Xaverianen Community Center
Bruges

Natural weathering of Platowood Fraké

To anchor the building within its green surroundings and give it a warm, soft appearance, the architect chose wood cladding.

Pierre Dugardyn, POLO Architects:

”The wood’s natural weathering formed the starting point of the design. We exposed various wood types to the elements for several months to assess how they would age. Fraké has a warm, even texture without blemishes and is a superior alternative to hardwood. The weathered appearance of the wood pairs beautifully with the dark aluminum window frames. The fact that the wood is thermally modified in a sustainable way—and thus requires little maintenance—was another reason we chose Platowood.”

Special profiles and 10-meter columns

In collaboration with the architect, Platowood developed custom profiles for the façade cladding. Additionally, Platowood Fraké was laminated into vertical columns. These 10-meter-long columns, with a cross-section of 185×400 mm, were finger-jointed and laminated. A special tongue-and-groove profile with double shadow joints was designed for the cladding, in a cross-section of 40×185 mm. The combination of varying profiles and the towering 10-meter columns gives the building a grand and dynamic appearance.

Accessible, sustainable, and high-quality

With Xaverianen, POLO Architects has created a transparent, sustainable, and functional sports and cultural center with outstanding architectural quality. It is an inviting structure where vibrancy is both visible and tangible—inside and out. The use of Platowood Fraké, in combination with green roofs, 160 solar panels, and a rainwater collection and reuse system, results in a truly sustainable building.