Sustainable wood ceilings for Rheden City Hall

Hunter Douglas Architectural is proud to have played a key role in the construction of the new Rheden City Hall, a building designed with a strong focus on sustainability and circular principles. From the outset, the municipality aimed to create a future-proof workplace that reflects its environmental values and community vision.

Reusing timber from the former City Hall

As part of this ambition, Hunter Douglas Architectural was tasked with exploring how timber from the former City Hall could be repurposed in the new interior. The initial plan was to integrate 1,000 m² of reclaimed wood with 1,000 m² of new material for the ceilings. This concept aligned perfectly with both the municipality’s goals and our expertise in sustainable, high-performance ceiling solutions.

Meeting stringent fire safety requirements

One of the main challenges in this process was achieving the required fire safety classification for the reclaimed timber. Ultimately, it was decided to use the reclaimed Western Red Cedar, foreseen with a fire-retardant coating, exclusively in the council chamber, creating a space that connects heritage with contemporary design. In the remaining areas, the new Western Red Cedar ceiling was installed to maintain a seamless and elegant appearance throughout the building.

1,640 m² of wood linear western red cedar

In total, Hunter Douglas Architectural delivered 1,640 m² of Derako® Veneered Wood Linear in Western Red Cedar. This system, consisting of 60mm wide panels and a 30mm joint, offers both refined aesthetics and exceptional acoustic performance, enhancing comfort and functionality. Beyond supplying the materials, our team collaborated closely with the architects and contractors to ensure flawless execution, meeting performance demands without compromising the design intent.

“The reuse of existing materials was an essential ambition for this project,” said the design team at Zenber Architecten and DP6 Architectuurstudio. “By carefully balancing sustainability, functionality, and safety requirements, we created an interior that is both future-proof and deeply connected to the past.”

A symbol of sustainable public architecture

The new Rheden City Hall is now a landmark for sustainable and circular building practices, realised in close collaboration between Hunter Douglas Architectural, Zenber Architecten, DP6 Architectuurstudio, Van Wijnen Arnhem, and Donec Afbouw. It demonstrates how thoughtful design and material innovation can deliver buildings that serve both people and the planet.