The exclusive residential project “Boston“ at the Eastern waterfront of Amsterdam is a prime example of the successful adaptive re-use of existing building fabric and the modern refurbishment of derelict industrial buildings. In the course of last year old empty warehouses were turned into luxury “Loft” apartments with modern facilities and charming views onto the harbour and the close-by old City. Kitchens, bathrooms, sitting and bedrooms are open plan so that residents can arrange the inner layout in a flexible manner by means of partitioning walls.
The project “Nieuw Amerika“ comprises the Boston block and the new Detroit and Chicago buildings and should be completed by 2007. All three buildings are connected underground by a two-tiered car park. “Boston“, the residential block already completed in combination with the integrated multi-storey car park “Australië“ was awarded the “Concrete Prize” 2005 for innovative projects .

The Dutch architects (DKV, Rotterdam) and the client, the project company OCNA (Ontwikkelingscombinatie, Nieuw Amsterdam) set particularly high standards for the residental block “Boston“.
The old industrial façade of the blue brick warehouse of 1865 had to be preserved and was therefore fitted with windows in the old style. For the four stories constructed on the top of the warehouse with their 104 “Loft” apartments, window units from floor to ceiling had to be used in order to underline the classic penthouse character. 
Due to the exposed position of the dock, the specification for the windows in terms of stability and weather proofing were extremely high. In such heights of up to 40 m, considerable wind and water loads were to be expected. However, the opening of the windows had to be flexible and maximum opening had to be ensured in order to provide unobstructed views over the charming old waterfront.
There were further demands during construction regarding particular building and logistical challenges and considerations regarding later use. Scaffolding to aid installation of the window units was not possible due to lack of access. All of the 832 window panels required could only be installed from the inside and the openings had to be secured as quickly as possible in order to be able to carry out subsequent interior work without damage from wind or rain. Since a window cleaning machine could not be installed on the new building towering above the old warehouse, the window solution had to ensure the trouble-free cleaning of the glass from the inside.

One source tailor-made solution
The best all-round solution for all the different requirements of this unusual project was found by the systems developer and manufacturer Solarlux and consisted of aluminium window units.
The experienced project team of this German company worked out a specific glazing solution for the “Boston“. To ensure a smooth running of the project, the company also took charge of the co-ordination at all stages.

The client chose the window units of the SL 60 folding façade series which as external units feature generous and variable ways in which they can be opened and which in terms of weather proofing far exceeded the specification. The specification required water tightness of 410 Pascal at pressures of up to 500 Pascal. Solarlux´s SL 60 folding façade system withstands pressures up to 1200 Pascal and a wind force of 3000 Pascal without any problem.
In order to reduce the noise level caused by the high traffic volume of the adjacent main road and the nearby railway line, heat-insulated acoustic glass (6-16-55/2) was used reducing the noise level by up to 44 dB. The considerable weight of the panels (approx. 90 kg per panel) required the folding façade to be floor mounted (standard) with runners at the top.

High quality stainless steel ball-bearing runner assemblies ensure smooth and easy operation of the folding façades. The window panels can be folded to the right or left and can be parked at the side when they are open to save space. Thus the 10 m wide glass fronts can be opened over their full width and the panels folded up to a depth of just 50 centimeters.
In order to be able to clean the outside of the windows without any problems, the panels are fitted with removable pins. Thus the outside panes can be opened inwards and cleaned from the inside.

In order to meet the requirement to secure the openings in the façade  to allow  tradesmen to work in the building without interference from the weather, Solarlux of Bissendorf devised a frame structure and installation profile which it prefabricated in its works into which the folding window units could later be easily installed from the inside.
Secured on transport frames the window panels, complete with glass, were lifted to each of the individual window openings of the 104 flats. This “just in time” operation also had the advantage that no extra space was required at the building site. The installation from the inside of a total of over 832 panel units was completed within three months, one month sooner than planned. For a project of this magnitude this meant a huge reduction in cost and gain in time, not least because the work in the interior could progress faster storey by storey and completion achieved ahead of time.