Transcript
Knowhow Customer Magazine September 2016
Innovative production
New ground broken Reference object
Right by the sea
Thorough in everything we do.
Published by Geberit Southern Africa (Pty.) Ltd. 6 Meadowview Lane Meadowview Business Estate Longmeadow, Linbro Park ZA-Johannesburg Phone +27 11 444 50 70 Fax +27 11 444 59 92
[email protected] → www.geberit.co.za
Issued: quarterly. The reproduction of individual articles, in part or in full, is subject to approval from the editorial staff. Photos Brett Boardman Photography (cover picture, pages 22/23) Elberfeld Creations (page 3) iStock.com/avemario (page 6) Stefan Thurmann (pages 8–11) Y. Bollhalder (page 12) Uffer, Savognin (page 13) Ben Huggler (pages 14–17) Michael Suter (pages 20/21) Ossip van Duivenbode (page 24) On the cover A dream: This home in a suburb of northern Sydney is located on a cliff overlooking the beach.
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Contents
↑ Bright light and fresh air in a freshly renovated finca: A bathroom with a Geberit DuoFresh odour extraction unit for the toilet and a wall drain for the shower.
Sanitary technology from Geberit offers maximum comfort even in seemingly minimalist bathrooms.
Optimised with virtual water Technology & innovation 18 Know-how Products & solutions 8
Contents News/Agenda 5 Odour extraction in toilets
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Prefabricated hotel rooms
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Geberit CleanLine shower channel put to test
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Reference object
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Editorial
Dear customers, Is the devil really in the detail, as the well-known saying proclaims? Geberit’s engineers, for one, are convinced that the opposite is true. After all, they know how attention to detail can help you achieve tremendous results. A 1.6-litre internal combustion engine in a car has a much higher performance today than 50 years ago. And this while consuming less fuel and generating less noise. The toilet flush has also experienced a comparable improvement in performance. State-of-the-art ceramic appliances and cisterns provide a considerably better flush performance, are extremely quiet and use a lot less water. In both cases, the improvement in performance is the result of countless minor and major advances in science and technology, with persistent and passionate fine-tuning playing an equally important role. This fine-tuning is a never-ending process. Whether new product materials, new technologies or new possibilities in terms of production engineering, new perspectives continually open up for the innovative and meticulous engineers at Geberit. Some aspects of their work are examined in more detail on the following pages. I wish you an enjoyable read.
Mark Schurr, Managing Director
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Customer Magazine September 2016
News
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Nelson Mandela’s wish The Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital is the result of the vision of the late Nelson Mandela whose fervent wish was to build a dedicated children’s hospital. Modern Plumbing Works worked closely with the Geberit project team to ensure the Hospi tal was delivered successfully on time. Their dedication and tireless efforts are to be commended. Dean Cane, Operations Manager for MPW, said of the project: “While faced with challenges that are found on every contract, using Geberit products gave us peace of mind. We knew that we were using reliable and dependable mater ials. The constant support and site inspec tion from Geberit helped ensure standards were met and the project delivered on time.” Aadiel Woods, Geberit’s senior tech nical consultant, had the following to add: “It was as a result of the focussed team work of all concerned which resulted in us achieving the goal of delivering such an inspiring project, it felt good to be part of such an amazing endeavour that is set out to heal the smallest of hearts.” The Hospi tal is a great testament to a great man – Mr Nelson Mandela!
67 Minutes for Mandela – 18 July 2016 Nelson Mandela International Day was launched in recognition of Nelson Mandela’s birthday on 18 July 2009. Every year, there is a calling to devote 67 minutes of your time to helping others, as a way to mark this aus picious day. For 67 years, N elson Mandela devoted his life to the service of humanity. A group of Geberit employees went to the Devland Soweto Education Campus project, of which Geberit Southern Africa is a spon sor, to work t ogether with Growing UP Africa to devote 67 minutes of their time to uplift the local community by assisting with build ing of much-needed basic homes. These homes are ingeniously built by using sandfilled bags as the bricks. Each person had to fill 67 bags which they then laid in the wooden structure of the home.
