Realco cafeteria

In January 2020, the buildings of Realco, a company specialising in enzyme-based cleaning products, burned down. The offices were spared, but the entire production hall went up in smoke. Reconstructing the building was an opportunity for the company to think about their spaces differently. They were particularly ambitious in terms of the circular economy, to reduce the environmental impact of their new hall. Rotor was appointed for the interior design of the new cafetaria.

The challenges in fitting out this new space were varied: the aim was to design a bright, user-friendly space, using as much materials and furniture with a low environmental impact as possible, while at the same time giving thought to the maintenance and repair of the elements - in other words, to the entire life cycle of the interior. The materials that were chosen for the new cafeteria include reclaimed light fittings, ceramic and terrazzo tiles, armchairs, glulam table tops and cubes in corten steel from Rotor DC and reclaimed chairs from Office meubels. The elements of the existing kitchen which survived the fire were reused in-situ. The only new materials used are melamine boards for the kitchen, wooden planks as windowsills and Heraklith panels for acoustic insulation.

The initial ambitions have largely been achieved: more than 80% (in mass) of the elements integrated into the project are second-hand.