Feringa Building Groningen

Feringa building: smart on all fronts

Ballast Nedam is building one of the largest and most impressive laboratory buildings in the Netherlands on the campus of the University of Groningen; the Feringa Building. The unique design consists of a series of three V-shaped wings. A building linked to Nobel Prize winners naturally requires smart solutions. That's exactly what makes our hearts beat faster.

On behalf of Ballast Nedam construction & development, JAZO supplied and installed the shielding, access and ventilation for the technical rooms of the Feringa Building. A wonderful assignment where we at JAZO were once again able to use our specialist knowledge and expertise.

DESIGN

Because JAZO was involved in the project at an early stage, we were able to think along from the start and provide advice on the best possible solutions. Roel Bloemberg, field sales representative at JAZO, says: “It was a very pleasant, but also internal, sales process. In consultation with the architect, we chose to replace the VS-27 grilles, which were included in the original design, with VS-50 grilles. The VS-50 grilles have deeper blades and in combination with the dark color this gives a very nice shadow effect, making it the perfect solution for this building. To convince the architect of this, we included demo grilles in the correct color coating, so that he could immediately see what it would look like,” Roel explains.

But that is not everything. JAZO HF-66 ventilation grilles are included higher in the facade. A different type of grille was chosen here because of its functionality. In this case a horizontal variant to prevent rain impact. This horizontal grid also takes the total spectrum into account, including the rain protection. By offering a good alternative to VS-50 blades, in this case HF-66, both the aesthetic and functional character of the building have been taken into account.

THE CHALLENGE

The entire grid wall is incorporated into the facade image due to the sleek lines of the grids and the beautiful finish of the details. This is also because it initially appears as if the lattice facades consist of one part. However, various products have been used that also meet the requirements in the areas of safety, ventilation and earthquake dilation. Feringa Building in Groningen is being built earthquake-proof by Ballast Nedam. We contribute to this with our earthquake-safe designs. We did this by partially adjusting our blades. The blades are made in such a way that in the event of an earthquake, part of the blade can become detached from the whole. This part is easy to replace and rebuild.

THE SOLUTION

By thinking along with the customer and providing all the tools so that the architect can go in all directions with the design, a building is created that meets all wishes down to the last detail. For example, we used shutters that are designed as doors, but behind which there is a window. This has created a harmonious facade where different functionalities come together. One of the doors actually functions as a door. Of course, it has the same look & feel as the other facade doors. So that one truly whole is created. When you talk about smart design!

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