The unending possibilities of traditional brickwork with E-Board® (BE)

Peter Van Impe renovated this rural home in Diepenbeek, Belgium. In his design, he used the joint-free E-Board facade system combined with Billund brick. The brick slips cut from the brick are bonded with varying thicknesses.

The architect explains, ‘The E-Board facade panel offers an interesting approach to putting brick slips in relief. The added cost is only in the purchase price of the construction material. You buy brick slips of different thicknesses, and then there are no added costs for bonding these brick slips. As the cost price for installation is not significantly higher than E-Board without relief, this idea offered a number of opportunities.’

Relief with E-Board

‘Plaster is a very flat material, a brick is somewhat more rough. In this project, we wanted to go that bit further. By using relief in the facade, we were able to add more dimension to the otherwise banal volume. The sunlight offers an interplay of shadow on the volume, varying with each hour of the day. This relief is not something that you achieve with alternative systems such as plaster.’

A facade of this kind – in relief – is also difficult to achieve with traditional brickwork. But the flat E-Board facade panel allowed the contractor to bond the brick slips easily and play with the thickness of the brick slips. E-Board is also an economical solution for insulating with sustainable materials.

Traditional brickwork was not an option, but E-Board offered the ideal solution.

Peter Van Impe

Architect

The existing building was not yet insulated, but there was still an air cavity. The architect opted to fill the cavity with insulation. ‘This way, we avoided natural insulation behind the E-Board finish . The E-Board facade system offered the easiest structural solution . In addition, the basement walls were not strong enough to bear the weight of the starter profiles. Nor were we in a position to pour additional concrete foundations . Traditional brickwork was not an option either. But the E-Board facade system rests against the underlying wall and doesn’t have particularly high installation costs. It really was the ideal solution.’

With the E-Board facade system, they were able to bond brick slips in varied relief. The home took on an added dimension, and all in an economically responsible way. Mission accomplished!

Interested in the inspiring projects that have been completed with the E-Board facade panel?

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