Roofing Membranes in Belgian Resort | Elevate EMEA

Elevate has a 40-year legacy of proven experience in roofing solutions that perform reliably and protect communities. Elevate's RubberGard EPDM roofing membrane was used in the construction of the Terhills Resort in the North of Belgium.

Located in Dilsen-Stokkem, near the borders of the Netherlands and Germany, the holiday park was a large undertaking for all parties involved. The complex has 250 cottages, all unique in size and features along with the Terhills Resort, all built with sustainable initiatives at the forefront.

© Terhills Resort by Center Parcs

Next to the Hoge Kempen National Park, the Terhills Resort is a calm destination away from the hustle of city life. The luxury retreat contains 250 cottages and several central halls, designed by Dutch agency Zeelenberg Architecture and landscape architect Jean Henkens. A former mining and gravel quarrying site, the resort is built around a stunning natural lake pastured between the trees.

The 250 spacious and modern cottages are all unique in shape and size. Each one is tilted in a slightly different direction to provide privacy for its guests. The buildings are made up of circular, renewable materials throughout, without compromising on comfort or luxury. Most of the cottages are located near the waterside, and some are furnished with lavish features such as outdoor kitchens and saunas.

© Terhills Resort by Center Parcs

The Terhills Resort was designed with the '3 P's philosophy' in mind - People, Planet, and Prosperity. No efforts were spared to make it a haven of sustainability. Carefully selected building materials were used, and the roofs of the central buildings are covered with sedum vegetation. Multiple new waterways were built to lead into the lake, improving water quality and boosting local biodiversity. The resort was designed with an all-electric plan and a battery park, enabling it to partially generate its own renewable energy. Additionally, the whole resort will be accessible by an electric shuttle bus, eliminating the need for residents to take their cars. The resort will also provide numerous employment opportunities for the surrounding municipalities, thereby increasing prosperity in the region.

The roofing system was chosen to align with the project's sustainability goals. Zeelenberg Architectuur selected EPDM membranes for their durability of over 50 years. First, a vapor barrier membrane was installed over the wooden roof deck of the cottages, followed by PIR insulation boards. A total of 25,000 m² of 1.1 mm thick Elevate'sRubberGard EPDM membranes were fully adhered on top.

© Terhills Resort by Center Parcs

One of the main challenges during construction was that the cottages were all slightly different in dimensions and featured different roof details. A Bill of Quantities Calculation (BOQ) was therefore carried out by Elevate Master Contractor TECTUM DEKKERS for the roof of every single cottage. The project was carried out within a very ambitious timeframe. Works started in May 2019 and although they were briefly halted in 2020 due to the first COVID lockdown in Belgium, the roofs of all 250 cottages were completed later that year.

To speed up the installation process, the membranes were precut offsite. Furthermore, the availability of RubberGard EPDM in large panels significantly reduced the number of seams, and most roofs were installed using a single seamless panel. The RubberGard EPDM system also made it easy to seal roof details like ventilation pipes, which was a valuable asset during installation.