Accoya now at Fagelcats too
November 3, 2014
Accoya, the high performance modified wood product, has been put to use in a structural capacity, in a project specifically designed to allow elderly people and those suffering from dementia to live independently.
Located in Amsterdam, Fagelcats is a complex of 22 apartments and four community homes with 24 hour on-site care, designed to meet the needs of local residents living with dementia. At the heart of the development the garden pavilion is a sheltered communal area which connects two five-storey buildings, providing a natural and peaceful escape from the densely populated city and encouraging a sense of friendship and community amongst residents.
As well as designing FagelCats to support the needs of the elderly, architect Liesbeth Janson of Studio Huijgens seized the project as an opportunity to regenerate the Westerpark area of Amsterdam. The impressive wooden design respects the surroundings of the city’s famous World Heritage canal ring with a modern interpretation of Amsterdam’s iconic architectural style. In keeping with the centuries-long tradition of collaboration between art and design, Liesbeth developed the design with local artist, Aam Solleveld.
In addition to structural parts of the development, Accoya was used for columns, decking and window frames throughout FagelCats. Architect Liesbeth Janson commented: “Accoya gives Fagelcats a soft and natural appearance, which is intended to encourage a sense of calm and peacefulness amongst the chaos of the busy city and this superior quality made the wood specification an easy decision. Importantly, though, Accoya’s strength, durability and low-maintenance requirements were also key, as were its incredible sustainability credentials and its Cradle to Cradle Gold level certification.”
Created using Accsys Technologies’ propriety acetylation technology, Accoya delivers outstanding levels of performance, including dimensional stability, class 1 durability and sustainability. Made with FSC® certified wood from legal, manageable and sustainable forests, Accoya is in an attractive wood product which is Cradle to Cradle Gold certified and is perfect for a variety of uses from windows and doors to external cladding, structural projects and decking.
Bryan Crennell, director of sales and marketing at Accsys Technologies, added: “From an architectural perspective, Fagelcats is an outstanding example of the way in which Accoya can be used to regenerate built-up areas, providing sustainable and durable buildings that remain sympathetic to existing infrastructure. It is also an example of the ways in which materials such as Accoya can respond to the needs of end-users, with aesthetic beauty and a natural appearance that adds the finishing touch to projects such as residential developments