Transparency and quality

Large balconies, some of which jut out over the water, a large glass rear wall and lots of glass inside. The Tjellens Loopbaan Professionals building in Hengelo exudes transparency. And that was exactly what director Bob van den Berg had in mind. Finding the right facing brick was extremely important, and that proved to be no easy task.

Transparency and quality are core values of his company, says Van den Berg. He wanted this to be reflected in the commercial building he had constructed. He commissioned architect Robert Morsink Bouwplan from Hengelo, who had previously built his house, so the entrepreneur was confident that the building would turn out exactly as he had envisioned. 'We also had a say in the design.'

Search for the right facing brick

Once the broad outlines became visible, the right materials could be sought out. But what kind of facing brick would perfectly match the look the entrepreneur had in mind? ‘We just couldn't find the right type of brick,’ he recalls. 'The traditional rectangular bricks didn't suit our building. They were too clunky.' Coincidentally, an MBI consultant was visiting Steenhandel Twente in Rijssen, where Van den Berg was eagerly searching for a type of brick that would suit his building. 'The new GeoStylistix facing brick was on display in the showroom of that brick merchant at the time and turned out to be just what we were looking for.'

This was the brick the entrepreneur had been looking for all along. It perfectly matched the design of his new building. ‘With its clean lines. Nice and long and straight. It's also great that it comes with a thin joint, which allows you to create an extra clean line.’ During the conversation, the consultant explained how to work with the brick. “We received instructions for the bricklayer because of the thin joint.” The unique format (595x95x40 millimetres) and elegant design create strong horizontal lines. The thin joint runs like a shadow across the façade.

Design freedom

The base layer of the facing brick is made of concrete and the top layer of fine, crushed natural stone. GeoStylistix offers architects a great deal of design freedom, and the choice of colours ensures that every façade can be composed according to preference.

Van den Berg noticed that there was a wide choice of colours for the stone. He ultimately opted for a brown stone. This combined well with the white frame around the entrance and the green frame around the windows of his building. The entrepreneur got a good idea of the effect from the panels with stones in the showroom and is very satisfied with the end result. 'It turned out even better than I thought.'

The architect has clearly connected the interior and exterior in his design with the large glass rear wall. There are also large balconies that protrude over the water behind. The glass interior walls and the open-plan office also provide openness and light. 'The design of the building made it difficult to find the right stone. We didn't want a stone that was a dime a dozen. This facing brick is very beautiful, stylish with a thin, slightly recessed joint.'

The company's calling card

Van den Berg is pleased that he decided to purchase a building 1.5 years ago. Since its establishment in 2006, he has relocated his company several times. Starting in the Campus Business Centre and later on the top floor of a small office, he now has premises that are decorated entirely to his taste. A more attractive location, lower costs and a unique appearance. 'We still get a lot of positive feedback about our building. From the consultation room, you have a view of the water. It has really become a calling card.' Van den Berg is glad he ran into the MBI representative. 'Otherwise, we would have gone for the almost-brick. But these long facing bricks really finish off the building.'

'This facing brick really completes our building' - Bob van den Berg

Want to see more projects like this? Click here!