Insulate Magazine Issue 17

Insulate News
Kingspan Tek Insulation
Underpins Efficient Cambridge Virido Development
irido, the new high energy efficiency housing development in Cambridge features Kingspan’s TEK
V Building System of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs).
Located in the rural suburbs of the University City,
Virido was developed and constructed by Hill. The
development features 208 apartments and townhouses
in a grid of quads around a central courtyard.
A high performance fabric specification, was achievable
thanks to the Kingspan TEK Building System and
was designed by Pollard Thomas Edwards.
The Kingspan TEK Building System comprises a
high-performance insulation core sandwiched between
two layers of OSB/3. The lightweight panels
were designed and factory cut to the project’s unique
requirements by Kingspan Timber Solutions. This ensured
a fast-track erection programme with minimal
onsite adjustments and waste.
To maximise the energy performance of the dwellings,
the envelopes of all properties on the development
have been designed to be extremely airtight.
This was a key consideration in the specification of
the Kingspan TEK Building System as its unique jointing
system and OSB/3 facing supports highly airtight
constructions. On completion, each property was
individually assessed and achieved recorded air leakage
rates of below 1.5 air change per hour @ 50 pa.
The highly airtight design necessitated the use of mechanical
ventilation heat recovery systems (MVHR).
These systems use the heat from the outgoing stale
air to heat incoming fresh air, further reducing heating
demand and maintaining comfortable internal living
conditions.
The Kingspan TEK Building System also
contributed towards the excellent fabric performance
of the properties as Heike Messler from Pollard
Thomas Edwards explained:
“The walls of the Virido properties allow approximately
20% less heat loss than a typical building, without
having to compromise on room sizes. This high level
of thermal performance means that the homes don’t
really need radiators, but we have included them for
personal comfort.”
Both the Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel and Kingspan
TEK Building System panels are also available
in a 172 mm thickness, offering enhanced insulation
performance with U-values of 0.17 W/m2.K or better.
The manufacturing facility where the panels are
produced carries both FSC® (FSC®-C109304) and
PEFC Chain of Custody certification. As standard,
the OSB/3 facing of all Kingspan TEK panels is PEFC
certified.
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