GO Buiksloterham: Circular eye-catcher made of wood and glass

The facades of the new building are fully executed with a waterproof base of Knauf Aquapanel on timber frame elements and finished with a glass pre-hung facade. In addition, the materials used provide a unique industrial and circular appearance. The glass façade catches the eye from afar. In fact, with the help of three laminated layers, a special green color was realized...

GO Buiksloterham was designed by Sophie Valla Architects. Maikel Gielens took care of project management, while Bouwbedrijf M.J. de Nijs en Zonen B.V. was responsible for construction. Knauf was approached by the construction company at an early project stage to advise on the Aquapanel Cement Board Outdoor, desired by the architect, as the basis for the façade finish. "De Nijs wanted to use the Aquapanel cladding as a watertight substructure for the exterior shell and wanted advice on construction requirements, installation methods and detailing," says Marije Tibbe, Project Advisor on Facades at Knauf. As an example, she mentions the connections to the window frames, expansion joints and other façade elements, which were worked out in detail by Knauf.

Moisture insensitive, mold resistant and non-combustible 

Knauf Aquapanel Outdoor involves a 12.5 mm thick and fiber-reinforced Cement Board based on Portland cement and with pure mineral aggregates, Tibbe said. "This makes the panels completely moisture-insensitive, algae- and mold-resistant and non-combustible (Euro fire class A1). Both sides of the panel are reinforced with fiberglass fabric, which continues around the longitudinal edges. Thanks to the so-called "EasyEdge," the longitudinal edges are comfortable to grip. In addition, the panels are lightweight and therefore quick and easy to process. The panels are easy to screw on and the seams easy to seal, creating a strong and watertight whole." 

Aesthetically finished with glass

On the north facade of GO Buiksloterham, the Knauf panels were installed in-situ and ventilated on a wood-frame substructure. A stucco finish was then applied to this, in front of which the high-quality green glass facade was installed, Tibbe said. "The three remaining facades were prepared by Timmerfabriek Oomkens at the factory in Middelstum. These facades are constructed from timber frame elements and Aquapanel Outdoor and also aesthetically finished with glass."