When The Ordre des Infirmières et Infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ) traded its Westmount offices for a building that is better suited to their needs in Montréal’s Angus Technopôle, the architectural firm Lemay created a design that reflects OIIQ’s activities, values and contribution to the health sector.
This project, with its innovative building materials, follows the principles of sustainable development; and, like its nurses, now wears an immaculate white tunic. The exterior features Agrob Buchtal’s ceramic ventilated cladding, a German product distributed in Canada by Ceragres. The cladding owes its astonishing properties to a permanent catalyst, integrated to the ceramic’s glaze that is activated when exposed to light, oxygen and humidity. The result: a hydrophilic surface that uses rain water to eliminate dirt and micro-organisms that accumulate on the cladding. This technology, called HT (hydrophilic tile), allows OIIQ’s cladding to preserve its initial brightness, while significantly reducing maintenance costs.
The architects specified ceramic ventilated cladding because of its contribution to sustainable development. It is a very efficient and durable material that combines functionality, aesthetic appeal and ease of use. The cladding material improves air quality, eliminating pollution surrounding the OIIQ building, to the efficiency level of approximately one hundred trees.
In order for the ceramic panels to be arranged efficiently, Ceragres employed specialists offering technical support based on the ease and speed of execution during the installation of the material. Agrob Buchtal’s fastening systems, in particular the fastening profile integrated into the back of the ceramic panels requiring no drilling, ensure a result that is both elegant and solid. It also allowed great freedom of layout. This form of ventilated façade is not only suitable for new build projects, but can also be installed on an existing structure.
A new post by Joe Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, October 2017.