In a residential area in Mühltal, Hesse, the modern, three-story semi-detached house stands out conspicuously from the predominantly one-and-a-half-story single-family homes. It differs from the more traditional houses in the surrounding area not only in height, but also in shape, color, and choice of materials. Constructed around the turn of the millennium, the building features a linear geometry, a gently pitched pent roof, and large window fronts on a long, narrow plot. The semi-detached house, with two residential units on a total of four floors including the basement, was initially rented out, but the owners have lived there themselves for the past ten years. Last year, they moved into a new family home, designed by Beatrice Korte, also an architect since 2001. As part of the re-rental, the 20-year-old building was renovated. A "facade facelift" with lava-gray Creative exclusive profiles from the portfolio of the wood composite specialist NaturinForm played a dominant role.

The development of the narrow plot on the edge of the forest proved to be a planning challenge, but the Darmstadt-based architectural firm, Hirschmuellerschmidt, solved it with a clever design. A vertically "stacked" house with a converted basement and thus attractive living space on four floors made the most of the available land and delighted the clients. The exterior structure was built of solid concrete and masonry, the second floor was constructed with a timber frame, and the facade was partially clad with untreated larch.

Wood composite materials score with ease of care and long service life

Before the house could be handed over to new tenants, some renovation work was required. In particular, the facade, made of natural larch wood, which largely determined the house's appearance, was showing its age. "The wood had become unsightly due to the irregular aging process," Beatrice Korte explained. A fresh coat of paint didn't produce the desired results, and the larch wood had warped over the years. Therefore, the owners decided to completely renovate the facade. At first, a metal facade seemed like an option, but ultimately, they decided to stay true to the original material and revitalize the facade's wood appearance. In their search for a high-quality, low-maintenance, and durable material, they chose a wood composite facade system. "As an architect, I frequently work with this material, primarily on terraces, but increasingly also on facades," says Dipl.-Ing. Beatrice Korte, who works as an architect primarily for clients in the Darmstadt area. Her projects range from private homes to office complexes, with interior design being a particular focus. In her opinion, the materials used in architecture should be authentic, honest, and do justice to their purpose. As a "convinced purist" – not only in terms of architectural style, but also in the materials used – she initially had reservations. "I initially had some difficulty with wood composite materials because they are not a native material, but rather wood with a plastic additive." In the end, however, she was won over by this material because of its successful combination of sustainability, durability, ease of care, and the high-quality wood look, which was the decisive factor in her decision.

Noble look and extensive color spectrum convinced

In the search for a suitable supplier, they opted for NaturinForm facade profiles. The extensive range, especially the attractive color spectrum, was convincing. The Lava Gray profiles, among other things, perfectly complement the existing components. "Even though we no longer live in the house ourselves, our hearts are still attached to this property. Therefore, the appearance must be harmonious, and what is at least equally important to us as landlords: the effort required for maintaining and caring for the facade should be as minimal as possible. Thus, we found the ideal material in NaturinForm's Creative exclusive profiles."

Creative installation: Alternating different profile widths

Creative exclusive was used on approximately 150 square meters of the facade in Mühltal. The material was applied horizontally to the existing, still intact wooden substructure, alternating with profiles in two different sizes to break up the visual effect. Beatrice Korte prepared detailed drawings in advance, firstly to assist the installer in maintaining the joint pattern, and secondly to limit waste and thus ensure economical use of materials. Another special feature was the alternating profiles in front of the windows in the bedrooms and hallways – in addition to their visual impact, they both provided privacy from the neighboring property and provided fall protection in front of the floor-to-ceiling glazing. The connections to the metal collar of the slightly sloped pent roof posed a challenge. "The waste areas directly below the connection are very narrow, which made attaching the profiles somewhat complicated," explains Beatrice Korte. Therefore, the profiles in these areas were not attached to the batten substructure using a clamp system, but rather screwed. NaturinForm provided advice during both the planning and construction phases, and she praised the manufacturer's project consulting services.

Ventilated facade made of wood composite material

Creative exclusive is a facade system with a sophisticated natural stone look. Manufactured from a natural, weatherproof wood composite material, the elegant exterior cladding is suitable as a curtain wall for both new and existing buildings. During installation, the "Gestaltende" rhombus strips are laid on a wooden substructure using a tongue and groove joint. The staple set from the accessories range is available for concealed installation to secure the strips to the wooden battens. With three different coverage sizes, the design possibilities are endless. The solid rhombus strips "small" with a coverage size of 66 mm, "xl" with 99 mm, and "xxl" with 148 mm width can be installed both horizontally and vertically. A combination – as shown here in Mühltal – opens up further design possibilities for interesting facade designs. The high-quality profiles are available in standard lengths of four and six meters; custom lengths are also available upon request. With a matte embossed finish in a sophisticated natural stone look, it's the perfect facade cladding for puristic, clean architecture. Colors range from light dolomite gray to cool basalt gray to warm lava gray, as used here. The sophisticated surface embossing further enhances the visual effect. The facade profiles are also available in wood look and shades of oak, amber, chestnut brown, and graphite gray.

When professionally installed, the system protects the exterior wall structure safely and economically from the elements and damage. NaturinForm's extensive product range also includes easy-to-install stainless steel corners, which create visually clean and elegant transitions to the skirting board.

Climate-neutral and sustainably produced in Bavaria

Climate protection and resource conservation play a major role at NaturinForm. For the production of its wood composite materials, we use exclusively wood fibers from domestic and sustainable forestry (PEFC-certified wood suppliers). No additional trees are felled for this process, as the wood fibers are a byproduct of the wood processing industry. This makes this material an extremely environmentally and climate-friendly product that is also 100 percent recyclable. After use, the company takes back the planks wherever possible and returns them to the production process.