A close and professional collaboration between ventilation specialist DUCO and Inbo was at the basis of the wonderful result that was achieved in the 75 metre high Jheronimus tower, fully equipped with natural ventilation.
Jheronimustoren - Den Bosch (NL)
The Jheronimus tower is a new highlight in Den Bosch thanks in part to DUCO
‘The first impression is the best.’ This saying is without doubt applicable to the Jheronimus new-build project in the Palace quarter of 's-Hertogenbosch. This 75-metre high residential tower block, designed by Baumschlager Eberle, the renowned Austrian architects’ firm, gave the city a new eyecatcher in 2014 which marked the entrance to the inner city.
It is also in terms of air quality, (acoustic) comfort and energy efficiency that this project is a genuine reference of its kind. That is because the Jheronimus tower illustrates uniquely how the indoor climate can also be raised to a higher level in a high-rise building.
Driving down the Randweg towards the heart of the city, the Jheronimus tower boasting 23 floors soon towers over the landscape from almost nowhere. The highest residential tower block in Den Bosch was built in the middle of the Hofvijver and is therefore indisputably the new trendsetter for the Dutch city. Not only were luxury and acoustic comfort combined in a sustainable design consisting of 88 apartments for sale and to let, the new-build project was also built in full compliance with energy consumption and air quality regulations.
A magnificent result was achieved with apartments equipped with natural ventilation thanks to the collaboration between DUCO, the ventilation specialist, and Inbo, who took charge of the structural details and design coordination on behalf of the Austrian architects’ firm.
Focus on soundproofing plus a healthy indoor climate
Specifying DUCO as the ventilation specialist was a conscious decision. Dating back to 1991, the company has been engaged in developing high-quality systems which guarantee an optimal indoor climate by natural means on the on hand and are efficient, energy-saving and easy to operate on the other. Accordingly, this experience came into its own in this project.
On top of that, the Jheronimus tower was not the first project by DUCO in which soundproofing and creating a healthy, comfortable and energy-efficient living environment was to be created. The Doornroosje pop venue in Nijmegen and Het Dok community school in Oegstgeest also feature on DUCO’s list of references. The Jheronimus tower in Den Bosch has also been added to it now.
Moderate noise exposure
The GlasMax ‘SR’ and the SkyMax SR proved to be the appropriate solutions following the necessary investigation since both window ventilators, in addition to their sound-absorbing capability, also have a beneficial impact on energy performance. “The lends itself perfectly for installation on the first floors of the residential tower block” is the view at Inbo.
“This type of window ventilator is therefore highly suitable for use in situations involving moderate noise levels, as is the case with the Jheronimus tower. Flapping sounds in strong gusts of wind are now a thing of the past due to the fact that the self-regulating flap (‘SR’), which reacts to an increase in wind pressure on the façade and thus closes the ventilator to a greater or lesser extent, is positioned on the inside of the window ventilator from now on.”
‘The Sky is the Max’
DUCO installed the – the sound-absorbing window ventilator par excellence for installation in high-rise buildings – on the upper floors of the Jheronimus tower, at 40 metres and above.
“It goes without saying that window ventilators used in high-rise buildings must archive high scores in terms of acoustics as well as wind and watertightness. The higher the building, the greater the impact of the wind the building has to withstand”, explains Wilco van Gils.
“At 75 metres, this is no different for the Jheronimus tower either. However, the decision in favour of the SkyMax SR was a quick one. After all, with this window ventilator DUCO has a window ventilator in its range that is not only capable of achieving excellent acoustic absorption values, but is also fully wind and watertight. What’s more, the SkyMax SR does not generate any whistling sounds caused by positive or negative pressure, even at great heights.”
Thanks to thorough development, a test report sets out in black and white that the SkyMax SR can be installed without any problems at heights up to 70 metres! At the same time, DUCO is the only ventilation manufacturer today to boast a report like this.
Both Vesteda and Inbo can look back with satisfaction now that the project has been completed. “We conclude with an appropriate quote: ‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating’. In other words: you won’t be truly aware of the quality of something until you have actually tried it. This is also true of DUCO products. The implementation of both sound-absorbing window ventilators has enabled us to create a healthy, acoustically comfortable, as well as energy-saving indoor climate, even on the uppermost floor of the Jheronimus tower!”
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