Buitink Technology installed facade screens in shopping center "Spaans Noord". A unique application of transparent ETFE foil as protection against wind and rain.

The screens are installed around the outside of the trusses that constitute the roof of the square. In order to keep tension on the screens and to resist wind forces the screens are provided with SS tensioning springs that are hooked up around SS corner profiles.  

Material ETFE foil

For this particular project ETFE (Teflon) foil was chosen for a number of reasons. First of all the light weight of the material (about 350g/sqm), that allows easy addition to the existing construction. Then the foil transmits 95% of the daylight and provides sufficient light for the central space below. Even UV light is almost completely transmitted trough the foil. On top of this the material is very resistant to aging ( it doesn't alter it's color even after 25 years of service) and is "self cleaning". The material is fire resistant too; it belongs to class 1 of NEN 6065. Finally the material completely can  be prefabricated and can be produced in complex three dimensional shapes.

Project data

Architect:	Rudy Uytenhaak Architect office BV
Year of implementation:	2005