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Products & solutions
No more unpleasant odours Odour extraction unit for the toilet
↑ It is much easier to make jokes about unpleasant odours in the bathroom when you have an odour extraction unit.
When planning a modern bathroom, an odour extraction unit for the toilet is an absolute must. Geberit offers various solutions, all of which are effective, quiet and ensure greater comfort in the bathroom.
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Odours – both good and bad – spread rela tively quickly. As a result, action is needed in the bathroom in most cases after a “num ber two”. It is therefore common for people to open the window for a couple of minutes (even in winter!), spray air freshener, light a match or switch on the extractor fan. With the sanitary technology from Geberit, the unpleasant odour is extracted right at the source – namely directly in the WC cer amic appliance – thus preventing it from spreading in the first place. It is removed from the air in an environmentally friendly manner, using modern active carbon or cer amic honeycomb filters.
Customer Magazine September 2016
← A sensible addition: Geberit AquaClean Sela shower toilet with a Duofix installation element and DuoFresh odour extraction unit. ↓ A look behind the actuator plate Sigma40: active carbon filter for the odour extraction unit, and the insert for in-cistern blocks.
↑ A look inside a Monolith Plus sanitary module: The ceramic honeycomb filter is located on the left and can be replaced with a flick of the wrist.
↑ The switch for the DuoFresh odour extraction unit is hidden behind the upper edge of the plate.
Low-cost concealed solutions With new buildings or complete renova tions, installing an odour extraction unit for the toilet is both quick and inexpensive. Geberit offers installation elements here for drywall and solid wall construction (Duofix, GIS or Kombifix) that are already prepared for a DuoFresh odour extraction unit. The actual extraction unit with fan and active carbon filter is integrated into the elegant actuator plate Sigma40, which can be installed in just a few simple steps. It is important that a power connection has already been prepared prior to installing the installation elements.
old toilet with an exposed cistern can be replaced by a new ceramic appliance and a Monolith Plus sanitary module. This slim module with a front cover made of safety glass contains the cistern and features a powerful odour extraction unit as well as additional extras such as a sensor- controlled orientation light. However, the Monolith sanitary modules, which have won multiple awards for their timeless design, can also be installed directly in front of con cealed installations. The existing connec tions are used for the water supply in both cases, which means that installation gener ally only takes very little time.
If a bathroom is equipped with an extractor fan, it may be practical to connect the toi let’s odour extraction unit directly to this system. Geberit also offers suitable instal lation elements (Duofix and GIS) for this purpose with a branch fitting on the flush bend. This is connected to the ventilation system.
Extra comfort The ideal solution would be to install a Geberit AquaClean shower toilet. Geberit offers both WC enhancement solutions and complete solutions that – in addition to comfortable and hygienic spray function ality – also have an odour extraction unit. All AquaClean models can be installed as retrofit solutions. ←
Minimal work – maximum impact A toilet can, of course, also be fitted with an odour extraction unit without the need for extensive renovation work. For example, an
↑ The elegant Monolith Plus sanitary module is operated via piezoelectric buttons.
Including odour extraction in all offers “If only we had known back then that there was such a thing as an odour extraction unit for the toilet …” Whether on Facebook, by e-mail or in person, we frequently hear comments like these from building owners, apartment owners and other end users. Such a situation can be avoided by: → The plumber’s offer also including the option of an odour extraction unit for the toilet in both renovation projects and new buildings. Because the additional cost is relatively low, the chances that customers will opt for this option are high. → Specifically pointing out to private customers the possibility of installing an odour extraction unit. Many people are more receptive to the additional benefit of having an odour-free toilet than you might perhaps expect.
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Products & solutions
Perfectly conceived from A to Z Clean drains for floor-even showers
Open, floor-even showers are in great demand, which is why Geberit has decided to raise the bar by introducing new shower channels and a new floor drain. The products impress thanks to their uncom promising aesthetics and maximum practical suitability, the latter of which is evident both during installation and in everyday use.
