Aluminum facade elements for Holland's tallest residential tower

Specialist in aluminum, steel and plastic facades and façade elements Rollecate is working on the highest residential tower in the Netherlands: De Zalmhaven I (215 meters). The residential tower is a development by De Zalmhaven CV, a collaboration between AM and Amvest, and is being built by BAM Bouw en Techniek - Grote Projecten. "On behalf of this contractor, we are supplying the aluminum window frames, balcony facades, curtain walls (plinth) and our masterpiece: the element facade of the top," says Sales Manager Erik Beekman. "This element façade is completely transparent and offers a fantastic view of the city. Moreover, the facade forms a stylish beacon of light in the dark."

"We were asked by BAM Bouw en Techniek back in 2016 to develop the facade for De Zalmhaven I (highrise) in a construction team with architect Dam & Partners and precast builder Byldis," Beekman said. "In particular, our role involved filling in the aluminum facade elements. In addition, our expertise was requested for quality assurance and risk analyses of building physics, construction and assembly methods. Because Rollecate has a broad supply package, we can act as a project-wide partner."

Rollecate's products are integrated into the building in many places: from the plinth to the top of the tower. "All the window frames are built in at Byldis and the balcony doors are assembled in a hub into a kind of 'bus shelters' that are transported to the construction site just-in-time and as one unit," Beekman said. On-site assembly began in February 2020, followed 50 weeks later by the top of the project. "By prefabricating all products together in a conditioned environment, we can guarantee consistently high quality. An absolute requirement for projects of this size and height. For De Zalmhaven I, we are making progress of as much as one floor per week. Injury from wind or rain is hardly an issue. During the assembly of the façade elements, in fact, use is made of a so-called hoist shed: a covered hall at height consisting of a platform with overhead cranes, which is pushed up one floor at a time. An absolutely unique feature is that the facade is completely closed when it comes out from under the hoist shed."

By working in a hoist shed and using primarily prefabricated components, the number of transport and lifting movements is minimized and construction time is significantly reduced. In addition, safety is increased by having far fewer people on the construction site, Beekman said. "The surrounding area also experiences less disruption, which is highly desirable for an inner-city development."

For De Zalmhaven I (highrise), Rollecate is supplying:

• Approximately 2,660 window frames, 862 of which have pivot windows;
• Approximately 3,700 m² of element façade, consisting of 800 elements;
• 384 balcony doors;
• Approximately 21,0000 m¹ of sealant joints;
• Approximately 35,0000 m¹ of profiles;
• Approximately 1,100 m² of curtain walling in the plinth.