Villa Carnegie, The Hague | Unique shutters applied in facade of Villa Carnegie

In downtown The Hague, a characteristic early 20th-century office building has been redeveloped: nine luxury apartments have been realized in Villa Carnegie. The powerful, transparent design is by Braaksma & Roos Architectenbureau. Colt was awarded the contract through construction company De Vries en Verburg. The new extension will have a light and transparent appearance with cantilevered balconies and aluminum shutters in front of large glass facades.

The architect's specific requirements for movable sunshades were: regulation of daylight, privacy and aesthetics. The whole had to match the existing column structure of the building. Marc de Winter, Sales Manager Colt Solar Shading Systems, explains why they were the right party for this unique assignment.

Colt's Ellisse system line: not only functional but also a design element. It gives the building a dynamic effect.

Design as a starting point

"What was conceived didn't exist yet. We take the design as our starting point and never let standards hinder us. Our engineering team from Kleve (D) set to work to provide a suitable solution to the challenges in this project. For the first through third floors, Colt Ellisse folding/sliding shutters were used (manually operated in this case, but also available motorized). These had to be flush-fitting and open at right angles to allow access to the balcony. The hinges are integrated so out of sight. On the top floor, we used the Colt Ellisse lift screens with integrated electronic drive. For both systems, we have put together frames that are stiff enough to be able to turn and fold with high-small dimensions. We also provided the flashing to ensure that the end result was as the architect had envisioned. For the coating of the shutters, we did a lot of sampling until the architect decided to go for the matte look of this textured paint." De Winter: "Not the production process but the architect determines the shape!"

From blackout to diffuse light transmission to total illumination of a room, almost anything is possible by setting the shutters in the right position.

Proud

"What we strive for - and successfully implement - are problem solutions with an excellent synergistic effect. In this project, too, we did not create approximately, but exactly what the architect envisioned! The system not only achieved the desired aesthetic effect, but is also extremely weather-resistant, corrosion-resistant and highly durable. Just say building life resistant. I am proud of our team that we met the image the architect envisioned on all fronts."