Moderna impresses with Master Oak in new offices
01/02/2023
An impressive entrance hall with stylish staircase. A playful yet elegant kitchen. Sleek desks with the cosy feel of wood. Employees and customers quickly feel at home in the new offices of Moderna Products, a manufacturer of pet plastic products. Unilin Master Oak adds a warm, luxurious oak touch in combination with 'harder' materials such as concrete and steel. “Master Oak is both beautiful and high-performing,” says architect Lieze Vergauwe from AAVO Architects, who worked closely with joinery firm Holvoet Gebroeders on this project.
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Master Oak: the choice is quickly made
Like Moderna, are you looking for a warm interior with a natural look and feel? “It’s easy to get to wood structures,” says Lieze. "Master Oak immediately stood out in the series of samples we studied with the developer. The structure and matt finish soon convinced us of the product."
In addition to appearance, performance also played a major role in the choice of Master Oak. "An office environment and kitchen begs for materials that stand the test of time. And if it’s attractive, so much the better. Master Oak not only approaches the beauty of real oak, but is also more resistant to scratches and stains, for example."
Sustainability was another important driver for the choices in the construction project. “Moderna has been working with as much recycled material as possible for a long time,” explains Lieze. "That sustainable thinking permeated our design. For example, the heat that Moderna generates during production is recovered in the underfloor heating of the building. Master Oak fits in perfectly with that sustainable image, as it consists of 95% recycled wood. Nice to have!"
An office environment begs for materials that stand the test of time. And if it’s nice, so much the better. Master Oak is the perfect combination of beauty and performance.
- Lieze Vergauwe, architect at AAVO Architects
Gracefully black
In the entrance hall, it is impossible to take your eyes off the impressive staircase. It is clad in stylish black Master Oak. “The original plan was to use veneer here,” says Lieze. “But the beautiful result with Master Oak in the dining room convinced us and Moderna to also go for Master Oak in the staircases.”
“Master Oak Elegant Black goes perfectly with the hard materials we used in the hallway. Black adds a luxurious touch in combination with the tile floor, concrete staircase and steel handrails. Fine Master Oak boards on the outside of the stairs mask the sound-absorbing material behind them. The wall shelves in Master Oak and the black lighting elements complete the look."
Master Oak fits in perfectly with that sustainable image, as it consists of 95% recycled wood. Nice to have!
- Lieze Vergauwe, architect at AAVO Architects
Cosy brown
The partition walls between the desks are finished with Master Oak Brown. Lieze: "Here the difference from real oak is hardly noticeable. The walls in Master Oak give the offices the warm, natural look that Moderna dreamed of. But they are also practical: we have integrated cabinets into a number of walls. We also used Master Oak to finish the separation between desks. This way we subtly draw the warm oak look through the entire interior."
"A real eye-catcher in the office environment is the bar with cabinets and table and worktops in Elegant Black HPL. In the back wall of the bar, you can see the fine slat pattern of the steps again. In the meeting room and creative corner of the office, we again highlighted Moderna blue with Ink Blue HPL.”
The difference from real oak is hardly noticeable, especially in the brown Master Oak. Incredible!
- Lieze Vergauwe, architect at AAVO Architects
Feels like home
“I am personally very happy with the result,” says Lieze. "More importantly, Moderna is also extremely satisfied and has already received a lot of positive feedback from employees and customers. The high level of finish and wood effect gives you the feeling of being at home in certain places in your living room. I can't wait to use Master Oak on other projects."