Facédo wanted a beautiful building that would dovetail seamlessly with its corporate identity, it had to be light and open. It’s perfectly normal for employees to drop in on each other unannounced. The huge windows help bring out that feeling of openness.
Facade specialist Facédo has built a second home at a fantastic, high-visibility location on the De Beemd industrial estate in Velp , a village just outside Arnhem in the Netherlands. The new building, located just opposite the existing site, features 1,200 m2 of office space, along with 300 m2 for a company restaurant and 1,700 m2 for a production hall with a professional glazing unit assembly line. Given the nature of the company’s business, the facade clearly serves as a showcase.
Since it was obvious right from the start that the facade would be a very important part of the project, aluminium was used in the curtain wall – which features unprecedentedly large windows – for extra embellishment. The bronze-look aluminium tubes and the frames at the top and bottom create a gorgeous depth effect. Architects RvdDG opted for solar control glass so they could maintain the facade's clean look and avoid spoiling it with outdoor sun protection screens and shutters. AGC's solution ensures abundant daylight in the building and the desired level of transparency, while also delivering solar protection.
Many architects are already familiar with AGC’s impressive range. The company produces and supplies all kinds of glass, from double and triple glazing to fire-resistant, toughened, solar control and acoustic glass.
One of the company's most popular products is solar control glass, which keeps heat out on sunny days while letting in plenty of daylight. This type of glazing not only prevents overheating, but also significantly reduces energy consumption since less energy is needed to cool the home or building. In addition to delivering solar control functionality, the glazing also has insulating properties. In winter, the glass keeps as much heat as possible indoors – a feature that is greatly appreciated, especially in these times of energy scarcity.
The new Facédo building has been fitted with ipasol Ultraselect 62/29 solar control glass. With its excellent light transmission (62%) and superb solar factor (29%), this product delivers a selectivity rating of 2.14.
Since Facédo wanted a beautiful building that would dovetail seamlessly with its corporate identity, it had to be light and open. It’s perfectly normal for employees to drop in on each other unannounced. The huge windows help bring out that feeling of openness.
The new building is perched on pilings, an eye-catching feature that not only makes it stand out but also solves the parking problem. Parking on the road is not allowed, but staff and visitors can park under the building itself. The building is surrounded by special lanes for aerial work platforms as well as balconies so workers can clean the immense glass panes measuring 2.40 m wide and either 2.80 or 7.00 m high. This helps Facédo keep its gorgeous new facility looking good all year round.