Eurostaete
The Eurostaete residential tower in Eindhoven features a modular façade, although this is not immediately apparent from the outside. The design is based on full-height timber-frame elements, but in the final execution, Marcel Hendrikx of façade company TGM, Rob Grein and Andreas Ververis of Reynaers Aluminium NL, together with Stam + De Koning Bouw, deliberately opted for a prefabricated façade solution. This choice required an intensive development process, bringing together innovative technology, manufacturability and user-friendly design.
A choice based on experience
Located right next to the PSV Philips Stadium, Eurostaete consists of two lower volumes and one staggering tower overlooking the nearby Strijp-S quarter. The project is home to 479 apartment units and a dynamic commercial section, answering to the needs of a rapidly growing urban population.
According to Marcel Hendrikx, the collaboration between the involved stakeholders builds on previous projects. “This is not the first time we have worked together with Reynaers Aluminium; we used a similar modular façade solution of theirs for ASML Building 3.” That experience helped to highlight the benefits of the bespoke ElementFaçade 7 solution in this project as well. “We managed to convince the contractor by showing that we could build much faster this way and that they could start working on the interior finishing sooner [than with other system types].” Grein adds: “The design by architectural firm diederendirrix started from full-height timber frame elements.” A deliberate choice to ensure airtightness at this exceptional height.
According to Andreas Ververis, the choice of a prefabricated façade always depends on the project: “A prefabricated façade is a viable option starting from a certain building height and depending on the project’s location, for example when space for cranes or scaffolding is limited.” In Eurostaete, this led to a combination of traditional low-rise and prefabricated high-rise construction.
Faster and more efficient construction
The strength of ElementFaçade 7 lies in shifting the burden of fabrication wholly to the workshop. Complete façade elements arrive on site and are installed in a single operation. “With a prefabricated façade, you can build without scaffolding, achieve wind and watertightness more quickly without the need for further finishing. You experience far fewer logistical constraints, and construction time is reduced,” explains Hendrikx. In practice, the impact is significant: “We had estimated five days of installation per floor, but, when the weather allowed it, we got it down to only three days.”
Modular construction in essence is also a sustainable choice. The façade elements can be easily installed, saving both time and money, but they can also be repaired, retrofitted or reused with minimal effort. Thanks to these circular solutions, rather than complete demolition, the lifetime of buildings like Eurostaete is extended to meet changing user needs.
Plenty of variety, always customisable
What makes Eurostaete special is the combination of prefabricated construction with a high degree of variety. “Each floor contains about 58 elements, almost all of which are different,” explains Hendrikx. The tower consists of several staggered cubic volumes, each with its own façade design, varying in relief, materials and detailing. According to Ververis, this is what makes the project deceivingly complex. “A façade of this kind is truly top tier.”
Nevertheless, the original façade design remained the guiding principle in the implementation. “We converted the initial idea into a modular building envelope whilst retaining the façade design and, consequently, the great variety within it.” Intensive testing, including fire resistance, acoustic insulation and airtightness tests, was necessary to guarantee the required performance targets.
The high comfort requirements are also apparent in the details of the opening elements. One remarkable feature is the SoftTone parallel opening windows. A MasterLine 8 variant, SoftTone windows bring fresh air inside while its high-insulation frame mutes unwanted noise – a perfect natural ventilation solution for any building located in busy city centres. The windows were assembled and installed in the façade elements in advance at the TGM workshop.
Collaboration from the very start
The construction of Eurostaete demonstrates that a modular façade is not only suitable for repetitive high-rise buildings, but also offers scope for design freedom. At the same time, according to Grein, this approach requires early and intensive collaboration. Ververis agrees: “The earlier you start designing together, the lower the risk of errors and the greater the chance of success.” By combining knowledge and responsibilities at an early stage, control is gained over technology, planning and execution. This makes it possible to realise complex façades efficiently and reliably. The results speak for themselves.
