May 30 2007
Impressive, new ‘state of the art’ buildings have won the prestigious INCA Andy Swan Awards 2007 for the best use of insulated render systems for educational buildings. The Awards are presented annually by the Insulated Render & Cladding Association (INCA).
The winner in this category is the New Fairfield School, Horfield, Bristol. This is a horseshoe shaped building, rising to a maximum height of six storeys, with a central atrium as the school assembly hall. External balconies provide access to classrooms and allow pupils to study and congregate outside. This type of design has been used successfully in Holland, where it was found to improve the behaviour of the children, giving them a more adult environment in which to study.
Cowlin and Bristol City Council required a high level of insulation to meet the U-value of below 0.2W/m2K – and to preserve the environment: 100 mm thick mineral fibre insulation boards were used on a steel-frame building. The external cladding is mainly self-coloured rendering, with a feature facing brick plinth to the ground floor, with timber panelling. The system designer is PermaRock Products Ltd; and the installer Joyner PA Ltd, both INCA members.
The runner-up is the Llandudno Theatre and Conference Centre, North Wales. The specifier, Hickton Madeley Architects, wanted to give a series of disparate buildings a unified appearance, presenting a strong visual image acceptable within a conservation area. The insulated render system used 20 and 30 mm of EPS insulation to achieve a U-value of 0.30W/m2K. The crisp, white through-coloured render, used with grey in some areas, contrasted and complemented the vast array of glazing utilised to gain excellent views of Llandudno’s promenade and bay area. The system designer is PermaRock Products Ltd; the installer, E J Horrocks Ltd – both INCA members.
Highly commended is the Sage, Gateshead, a cultural arts facility. This is the biggest development on the Tyne estuary and the third in a series of significant buildings, following the Gateshead Millennium Bridge and the international centre of contemporary art (Baltic). The architect, Foster & Partners, London, used external wall insulation applied to the performance spaces, which are designed as buildings within a building. The render emphasises the solidity of forms within the space, whilst reinforcing the acoustic properties of the massive structures of the halls. The curves were produced to a smooth radius by applying the render over polystyrene insulation. The system designer is Sto Ltd; and the installer George Howe Ltd – both INCA members.
The Insulated Render & Cladding Association will be presenting some of the Award projects at its annual Seminar and Exhibition in October. Architects, builders, registered social landlords and other specifiers are invited to register their interest with INCA, who are at PO Box 12, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 3AH, tel: 01428 654011; fax: 01428 651401; e-mail: [email protected]; www.inca-ltd.org.uk.