Trend towards dark facades
Carbon DarkSide: Best possible design freedom
For three years the Edition Carbon has been ensuring attractive, durable facades with thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS). In this respect Caparol uses carbon fibres with their extremely high strength to increase significantly the longevity of ETICS facades. The resilience to mechanical stresses such as hail or vandalism becomes clear through the proving of the first system tested for hail protection and ball-throw resistance. But also small routine mishaps such as knocked-over bikes do not leave any traces. The insulation then retains its function over decades.
In order to counter excessive temperature stresses in the render surface, a limit on the permissible colour intensity is defined universally throughout the industry with a lightness value of ≥ 20. Now another step forward in innovation has been made with the new Edition Carbon DarkSide. It is now possible for the first time to apply very dark, intensive colours down to a lightness value of five to thermally insulated facades. Due to the system being classified as "non-combustible" this is possible even in the high rise sector and on public buildings.
Regarding the sustainability of the whole system, along with the high resilience against mechanical damage, the high colour fastness of the render which is attained through the use of nano-quartz matrix technology is also convincing.
The technological properties of the system components and the best possible design freedom in the colour design were decisive for the Darmstadt architectural office of Waechter + Waechter in the choice of Carbon DarkSide for the repair of the Offenbach Schiller-Schule. This means that economical, functional and design aspects can be taken into account to an equal extent by building owners and architects.
The architect, Thilo Holzer, from the Stuttgart architectural office of Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei decided on Carbon DarkSide as he sustainably redesigned his residential house. A contemporary, almost black facade was produced and the oak-coloured wooden windows provided accentuation. The house in Elsaweg, Stuttgart was constructed in 1938 as a timber framework house with wooden-beam ceilings and masonry filled walls. In 1970 the wall was given a five-centimetre thick thermal insulation with Eternit cladding. Thorough reconstruction took place in 2010/2012. All the sanitary, heating and electrical pipes and cables had to be renewed and additionally the external walls were clad with a carbon-fibre reinforced thermal insulation composite system to keep within energy-saving requirements (EnEV). On the ground floor the application workers removed parts of the masonry between the wooden framework, but the existing framework was retained. A large open living area was created from three single rooms – the living room, dining room and kitchen. In addition, the masonry filling on the south wall was removed and a continuous glass facade installed; this meant that the living area extended over the patio to the garage wall.
To optimise the area on the ground floor the architect moved the entrance south via the patio. It was then possible to dispense with the entrance corridor to the north. The house was extended by the patio and the garage; a new basement room was created under the patio. The garage has one and a half stories with intermediate level, so that the garage can be used as an equipment room from the garden. The upper storey largely took over the room division and the existing solid beech parquet floor was retained for use. The wall fillings in the attic were set back over large areas so that a large open roof space was created.
Photographs: Caparol Farben Lacke Bautenschutz GmbH/ Andrea Nuding