The new shower drains are completely new developments. Every detail – from the hydraulic design of the flat trap unit and the installation and sealing technique right through to the design of the shower channel and comb insert – is in line with pioneering standards in sanitary technology. Ensuring smooth transitions between the trades Geberit paid special attention to ensuring that installation is as simple and reliable as possible. Installing a shower channel or a floor drain always involves several trades. In addition to a plumber, there is also a screed layer, a caulker/tiler and sometimes even a specialist joint sealer, all of whom have to be able to work with the product straight away. The greatest challenge – namely creating a permanent seal – can be mastered better than ever before with the new drains. A sealing foil is injected onto the drain flange at the factory. This foil can be easily incorporated into the shower floor sealing by the tiler, thus saving time and hassle and minimising the risk of leaks. Attractive design The shower channels and the floor drain differ mostly from each other when it comes to visual aspects. The flat shower channels made of brushed stainless steel
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↑ The Geberit shower channels from the CleanLine series – a timeless design.
Customer Magazine September 2016
1 The cover with comb insert can be easily removed.
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2 A flat shower channel made of stainless steel works like a collector profile and is cleaned in next to no time. The shower channel comes in lengths of 0.9 or 1.3 metres and can be cut to the size of the shower area on site. 3 Drain flange with factoryinjected sealing foil. Until the sealing work is carried out, the foil is protected by a cover. 4 The trap unit contains a hydraulically optimised, flat trap. The trap unit is available in two construction heights for a screed height of at least 65 mm or 90 mm.
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Geberit CleanLine shower channels can be installed close to the wall or in the middle of the shower area. They come in lengths of either 0.9 or 1.3 metres and are cut to the size of the shower area during installation.
The Geberit shower channels from the CleanLine series combine elegant design with simple, reliable installation. This innovative solution also solves the hygiene problem seen in many shower channels.
The floor drain can also be installed at a freely select able location. An 80 × 80 mm grating made of stainless steel is included in the scope of delivery. As an additional option, Geberit offers design gratings made of brushed stainless steel. The new drains are extremely user-friendly. Anyone who has ever cleaned a conventional shower channel knows just how much dirt can gather there. The innovative shower channels from the CleanLine series offer a convincing solution to this hygiene problem and are cleaned in next to no time. Both the shower channels and the floor drain have a comb insert that can be easily removed and cleaned. ←
↑ The flat trap is decoupled from the building shell by the trap unit. Even a thorough cleaning of the shower channels is an easy task. →
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Products & solutions
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1 The 80 × 80 mm grating is made of stainless steel. 2 The comb insert can be easily removed for cleaning. 3 The grating frame made of deep-drawn stainless steel can be flexibly aligned according to the tiling work. 4 Drain flange with factory-injected sealing foil. Until the sealing work is carried out, the foil is protected by a cover.
Geberit floor drain for showers The Geberit floor drain fits into every floor-even shower with a screed height of at least 65 mm at the drain. It can be installed anywhere inside the shower area and features a minimalist, easy-to-clean design.
5 Trap unit with a hydraulically optimised, flat trap. Available in two construction heights for a screed height of at least 65 mm or 90 mm.
↑ As an option, Geberit offers these two design gratings made of brushed stainless steel.
