Lasting and sustainable architecture

Looking for a truly distinctive and durable facade? Meet the facade line SKYLINE from the Spanish brand Neolith. In combination with the revolutionary Pureti treatment, even the air around the building is cleaned whereby the choice of this technology therefore scores points in sustainability certification. Nick Jonkhout of Michel Oprey & Beisterveld, preferred supplier of Neolith in the Benelux, gives all the ins and outs of this unique and lightweight sintered stone.

"The company has been around for ten years and produces the 'rock' at its plant in Castellón, near Valencia. Neolith is a mixture of only natural raw materials such as minerals and stone. Together these are ground into fine powders and then, with the right humidity, these are pressed into a slab under great pressure," Jonkhout begins. "There the product is sintered in a furnace for two to three hours so that the molecules of the raw materials fuse together. Neolith is 100% natural, so no resin, glue, solvent or other synthetic material is used. It is resistant to temperature changes, stains and UV rays in addition to being scratch-resistant and easy to clean. Features that guarantee that the material looks the same even after time. In other words, the product does not fade."

Great aesthetic freedom

Its light weight and the very extensive choice of colors and finish surfaces make the product ideally suited for application as a facade solution. "The architect has great aesthetic freedom with SKYLINE," Jonkhout continues. "The material is available in sheets of very large dimensions of 3.60 meters by 1.20 meters or 3.20 meters by 1.50 meters and further sizes cut from these. In addition to its aesthetic added value, SKYLINE has another great advantage. Ventilated facades made with the sintered rock also provide continuous insulation and block direct solar radiation, which can contribute significantly to energy savings. There is a choice of three suspension systems for fixing SKYLINE: HC, VM and Strong Fix. All three systems have been extensively tested by independent laboratories and certified for use with Neolith."

NUB Amsterdam

In cooperation with Neolith, Michel Oprey & Beisterveld has opened a Neolith Urban Boutique (NUB) in Amsterdam. It is an inspiration space and meeting place for architects and construction companies for working with Neolith. This simultaneously makes it an ideal environment for effective and powerful decision-making. In addition, Neolith project consultants are employed to support and guide the customer from the NUB or on site during the project. Michel Oprey and Beisterveld thus provides total product support for its projects anno 2020. As a preferred supplier of Neolith, Michel Oprey & Beisterveld has close contact with the factory in Spain. "Facade builders we can advise and assist," says Jonkhout. "Indeed, we can have the facade design reviewed/calculated in Spain to have the facade worked out in Neolith in the most efficient way possible, taking into account the dimensions of the slabs and the chosen substrate or construction. Think of it as an extra service."

The architect has great aesthetic freedom with SKYLINE.

Pureti

Several facade projects have already been carried out with SKYLINE in the Netherlands. Architects and clients are full of praise! "SKYLINE gives us the opportunity to create a timeless and valuable facade that is also incredibly sustainable," says Jurgen Alink of ANV architecture & real estate development. Speaking of sustainability, in combination with the revolutionary Pureti treatment, SKYLINE tackles air pollution. "Pureti is a photo catalytic nanotechnology that converts air polluting molecules such as NOX, SOX and VOCs into harmless components. Pureti is the only photo catalytic product that has been successfully tested in the consortium of ISCAPE, the ambitious European Horizon 2020 project that aims to reduce the carbon footprint of European cities and improve air quality. Choosing Neolith with Pureti treatment earns extra points in a sustainability certification. A win-win-win for lasting and sustainable architecture," concludes Jonkhout.

On Thursday, Sept. 17, Michel Oprey & Beisterveld will host a symposium on Neolith and SKYLINE in Amsterdam.