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The aesthetic, building physics and structural shell of The Blox is prefabricated entirely under conditioned conditions at WVH Facade Projects. The ready-made HSB elements are then assembled on site, without the use of tower crane or scaffolding.
“We were asked at an early stage by Facédo to help think about the sealing of the facade of The Blox,” begins Helen Nossin, Head of Sales and Projects at WVH Facade Projects. “Together with VORM Bouw, we looked at whether it would be a feasible concept both technically and financially to build the tower entirely in HSB elements. And that in a very short time frame of just a few months. It turned out to be a bull's-eye, because ultimately the project was awarded by VORM Bouw and we could get ready for implementation.”
The scope for WVH Facade Projects was clear, according to Nossin: “The contractor realizes the concrete shell, we supply the building physics and structural shell as ready-to-use HSB elements. All elements are fully prefabricated by us, fitted with cladding (aluminum composite, aluminum tubes and aluminum profiled sheets), lighting and aluminum window frames. Facédo builds in the frames on our assembly line, after which each element is neatly packaged and goes to the construction site as one unit.”
A distinctive feature is the protective coating that WVH Facade Projects applies to each element. “It is an in-house development and unique by Dutch standards,” says Rick van Veghel, Project Manager at WVH Gevelprojecten. “The coating is sprayed around the HSB element and in all frame recesses. As a result, the elements are better protected from weather, construction debris and damage during the construction phase, which significantly increases the quality and durability of the shell.”
Production and logistics are crucial in this project. “We started production in June and in October the first series were assembled on site. In total, we are delivering 780 elements,” Nossin says. “In our factory, four elements per day are currently being produced and stored for The Blox. The elements then go to an intermediate storage facility close to the construction site and are delivered just-in-time to the construction site.” Fire safety, wind and water tightness and quality are proven. “Preliminary tests, including SBI fire tests, showed fire class B for the exterior façade. We are even currently developing an HSB façade element with fire class A2.”
To enable assembly without tower crane and scaffolding, WVH Gevelprojecten developed a hoisting and winching system. “It is a further development of our existing hoisting system that was used on the Clubhouse Boompjes project in Rotterdam. It minimizes the safety zone and prevents environmental nuisance because we don't have to close the through road due to fall hazards,” says Van Veghel. “With the certified lifting system 2.0, we assemble a bay of six HSB elements one above the other each time and then move on to the next bay.”
According to Nossin, The Blox illustrates what WVH Facade Projects is good at: complex, aesthetic high-rise projects in tight inner-city conditions, where prefabrication, coordination and logistics come together. Van Veghel: “By being involved early in the process, we can add our signature detailing and make that visual via a 1:1 mock-up for architect and client. There are many façade builders in the Netherlands, but few parties that work like us. The client is free to choose the frame supplier and type of facade finish. We then arrange the complete technical design, coordination and provide a total concept, so that the execution runs smoothly and efficiently.”
“We stand for unburdening our clients. Our entire WVH team contributes to this, from calculation to execution,” Van Veghel said in conclusion. The final elements of The Blox project are expected to be assembled before the Christmas break of 2026.
