Click on the advert above to visit the company web site

Product category: Walls
News Release from: Sto | Subject: StoTherm Mineral 'M'
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial Team on 28 January 2005

Stunning finish at Millennium Village

Stunning Sto façade insulation system used for apartments at the Greenwich Millennium Village in the Greenwich Peninsula.

Greenwich Peninsula forms part of an area historically known as Greenwich Marsh, which over the years remained relatively untouched as a rural community of farmers and fowlers By 1860 however, the industrial revolution had introduced itself to the peninsula, the area being situated near the new Kent rail system and having harbour facilities

Gas and coal tar production began and was soon followed by cement, rope making, boiler and foundry making, chemical production, munitions works, ship building, soap, ice and even asbestos.

The biggest industrial impact came in 1889 when the enormous South Metropolitan Gas works opened, at its peak employing 3,500 people.

The rural past of the Peninsula was further eroded with the construction of the Blackwall Tunnel in 1897, one of the major river crossings in London and gateway to the city from the south east.

Nearly 100 years after the original gas works opened, the peninsula was sold by British Gas as a brownfield site, undergoing a £180m remediation process, before being sold on again for redevelopment.

Demonstrating environmental responsibility.

Already home to the Millennium Dome, the Greenwich Peninsula is now at the heart of major regeneration activity in the Thames Gateway region.

Served by North Greenwich Jubilee Line underground station - the largest in Europe incidentally - and with central London only fifteen minutes away, this is an ambitious undertaking consisting of leisure, retail, hotel, restaurant and studio office facilities.

A major feature on the Peninsula is the Greenwich Millennium Village, developed by Greenwich Millennium Village , a joint venture between Taylor Woodrow and Countryside Properties.

The Greenwich Millennium Village was the first Millennium Village designated by the government in 1997, as part of its Millennium Communities programme, which aims to demonstrate that energy efficient, environmentally responsible development is achievable regardless of location.

The Village concept harks back to the traditional appeal of high-density housing based on a new approach to the traditional London square, where the squares are used as common areas to be enjoyed and used by the residents, fostering a neighbourhood spirit.

When complete the Village will comprise 1,377 dwellings, 20% of which are designated as social housing.

New technologies and construction processes are being used throughout to optimise the quality of building and reduce energy consumption.

All homes benefit from intelligent lighting systems, integrated security, heating and communications systems as well as providing flexible modular accommodation, which enables occupiers to adjust their homes to suit their requirements.

Innovative and flexible tenure schemes allow residents to move between outright ownership, part ownership and renting, as their circumstances change and are key to creating a sustainable new urban neighbourhood.

Over 7000m2 of insulated render.

The external appearance of the steel-framed apartments at Greenwich Millennium Village is stunning, featuring as they do over 7000m2 of strongly coloured renders rarely seen with UK architecture - even orange and bright red are used.

Important as the aesthetics of the façade might be, excellent functionality and durability are of course key factors too, which is why EPR Architects chose StoTherm Mineral 'M'.

This exceptional through-coloured mechanically fixed façade insulation system from Sto is inorganic, non-combustible and incorporates mineral-fibre boards and lamella.

Hundreds of colours and a large selection of different surface finishes offer broad design scope and it is suitable for all types of substrate.

The system also eliminates cold bridging and its flexibility means that here is no need for vertical or horizontal movement joints.

Two sheets of plasterboard were used on the internal face of the Village apartments, 150mm stud infilled with acoustic quilt in the void.

The StoTherm Mineral external wall insulation system then comprised sheathing board with 50mm of StoTherm mineral wool insulation, which together with the quilt, met the target U-value.

To comply with NHBC requirements it was necessary to incorporate a 20mm drainage gap between the sheathing board and the insulation.

Denise Freeman, marketing manager at Sto comments: "most architects prefer white renders, but there is an increasing trend to use colours and this project is the ideal example".

" Sto has assumed a leading position in the UK market for external surface renders but the UK still has a long way to go to match the German market, where acrylic renders are used on just about every type of building".

However, Sto does anticipate growth, particularly on the high-density housebuilding front.

Denise again: "our insulating products are well ahead of the game on NHBC detailing, the systems go up very quickly and the increased internal dimensions, achieved through single leaf construction, is particularly appealing to developers of up market urban sites".

Best use of external wall insulation.The Greenwich Millennium Village Development was voted top residential development, winning outright the Andy Swan New Build Award 2004 - sponsored by the Insulated Render and Cladding Association for the best use of external wall insulation.

INCA member, ECL CONTRACTS LTD, installed the external wall insulation system.

• Sto: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Buildingtalk email newsletter
• Buildingtalk Home Page

Search the Pro-Talk network of sites

Put your news on Buildingtalk  |   Advertise  |   Get the free Buildingtalk newsletter  |   Buildingtalk Home
About Buildingtalk  |   Copyright © 2000-2008 Pro-Talk Ltd, UK