Underground school expansion

In April 2019, the new campus on Rivierenhof in Deurne was taken into use. Given the lack of possibilities for expansion, this futuristic expansion of the existing Sint-Godelieve Institute is rather remarkable. To maintain the simplicity of materials, the entire underground floor was fitted with a actual Staco ceiling system!

Sint-Godelieve is located on the edge of the provincial domain Rivierenhof in Antwerp. Given that an expansion that did not encroach on the green environment initially appeared impossible, a creative proposal was suggested to build a part underground. The new building forms a flat disk that partly goes underground and where circles in the lawn are used to ensure sufficient light. In addition, the layout of the building was based solely on glass walls in order to further maximise light transmission.

The abundant use of natural and pure materials called for a ceiling system that would provide a view of the concrete vaults and at the same time increase the industrial aspect through the use of steel. 
The entire underground floor was therefore covered with a whopping 2,800m² of hot-dip galvanised steel press gratings type RR 60-2 with a large mesh size of 99x99, welded into load-bearing corner profiles. To meet the strict fire safety standards, modified, electrostatically galvanised brackets were approved for use as anchoring.

All this resulted in a beautiful project, which offers plenty of fire safety features thanks to excellent preparation. In addition, the challenge was to create a uniform ceiling that appeared to run through the glass walls. Each grating was individually designed as part of the jigsaw. In short, a fine example of customisation requiring professional guidance!

Staco products used

Staco pressed gratings type RR       

Technical information

Staco pressed gratings type RR 2-60, mesh size 99,99x99,99 mm, hot dip galvanized         

Location

Deurne, BE

Application

Ceiling

Used in Sectors

Public
Architectural