Lageweg, Ouderkerk aan den IJssel | 'Insulation is step one towards future-proofing'

In the hamlet of Lageweg in Ouderkerk aan den IJssel, 42 houses of Woningbouwstichting "Samenwerking" underwent a major metamorphosis. Both energetically and aesthetically. The exterior wall insulation made an important contribution.

With this metamorphosis, Woningbouwstichting "Samenwerking" is giving substance to its sustainability policy. Ed Goverde, chairman of the Board of Directors, explains: "Our housing stock is relatively young and technically in reasonably good condition. However, there is still much room for improvement in terms of energy. Our ambition is to take big steps towards future-proofing all our homes. Step one is: pack the homes well. That's why we are first putting a lot of effort into insulating our property."

The homes in hamlet Lageweg made significant energy and aesthetic improvements.

From energy label D/E to A

Goverde continued: "The 42 homes in hamlet Lageweg make up one-sixth of our total property. So we are tackling a substantial portion right away. Moreover, these 1960s homes were in need of improvement. Their energy label was D/E and had to be upgraded to A. The appearance of the houses also left much to be desired. In cooperation with Willems Vastgoedonderhoud, our partner in planned maintenance, we took care of that." Sander Willems, director of Willems Vastgoedonderhoud, adds, "First we inventoried the housing association's wishes and ambitions. Then we mapped out what was needed to achieve the desired end result. Based on that, we made the Plan of Action and design."

Exterior wall insulation

New roofs, facade insulation, cavity wall insulation, solar panels and a renewed ventilation system ensure that the houses once again meet current energy requirements. The facade insulation was realized with the exterior facade insulation system of Sto Isoned. Application company IJsselmonde, co-maker of Willems Vastgoedonderhoud, applied the system. "Willems Vastgoedonderhoud involved us in the project at an early stage," says Jacco Oostenbrug of IJsselmonde. "Together with Sto, we thought about the energetic and technical improvement of the facades as early as the design process."

The plinths of the houses are made of stone strips.

16 inches of insulation

Niels Kempen, project manager at Sto, explains the exterior wall insulation system in more detail: "The houses consisted of a masonry outer shell. Over this came an insulation layer of no less than 16 centimeters. This insulation layer is made of polystyrene boards and is part of our exterior wall insulation system StoTherm Classic. In terms of finishing, this offers numerous possibilities, such as plasters and stone strips. On this project, we chose stone strips and decorative plaster in a warm-beige color scheme." Willems: "Because there are three housing types within this project, we also worked out three different designs. Between them, they form one family."

Sample project

In November 2018, IJsselmonde began installing the exterior wall insulation system. The work was carried out in several phases and was especially challenging in terms of planning. Oostenbrug: "Due to all kinds of external matters, the planning was under considerable pressure. At the same time, we wanted to fulfill the agreements with the residents. They stayed in their homes during the work and - quite understandably - wanted to know where they stood." Willems: "In such situations, it's nice to work with parties like IJsselmonde and Sto. The lines of communication with and between them are very short." For Sto and IJsselmonde, the mutual cooperation is as good as ever. "IJsselmonde applies many square meters of our system every year," said Kempen. "We know exactly what we have in common and that benefits the quality and progress of the work. That certainly applied to this project as well." Oostenbrug is also satisfied. "This project is a great example of how to make a neighborhood contemporary again."