New student complex with aluminium system

In the Bio Science Park in Leiden (NL), the new student complex with 289 independent houses immediately catches the eye. The design by Klunder Architecten was realised by Waal Bouw, Stalku Geveltechniek provided the aluminium windows. Aliplast Aluminium Systems developed a special profile to finish the Star75 with the reveal. These were installed as prefabricated elements on the building site. At the bottom of the building, the MC Wall curtain wall system was chosen.

In total, there are 22 floors with 289 flats in the imposing student complex, all with their own facilities. With the students' input in mind, three communal areas have been provided on the ground floor. A game & play room, a study café and a study area should ensure the right balance between studying and relaxing with the students. The architects also took sustainability into account, including a green roof that buffers rainwater and provides air purification and biodiversity, among other things. Besides this green roof, some facades are also covered with greenery. For instance, bats or house sparrows can find shelter there. An important aspect of the building is that it is completely gas-free and electricity is generated via solar panels.

Dark and light shades in contrast

The windows and curtain walls also contribute to the sustainability and appearance of this building. Star75 profiles were implemented for the upper floors and MC Wall as a curtain wall system for the plinth. The windows were powder-coated in black, while traffic white was chosen as the colour for the reveal. This creates a nice contrast between the dark and light shades.

Star75 windows and MC Wall curtain wall system

Star75 has a recessed depth of 75 mm for the outer frame and 84 mm for the sash, suitable for glass thicknesses of 12-61 mm and 21-69 mm respectively. With a Uw value of 0.94 W/m²K, air tightness class 4 and acoustic value of 47.1 dB, it is ideal for applications with high thermal and acoustic insulation requirements. The MC Wall curtain wall system offers a uniform line of 55 mm with studs up to 326 mm and battens up to 294 mm, suitable for glass thicknesses up to 74 mm. With a Uf value of 1.5 W/m²K, air tightness class AE1300, water tightness class RE1500, acoustic value up to 41 dB and fire resistance certificates EI30 and EI60, it performs strongly on aesthetics, insulation and fire safety.

Special profile

Specifically for this project, a special profile of 215 mm was developed to finish the reveal side. In most applications, the window and reveal are assembled separately, but in this case this was done in the workshop itself. Thus, as a prefab element, this could be installed quickly, speeding up the process. Since Aliplast does everything in-house, from extrusion to powder coating, this allowed for flexibility to deliver the desired product ready for use.