Facade specialist Aliva UK’s signature External Wall Insulation systems have created a flagship aesthetic for Build to Rent development The Fairfax for end client Olympian.

The Fairfax is a showcase in the art-of-the-possible featuring two Aliva UK EWI (ETICS) systems, a pairing that has created a bespoke, signature look for the Manchester development which features two distinct towers on the city skyline.

The dominant volume of product is Aliva’s A1 fire rated, Kiwa certified AlivaBrick clay slip system with customised accent detailing created through its A1 fire rated, Kiwa certified AlivaCeramic slip system.

The Fairfax features a total of 11,000sqm of Aliva UK’s slip systems, a bespoke product suite that has created significant architectural impact on the Mancunian city skyline.

The AlivaBrick system includes darker grey clay slips to the 23 floor tower in a colourway entitled ‘Karma grey’ and lighter tones in ‘Karma white grey’ clay slips for the 29 floor tower. The overall affect gives a Nordic grey visual overture.

The darker grey clay slips on the smaller tower are complemented by bespoke feature detailing using Aliva’s AlivaCeramic product, which has created a customised, cuboid, 3D effect in three RAL colour matched shades of grey.

The design is inspired by the concept of isometric cube tessellation, a geometric illusion where flat rhombus shapes are arranged to look like 3D cubes. The shapes repeat seamlessly across a surface, creating an optical illusion that plays with depth perception.



The EWI systems also contributed to the sustainability of the development with the thermal efficiencies they created, the project had several detail interfaces, however the U-Value ranges achieved through this combination of EWI systems were between 0.13-0.16W/m2k.

Ben Edmondson, Aliva’s Technical Director EWI Systems, said: “A fully customised solution, the pairing of AlivaBrick and AlivaCeramic on The Fairfax met all elements of the design brief without compromise.

“The A1 rated, Kiwa certified systems can be installed without height restriction, which made this the optimum facade solution given the heights of this two-tower new-build project, realising a signature look alongside sustainability benefit.”