An Eco-Friendly Renovation with ETFE: A Game-Changer for Sustainable Architecture
In the center of Jönköping, Sweden, the renovation project WERKET is coming to life. The complex includes a big courtyard covered with 1,280 m² of Texlon® ETFE. The building complex originally housed the state works from 1975 and is being renovated to become a lively meeting place. For this renovation, the focus lies on recycling and transforming an existing structure into a sustainable and future-oriented space. The atrium’s new ETFE roof converts the courtyard into a usable and climate-controlled space all year round.
A Renovation for the Future: Jönköping’s New Meeting Point
The new WERKET complex includes a variety of different spaces, e.g. flexible offices, restaurants, and cafés, as well as a gym and exercise areas. The building, from the 1970s, shows the typical design features of the decade, for example the brown brickwork. The goal of the renovation was to breathe new life into the complex while keeping its original charm.
Renovating with ETFE Promotes Material Savings
Part of the refurbishment plan was to cover the building’s courtyard, making the space usable all year round. Certainly, one of the main challenges for renovation projects is the addition of loads. When adding a roof to an existing building, the original structure needs to be able to support the additional weight. Subsequently, the choice of building material and its weight play a big role in the successful delivery of a renovation. In comparison to other transparent materials, the Texlon® ETFE system is extremely lightweight. This low weight leads to steel savings in the supporting structure. Hence it is a great choice for a renovation project like WERKET. Further, the light weight of the material enables very large spans: The roof at WERKET consists of only 30 ETFE cushions, each spanning 30 meters
Information
| Date | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location | Jönköping, Sweden |
| Sector | Offices |
| Size | 1,280 m² |
| Structure | Steel |
| Type | Atrium |
| Architects | Yellon |
Picture Copyright: Top row left + Bottow row left: Peab AB, Top row right + bottom row right + header: Vector Foiltec
Creating a Comfortable Oasis with Texlon® ETFE
To transform the courtyard at WERKET into an atmospheric space that can be used no matter the weather, two factors were crucial: natural light and climate control. First, let’s cover natural light. Texlon® ETFE stands out with cushions made from highly transparent foil. ETFE permits the transmission of all wavelengths of visible light. This includes UV light. The result is a light-flooded space, that offers the comfort of being inside, while still providing an outdoor feeling.
Second, a comfortable space demands to be climate controlled. The amount of foil layers in the ETFE cushions influences the thermal performance of a building. At WERKET the 13 Texlon® ETFE cushions feature five foil layers. This way the insulation properties of the system increase. To avoid heat gain through high solar radiation passing through the transparent foil, the top layer is printed with a silver-colored pattern. This printing pattern reflects solar radiation and thus controls the heat gain inside the renovated atrium.
In addition to the previously mentioned benefits, the Texlon® ETFE system offers many more advantages for renovation projects like WERKET. It provides a pleasant acoustic atmosphere and adds to the fire safety of a building. On top of that the self-cleaning properties of ETFE keep the maintenance costs of a roof low. Learn more about the benefits of our system here.
Why Vector Foiltec?
As the world market leader in ETFE cladding systems, we have over four decades of experience. Together with our clients and partners, we strive to always find the best possible solution for a variety of project challenges. Whether it is a demanding refurbishment project or a stunning new build with a sustainability focus – we make your visions become reality. Do you need assistance with a renovation project? Our international team of experts can help you with your ETFE needs. Contact us here.