The best of light and air

Glass roof solution by Civilion in Den Bosch offers great comfort, transparency and light

Civilion was founded 30 years ago for and by contracting companies, to provide support in the area of recruiting, selecting, coaching and training skilled civil construction personnel. The training provider has been located on the Amerikastraat in Den Bosch for five years and in recent years has actively sought ways to make its building more sustainable. "An important aspect of this was the replacement of the polycarbonate roof with an insulated glass gable roof," says Frank Fiers, Director of Civilion, who sought cooperation with Kingspan Light + Air for this purpose.

Energy label jump to A++

The polycarbonate hood was a major thermal bridge in the winter, Fiers says. "In the summer months, it was also a source of heat. So by replacing the canopy, we could both save energy and increase the indoor climate." And so it happened. Indeed, Civilion now boasts a beautiful glass canopy structure that combines high comfort, maximum transparency and optimal light. "The abundance of natural light contributes to the well-being and productivity of our users, while the advanced insulation and energy efficiency contribute to the sustainability of the building." Fiers is very proud of the end result: "Meanwhile, we were able to cash in on this. Before we started the sustainability drive, this building had an Energy Label B. We now have an Energy Label A++, which means that our sustainable ambition has succeeded."

Completely unburdened

The assignment for Kingspan Light + Air included both the dismantling of the former curved plastic light canopy and the installation of a new and highly insulating Kingspan saddle-glass roof structure of no less than 150 m2. "Including ventilation facilities," says John Jaspers, Sales & Project Manager at Kingspan Light + Air. "In doing so, we completely relieved our client. Both in terms of planning, execution, equipment deployment and safety. To guarantee the durability and longevity of the construction, extensive inspection, cleaning and maintenance takes place annually by our team of maintenance specialists."

Maximum light, minimum heating

"The training building on Amerikastraat features an L-shaped glass gable roof including end walls," says Hans Kisters, Project Manager at Kingspan Light & Air. "The roof is executed in our BA-4 system, where the windows are supported on 4 sides. A total of 4 stylish ventilation windows of the Kingspan Ventria fire/vent window type have been included, providing natural ventilation in this case. The entire system is equipped with triple glazing with a solar control coating, which ensures effective daylight and heat regulation. Where daylight can flow far into the building, solar heat is efficiently blocked. Thanks to a daylight penetration of approximately 63% and a solar heat penetration of approximately 34%, substantial savings can be made on cooling."

Safety first

Safety is always an important issue in assembly, Kisters says, but with Civilion, the building also remained in operation during the work. "The scaffolding structure that was erected also provided safety. But also good waterproofing, because it was sealed at the top. Immediately, dismantling and assembly from the scaffolding could also be carried out there."