The Generous Façade

The Generous Façade is an innovative, bio-based, and nature-inclusive façade concept developed by the Dutch design firm Studio Marco Vermeulen. The concept is rooted in the idea that a façade can do far more than simply seal a building against the elements; it should also give back ‘generously’ to local biodiversity and the environment. [1, 2]

Key features of the concept

•            Modular & Flexible: The system is based on a single, intelligently designed façade panel. Simply rotating this panel by 90, 180, or 270 degrees, or swapping its front and back, creates a surprising variety of unique façade patterns. This offers maximum aesthetic design freedom with minimal production resources.

•            Bio-based Materials: The panels are made from biocomposite (www.nabasco.nl and www.npsp.nl). This is a natural-fiber-reinforced biopolymer composed of renewable raw materials, including natural resins (derived from vegetable oils and residual waste streams) and natural fibers such as flax, reed, or hemp.

•            Nature-inclusive (Habitat): The façade is literally ‘generous’ to nature. The design incorporates nesting openings and shelters for birds, bats, and insects. Special wooden nesting boxes are installed behind the panels, allowing the façade to contribute directly to local urban biodiversity. Concrete Applications

Studio Marco Vermeulen has already applied or further developed this façade system and its underlying philosophy in various projects, including:

1.          Innovation Pavilion Marineterrein Amsterdam: Completed in 2023, featuring brick-red biocomposite panels (inspired by the Amsterdam School style) that incorporate openings for birds and insects.

2.          Façade for ProRail Modular Substations: A modular façade design for approximately 1,500 railway buildings across the Netherlands, featuring panels that create a continuous pattern of lines referencing the railway tracks.

Would you like to know more about a specific project where this façade has been used, or are you interested in the exact material composition of the biocomposite? Please contact us at: sales@nabasco.nl