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NL
The first phase involved the renovation of 1,700 m² of sloped roof on Blok Burg, the school’s oldest building, which opened in 1945.
While removing the existing roofing, an unexpected challenge came to light: the old wooden roof structure turned out to be insufficiently strong. After thorough consultation and additional analysis, it was decided to build a completely new wooden support structure on top of the existing roof.
This was followed by the installation of a new roof structure with 24 cm of rock wool insulation, applied in two layers of 8 and 16 cm. Next, the framework of rafters and roof battens was installed to serve as the base for the roofing, which consisted of approximately 37,000 storm tiles.
As a result, the historic school building not only received a completely new roof, but also a new support structure and significantly improved thermal insulation.
Since 1945, students have been walking through the hallways of the Mariagaarde Institute’s oldest school building in Westmalle. More than eighty years later, the school’s roofs were in need of a thorough renovation. It was a major project in which our colleagues at Tectum Constructors Melle renovated no less than 3,200 m² of sloped roofs in two phases.
What began as a standard roof renovation presented a few technical challenges along the way. From an unexpected but necessary new support structure to a well-thought-out insulation solution designed to leave the existing classrooms undisturbed. Two buildings, two different roof structures, and a total of about 54,000 new roof tiles and slates.
And all of this while daily school life continued as usual.
The first phase involved the renovation of 1,700 m² of sloped roof on Blok Burg, the school’s oldest building, which opened in 1945.
While removing the existing roofing, an unexpected challenge came to light: the old wooden roof structure turned out to be insufficiently strong. After thorough consultation and additional analysis, it was decided to build a completely new wooden support structure on top of the existing roof.
This was followed by the installation of a new roof structure with 24 cm of rock wool insulation, applied in two layers of 8 and 16 cm. Next, the framework of rafters and roof battens was installed to serve as the base for the roofing, which consisted of approximately 37,000 storm tiles.
As a result, the historic school building not only received a completely new roof, but also a new support structure and significantly improved thermal insulation.
In the second phase, it was the turn of the U-shaped roof of the Hoogbos Block. Here, our crews renovated 1,500 m² of sloped roof, using approximately 17,000 cement-fiber shingles as the finishing material.
This time, the challenge was of a different nature. The classrooms under the roof were not being renovated, so the existing interior finishes had to remain intact. This meant that the insulation had to be installed entirely on the exterior.
The solution was a sarking roof. With this type of roof construction, the thermal insulation is placed on top of the existing support structure. This allowed the roof to be thoroughly insulated without requiring major work on the interior of the classrooms.
In addition to the roof replacement, the existing dormer windows were also removed and replaced with new skylights during both phases.
Renovating a school while hundreds of students and teachers are on the premises every day requires a tailored site management plan. Safety and minimizing disruption were therefore key priorities during both phases.
Deliveries were scheduled outside of school hours whenever possible, and crane operations were strictly limited to the designated construction zone. Thanks to careful planning, the work was able to proceed without unnecessarily disrupting daily school life.
With the completion of both phases, the Mariagaarde Institute once again has 3,200 m² of renovated and insulated sloped roofs. The various roof structures demonstrate how renovations always require a technical solution tailored to the existing building and its use.
A beautiful end result and a fine example of craftsmanship from our colleagues at Tectum Constructors Melle.
Since 1945, students have been walking through the hallways of the Mariagaarde Institute’s oldest school building in Westmalle. More than eighty years later, the school’s roofs were in need of a thorough renovation. It was a major project in which our colleagues at Tectum Constructors Melle renovated no less than 3,200 m² of sloped roofs in two phases.
What began as a standard roof renovation presented a few technical challenges along the way. From an unexpected but necessary new support structure to a well-thought-out insulation solution designed to leave the existing classrooms undisturbed. Two buildings, two different roof structures, and a total of about 54,000 new roof tiles and slates.
And all of this while daily school life continued as usual.
