Celebration Collaboration and Realisation Substation Amsterdam IJburg

Amsterdam June 10, 2022 – With 8,000 homes planned over the next twenty years, Strandeiland is one of the largest future city districts of Amsterdam. One with strong circular ambitions.

Energy specialist Qirion is building an electricity distribution station here on behalf of Liander and together with main contractor K_Dekker. In the masonry facade, the application of StoneCycling’s WasteBasedBrick gives no less than 121,920 kilos of construction, demolition and industrial waste a new life.

Substation in Orange Brick from Waste at Amsterdam IJburg || StoneCycling

City of Amsterdam Sustainability Plans

To supply all new buildings in the area with energy, Qirion is building an electricity distribution station for Liander. Here, 150 kV high voltage will soon be converted into electricity with a lower voltage (20 kV and 10 kV). This electricity can then be transported to the various districts. Such electricity distribution stations are necessary to facilitate the growth and sustainability of the city of Amsterdam.

“At StoneCycling, we are pleased that sustainable construction is becoming an increasingly important precondition for construction projects such as this substation. As we know, rubble from construction, demolition and industrial processes is one of the largest waste streams in the world and the construction sector is also responsible for a third of all CO2 emissions in Europe.” According to Ward Massa, CEO of StoneCycling.

“At the same time, we excavate tons of raw materials every year to make the building materials that make up our cities and infrastructure. Major excavations often destroy landscapes and ecosystems; basic raw materials such as building sand are therefore becoming increasingly scarce.”

Substation in Orange Brick from Waste at Amsterdam IJburg || StoneCycling
Substation in Orange Brick from Waste at Amsterdam IJburg || StoneCycling

“In addition to the considerable number of kilos that we have been able to process in the facade of the substation, we have also upcycled our millionth kilo of waste since the start almost ten years ago. A milestone only possible thanks to the customers and partners across the value chain, who have embraced our mission” - Ward Massa, StoneCycling

Aesthetic Orange Brick

Powerhouse Company approached StoneCycling in the spring of 2020 with a request for a durable and aesthetically-pleasing orange brick. That became the WasteBasedBrick Orange, which was used in a particularly detailed facade.

Architect and Partner Paul Stavert about their choice: “We wanted to create a striking landmark for the new Strandeiland residents. Our design includes a richly detailed brick facade that is durable and an eye-catcher within its context. We believe choosing for sustainable materialization with a long lifespan will contribute to the industrial heritage of IJburg’s future.”

The substation was built by K_Dekker, who combined the entire brick, protruding ends and stone slips where ventilation is required into a pronounced facade, which marks the distribution station as a landmark in the new district.

This week, all stakeholders gathered at the construction site to celebrate the realisation and collaboration. In this way, we are taking another step towards making sustainable building the standard.

Here you can find the full project page with more information and photos.

Celebration Collaboration and Realization Substation Amsterdam IJburg
Celebration Collaboration and Realization Substation Amsterdam IJburg
Celebration Collaboration and Realization Substation Amsterdam IJburg
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