GA/30.09.09                                               REFURB 1/2

IS THIS HIGH RISE BLOCK NEW OR JUST REFURBISHED?

It is difficult to tell whether an apartment block is new, or just refurbished using the latest external wall insulation technologies to change it into a trendy and interesting development meeting today’s standards of thermal efficiency. Three such refurbished apartment blocks are winners of the INCA Andy Swan Awards 2009, social housing high rise category, sponsored by the Insulated Render and Cladding Association for the best use of external wall insulation.

          The winner is Canterbury House, Borehamwood, Herts, an 18-storey no-fines tower block overclad with Permarock’s acrylic through-coloured render in three contrasting colours to provide identity on the elevations, with brick slips at ground floor level.

          The insulation thickness specified by the Ridgehill Housing Association – 75mm mineral fibre and 20mm phenolic – achieves a U-value of 0.35W/m²K. The system designer was PermaRock Products Ltd; the installer, Repex Ltd – both INCA members.

          Highly commended was Lansdowne Court, Easton, Bristol BS5, where the specifier, Bristol City Council in association with Michael Dyson Associates, wished to improve the thermal performance of the building. Originally with a U-value of 2.17W/m²K for the wall structure, this was decreased to 0.34W/m²K by incorporating external wall insulation.

          The WBS insulated render system was specified, incorporating 50mm phenolic insulation, finished in contrasting silicone render colours, with brick slips to first and second floors. The main contractor was ROK Bristol; the system designer, Wetherby Building Systems Ltd; and the installer, Joyner PA (Cymru) Ltd – the latter two members of INCA.

          Also highly commended was the Miles Platting PFI Scheme of council flats at Oldham Road, Manchester, where external wall insulation was used to upgrade the brick substrate to a U-value of 0.35W/m²K.

          PRP Architects specified a Weber insulated render system, with 40mm of mineral fibre slab in the substrate and 100mm EPS in an open cavity, with a dash finish in white. The insulation was notched to accommodate projecting ring beams. The system designer was Weber; and the installer, Slimline Building Services Ltd – both INCA members.

          Technical information on external wall insulation for new build and refurbishment is available from the Insulated Render & Cladding Association at Royal London House, 22-25 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1DX
; tel: 0844 249 0040; fax: 0844 249 0042; e-mail: info@inca-ltd.org.uk; or www.inca-ltd.org.uk.

♦      ♦       ♦

Further information from the INCA Secretariat
on 0844 249 0040.

Downloadable Images:-

images\Canterbury House

images\Lansdowne Court, Easton, Bristol

images\Butler Court, Miles Platting PFI scheme

GO TO TOP OF PAGE

♦      ♦       ♦