Facade construction on the move: building more sustainably for tomorrow

Making buildings more sustainable: that is what Wijnveen Aluminiumbouw does. With innovative facade solutions, this company from Wageningen has been the specialist in high-quality aluminum facade cladding and window frames for decades. Technical director Pieter-Bas Bovee explains how sustainability and innovation play an important role in the company.

Buildings are for people. That is the vision of Wijnveen Aluminium Building. The requirements and wishes of the end user, combined with the knowledge and technology of Wijnveen's professionals always ensure the very best result. Bovee: "From the smallest screw to a huge project: we make no distinction. We want to be able to serve everyone." Making the end user happy is incredibly important to Wijnveen. "Then a project is truly successful. Lately we have had the opportunity to do a lot of great projects. Hyde Park Kensington in Hoofddorp, for example, and the Gilde Vakcollege in Gorinchem."

Pearl in the Polder: sustainable and innovative

One of the leading projects Wijnveen has been involved in is Pearl in the Polder. This sustainable, innovative expansion of contractor De Vries en Verburg's office is the perfect example of urban planning of the future, says Bovee. "Innovation is also looking at the sustainability of buildings. At Pearl in the Polder, we chose a hybrid building: a wooden structure with aluminum front. And by using ultra low-carbon aluminum from Schüco, we made the building even more sustainable."

Sustainability: you can't avoid it anymore, Bovee argues. "We cannot predict what the future will look like, but we do know that in facade construction we also need and want to build more and more sustainably. We all need to think about that. Can aluminum be even more sustainable? It is already 100% recyclable, but not yet the cleanest product to build with."

Breaking down and rebuilding

Another trend Bovee sees is demountable construction. "Sustainability also means that you build buildings for the long term and may want to relocate them. Then you have to build a facade in such a way that you can also tear it down and rebuild it somewhere else." With all the rapid developments in the facade industry, the work remains challenging. "And that's exactly what makes it so much fun," Bovee states. "With a project like Pearl in the Polder, we have shown that we are at the forefront when it comes to sustainability. Whatever the future brings in terms of new developments and innovation: we are ready for it."