Living, working, a hotel, park, catering and shops: it all comes together in 5TRACKS, in a prime location in the heart of Breda, The Netherlands, next to the station and close to motorways.
StoneCycling’s brick slips, made from high-quality recycled construction waste, are being used on this large scale for the first time in the Netherlands.
With the objective of ‘living and working for the new generation’, sustainability is a top priority in the construction of 5TRACKS.
The choice of a sustainable facade for 5TRACKS fits seamlessly with the ambition of the Netherlands to have a fully circular economy by 2050 and the sustainable ambition of TBI, of which Synchroon and J.P. van Eesteren are both part. “We want to accelerate the sustainability of the construction sector, among other things, by halving the use of primary raw materials in our projects by 2030,” says Marco Peppel, chairman of the board of J.P. van Eesteren. “With the facade of 5TRACKS we already meet that.”
StoneCycling’s stone slips include building rubble and demolition waste. This contributes to reducing one of the largest waste streams in the world: construction and the industry together are responsible for 30 percent of all waste. Henri van Dam, director of Synchroon: “With this initiative, we hope to inspire colleagues in the sector to also accelerate sustainability.”
For this project, the client looked for building materials in a specific color palette and therefore contacted GDS Keramiek, who have a very wide range. Walking through the showroom with the architect, StoneCycling’s stone slips in exactly the right colors caught their eye. When it turned out that they were also made from at least sixty percent waste, the decision was made fairly quickly.
Powerhouse Company lightened the appearance of the buildings by using a single colour and a restrained materials palette – principally brick and tinted concrete. To add interest, and give the buildings a friendly, human touch, they devised a range of intricate patterns in brick which are used in varying ‘patches’ to bring the facades to life.
Applied to the façade, the bricks achieve a nuanced effect that is subtle yet endlessly interesting, with a warm, textural appeal.
Application of WasteBasedSlips® (Custom Nougat, Pistachio and Orange, all in a 50/50 mix of Raw and Sliced finish) in the facades of the three buildings of the multifunctional complex means the reuse of 18 kilos of high-quality waste per square meter of facade cladding. For all facades together, the counter rises to 385,519 kilos. And that is also the amount of raw material savings.
Unlike traditional production, StoneCycling extracts four brick slips from one brick, instead of two. This means that the material is used in its entirety and there is no waste. In addition, the CO2 emissions from the production of this WasteBasedBrick® are compensated by planting trees. In the future, the aim is to make the firing process CO2 neutral and switch to hydrogen.
Sustainability is also key during the transport of the 11,000 square meters of brick slips to the site. For example, the strips are not packed in Styrofoam, but in reusable plastic crates that used to transport groceries. The empty crates are taken back with every delivery. This prevents trucks from driving empty kilometers.
For tenants of office space in 5TRACKS Breda, the sustainable, innovative facade is an extra plus, on top of the favorable location in relation to public transport and motorways, the facilities and space for meeting, the high-quality finish and flexible layout.
Moreover, 5TRACKS is built from the ambition to meet WELL Platinum, the certificate for a healthy and sustainable working environment.
After all, the importance of sustainability is increasing – think of achieving Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) objectives and the increasing value that young talent attaches to sustainability when determining which employer to choose.
Brick used in intricate patterns unifies our design. We’re very proud of this brickwork, which is crisp, rich and thoroughly sustainable.
A tasteful, natural green nuance. Pistachio is our greenest creation in a single fire process.
View productA tasteful, natural green nuance. Pistachio is our greenest creation in a single fire process.
View productA soft yellow tone with a hint of warm pink. Nougat is the 21st-century answer to London Stock Bricks.
View productA soft yellow tone with a hint of warm pink. Nougat is the 21st-century answer to London Stock Bricks.
View productA light and lively terracotta-coloured brick. Orange makes a red-toned project look warm and bright.
View productA light and lively terracotta-coloured brick. Orange makes a red-toned project look warm and bright.
View product
