RHEINZINK titanium zinc – high-quality and ecological

Sustainability in the construction field means building in a cost-efficient, environment-friendly manner that saves resources. This requires the use of high-quality, eco-friendly materials. RHEINZINK products perfectly fulfil sustainable construction requirements.

Signed and sealed quality

RHEINZINK titanium zinc has been declared to be an environmentally compatible construction product by the Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V., it is certified in line with the C2C concept (Cradle to Cradle), has been awarded the BRE certificate and tested by the U.S. Green Building Council's building classification programme LEED for traces and residues of chemicals that are detrimental to the health.

All this means that the natural material zinc is in high demand as a construction metal as it unites the sum of all positive ecological properties: It can be 100% recycled with low primary and secondary energy requirements, causes minimal CO2 emissions during production and is therefore a heavyweight amongst construction metals.

Sustainably valuable cycle

The proven construction material offered by RHEINZINK is extremely long-lasting and requires neither maintenance nor care. It forms an aesthetic patina under the influence of weather which protects the ecological material for many generations. RHEINZINK products are basically everlasting. They are easy to recycle and sort during renovation projects or after the useful life of a building. They can enter the recycling process without additional production requirements such as paint removal or separation of composite materials.

RHEINZINK reference project FOX awarded BREEAM

The headquarters of the online travel agent FOX was given an unusual design. The architect expressed the global variety of travel destinations and different cultures using rounded, angular and oblique building elements and a facade design rich in contrast. The cheerful, colourful glass facade in the areas accessible to the public stands atop a bright red circular structure echoing the form of a Chinese lantern with its base in a pool of water.

On the south side of the building, the overgrown facades of the ground floor form the basis for a glass conference area, above which floats a rather introverted office area with an outwardly angled exterior wall. This section of the building appears to be stretching upwards. The builders and architect clad this wing using RHEINZINK titanium zinc with a prePATINA graphite grey finish. Reveal panels were used on the underside of the projecting section.

The facade cladding was installed using angled standing seam technology in a random pattern that emphasises upwards motion with its expressive vertical lines. Panels of three different widths (150 mm, 300 mm and 450 mm) were used and installed with a seam height of 25 mm. The panels were arranged according to the architect's instructions and installed on prefabricated wooden frame elements (ventilated construction with insulation between the wooden frames and softwood boarding)  were part of the design brief.

The FOX Vakanties headquarters are not only noteworthy for the use of C2C materials but also for the overall concept: The building has been awarded the BREEAM quality label with a rating of Excellent according to BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), the British certification system for sustainable construction.

Construction panels


Property:

FOX Vakanties/ANWB, Park 20I20, Hoofddorp, Netherlands


Planning architect:

William McDonough + Partners, Charlottesville, VA, USA


Builder:

IBB Kondor, Leiden, Netherlands


RHEINZINK work conducted by:

Loodgietersbedrijf C.J. Ockeloen v.o.f., Amsterdam, Netherlands


Technical data:

600 m², 7 t. RHEINZINK-prePATINA graphite grey, angled standing seam system, reveal panel system