The 19th century Fort Kijkuit, part of the New Dutch Water Line, was restored and extended with a requirement for daylighting into the restaurant area. J. Boonzaaijer Aannemingsbedrijf BV carried out the work on behalf of the Natuurmonumenten foundation.
How to provide daylight into a fort with a 1.9 metre thick roof; that brings with it the associated problems. For example, a distance of 1.9 metres must be bridged from the roof down to the ceiling and the building has monumental value and that should not be affected.
Solatube tubular daylighting system where the solution in this case. The systems pipe daylight to exactly where it is needed and the value of the monument remains intact. A total of 6 Solatubes were installed and now the newly created workplaces in the fort, which were previously shrouded in darkness, now get sufficient daylight.
The Solatubes are installed down through the 1.9-metre thick roof of the fort, which is covered with earth and sand.The Solatubes provide a very effective, inobtrusive daylight solution.
As Montrouge’s town hall is a historic building from 1883, the domes were not supposed to be visible from town hall square. To light the rooms located in the South, it was necessary to redirect light from the North using 5 metres of extension tubes with several bends. Moreover, fire prevention regulations required a barrier to prevent a fire from entering the building.
The purpose of this project was to introduce more daylight into the town hall offices located in the old attic which only had a small round window. The town hall’s objective was to utilize the benefits of natural light for its employees and municipal representatives while also saving energy.
To meet the project requirements, Solatube Ø 53 cm with a square ceiling diffuser were proposed. Five daylighting systems were installed, two in the meeting room (with daylight dimmers) and three in the offices. Externally, to meet the project’s fire prevention regulations, a B roof (t4) solution was implemented: a one-piece metal roof flashing (11 inches) and a polycarbonate dome. Internally, an OptiView Diffuser complying with public building access requirements was used.
In view of historic building constraints, it wasn’t easy to bring natural light into our office. Thanks to Solatube’s daylighting systems it was possible and the employees and municipal representatives of the town hall are very satisfied.
The Bokrijk open-air museum in Genk is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The folk games barn and garden is one of the biggest attractions in this museum. Visitors can try out games such as skittles, curls, brackets or leveling. These games ensure that people are introduced to the rich cultural heritage. However, after 20 years of intensive use, the barn needs a major renovation.
The play barn is outdated and is being renovated to give the building a contemporary look. The work will of course be carried out whilst retaining the authentic character of the playground. The old barn has a lack of daylight. Since installing windows is not an option because of the lack of shelter, all possible solutions were considered.
The thatched roof is being renewed and the Solatube proved to be the ideal solution with a limited number of roof openings. With the Solatubes, maximum light output is brought in without affecting the original building. Three Solatubes type Ø 35 cm have been installed with a raised lead roof flashing, specially made for thatched roofs. Thanks to the daylight tubes, daylight entry has improved considerably!