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Customer Magazine September 2016
A practical solution For its wall drain for showers, Geberit is the first company to be awarded the quality label for a practical solution from the Austrian Tile Association. Interview with Wolfgang Steindl, former President of the Austrian Tile Association until end of March 2016 and Chairman of the Tile Association’s Technical Committee
Mr Steindl, what do tilers have to do with a sanitary technology manufacturer? The bathroom in particular is a place where people from various trades – such as plumbers and tilers – have to work closely together. Perfect execution is only possible if both trades coordinate well with each other. This includes the plumber carrying out the groundwork and installing practical products in a professional manner. Only then can the tiler carry out his work professionally. What prompted your association to launch a quality label? More and more new products are being launched, which makes it difficult to stay on top of things. We award our quality label to new products for their practical suitability and quality. If a product has received a quality label – as is the case with the Geberit wall drain – the tiler can rest assured that this product has been tested and approved by the Tile Association’s Technical Committee. What were the qualities that resulted in the wall drain from Geberit receiving the quality label? We were impressed that a company that focuses on sanitary technology had given so much thought to the needs of the other trades during product development. Prior to launching the product, Geberit asked the other trades to test it and then integrated the input from the tilers into the development process. Furthermore, the wall drain is the most elegant solution currently available for tiled, floor-even showers. Could you explain the product’s advantage in terms of the various trades working together? From the tiler’s perspective, the wall drain’s user-friendliness won us over. When it comes to installation, there are no additional parts that have to first be painstakingly mounted for sealing purposes. Another advantage is that Geberit trains plumbers well. As a result, many have become aware that certain preliminary work is very important for the tiler. Both trades have since been working closer together – all of which ultimately brings about an increase in quality. ←
↑ In order to ensure a permanent seal, the Geberit wall drain for showers features the same technology as the floor drains: already at the factory, a sealing foil is injected securely onto the drain flange.
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Products & solutions
↑ All the rooms in this hotel were delivered in a prefabricated state.
Exemplary prefabrication Switzerland’s first wooden modular hotel Bever, a municipality in the famous high-lying Engadine valley, is now home to a new building – Switzerland’s first wooden modular hotel. Apart from the concrete foundation and the dining room, all the rooms – including the sanitary installations – were prefabri cated at a different site.
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A hiking Mecca in summer and a skiing paradise in winter – the Engadine in the southern Swiss Alps is equally popular with locals and tourists. In the heart of this magnificent alpine world is Bever Lodge. This new building was completed in just nine months. This necessitated a very tight schedule – one that was met thanks to the building’s sophisticated modular design. Impressive accuracy The fact that the individual hotel rooms were prefabricated in a production hall u sing the modular building system had some key advantages, including better cost and planning security as well as the optimal use of the building season, which is short in the Alpine region due to the
weather. During the winter months, the 47 modules – including 41 identically designed and fully equipped hotel rooms, three staircase modules and two fitness room boxes – were prefabricated by a company that specialises in timber construction. The environmentally friendly construction method required a very high degree of planning accuracy in all disciplines. A customised sanitary solution The principle of prefabrication was also used for the bathrooms, where the sanitary engineers opted for Geberit GIS – an installation system that is particularly suitable for prefabrication. The sanitary walls, which were prefabricated in the workshop,
Customer Magazine September 2016
← The ready-to-install sanitary walls were lifted by crane into the sanitary units in the hotel rooms.
↑ A prefabricated hotel room on a low-loader en route to Bever via winding mountain roads.
already contained all the sanitary connections for water and waste water. “We had sufficient room, electricity and light to assemble the sanitary walls, and we had no coordination issues with other trades,” explains Toni Caspar, the managing director of Caspar Haustechnik. After the prewall installations were installed in the sanitary units of the hotel modules, they were panelled. The entire bathroom equipment was then installed. Over hill and dale A low-loader transported the ready-to-install wooden modules to their destination via mountain passes. Upon arrival, the modules were lifted onto the concrete foundation one after the other and con-
nected to one another at various points. On the building site, the plumber only had to join the drinking water and discharge pipes from the individual modules and connect them to the main distributor in the basement.
one might expect – spacious rooms made of light spruce, floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the mountains and even a small fitness and spa area. The reception and a cosy lounge with a fireplace create a welcoming entrance area, which is rounded off by a restaurant. ←
An idyllic hotel The result speaks for itself. Bever Lodge, as the boutique hotel is called, impresses not only thanks to its breathtaking panoramic view of the mountains, its comfortable rooms also attract visitors to the Engadine the whole year round. While the owners consciously opted against luxury in favour of paying even greater attention to the basics, the modular hotel is nevertheless an impressive sight and offers more than
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Innovations & environment
The moment of truth The shower channel is put to the test by the professionals
↑ Combined expertise: Craftsmen from four different countries as well as product developers and application engineers from Geberit work closely together to ensure that the CleanLine shower channels are easy to install in absolutely every respect.
