architect: Mecanoo architects
location: Texel Island, The Netherlands
year: 2011
Since the start of the design process, sustainability has been one of the inspirations for the design of Kaap Skil. Kaap Skil not only has ground source thermal storage - with a heat exchanger in the basement - but also concrete core activation on every floor of the building. As a result, the temperature in the building remains relatively constant, and energy consumption is low.
The building has an interior glass wall and on the exterior, a second wooden slat façade which has even been pulled over the roof, allowing diffuse into the space. The wood of the façade is derived from the old wood piling of the North Holland Canal which had needed to be replaced. After a phone call to the North Holland C02 hotline, we were discovered that we could recycle this wood for the façade of the museum. The wood, which was stored nearby, was cut by a local sawmill on the island. LED lighting is featured throughout the building to keep energy costs low, and heating is also kept to a minimum. The air conditioning system has been invisibly incorporated into the building. Air is drawn through the ceiling or wall and blown onto the wall or the floor.
