Project: Avon Point, Bristol
Client: Unite Students
Main Contractor: RG Group
Installer: PIC Construction Group
Architect: Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson
Products: AlivaBrickM

The brief
Avon Point is a £75million 623-bed new-build Purpose Built Student Accommodation development, in Feeder Road, Bristol, in the heart of one of the UK’s largest regeneration areas.

Unite Students is the largest provider of student accommodation in the UK. Its Avon Point development has been designed to support the next generation of students with high-quality living, social and study spaces, in line with Unite’s mission, to create vibrant communities for students as their Home for Success.

Avon Point is a 5 storey, part 7, part 8 and part 14 storey development for which we provided a customised External Wall Insulation (EWI) brick slip facade system with several impressive archways and accent details to create architectural flair with a brickwork aesthetic, utilising Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).

The AlivaBrick system is A1 fire rated and Kiwa UK certified. It has been developed to ensure the highest fire classification has been achieved based on testing to standard EN 13501-1:2019.

It is a fully bespoke system that pays homage to the Bristol Byzantine architectural style and the city’s industrial heritage, stands equally as a beacon of contemporary residential design, while meeting all elements of the architectural brief without compromise.

The AlivaBrick system has realised a series of grand sweeping brick slip archways crowned with soldier bonds, that take the eye from ground to sky. They sit alongside a mix of intricate laddering details with shadow effect created from black slips, recesses, step outs and projecting banding serving as a subtle complement to the larger detailing. These all blend together to create architectural intrigue and flair alongside an aesthetic that evokes the city’s urban heritage.

Bristol Byzantine architecture
This is a variety of Byzantine Revival architecture, popular in Bristol from c.1850-1880. It has influences from Byzantine and Moorish architecture and was applied mainly to industrial buildings e.g. warehouses and factories. The style is characterised by a robust and simple outline, materials with character and coloured polychrome brickwork including black, archways and upper floors unified through either horizontal or vertical grouping of window openings. Bristol Byzantine is thought to have been invented by Sir John Summerson, one of the leading British architectural historians of the 20th Century.

The scale and versatility of the AlivaBrick slip system has been demonstrated in a showcase of accent detailing on Avon Point that pays homage to this Bristol Byzantine style yet equally represents contemporary residential design.

The system features 7,000sqm of EWI AlivaBrick, which demonstrates the architectural impact it can have used at scale to make a statement impression on a city skyline. The system includes 15mm red multi slips and 9mm black slips for accent detailing/shadow effects, with two thicknesses of mineral wool insulation used.





What the architect said:
Jordan Smith, Architect at Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson, said:

“The AlivaBrick EWI system played a significant role in enabling the delivery of a richly articulated and contextually grounded facade.

The architectural design draws on the strong industrial heritage of the area, particularly through the use of brickwork arches, a motif seen across Bristol’s historic fabric. These were reinterpreted in a contemporary manner, with a double-height arched colonnade at ground level and arched window heads at upper levels. These elements contribute to a carefully layered facade that balances visual rhythm, civic presence and contextual reference.

The system offered the flexibility and precision required to achieve complex details such as recessed arches, laddered coursing, and areas of brick projection.

In addition to its visual performance, the system contributed significantly to the project’s sustainability goals. Its lightweight structure reduced embodied carbon while enhancing the thermal performance of the external envelope.”

Fabric-first solution
External Wall Insulation systems are fabric-first solutions and at the forefront of MMC. Given 45% of the heat in a building is lost through its walls, EWI is a must for any energy-conscious project, improving thermal values, reducing energy consumption for the betterment of the planet and residents’ energy bills. MMC also brings greater agility to a project, including faster construction times, improved quality control, cost savings and sustainability.

U-Values and embodied carbon

AlivaBrick achieved thermal efficiency U-Values ranging between 0.12-0.19W/m2k for Avon Point. Avon Point’s operational energy levels have been reduced through a fabric-first approach prioritising building elements including walls to create energy-efficient buildings. This is where the thermal benefits of Aliva’s EWI brick slip system has contributed towards Avon Point’s embodied carbon savings, 7,300tCO2e over the building’s lifecycle.

Sustainability

AlivaBrick reduced material and weight on the project plus slip production requires approximately 85% less energy than conventional brick, adding to the NZC contribution.

What the client said:
“The scale and location of this flagship project dictated the need for an innovative approach to be taken to its construction, not least the material selection and methods of working. This made the decision to use the AlivaBrick system a reasonably straightforward one; especially when considering the programme gains against traditional brickwork construction.

The site’s operational energy levels have been reduced through a fabric-first approach. This is where the thermal benefits of Aliva’s EWI system has helped contribute towards Avon Point’s embodied carbon savings, 7,300 tCO2e over the lifecycle of the building.

At Unite we have set ambitious NZC targets. The AlivaBrick slip system has contributed to us meeting our businesses expectations for delivering both sustainable and attractive buildings.

The flair that can be realised with brick slips is evident on Avon Point, detailing that blends together beautifully to create architectural intrigue on the eye.”

Kate Donovan
Development Project Manager
Unite Students

Category: EWI