When a plumber installs a Geberit CleanLine shower channel, he wants to be sure that everything is in place for the screed layer and tiler to then finish off the work. With this in mind, a test carried out under real-life conditions involving craftsmen from four countries aimed to find out whether the product was up to the job.
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Customer Magazine September 2016
At virtually no other place in the bathroom is seamless cooperation between plumbers, screed layers, caulkers and tilers as important as with floor-even showers. Geberit took full account of this aspect when developing the latest generation of shower drains with factory-injected sealing foils. However, it was still necessary to test whether the ideas and concepts from the development engineers would also prove successful in everyday use on the building site.
ing technology and acoustics laboratory at the company’s headquarters in Switzerland. The task facing the craftsmen was quickly explained: They each had to install a CleanLine shower channel in two different installation situations prepared by Geberit. G eberit provided them with prepacked prototypes of the product and a draft of the installation manual. The craftsmen had supplied the majority of the tools and building materials such as cement and tiles themselves.
For this purpose, Geberit engaged the services of plumbers, screed layers and tilers from Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland and invited them to the build-
During the practical trial, the responsible product developers at Geberit had ample opportunity to carefully observe the craftsmen in action, which resulted in valuable
experiences being shared. “Both the prototypes and the installation manuals passed the practical test with flying colours”, explained Andreas Schläpfer, Head of Application Engineering at Geberit. “However, the discussions with the craftsmen also led to quite a number of improvements to product details and changes to the installation manual. The hard work therefore more than paid off.” ←
→
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Innovations & environment
1. Installation in the building shell
2. Laying the screed
The first day of the practical trial saw the plumbers in action. They had to attach the trap unit to the building shell and connect it to the building drainage. They also had to insert the drain flange with the injected sealing foil into the trap unit at the correct end height. There were no major differences in the approach t aken by the four plumbers here.
Not much changed in this regard on day two. The screed layers integrated the trap unit and the discharge pipe into the floor construction made of thermal and impact sound insulation, before covering the whole area with a layer of cement. The craftsmen also created a slight slope in this cement layer towards where the shower channel is to be installed.
↑ In addition to testing the installation process for the shower channel, the craftsmen also checked whether the installation manual was complete and easy to follow.
↑ Thanks to the trap unit’s rectangular shape, the screed layer found it relatively easy to professionally integrate it into the thermal and impact sound insulation.
↑ The plumber is responsible for ensuring that the trap unit is precisely positioned and the drain height is perfectly aligned.
↑ Creating a constant slope is no problem for the experienced specialist.
↑ This trap unit was attached to the building shell as close to the wall as possible and connected to the discharge pipe. The plumber is no longer required for the remaining work steps.
↑ The “building site” is ready for the tiler. The drain flange with the injected sealing foil is still sealed.
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Customer Magazine September 2016
3. Caulking the shower area
4. Installing the shower channel and tiles
Given the similarities seen on the previous days, the different approaches taken by the tilers on day three were all the more noticeable. The first step was to permanently join the floor of the shower, the wall and the drain flange piece in an absolutely waterproof manner. The sealing foil (which was already injected on the drain flange at the factory) comprehensively proved its worth here, resulting in substantial time savings in each case.
With the CleanLine shower channel, it is not the plumbers, but the tilers who are able to delight in the end result for once. Once the tiles had been fitted, the shower channel could already be inserted into the damp tile adhesive and aligned. After everything was dry, the only thing left to do was to seal the joints with silicone and attach the cover with the comb i nsert.
↑ The sealing foil is integrated into the sealing compound in such a way that no creasing or air bubbles occur.
↑ The bottom of the shower channel is coated with tile adhesive . . .
↑ Good tilers are masters with their mortar and trowel.
