assembly time."

Game, find the prefab...

Thermal effect

The facade finish with LeeBrick offers a joint-free facade in addition to the well-known logistical advantages of prefabricated facade construction, such as rapid on-site assembly and ditto facade sealing. Couwenberg: "As is well known, the joint is the most sensitive part of a masonry facade in terms of service life and maintenance; we remove that prospect." The thermal effect of the facade is fully provided for in the underlying LeeFrame system, with an insulation layer of rock wool and a layer of PIR. This allows the desired Rc value of 5 to be achieved, as well as fire class A. "We are currently working on a further development of this system called Thermoframe, which is even more  will be introduced this year. This allows us to offer a steel frame building system that is fully insulated with mineral wool, for the benefit of even better insulation values and increased fire safety."

Lean sessions

The façade sealing in Amstelveen, including glazing with aluminum frames pre-fabricated in the factory, is already completed before Leebo begins the assembly of the final finish. "In cases, the interior walls of the school are already finished when we start assembling the LeeBrick system. The members of the construction team do not get in each other's way at all in the logistical processes, thanks in part to bi-weekly lean sessions. Apart from the fact that there is little logistical space, we can always assemble with our own equipment. Even in this case, with a narrow alley at the back and an existing school building on the site. Based on good preparation, we can achieve this: 75% of production is ready in the factory at the start of assembly. In this way, we offer complete care-free facade construction within a concept with free choice. This is currently leading to a smooth completion of our work and growth in the number of project requests," concludes Couwenberg.