Pretty Plastic clads timber laboratory building in upcycled plastic tiles

Dutch manufacturer Pretty Plastic has created the facade for Plus Ultra III, the first timber laboratory building in the Netherlands, using tiles made from recycled post-consumer plastic waste.

Located on Wageningen University and Research Campus in central Netherlands, the building was designed by Dutch studio Proof of the Sum and developed by lab operator Kadans Science Partner.

It has a load-bearing structure that was almost entirely constructed from engineered timber and a facade clad in Basic Third, a cladding material developed by the Pretty Plastic company started by architects Overtreders W and Bureau SLA.

The 8,500-square-metre building is covered in the tiles, which were made from 30,987 kilograms of post-consumer plastic waste.

"The Basic Third cladding was developed as a highly practical and scalable facade system," Pretty Plastic co-founder Hester van Dijk told Dezeen.

"Its overlapped shingle configuration allows for fast and straightforward installation, while the tile dimensions are specifically suited to the construction logic of laboratory and utility buildings."

The tiles, which are replaceable, were installed using an overlapping shiplap-style system.

"The tiles are mechanically fixed with screws to a timber batten system, creating a robust, replaceable and efficient connection to the timber structure," Van Dijk said.

Basic Third is Pretty Plastic's third plastic-tile design. It has a simplified installation method compared to its previous products.

In order to be more suitable for broader architectural expression, the designers also gave it a more restrained surface expression. Van Dijk thinks that this version of the upcycled plastic tiles has strong potential for wider use.

"The dimensions of the Basic Third tile make it suitable for large-scale utility buildings, while the mould allows designers freedom in form and colour to tailor the facade to a specific architectural concept," Van Dijk said.

"Its modular sizing also minimises cutting waste, making it both design-flexible and efficient to apply."

By adding it to a timber facade, the fully demountable tiles help to create buildings with a circular design.

Pretty Plastic's tiles are made from 100 per cent recycled polyvinyl chloride (PVC), sourced from post-consumer construction waste, such as old window frames and drainpipes. The standard version of the tiles has three vertical strips and is available in 12 colours.

The Pretty Plastic tiles have previously been featured on Dezeen Showroom.

The first permanent building to be clad in the tiles was a music pavilion by Dutch studio Grosfeld Bekkers Van der Velde Architecten.

The photography is by Marcel van der Burg and the plans are by Proof of the Sum.

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