Refurbishment: Social Housing: Low Rise
Winner: Millmead Estate, Margate

The Millmead Estate, off Millmead Road, Margate, Kent is set high on a hill overlooking Margate. Originally a run-down estate, consisting of four blocks, the specifiers, Thanet District Council wanted to improve its thermal performance and aesthetic appeal.

The original tile hanging was removed and the houses were overclad with Alsecco external wall insulation, with 50 – 70 mm of EPS insulation to provide a 0.35W/m²K thermal performance. A combination of brick slips and textured render matched the local architecture of render and brick. A silicone-based topcoat was used to eliminate risk of airborne salt water/sulphate attack. Coupled with a new heating system, heating costs were dramatically reduced for tenants. The system designer was Alsecco (UK) Ltd; and the installer, Connaught Property Services Ltd.