The all-new head office of Royal Acadamy of Dance (RAD) and the residential apartments above has been supplied by with various structural precast concrete elements. The production and installation consist of beams (with and without EPS), lintels, columns and wall panels with a custom-made pattern.
THE NEW WHEEL HEADQUARTER
In 2017, the RAD announced plans for a new head office. The new home base is only one mile from the current location. With the new accommodation, the academy wants to further strengthen ties with the local community and expand its involvement in international dance teacher training. Increasingly higher demands are being made on dance education.
To meet these demands, the building will be equipped with the most modern facilities. The design comes from T-SA Architects and was conceived as a continuation of the city. Central is ‘connection’, which is reflected in the interior.
CUSTOM-MADE CEILING AND FACADE ELEMENTS
Waco has been producing various precast concrete elements such as beams, lintels, columns and facade elements. A major challenge was the weight reduction and perfect surface finish on all visible sides. The elements with larger volumes have a core of EPS. This results in a weight saving of 60% and the elements still meet the structural requirements. A dedicated production line was established to produce all the elements efficiently. Various moulds for the columns, beams and lintels have been provided with a formwork foil. This reduces air bubbles on the surface of the concrete and ensures a beautiful finish. The wall panels are produced with and without a star or butterfly pattern. These ‘special edition’ wall panels can be seen on the facades of RAD.
COOPERATION BETWEEN CONCRETE VALLEY COMPANIES
This project is an excellent collaboration between the various Concrete Valley companies, Waco, mbX and Timber Structures. Commissioned by Waco, mbX produced the thin-walled and ‘hollow’ ceiling elements with glass-fibre reinforced concrete. By spraying the elements instead of casting, the elements are very slim, only 3 cm in this case! This was a condition of the client because of the weight restrictions. Timber Structures is a specialist in woodworking and made the moulds for concrete production. Among other things, the star and butterfly pattern moulds come from Timber Structures’ modelling workshop.
FACADE ELEMENTS FROM WACO
Waco has been a specialist in precast concrete since 1888. Through years of experience, Waco is a Europe wide supplier of precast concrete products. Recent projects include Bond Street Station in London; supplying various structural and architectural precast concrete elements for the two new ticket halls.
