The new TVH Equipment company building in Waregem is a landmark in the region. That is the belief of the Willy Naessens Group, client of the building. The design by Demo Architecten shows obliquely placed elements of MD Lamel, which give the illusion that the facade is curved and hollow. Yet only straight MD Lamel elements are used: how is that façade put together?

Optical illusion

MD Lamel is generally completely straight and cannot be bent. In other projects the slats are often used horizontally or vertically. With TVH Equipment we did things differently. By placing the slats diagonally over each other and (in certain places) leaving more space between the slats, the impression is created that the top floor of this building is round after all: a clever find that quite easily 'bends' the perspective and thus the building catches the eye.

The design of the facade and the position of the MD Lamel louvres take the position of the sun into account, so that direct sunlight is excluded. This means that the office does not get too hot and mainly indirect sunlight reaches the workplaces.
The building has a large volume with a diameter of 95 meters. Its round shape was chosen to minimise the walking routes between the different departments of TVH. The round shape of the building creates a nice contrast between the surrounding buildings.

Anchored façade construction

The MD Lamel slats are mounted on round-rolled steel beams. This steel rear structure weighing a total of 80 tons is attached to the concrete structure of the building with anchors. We worked with molds for the mounting elements of MD Lamel on the steel structure. MD Lamel has been used with different centre-to-centre distances: 600, 900 and 1200 mm.

Space between window and façade

Approximately one meter of walking space has been included in the design between the insulated façade and the MD Lamel façade. This gives window cleaners the space to do their work without additional tools. Provisions have been made in the rear structure for a leash for the window cleaner and maintenance staff, so that a long future for this special building can be safely ensured.