Lustrous appearance for Dutch school thanks to Rockpanel Metals

A perfect blend of old and new

A new 3-storey structure with an atrium forms the social heart of the school building in Veenendaal (The Netherlands). Loes Thijssen from NOAHH architects: “One of the base principles for this project was ‘building with respect for the past’. That meant reusing as many materials as possible and preserving the character of the old school. We brought that into practice by for example leaving the facades of the existing buildings in place. These facades also have a very distinctive rigid structure, which consists of a grid of columns recurring every 180 centimetres. We did not want to let this eye-catcher go to waste.”

Custom Rockpanel Metals cladding for school building

Although the existing facade structures remained in place, the architects created a more modern and playful look. Custom Rockpanel Metals facade boards proved to be the perfect solution. In addition, the new-build atrium was clad with several colour tones from the Rockpanel Colours range, including white, anthracite and the sand-coloured RAL 1015.

Sustainable Rockpanel facade cladding

Why did the architects specify Rockpanel exterior cladding for the entire facade? Thijssen: “Sustainability and circularity were key factors in this project. It really appealed to us that the facade boards are fully recyclable. This fits well with the sustainability ambitions we had for the school.”

An extra benefit was the possibility of customization – the architects opted for a custom Rockpanel Metals colour. Thijssen: “We needed some lustre to go with the existing white concrete structure – matt boards would make it look to flat. The new school building is home to the students of the Christelijk Lyceum Veenendaal and need to be a social, creative place. Together with Rockpanel, we created a specific colour tone to match this building concept. Rockpanel Metals is provided with a wear-resistant, durable gloss coating that gives an extra dimension to the facade in daylight, and that fits perfectly with this appearance.”

Easy installation

For assembly company Pruyssen, it was an advantage that Rockpanel boards are easy to process, says owner Jan Pruyssen. “Our biggest challenge was the size of the project. As we needed to cover an area of ​​almost 2,000 m², it was really pleasant that the board material was lightweight and easy to handle. In this project, the boards were fixed with nails, and that went flawlessly and quickly.”

*Disclaimer: Due to changes in our assortment, it is possible that the designs shown in this case study are no longer available. Feel free to contact us in case of doubt.