HUIS van Roosendaal offers visitors a welcome of vertical greenery

The HUIS van Roosendaal, the name of the official city office of Roosendaal, was completely renovated between 2018 and 2023. Parts of the building from the ’70s have been preserved, in addition parts have been renewed and has the town hall been preserved. For example, there are solar panels on the roof and heat pumps have been installed, so that the building is completely gasless. A green wall of 300 m2, for climate adaptation and biodiversity, gives the building a natural look and fully matches its sustainable character.

Project leader HUIS van Roosendaal, Peter Hereijgers: “The aim was to realize an Energy Neutral Building (ENG). This means that we want to achieve at least energy label A and use previously used materials. That is why we embrace circular construction and demolition. The renovation is BREEAM-NL certified. Sustainability is of importance to us, a principle that also extends to our building. That is why we had considerable sustainability ambitions for the building and we have realized that. The largest eye-catchers are the green facade on the outside of the building and the living inner wall in the atrium. That living green embodies the entire philosophy.”

Green walls

In total, four MobiPanel green facades have been installed, with a total area of approximately 300 m2. The modular green facade design of MobiPanel features interchangeable plant cassettes in two different sizes. Corrosion-resistant omega profiles serve as the load-bearing structure for these plant cassettes, which are equipped with two spacious slots suitable for plants of various sizes. Pre-grown plants in the system extract water from the internal capillary microfiber cloth for water buffering. An automated irrigation and drainage system ensures a balanced water supply and efficient water use in the green facade.

“The 1970s building naturally has beautiful stone. We wanted to combine this stone with more greenery to demonstrate that we are the nature-friendly city that we aspire to be.”

A natural welcome

Inside the atrium, there is a LivePanel wall of 50 m2. Hereijgers said, “This is the heart of the building, and we wanted to give it the grandeur it deserves. The green wall is 7 meters wide and 3 stories high. The atrium is a tall, open space, and that’s why we wanted a wall that not only looks beautiful but also has acoustic properties and purifies the air. These plants have been specially selected for this purpose. Eight spotlights directed at the wall make the greenery even more prominent. We even halved plant cassettes for it; we were so eager to use the entire space to showcase the vibrant wall.”

Hereijgers continued, “We recently had an open day, and the walls were a popular topic of discussion. Everyone enjoys looking at them or engaging with them. If there’s a spot that stands out from the rest, colleagues immediately notice and call attention to it, especially after passing under it on their bikes, for example.”

Collaboration with Mobilane

Hereijgers says about the collaboration: “We were advised by our consulting firm to work with Mobilane because it was known that they think from the very beginning. The system needs to be integrated from the start of the renovation due to water connections and irrigation cabinets. That’s why we included vertical greenery as part of the entire construction contract. The collaboration went, and continues to go, very smoothly. We also have a maintenance contract, so we don’t have to worry about anything, and the walls always look their best. The plants are in full bloom from May to August, creating a beautiful burst of color, along with the greenery and the color of the building’s stones. The building now exactly reflects what the municipality stands for: openness, transparency, and hospitality. It’s more than just a town hall; everyone feels at home here.”