Making an impact with Unilin MDF

Reconfiguring a building for new or updated use is not for the faint-hearted. Every (re)developer knows it. Getting caught up in the romance of the history embedded in the walls is no-go when it’s a business proposition and the economy of time and money is key. But respect for its past might just be the ticket to its future success. Earth-friendly sustainable solutions are essential now, but how do they square with the budget? Time is of the essence – but can a polished, durable result be achieved at speed?

All these challenges, but especially time poverty, were never more acute than for the young Belgian entrepreneurs Colin Dearman and partner Klaas Van Laeren in early 2020. Back in October 2019 they had impetuously bought the decoratively dingy Hotel Astoria in the coastal Belgian town of De Haan. They committed to restoring the once fabulous Belle Epoque building to its former glory, and secured backing from GCCF (Groep Caenen Capital Fund). Interior architect Danny Hoorelbeke of Project Vijf was quickly signed up to the project and he, in turn, brought Marianne Scheyving of mINT architectuur on board.

Even before Covid lockdowns came along to confound the efforts of the four-strong team, their ambition to reopen the hotel’s doors by 1st July 2020 was already looking to be a serious test. The scale of the overhaul was vast – 3000 sqm of neglected space, including 65 hotel rooms, to be revived in just six months. The many challenges, however, were largely solved with a single decision. The choice to employ an ecologically-conscious, durably designed and decoratively refined mdf from local firm Unilin as their main material in the remoulding of the interior. 

Prosaic though it may appear to be alongside the poetic backdrop of Belle Epoque architecture, Unilin’s Clicwall panels were perfect for the job, and serve to show how much the composite material has evolved from a poor-man’s wood alternative, to something of a noble material itself.

The clicwall system in particular, which was used in conjunction with Juunoo wall partitioning for this project, was a speedy way to bring consistent polish to the interior walls. As soon as the conversations began with Unilin, the delivery wheels were in motion aided by the internal consultant Ines Goeminne. 'Clicwall is ideal for renovations, especially when the deadline is tight,' confirms Goeminne. 'In the designs, which we developed ourselves incidentally, we emphasise authenticity.' Not only is it possible to install it quickly and without a surfeit of dust, it has an impact-resistant and maintenance-friendly melamine surface, and comes in an ever-expanding palette of finishes.

To bring elegance to the Astoria’s new walls, H265 V1A Dainty Oak café noir was chosen, and carried through into the furnishing of the rooms – to create open cabinets with brass accents. 'Clicwall is cleverly constructed, can be installed quickly and is also very affordable,' agrees Hoorelbeke. 'The supplied corner profiles in the same colour as the wall are also a great discovery. And the stylish designs give me, as an interior architect, plenty of opportunities to express my creativity.'

Noble means nothing these days if sustainability isn’t part of a product’s make up, and Unilin is investing heavily in making the manufacture of its MDF circular. 'Because of the use of adhesives as a binding agent for the wood fibres, no industrially viable method existed to recycle the fibres from fibreboard waste at the end of their product life.' explains Véronique Hoflack, president of Unilin Panels. 'That means that the lion’s share is incinerated after use. We have developed a new and innovative process to recycle these wood fibres for the production of new panel material. This technology doubles the life of the wood fibres giving new trees the chance to grow and, in turn, store CO².' These efforts put Unilin Panels on track to replace at least 25% of its raw materials mix with recycled fibres by 2030.

The Hotel Astoria opened just one week late on the 10th July 2020. The odds were stacked against it, but with smart material choices, the team pulled off something of a make-over miracle, which honoured all the requirements of the renovation rulebook. 

© Architonic

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