NOA outdoor living NOA outdoor living
Case story

From industrial panel to high-end design

Anyone who still automatically associates plastic panels with industry or agriculture has clearly missed out on Paneltim over the past two years. What once began in livestock housing is now appearing in plunge pools, roof gardens and sophisticated bespoke projects. It’s an unexpected and sustainable evolution that creates new creative scope, particularly for designers. We sit down for a chat with CEO Annelies Deltour.

NOA PARTNER

Why did this shift towards architecture and design happen?

Annelies Deltour: “We’ve been specialists in hollow-cell polypropylene panels for thirty years. They’re functional, strong, hygienic and easy to customise. At a certain point, you realise you’ve reached an aesthetic ceiling for designers. So we looked for an application that went even deeper into the niche: the Paneltim Base panel. A panel that, thanks to a laminated textile layer, can be finished with any surface treatment – from tiles, clinker bricks, painting techniques and sprayed cork to stucco. And so, with these large ‘weldable and finishable panels’, you naturally end up working with architects and designers.”

Has Paneltim become a sort of designer brand, then?

“The designer always remains in the driving seat. That’s important. With Paneltim Base, we offer a solution for the construction process, not an aesthetic straitjacket. This panel gives creators unprecedented design freedom, both in terms of form and finish. At the same time, they benefit from the properties of our panels: lightweight, strong, insulating, weather-resistant and durable. They are also 100% recyclable. Through our Buy Back Programme, we even take them back at the end of their life to reprocess them into raw materials.”

What makes the system so appealing for outdoor projects?

“To be honest, that’s where the greatest freedom lies today. The material is rot-proof and corrosion-free. The possibilities are almost endless. I’ve tested it myself on my own roof garden. Whereas traditional materials impose limitations in terms of weight or logistics, with Paneltim Base we were really able to let our imaginations run wild. And make it happen.”

You turned it into a personal experiment straight away?

(laughs) “Absolutely. We moved from a house with a garden on the outskirts to the city centre. There was no garden, just a large flat roof. So we needed strong, lightweight materials to turn our creative ideas into reality. I had a fully prefabricated plunge pool with a tap installed on my roof. We also used Paneltim Base panels to create a garden wall and finish the lift shaft. As we were able to design everything to our exact specifications, the plunge pool was expanded to include a large jacuzzi with a built-in cupboard to conceal the technical equipment. A rain garden will soon be added to the terrace for growing some vegetables, fruit and a small apple tree that will grow along the garden wall. The best part? The finish. I didn’t have to make any compromises – I could choose and aim for a southern European atmosphere with colour. That makes a huge difference.”

Are designers already queuing up?

“The product is still relatively new in the construction market, and although projects have already been completed over the past two years, we are primarily still working on raising awareness. That is why venues like NOA outdoor living are so important to us. Here, we can demonstrate what is possible and engage in conversation. Many designers are not yet familiar with the product and are unaware that we are on hand to guide them through the process of creating an initial prototype, tailored to their design. This creates a collaboration in which everyone does what they do best: the designer creates, we assist with development or connect them with a creator from our network, and the specialists finish the job.”

About NOA:
NOA outdoor living is an experience park for outdoor design in Kruisem. In the theme gardens, you can find inspiration to decorate your garden. These gardens combine architecture, landscape, and interior, and welcome architects, landscape architects, designers, and contractors as well as private prospects. In this inspiration park, you will find luxurious garden furniture and designs by more than 25 high-end partners, who are happy to advise you as you bring your dream garden to life. Moreover, the park is the perfect professional networking location; the conference rooms, covered patio, spacious showroom, and plaza of NOA outdoor living are the ideal setting for your conference, product presentation, or product launch.

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