Five buildings, five different cladding solutions. Cm explores why each was selected and what it brings to the application
a. Because it makes glazing simple
Couldn’t find an office big enough for your business? Why not consider buying two properties and joining them up, as one IT firm has done in this application. The link has been made possible with Dorma’s Manet Construct system, which creates the appearance of a frameless glazed link between the buildings.
It’s a good choice for making glass-to-glass and glass-to-building connections and was central to the design of this development. A key component of Manet Construct is the Spider, an articulated hub joint with 3D movement.
It helps compensate for building tolerances in the substructure by absorbing the load at the fixing points. This feature proved useful in this application when dealing with the old stone building’s shapes and lines.
b. Because it looks cute
You don’t see run-of-the-mill workshops like this every day. The striking stitching pattern on these new workshops in Clydebank has been screen printed on to Marley Eternit Multiclad fibre cement panels, 1000m2 in all. The pattern
is a reference to the old Singer sewing machine factory, which at one time was the largest in the world. Reiner Novak of GM+AD Architects says he opted for Multiclad, a rainscreen panel system, because it is an inexpensive, durable product which can be used to create artistic exteriors such as this. Three colours have been used, terra brown, pastel and copper brown, to reflect the surrounding landscape. Local youths who might be itching to get at the building with their spray cans will be disappointed, though: the panels have been topped off with an anti-graffiti coating.
c. Because it’s low maintenance
Britain’s boffins clearly cannot work if they are constantly disturbed by the maintenance crews that work on so many of our ailing school buildings. So low maintenance was a key factor in the selection of Corus Colorcoat Prisma pre-finished steel for two new research buildings at Oxford University’s Begbroke Science Park. Installed by cladding specialist Elevations, to designs by Stubbs Rich Architects, the cladding scored top marks for corrosion, scratch resistance, flexibility and UV discoloration. The architect settled on aquarius as the colour choice for the composite panel system and as the buildings contain red cedar in their facades, which will eventually turn silver-grey due to weathering, the cladding will appear complementary. Can’t help thinking the scientists will have their minds on other things, though.
d. Because there aren’t any brickies
Can’t find a reliable brickie? Not enough time to build a wall? Not enough room? Permafast panels are designed to work on largescale urban developments in tight locations. It’s a total system, complete with pointed masonry finish and insulation and acoustic properties. Panels are delivered with lifting eyes, to allow the whole wall to be lifted from the delivery vehicle and secured to the structure. The speed of erection is claimed to be up to 15 times quicker than traditional methods creating broad expanses of masonry walling with no specialist skills or wet trades required. Panel sizes cover up to 20m2.
e. Because it’s curved
The University of Dundee’s new Department of Applied Computing is an application that literally drove specifiers round the bend – the building incorporates clusters of circular pods around a central spine. The cladding is an external wall insulation system by Sto and is claimed to be one of the largest examples of its kind in the UK. According to architect Page & Park, StoTherm is particularly suitable for fixing to curved substrates and helped to achieve the seamless surface on the outside of the building. The system features 100mm-thick insulation boards, preformed to the specific radii which was topped off with StoLit K1.5, a water-based synthetic resin render with a stippled effect.
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Construction Manager
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