South Cheshire is amongst the country’s best performing FE colleges and required an innovative and contemporary facility to reflect its excellence and to embody its commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Jefferson Sheard Architects designed a new 26,500sq metre curved building based on the concept of a village street, with individual departments functioning like shop fronts.

The curved facade on the nursery section of the building demanded a first class insulation system. Alumasc worked closely with Approved Installer MIB Facades to deliver an appropriate technical solution for the project.

Rob Sharrock, director of MIB, comments: “We were appointed to install the EWI on this particular section of the building and immediately recommended the Alumasc Swistherm system using 140mm thick Lamella Board finished in 1.5mm white Silkolitt render. We had total confidence that this system would perform superbly and be straightforward to install onto the cement particle board and SFS substrate. As expected, the system has achieved the required U-value of 0.23W/m²K.”

The Main Contractor at South Cheshire College was BAM Construction.

For further details on Swistherm, click here

For further details on the full range of Alumasc External Wall Insulation, click here

Managed by Merseyside-based housing association Helena Partnerships, the scheme, in the Moss Bank area of St Helens, comprises 107 British Iron and Steel Federation (BISF) homes, well known for their poor thermal insulation and environmental performance.

EWI makes a significant contribution to thermal efficiency and aesthetics, and as such, was a key element in Helena’s proposed programme of works, which also included new windows, doors and solar panels.

Helena’s design team specified Alumasc’s Swisspan EWI system incorporating 100mm of Kingspan Kooltherm® K5 External Wall Board insulation, which was installed by Alumasc’s Approved Installer Forrest of Preston.

The Swisspan system is used regularly for upgrading social housing to meet the Decent Homes Standard and non-traditional, “hard to treat” properties such as BISF, Cornish, Crudens, Unity and Airey. When used with Kingspan Kooltherm® K5, the result is a high performance, fully weather resistant and energy efficient façade.

The existing cladding systems at Moss Bank were non-structural; therefore the load of the new EWI system had to be directed to the structural stanchions of the properties. By design, Alumasc’s BBA Approved Swisspan EWI system is ideally suited to this type of application due to a horizontal galvanized steel rail system that can be mechanically fixed to the structural elements of the building, providing support for the insulation panels.

For more information about Swisspan and Alumasc’s EWI systems click here

The Insulated Render and Cladding Association (INCA) Awards celebrate leading EWI projects in the UK over the past year, covering new-build, refurb, non-residential and domestic sectors.

Trafford College, which has already earned a RIBA Award and boasts a BREEAM rating of Very Good, was announced Winner of the Non-Residential category at the INCA Conference which took place at The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on 12 October.

3500m2 of Swistherm was used to create a perfect example of  how Alumasc’s EWI systems can deliver performance and aesthetics for modern, energy efficient buildings.

The INCA judges commented: “This project reflects the aesthetic creativity offered by EWI for new build projects and the end result is a striking building which the local community can be rightly proud of”.

For full details of the Trafford College project, click here

For more information on Alumasc’s External Wall Insulation systems, click here

Angel Wharf comprises a mix of private and shared ownership apartments and modern office space, situated around a landscaped courtyard in Islington’s regeneration area. The main contractor was Mount Anvil of St Albans and the shared ownership properties are managed by Family Mosaic Housing.

A number of complex design details at Angel Wharf demanded the specification of an EWI system that could demonstrate flexibility and ease of installation. Alumasc’s Swisrail is a thin coat insulated render system specifically designed for use on framed buildings. The system met Angel Wharf’s intricate requirements, easily accommodating interfaces with windows, rendered soffits and rainscreen panels.

Alumasc’s approved installer, C&G Plastering, installed a total of 2,800m2 of Swisrail with 90mm EPS insulation panels to achieve a U-value of 0.3W/Km2. The facade was finished with ST Silkolitt 1.5mm Silicone Render in white.

Swisrail is a fully warranted system with a life expectancy in excess of 30 years, offering full NHBC compliance. It is fully weather resistant, vapour permeable and highly impact resistant.

Please use the following links for more information:

Swisslab External Wall Insulation – Click here

Silkolott Silicone Render – Click here

Alumasc’s full range of EWI systems – Click here

Alumasc Facades BBA Certificates – Click here

BBA Certification – Click here

During the course of Energy Savings Week, homeowners are invited to tap into a range of ideas and advice, designed to help reduce energy bills and promote a greener lifestyle. From how to make the most of your heating and lighting systems, to effectively insulating and weather-proofing your home, EST are on hand with a week of great ideas, to help us all save money.