↑ . . . and then precisely aligned in the designated recess.
↑ Different countries, different techniques: In this example, an additional fleece spanning the entire area is added into the sealing compound.
↑ After sealing the joints with silicone, the work is complete.
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Technology & innovation
↑ A virtual flush with a valve that has been optimised from a fluid dynamics perspective: The higher the flow velocity of the water, the more intense the red tones.
Tests with virtual water Finding and utilising hidden potential
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Customer Magazine September 2016
← As a comparison to the picture on the left: The same virtual flush before the flow characteristics had been optimised.
Featuring an installation height of 82 cm, the lowest concealed cistern from Geberit achieves the same performance with the new flush valve as a cistern installed some 30 cm higher does with the old valve. This is a veritable quantum leap from a fluid dynamics perspective.
Computer simulations are absolutely essential now adays when designing vehicles. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), engineers optimise the aerodynamic characteristics of new body designs and structures. The flow characteristics of individual components are also analysed and improved with this technology during product development at Geberit. Virtual engineering Geberit’s simulation computers are located in the “ Basic Sanitary Technology” department, where flow patterns and turbulence as well as pressure and veloc-
ity distribution in pipes, connections, valves and sanitary appliances are analysed. The head of this department is Abdullah Öngören. “CFD gives us the opportunity to understand what happens in our products from a fluid dynamics perspective when, for example, water flows through them. With our simulation programmes, we can virtually analyse and, of course, also optimise both individual components and entire systems long before our 3-D printers produce the first prototypes. This is very effective,” explains Öngören, extolling the virtues of virtual engineering. Take the flush valve from the Omega cistern, for example. The Omega family was developed as a flexible solution for individual bathrooms, which is why there is also a particularly low model with an installation height of just 82 cm. With this model, the height difference b etween the cistern’s outlet and the inlet leading into the WC ceramic appliance is just a few centimetres. In order to achieve a good flush performance, the flush water has to build up maximum acceleration over this short distance. This can only be accomplished if every detail is perfect. Know-how is important, but so too is know-where “Before we feed data into our high-performance computers, we analyse the task at hand and determine what we want to focus on. Thanks to our many years of experience, we have a good idea of which areas are critical from a fluid dynamics perspective,” explains Öngören, outlining the procedure. Following an initial problem analysis with the Omega cistern, the engineers quickly targeted the design of the flush valve and the basket. →
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Technology & innovation
↑ Geberit is one of Europe’s pioneers in the field of 3-D printing: powerful, modern printers for the production of prototypes.
They recreated the cistern’s entire outlet area on the computer in a process that – in somewhat simplified terms – involved them obtaining the CAD data for the flush valve, basket, flush pipe and the cistern. The first step saw them overlay these parts with fine-mesh computational grids. Every single cell on these grids was registered by the computer and took on the role of a sensor during the ensuing tests. An improved design The initial situation was determined by the virtual flushes that were subsequently carried out. The flow patterns shown by the simulation programmes clearly illustrated how the water flows out of the cistern. They confirmed the assumption that the lower end of the flush valve and the basket in which the valve sits both play an important role.
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The hydraulics specialists then set about carefully optimising the geometry of the flush valve and the basket. By making just relatively minor modifications, resistances were minimised and bottlenecks were eliminated. The desired results were achieved. The first virtual flushes with a modified flush valve and basket clearly showed that the engineers were on the right track. The modified attachment connected at the bottom of the flush valve improved the flow characteristics and guided the water in the desired direction. Numerous additional virtual flushes – each one with slightly modified geometries – were required before arriving at the final design. This was hard work for the computers, as Öngören explains: “Simulating such a flush on a computer can be very CPU-intensive because sometimes up to 200 different variables have to
Customer Magazine September 2016
At the cutting edge The engineers from the “Basic Sanitary Technology” department have been playing a key role in the development and optimisation of Geberit products for many years now. In addition to solving difficult problems in the area of fluid dynamics, they also analyse issues relating to structural mechanics and make physical processes visible with the aid of special measuring instruments. Thanks to their extensive sanitary technology and computer simulation know-how, they have succeeded in significantly speeding up the innovation process at Geberit in various fields.
