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A new apartment building in London has shown that even on tight plots, there’s no need to compromise on quality to meet the ongoing housing shortage, combining the excellent fabric performance and fast-track construction offered by the Kingspan TEK Building System, with stylish architectural design.
Designed by Groves Natcheva Architects and delivered by AEDIF Projects and Bernard Construction UK LLP, the three storey apartment building has been constructed on the site of a former car workshop in a residential area of South London. The apartments meet the requirements of Lifetime Homes Standard and to complement the surrounding architecture the building has been constructed with an attractive London stock brick façade.
In order to deliver a high level of thermal performance, the Kingspan TEK Building System of structural insulated panels (SIPs) was erected by Kingspan Delivery Partners, Lowfield Timber Frames, forming the roof and walls of the building. The 142 mm thick panels used on the project feature a highly insulated core sandwiched between two layers of OSB/3.
Lowfield Timber Frames designed and cut the panels to the precise requirements of the project. This not only ensured site waste was kept to a minimum, but also allowed the System to be fully erected in just 7 weeks, with a predictable construction programme. Once the waterproof membrane was applied to the outer face of the panels the building was weather tight. This allowed internal work to commence at the same time as the brick façade was being constructed.
Craig Sharp, director at AEDIF Projects Ltd, commented:
“We chose the Kingspan TEK Building System for speed of construction and the quality of the product. Whilst timber frame can of course be pre-fitted with insulation, there is a tendency for shrinkage so the thermal efficiency could marginally deteriorate, with Kingspan TEK this wasn’t an issue. The Kingspan TEK Building System also allowed for a more space efficient roof structure, minimising internal supports and therefore maximising useable space within the vaulted ceilings.
In addition, in order to meet the requirements for Code Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, we were looking to achieve excellent thermal performance through low u-values and minimal air permeability. In this instance, the Kingspan TEK Building System, together with the upgraded fire blanket and insulations, achieved U-values of 0.17 W/m2.K for walls and 0.10 W/m2.K for the roof structure together with average air test results of less than 6m³/hr.m².
Overall we were very pleased with the product and service from Lowfield Timber Frames: from the initial order through the well-co-ordinated and efficient design process to the highly competent and hardworking installation team.”
