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At 109 meters high, it's not just about appearance. Systems must also meet strict requirements for wind, water and noise. For Reynaers Aluminium, Lighthouse Eindhoven was therefore an interesting project in which the company did more than supply profiles and components.
For Lighthouse Eindhoven, Reynaers Aluminium and façade builder Thermo Konstrukties worked with a mix of standard systems and project-specific solutions, tested for performance and manufacturability. Reynaers acted as the systems house in this project. The company develops the façade systems and supplies aluminum and accessories. Thermo Konstrukties handles production and assembly. “We often work with Thermo Konstrukties. If there is something, we switch quickly, and then you can also put down something so beautiful.” According to technical manager Rob Grein, the strength lies precisely in that division of roles and the cooperation with contractor and architect. “We come up with the system conceptually. Often you're already sitting down together in the design phase.”
For a tower of this height, not all solutions were standard. Especially the most critical components were additionally tested. One example is the double-opening clerestory window in the MasterLine 8 Swift design. “We tested that, after which this solution was applied more widely in the project.”
In Duffel, Belgium, near the Reynaers headquarters, systems are tested for wind and water tightness, burglar resistance, acoustics and durability, among other things. That testing approach also played a role in another development at Lighthouse: the ventilation windows, also called harbour windows, for low-noise ventilation.
Together with Thermo Konstrukties, Reynaers worked on a solution in which two spaced window sections provide a longer sound path. This allows ventilation with more sound attenuation. “Thermo provided good input on that, we built on that and further developed the solution as a standard.”
According to Grein, that particular solution is in high demand, especially in urban areas. The combination of ventilation and noise reduction is becoming increasingly common. At Lighthouse this not only resulted in a project solution, but also a system that can now be used more widely as the standard MasterLine Harbour Window system. For Reynaers, Lighthouse is a project to be proud of. “It is the tallest building in Eindhoven, with an impressive design. When you stand at the top and look around you, you are proud to have participated in this.”
