INCA Case Study: The Ironworks, Sheffield
The Ironworks, Sheffield
Project Type: New Build
Building Type: High Rise, Residential
Architect: Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson
System Designer: Alsecco (UK) Ltd
Installer: AllRend
System & Finish: alsecco Ecomin 400 + clay brick slips
U-Value After: 0.18W/m²K
The Ironworks, Sheffield
The Ironworks in Sheffield is a £37m regeneration project situated upon the site of the former Queen’s Hotel, and developed by Rise Homes to create a 12-storey apartment building upon the site of the former Queen’s Hotel on Scotland Street in Sheffield. This development encompasses 229 furnished apartments, comprising 144 one-bedroom, 80 two-bedroom, and five two-bedroom duplex units, along with a fitness suite, rooftop garden, an external courtyard, a communal lounge, workstations, and a multimedia room. Commenting on the scheme, its eco-innovation, sustainability and its importance to the city, Councillor Colin Ross, Lord Mayor of Sheffield said “This project is more than just a building; it symbolises our city’s resilience and commitment to a greener future. The collaboration between Rise Homes and its partners is a testament to what can be achieved when we unite with a shared vision. Sheffield’s legacy of innovation continues, and I am proud to inaugurate this remarkable development.”
Building work on the scheme began in 2021 following a tender process successfully secured by Clegg Construction. The scheme had been designed and submitted for planning by architects Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson with a traditional brickwork finish and Clegg quickly looked to find a solution that would be both cost effective and speedier and more versatile for the build process with a steel frame structure. Having seen buildings of a similar nature constructed using EWI brick slip systems, Clegg approached Alsecco to learn more and visited schemes in progress to understand the system and derive confidence in the technology.
AllRend, who were eventually to go on to secure the scheme as installer, worked with Alsecco to put together a suitable specification and price for the Ecomin 400 clay brick slip system and showed the team at Clegg work-in-progress on ongoing schemes in the north of England. Concerns about fire performance and wind resistance on what is an exposed site were quickly allayed as the system has an A2, s1-d0 Euroclass fire classification and industry-leading Dynamic Wind Uplift wind chamber test results by virtue of its ‘belts and braces’ fixing methodology and specialist bonding mortars and adhesives. The Alsecco system won out over both traditional brickwork and mechanical brick slip systems in terms of cost, speed of installation, programme flexibility and simplicity of design as no cavity needed to be designed or formed on site.
Alsecco worked with its supplier base to find a suitable brick slip which met the vision of the architects and two colours of brick slip were submitted to planning, both slips being from the family of textured buff and light grey slips available. A final visual mock-up was signed off by the client and planners and the main construction work then proceeded with the building of the steel frame structure.
Once the 12mm CP sheathing board had been installed, AllRend could then begin the installation of the Alsecco Ecomin system and Clegg were immediately able to realise one of the benefits of the system in that once the basecoat render had been applied to the insulation boards, the external wall was then weathertight and other trades could then proceed. Large areas of the building could be basecoated with the brick slipping following on ‘at leisure’. The Ecomin 400 uses a proprietary combination of mechanical and supplementary adhesive fixings. This secured the clay brick slips over high-density mineral wool insulation, achieving a low U-value and a long-term durability rating of over 60 years. The team at AllRend achieved amazing feats of workmanship in gauging the brick courses from the close confines of scaffolding including colour changes, soldier course panels and consistent pointing across all weather seasons, to the extent that the final appearance is indistinguishable from a traditional brick skin, but to the main contractor the principal benefits were faster construction, flexible programming, reduced storage space for materials and a less complex construction process.
Overall, the client, architects and main contractors were delighted with the final outcome which now stands as an impressive addition to the Sheffield skyline, visible from many parts of the city centre. As a sensitive regeneration area of the city, it sets the benchmark along the busy Scotland Street for further developments to match.
the client, architects and main contractors were delighted with the final outcome which now stands as an impressive addition to the Sheffield skyline, visible from many parts of the city centre.