Aesthetic cladding solution for Veluwsekant Fire Station: Caïman® with Edyxo® coating

Detailed information

Convenient location

Opened in August 2014, the new Veluwsekant Fire Station is situated in a strategic location in order to reach incidents in the territory of Almere in a shorter time and replaces the old fire station in the town's port. It has direct road access to the A6 motorway via a bus lane. A ramp also provides access to the water so the life boat can quickly be dispatched in emergencies.

Transparent structure and steel facade

The structure of the new fire station is a result of the requirements of its different functions. The design consists of the alternation of compact steel cladding and transparent, glazed structures. The main part of the building, clad in mottled red steel sheets, houses the gym, changing rooms, sanitary installations, offices, and a meeting/briefing room on the ground floor, and several bedrooms, a common room, an open kitchen, and roof terrace on the first floor.

Connected to it is a transparent glazed volume with prominent wooden beams as load bearing elements that offers three vehicle stands for the fire trucks and the technical equipment of the fire fighters. From the common and resting areas on the first floor, the depot can be accessed directly by sliding down the pole.

On the other side of the steel clad main building, the transparent structure continues and includes part of the gym and meeting room as well as a yard and terrace protected by a cantilever roof. Adjacent to the glazed depot, there is a wash stand, which is also clad in the same red steel sheets as the building housing the offices and common areas. Windows and doors are highlighted with white frames.

The new fire station also offers parking spaces behind the building, an area for outdoor sports activities, and a protected parking space for bikes and motorbikes. A boat ramp was built into the nearby Weerwater lake so the emergency team can also use the waterway if necessary.

ArcelorMittal steel

For the Veluwsekant Fire Station's steel facades, the cladding solution Caïman® from Arval by ArcelorMittal's product range for aesthetic facade design was used. The slightly overlapping steel sheets are fixed invisibly on a substructure connected to the building's load bearing structure and imitate scales. Fabricated and supplied by ArcelorMittal Construction, the arrangement of the Caïman® sheets can be adapted according to the client's design requirements.

The steel scales used in this project are pre-painted with the UV and corrosion resistant Edyxo® coating in the colour variation Vulcano, a red and grey spangle resembling patina stains.