2_3_DiscoverBenelux_Issue14_January2015_Scan Magazine 1 26/01/2015 19:18 Page 52
Architecture with an edge Smart, bright and organised – these qualities are key for pleasant and beautiful buildings. They are also the architectural focal points for cepezed. The architect agency based in Delft, the Netherlands, works in an unorthodox manner to create sustainable buildings with innovative materials, flooded in natural light, satisfying every user. TEXT: MYRIAM GWYNNED DIJCK
“The way many structures are still built today is outdated, with bricks, mortar and small windows,” says Ronald Schleurholts, partner at cepezed. “We do things differently. We use pre-fabricated components, progressive materials from other industries and create new products to design pleasant, flexible buildings with low energy usage.”
High IQ construction This innovative way of working keeps costs down and creates more successful structures. “One tile could double as a floor, ceiling and sound insulation. We call it a high IQ per kilo, we use materials that work optimally in several settings,”
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Schleurholts explains. “We don’t build for volume but for quality. We really think about the best solutions, build in an innovative way and create true added-value.” In 1973 cepezed was set up by a group of students during their university course. Through the company, they designed and built a house as their final year pro ject. Schleurholts adds: “It’s quite extraordinary that they graduated with a completed building – most students just hand in drawn designs!” This entrepreneurial spirit is still a core value at cepezed, and it has helped to attract
multinational clients from around the world including Porsche, 3M and Microsoft. “Project development is very important to us. We constantly look at other industries, like horticulture or transport and apply their materials, techniques and expertise to our projects,” Schleurholts says.
Innovative materials One example is the so-called ‘sandwich panels’ used in the cargo walls of lorries. These panels are made of layers of different materials, making them strong, light and highly insulating. “They basically do the same thing as a standard brick wall but they are much more compact and way