There is a growing awareness in the construction industry that we need to start working in a different way, without unnecessarily depleting our natural resources, polluting the living environment and further degrading ecosystems. The ultimate goal: a circular economy in 2050. Wood plays an essential role in this, according to Oene Wassenaar, director of Vianen Kozijnen.
"Not only in terms of appearance, but also in terms of environmental impact and sustainability, wood offers great advantages over other building materials. Sustainably sourced wood has low emissions, is CO2-neutral, fireproof and has a high insulating capacity. This natural, reusable and energy-producing raw material for window frames therefore fits perfectly into the circular building ambition."
Wood is a raw material that continues to renew itself. "As long as you choose sustainably produced wood, the circle remains closed. You give back what you take: for every tree felled, at least one new tree is planted."
Recycling and upcycling also play a role, where wood can be utilized successively as a door, frame, piece of furniture, toy and/or biomass. "Not for nothing, wooden windows, doors and frames are increasingly winning out over plastic and aluminum," he said.
In recent years, the production department at Vianen Kozijnen in Montfoort was working overtime, until the corona crisis temporarily put projects "on hold" and/or dampened volumes. "Our production is still well filled, but room has also been created for developments. For example, production processes are being designed even tighter and leaner. Moreover, we are actively looking at new concepts so that we can deliver our frames, windows and wooden façade elements even faster. Also to new target groups. Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) is key," says Wassenaar.
"As an organization, we see huge opportunities in modular construction. In our production we use standard components as much as possible, which we not only process ourselves, but also keep in stock as standard. As a result, we are hardly dependent on suppliers."
In order to keep inventories up to date, Vianen Kozijnen has made clear supplier agreements. Among others with SIEGENIA, which supplies all window and sliding door systems. The choice of SIEGENIA was a logical one, according to Wassenaar, because of its quality, speed of delivery, reliability and price. "Thanks to the combination of our high-quality wooden frames, windows and doors and SIEGENIA's solid hardware, we can guarantee high delivery quality. On construction, hardware problems rarely occur. Moreover, the lines of communication with SIEGENIA are short. Thanks to the cooperation, we are assured of one contact person and one supplier for all window and sliding door systems."
A great reference for the cooperation between Vianen Kozijnen and SIEGENIA and an excellent example of the high quality of delivery are the 17 characteristic townhouses and 38 urban villas of project Koningsdaal in Nijmegen, which are inspired by the richly detailed 19th-century houses in Nijmegen East and the Bottendaal district. The heights and layers of earlier times and the contemporary sleek facades and fenestration create a beautiful connection between the new construction and historic old buildings of Nijmegen.
Commissioned by contractor Klok Groep BV, Vianen Kozijnen produced all wooden windows, doors and frames for the 55 homes. "All products were delivered to the project complete - that is, including topcoat paint, glazing and hardware - where they could be assembled immediately."
All windows and casement components are fitted with SIEGENIA systems. "Whereas SIEGENIA is a regular supplier to Vianen Kozijnen, we are a regular co-maker with Klok Groep BV," Wassenaar said. "We provide the wooden carpentry and wooden façade elements for the Nijmegen contractor, in accordance with predetermined specifications and using modular components, thus guaranteeing consistently high quality. Even before the homes are developed."