Insulation at the service of design

A project like the Tomasjord waste-water treatment plant in Norway is a good example: The architect selects specific materials to express a vision, and then depends on ROCKWOOL facade solutions to deliver first-class protection.

Insulation at the service of design
In Tromsø, Norway, people take the weather seriously. Located 340 km North of the arctic circle, this city of nearly 70,000 people gets lots of snow in the winter - and rain almost any time of the year. That's why architect Odd Steinsvik thinks very carefully about the materials he specifies in places like Tromsø.

Take the Tomasjord waste-water treatment plant: Completed in 2010, the Tomasjord waste-water treatment plant's facade had to offer protection from harsh elements plus design freedom.

Symbolising the water purification process, the building's facade combines grey slate (representing untreated water), a stunning blue-green glass (the clean water), and render. This unusual mix of siding materials placed considerable demands on the insulating layer.

"We think ROCKWOOL is the best insulation out here," says Mr Steinsvik. "We specified it for the Tomasjord project because it offers efficiency-boosting thermal protection without collecting moisture, which can damage a structure," he explains.

From a single material within the facade construction, you get insulation, fire protection, acoustic dampening, protection from water damage, and mechanical properties that support ventilated cladding or ETICS. "It really enabled our whole facade concept," Mr Steinsvik concludes.

Few materials solve as many problems as stone wool
The very essence of ROCKWOOL insulation is to deliver protection from the elements, while also enabling greater design freedom. We call it "CREATE AND PROTECT".

A project like the Tomasjord waste-water treatment plant in Norway is a good example: The architect selects specific materials to express a vision, and then depends on ROCKWOOL facade solutions to deliver first-class protection.

Regardless of the outer covering you choose, ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation protects against extreme temperatures, fire and even potentially damaging moisture.

"It really enabled our whole façade concept." - Odd Steinsvik, Architect


Using ROCKWOOL insulation as an inner layer opens many doors for aesthetic finishing.  Architect Steinsvik from Architect AS in Tromsø chose an exterior insulation solution with Flex System. By insulating from the outside there are no thermal bridges and it also saves interior space. The building in about 13 meter high, and the Flex System wall is cladded with glass, slate and plaster.