Absolute 'wow' effect at prestigious Westbeat project

Not surprising, according to Johan Andringa of Intal. "This eye-catcher in Amsterdam looks phenomenal. It is a challenging and beautiful project, for which we were commissioned by Heddes Bouw & Ontwikkeling to develop, produce, deliver and assemble our aluminum window frames and curtain walls."

Unmistakable craftsmanship

"The complexity in the building demanded a lot from the complete construction team," Andringa knows. "This is precisely why we sought cooperation with each other at an early stage. Based on the sketch designs, the challenges were identified and during the engineering phase we determined the right detailing as a construction team. The knowledge and expertise of the various disciplines together with good preparation and solid coordination resulted in this unique structure."

Impressive arches

At the heart of the design at Westbeat is a "super space" on the first floor, measuring no less than 65 by 50 meters and 8.5 meters high and featuring an unusual construction of 86 arched arches, which involved a clever bit of engineering. "These are huge spans, so it was quite a challenge to produce and assemble the arched curtain walls in multiple sizes and radii and in brushed anodized finish," says Andringa. "There has to be enough slack for the setting of the different parts without compromising the shape and aesthetic aspect that the architect has in mind." He continues: "The different radii in one arch, makes bending quite complex. Then you shouldn't leave stitches in the design."

From 2D engineering and detailing to 3D modeling

"At the beginning of the project, we chose to work everything out entirely in 3D (BIM)," Andringa said. "Because you have to deal with bending work and parts like glass (which has to be 2D fed), it requires constant collaboration between 2D engineering and detailing on the one hand and 3D modeling on the other. Especially when developing the specific details for the connections. A good coordination and translation of the complex shapes to the 3D model ultimately contributes to a successful implementation." He points out that realization requires not only highly skilled, flexible and creative engineering work, but also tight supervision during production and on-site assembly. "I am therefore enormously proud of the teams that worked on this from Intal, but also of all the parties involved in this project. It really has been a matter of teamwork!" It may be clear: added value from Intal goes far beyond the engineering of an aluminum frame.

Excelling in the five areas of expertise

"With a project like Westbeat, we unmistakably demonstrate what we at Intal are capable of," continues Andringa. He is referring to the five areas of expertise that stand for Intal's way of working: think - create - produce - build - care. "As a systems house and facade builder in one, we think along at an early stage on how to give substance to the architect's design drawing and how to translate that into practice. Given the complexity of the enormous spans at the arches, you start exploring the limits of what is feasible. After all, you want to apply uniform perfectly curved profiles." In terms of production, it's also exactly what Intal stands for for Andringa: "On the one hand, the work for the superstructure of the project dovetails with the fact that our production is well set up to produce large quantities quickly in repetitive quantities. On the other hand, Intal is known for taking on challenges such as the production engineering of the large curved profiles." 

In this inner-city development - with limited space and high pressure on construction time - the choice was made to deliver the aluminum elements glazed. "Something that we as Intal - from our years of experience in modular construction and here because of the specific dimensions also project-based - have continued to develop on. At Westbeat, this was particularly the further development of the assembly system. With every facade, there are different points of interest and accents, to which we, as a system house and facade builder, respond well and quickly. Using small adjustments to create major effects. And that's exactly how you achieve an enormous efficiency gain with your construction partners," according to Andringa. "I also think it's important to know that our involvement doesn't stop after completion. In a building with so many different occupants and users, such as Westbeat, it is important for managers to know that they can turn to Intal for good service and maintenance. Recently, Intal+ was established especially for this purpose, where the focus is entirely on Service & Maintenance. Both our product and service contribute to the long-term preservation of a good facade."

Hugely proud

"I love how we went from the tentative steps we took in 2017 in developing this project to such a great end result. A building that truly everyone is proud of, and rightfully so!" Andringa concludes, "It is great that we as Intal have made an important contribution to the appearance of this building, which many people will enjoy living and working in."