Architects: Grosfeld Bekkers Van der Velde Architecten
Photographs: Sint-Oelbert Gymnasium
Material: Pretty Plastic by Bureau SLA and Overtreders W
Municipality: Oosterhout
Country: The Netherlands
Grosfeld Bekkers Van der Velde Architecten completed the music pavilion at Sint-Oelbert Gymnasium in Oosterhout, Netherlands, the first permanent building to feature Pretty Plastic, a 100% recycled PVC cladding material developed by Dutch studios Overtreders W and Bureau SLA. Made from PVC waste like window frames and gutters, the grey diamond-shaped tiles are installed in overlapping rows with a single screw. Initially created for the 2017 People’s Pavilion at Dutch Design Week, the material was later commercialized and is now produced in Belgium by Govaplast using shredded PVC sourced from across the Netherlands. Fire-rated as class B, the tiles offer distinct finishes from varied plastic materials. Architect Pascal Grosfeld initiated the Sint-Oelbert project after encountering the tiles at Dutch Design Week. Overtreders W and Bureau SLA are now expanding the product line with new colors and shapes.
A new series of facade cladding tiles crafted from recycled PVC construction waste, designed by the Dutch studios Overtreders W and Bureau SLA, has been applied to a permanent building for the first time. Named Pretty Plastic, the designers assert that the product is the “first 100 percent recycled cladding material” globally. The first permanent structure to feature the hanging tiles, a school music pavilion in the Netherlands, was completed by the Dutch studio Grosfeld Bekkers Van der Velde Architecten in January. The grey, diamond-shaped shingles are crafted from shredded PVC building materials, including window frames, downspouts, and rain gutters. They are installed in overlapping rows using a single screw. Initially developed in 2017, the tiles were granted class B fire approval (very difficult to burn), enabling their use as cladding material on external facades.
The tiles were originally created for the People’s Pavilion, a temporary auditorium built for Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven in 2017. Designed by Bureau SLA and Overtreders W, the pavilion showcased how circular economy principles could be integrated into architecture, with each component intended for reuse after the structure was dismantled. The pavilion was covered with 9,000 custom-molded plastic shingles produced from waste collected from local residents. Architects Peter van Assche of Bureau SLA, along with Reinder Bakker and Hester van Dijk of Overtreders W, later transformed the shingles into a commercial product.
Van Dijk explained, “After the success of the People’s Pavilion, many people asked us where the upcycled plastic facade tiles could be bought. So, we decided to start a new company called Pretty Plastic.” Van Assche remarked, “Apart from bio-based materials, genuine 100 percent sustainable cladding materials hardly exist. Pretty Plastic is the first facade material made from 100 percent upcycled plastic waste, as far as we know.” He further stated, “For people seeking recycled materials that support a circular economy, Pretty Plastic is one of the few products suitable for use on facades.”
Each Pretty Plastic tile is crafted from materials collected at construction sites across the Netherlands, which are then sorted and shredded into five-millimeter-wide pieces. Once shredded, the pieces are shipped to Belgium, where they are processed into shingles by Govaplast, a company specializing in recycled plastic materials. Pretty Plastic is available in various shades of grey, with each tile featuring a unique finish resulting from the diverse plastic products used in its creation.
The Sint-Oelbert Gymnasium in Oosterhout, Netherlands, is the first permanent building to be clad with the shingles. Pascal Grosfeld of Grosfeld Bekkers Van der Velde Architecten expressed interest in the product after observing it on the demonstration building at Dutch Design Week. Van Assche commented, “As with many good things in life, the collaboration came by chance. Pascal Grosfeld had shown interest in the plastic tiles ever since visiting the People’s Pavilion.”
Van Assche added, “Pascal and I both attended the Sint-Oelbert Gymnasium as teenagers. Pascal and the school were excited to be the guinea pig for Pretty Plastic, and we loved that too.” Overtreders W and Bureau SLA are currently working on expanding the product line by creating new colors and shapes.
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Project Location
Address: Sint-Oelbert Gymnasium, Warandelaan 3, 4904 PA Oosterhout, Netherlands
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
