Bringing new life with colour
Childcare places in Germany are always in high demand and in the city of Dornhan in Baden-Württemberg this is no exception. A newly extended and completely modernised child- care centre has grown to help meet demand in the area. Hamburg architects firm Hamberger + Haisch has converted a tired and dated former hospital com- plex into a new childcare centre, using bold colours both inside and out to create vibrant surroundings and give structure to distinct parts of the building. The complex, which was constructed in 1952, had for a number of years housed both a childcare centre and a number of medical practices but was in need of modernisation. Hamberger + Haisch’s renovation has created, amongst other features, new and larger multi-purpose rooms ideal for the children and, as result, the centre has been able to increase the number of children it can accommodate with the inclusion of a second childcare group relocated from another building, and the establishment of a full day nursery in the building. Colour to guide and structure
The conversion of the old hospital building started with the dismantling of the gabled roof and the addition of a staircase to highlight the division of the building into a north and a south wing. A colour concept was developed specifically for the interior areas of the childcare centre to make it easier for the children to find their way around the modernised rooms. Colour also provides structure on the outside too; the contrasting facade designs and colours clearly indicating the multiple uses of the building. In the areas of the building housing the medical practices, the facades feature more formal graphite grey with metallic effect facades, whilst bright red, orange and yellow ROCKPANEL boards are used in the childcare areas. Now, even viewed from a distance, this area of the buil- ding is clearly a place where children have fun and enjoy play. Architects at Hamberger + Haisch selected ROCKPANEL® for the building’s facades. The decora- tive boards are made of basalt rock and combine the advantages of stone and wood. Like stone, they are weather, temperature and UV resistant and yet they are as easy to work with as wood. The panels, which are available in 100 on-trend RAL shades, offer the widest possible range of colour options to meet every design requirement.
So much choice and so easy to work with
Architect Irmela Haisch of Hamberger & Haisch says, “In the medical area of the building we chose boards from the ROCKPANEL Metallics range in graphite grey and in the childcare area we selected three special colours from the ROCKPANEL Colours range. ROCKPANEL boards are easy to work with and provide aesthetically varied and structurally safe construction solutions for the facade design, for both vertical surfaces and individual design details. In addition to their aesthetic and structural properties, ROCKPANEL boards were also approved by planners due to their strong sustainability properties and contractors because of their ease of use. The facade boards were delivered to the building site in the standard dimensions and cut on-site by the contractor into strips around 600mm wide, and in varying lengths, using standard woodworking tools and in accordance with the architect’s instructions. Individual design details were created on the building site and adjusted if necessary and the cut edges did not need any special treatment to protect against factors such as damp, making the installation very quick and easy.”