↑ The optimised flush valve for Geberit Omega cisterns (bottom view).
be considered and recorded. Even high-performance computers often require several hours to calculate just a single flush.” From prototype to end product When the work with the CFD programmes has reached a stage where the pursued objectives have in all prob ability been achieved, prototypes are manufactured using Geberit’s modern fleet of powerful 3-D printers. These machines can manufacture components true to size, even those with a challenging geometry.
process engineers evaluated the effects that the flush valve’s modified design has on series production and on the design of the injection moulds. “It could well be that we develop something on the computer that works perfectly from a hydraulic perspective, but whose manufacture involves a disproportionately high amount of effort”, says Öngören. However, this was not the case here. Apart from a few minor modifications, the flush valve optimised by the flow specialists went into series production without any changes. ←
In the case of the optimised flush valve, the prototypes generated by the 3-D printers were extensively tested in the Geberit sanitary laboratory – this time with real as opposed to virtual water. The results of these tests also impressed in every respect. At the same time, the
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Reference object
↑ A gorgeous bedroom with jacuzzi and a view of the open sea.
Coastal home in a Sydney suburb More design freedom thanks to Swiss sanitary technology
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No detail was left to chance at Freshwater Residence, a family home in a suburb of northern Sydney. For design reasons, all the toilets are equipped with concealed cisterns – something that is by no means standard in Australia.
Customer Magazine September 2016
Freshwater Residence, Sydney Architecture: Pouné Parsanejad, Studio P – architecture and interiors Completed: January 2016 Sanitary installations: Adam Powell, Powell Plumbing
Geberit know-how Duofix concealed cistern Sigma50 actuator plate
↑ A stylish toilet with a wall-hung WC ceramic appliance and an elegant Sigma50 actuator plate.
← The stunning architecture at Freshwater Residence impresses from all sides.
The spectacular, multi-storey family home is located on a rock ledge and offers a magnificent panoramic view of the surfing beaches to the north of Sydney. The floor plan was designed to offer spacious living areas and an expansive sea view – the bathrooms were the only rooms with restrictions. Despite the limited floor areas, all five bathrooms exude a harmonious and modern ambience thanks to prewall technology from Geberit. “The interior design of the bathrooms should be understood as an integral part of the overall building,” explained Pouné Par-
sanejad, the owner of Studio P. “We took great care in evaluating and coordinating all the materials, surfaces and lighting, with great emphasis placed on ensuring a high degree of functionality and seamless transitions between the individual rooms.” Adam Powell, who has been working with Geberit products for 13 years, was commissioned with the installation of the concealed cisterns. “The slim cisterns fitted perfectly behind the space-saving prewalls. Geberit’s reputation as the leading Swiss manufacturer of sanitary technology gave the homeowners the necessary confidence in the products.”
“Concealed cisterns offer modern design possibilities – such as wall-hung WC cer amic appliances and generously dimensioned wall and floor tiles,” explained Pouné Parsanejad. “And the actuator plate Sigma50 with the chrome-plated and brushed buttons combines well with the tiles, the bathroom taps and the building’s overall finish.” ←
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Reference object
↑ The high-rise ensemble “De Rotterdam” dominates the Wilhelminapier and is located in the immediate vicinity of buildings designed
by Renzo Piano and Norman Foster, as well as the Erasmus Bridge designed by Ben van Berkel.
Challenging dimensions Groundbreaking architecture in Rotterdam Located on the Wilhelminapier, the “De Rotterdam” complex, which is 150 metres tall, just under 100 metres wide and looks like a cluster of skyscrapers, has become a new landmark in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam.
