Fiber-cement is a material with more than 100 years of history. It is used by Switzerland's Swisspearl to produce roof tiles and panels, facade panels, furniture and garden accessories. The combination of cement, cellulose, water, synthetic fibers and air produces a lightweight and durable material.
What is most often emphasized by users who have opted for fiber-cement are the functional, aesthetic and environmental qualities, as well as the natural colors and various textures of the materials.
Fiber-cement for facades
Architect Maciej Jacaszek has used fiber-cement facade panels in more than a dozen projects, including a marina on Lake Ukiel in Olsztyn and a sports and entertainment hall in
in Suwałki.
In these projects, fiber-cement played a key role. In both cases, I wanted a facade that was not uniform, plastic and artificial. In the case of the marina in Olsztyn, the object was to be integrated into the natural surroundings. There, thanks to, among other things, different shades of gray and a subtle drawing on the slab, we achieved this effect. In the case of the hall in Suwałki, the facade determines the aesthetic perception of the building and the colors dominate. We designed the facade with red, ruby, orange and brown panels. Working on the exterior cladding resembled composing a geometric painting. We wanted to translate Mondrian's painting into the language of architecture The fiber-cement panels gave us this opportunity," says Maciej Jacaszek.
Marina on Lake Ukiel in Olsztyn - proj.: Restudio Jacaszek Architekci
© Swisspearl
The architect stresses that an important feature of fiber-cement materials is their naturalness.
If we are designing a building that should blend into the landscape, I am always keen to make its facade as natural as possible. Fiber-cement panels have colors that we find in nature, so they integrate with their surroundings. They are heterogeneous and unique. Even if the facade is to be red, the red of these panels does not scream, because natural ingredients are used in the material," adds Maciej Jacaszek.
Fiber-cement for roofs
Nine years ago, designer and investor Krzysztof Misiewicz created Ceglarnnia in Jaroslawki, Greater Poland. It is a complex of restored and rebuilt buildings after a former state farm, which today hosts meetings, events and concerts. At the time, he decided that he would put fiber-cement EuroFala on the roof of the historic building that now houses the Swisspearl hotel.
I needed a material that would be lightweight, safe and environmentally friendly, and convenient to install. After 9 years, I know that EuroFala has proven itself. Now we are expanding the Brickworks and are in the process of renovating the historic building under conservation supervision, for use as a warehouse, offices and eventually a hotel," says Misiewicz.
For the renovation of the building's roof, which covers several thousand square meters, the owner of the Brickworks choseSwisspearl Diamond flat roof tiles, manufactured using Portland cement with an asbestos-free formula of synthetic and cellulose fibers.
The new Brickworks building during the project
Photo: Krzysztof Misiewicz
I wanted the effect that the so-called plain tile used to give. I needed a material that would give the effect and atmosphere like ceramic plain tile, but would be lighter. We are in the process of laying Diamond tiles and I am waiting for the final result," Krzysztof Misiewicz stresses.
Sustainability
At most of Swisspearl's production facilities, electricity comes from 100% renewable sources. In all factories, water is 84% reused.
Swisspearl's roof and façade coverings are ideally suited to sustainable buildings, primarily because of the materials' characteristics:
- are thin, strong and suitable for lightweight construction with a low carbon footprint,
- are non-combustible, moisture-resistant, open to diffusion and resistant to mold and rot,
- are resistant to water, wind, snow, drying, sunlight, UV light and temperature fluctuations, and are easy to assemble and disassemble - making them easy to reuse or recycle.
We're talking about quality and environmental responsibility that yield savings, and that's important to most of us," concludes Waldemar Kantczak, Chairman of the Board, Managing Director of Swisspearl Polska Ltd.
For more information, visit the company's Swisspearl Polska page on the PdA portal.