Alumasc’s Swisslab and swisspan External Wall Insulation (EWI)Systems are recommended by the EST for their thermally efficient properties, and can play a large part in helping to reduce fuel bills. Both systems offer a choice of insulation thicknesses and materials which are proven to achieve very low U values.

Click here for more information on Energy Savings Week and to download a Savings Pack.

Click here for further information on Alumasc’s thermally efficient EWI systems.

Frost damage over the last 50 years had resulted in corrosion of the outer reinforcement steel, causing the existing roughcast render to crack.

2500m² of Swisslab was installed on the Tarmac scheme, incorporating a high performance 1.5mm Silkolitt silicone render finish in cream along with Phenolic insulation boards.

Despite the dated architectural style of the building making it difficult to bring it up to current thermal standards, the use of Swisslab has resulted in a 77% reduction in the U-Values of the external walls from 1.35w/m2K to 0.31W/m2K.

Peter Waring, Project Manager at Tarmac, explains: “The design of the building involved the floor slabs finishing flush with the external layer of brickwork. This ruled out the possibility of using cavity wall insulation as it would have left the floor edges as cold bridging points, so we were looking for an EWI system that could be installed over the existing substrate. It was important that our chosen system provided a durable, weatherproof finish that would ultimately give the building a smooth, modern look, whilst also improving its thermal efficiency.”

For more details on Swisslab and other Alumasc EWI Systems, click here

To ensure the quality of their Installers, Alumasc hold intensive training courses, carried out by their own technical experts at their UK render manufacturing site in St Helens.

Practical involvement is a key element of the 2-day Alumasc Approved Contractor course, which covers all aspects of application for the Swisslab and Swistherm External Wall Insulation systems. Delegates have the opportunity to learn skills in: boarding; fixing; beading, application of base renders and top coats, scrim application and the installation of Alumasc’s acrylic and traditional brickslip systems.

On completion of the course, installers receive a Certificate of Attendance and will receive Alumasc Approved Contractor status after having their first project installation assessed and approved by an Alumasc Site Technician.

For course information or application details on how to become an Alumasc Approved Installer, please call 01744 648400.

Trafford College is a £25million scheme, designed by Stephenson Bell Architects to a BREEAM standard of ‘Very Good’.  Alumasc worked closely with the architects throughout the project to achieve a suitable solution for the innovative angular facade. The incorporation of modern building materials and systems into the design of Trafford College required Alumasc to develop new and unique interface details.

The project schedule required the Swistherm EWI system to be installed prior to the windows, so Alumasc detailed weatherproof window reveals to prevent the system being damaged prior to the installation of the glazing. In addition, there was a requirement for Alumasc to create interface details with the GRP Precast Feature Fins and the Sun Louvers that are installed to all south facing 1st floor windows.

A total of 3500m² of the Swistherm system was installed comprising 80mm EPS insulation boards and Alumasc’s 1.5mm Silkolitt silicone render, the latter contributing to the building’s striking contemporary exterior.

For more information on Alumasc External Wall Insulation systems, click here

The RIBA Awards were set up in 1966 to recognise great architecture all across the country. For details, click here

For more information on Swisslab, click here. (http://www.alumascfacades.co.uk/external-wall-insulation/swisslab/2/c2.4)

For more information on Alumasc’s render Systems, click here (http://www.alumascfacades.co.uk/render-systems/3)

INCA will be holding their annual Conference & Exhibition on Wednesday 12 October at The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, and this year will be focussing on how the industry can help to meet the UK’s carbon reduction targets. 

The Government’s Chief Construction Adviser Paul Morrell OBE, will deliver the keynote speech, reinforcing the policies published by the Government in their Low Carbon Construction Action Plan. 

The conference is well-timed with regard to the Green Deal which is also due to take effect in October and is expected to create a huge increase in the demand for EWI as homes and businesses look to upgrade their properties at no upfront cost. 

Representatives from Alumasc will attend the one-day event alongside over 200 delegates from Local Authorities, Housing Associations, architects, consultants and contractors. Leading Coronation Street actress Katherine Kelly will present the INCA 2011 Awards recognising the leading EWI projects from the last year. 

For more information on Alumasc’s Facade Systems, click here   

For more information on INCA, click here      

For more details on the Government’s Green Deal, click here