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Customer Magazine September 2016
De Rotterdam, Rotterdam (NL) Building owner: De Rotterdam C.V. (MAB Development, The Hague, and OVG Projectontwikkeling), Rotterdam (NL) Architects: Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam (NL) Completed: 11/2013 Plumbers: Sanitair Installatie Hoogendoorn B.V., TJ Woerden (NL); Spindler Installatietechniek B.V., Rotterdam (NL)
Geberit know-how Pluvia roof drainage systems
Interview with Marco Lek, Project Manager at Sanitair Installatie Hoogendoorn B.V., on the use of Geberit products in the “De Rotterdam” project.
Problem solvers for complex architecture
Silent-db20 piping systems PE piping systems Mapress piping systems Duofix installation systems
In terms of floor area, “De Rotterdam” is the largest building in the Netherlands. What challenges did this project pose when it came to sanitary technology? The height of 150 metres, the enormous building area and the large quantities of waste water that have to be transported downwards as a result caused us the most headaches. A normal drainage system was never going to be an option. Another important factor that had to be considered was the noise in the discharge pipes. Geberit offered us an all-round technical solution that cannot be found elsewhere on the market. Which products were used to solve these problems? The drainage system is over six kilometres long and has an enormous number of connection points. There are 685 toilets in total in the offices and hotel alone. This poses a major challenge when it comes to drainage. With the hotel area in the East Tower, we opted for the Silent-db20 piping systems as these make it possible to prevent noise emissions in the discharge pipes.
In terms of floor area, “De Rotterdam” is the largest building in the Netherlands. Designed by Rem Koolhaas and his Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), the building is located in the immediate vicinity of other architectural gems on the Rotterdam cityscape – the Erasmus Bridge designed by Ben van Berkel, the inclined KPN Tower building designed by Renzo Piano and the World Port Center designed by Norman Foster. Standing at 150 metres tall and with a width of just under 100 metres, the high-rise ensemble on the Wilhelminapier along the Meuse consists of three towers positioned side by side and interconnected by a massive six-floor base. The West Tower has 45 residential levels, the 41-floor Mid Tower is used as an office high-rise and the 43 floors of the East Tower are divided into office and hotel areas. The complex, which has a total gross floor area of 162,000 square metres, features just under 250 apartments, 285 hotel rooms and 72,000 square metres of office space. The base section also contains shops, restaurants, conference rooms, a large cinema and a fitness centre, as well as three parking levels with 670 parking spaces. ←
With “De Rotterdam”, the upper sections of the towers are slightly offset from the lower sections. Did this have an impact on the waste water installations? Yes, this projection represented an additional challenge when planning the drainage system. The pipes had to be curved at the intersections between the upper and lower blocks, yet still be able to deal with the large amounts of water being transported from the roof. Thanks to the extensive range of fittings from Geberit, we were able to take care of this issue in an elegant manner. How important was product quality to you? We focused primarily on reliability when planning “De Rotterdam”, which is why the quality of the piping systems was of vital importance. We opted for pipes made of polyethylene – not least because of their impact resistance. With other materials, there is a danger that the pipes could be damaged by hefty impacts. There was no way we were going to take such a risk. Another quality feature is that PE pipes do not suffer damage even when they are clogged and have to be cleaned by a plumber with high pressure and mechanical force. The roof is another architecturally challenging feature of this building. What convinced you that the Pluvia roof drainage system was the best solution here? The system offers outstanding solutions, particularly for architecturally difficult situations. Due to structural specifications, we were not able to install the Pluvia under the roof. Instead, we had to install the roof drainage system when the concrete floor was being poured. We also covered the pipes with an insulation hose. This offers optimal sound insulation and additional protection for the pipes. ←
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Anywhere. Swiss quality close to you.
and on. t h g i d sr Gues trip to Lonine win a cipate onl Parti 30/09/16. until e w her a /any e w.geb → ww
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Anywhere, wherever the project, Geberit accompanies you: be it in the desert, in the savannah, in a city or in the countryside, whether you are planning a private house, an iconic high-rise building, a hospital, a sports stadium or even an airport; you can count on Geberit‘s service and technical advice worldwide. Anywhere - Swiss quality close to you. → www.geberit.co.za/anywhere
