Geberit Mapress is fulfilling the needs of the Wellcome-Wolfson building for medical research.

The Wellcome-Wolfson Institute, located on the Health Science Campus at Belfast City Hospital, is a state of the art, purpose-built building, specialising in scientific research to develop cures for eye disease and diabetes, plus a programme to understand the genetics of complex chronic diseases, such as cancer.

Many of the building services installed have to deal with specific laboratory environment challenges, such as chemicals and high temperatures. Finished in record time, the project took just 17 months, utilising the latest Building Information Modelling (BIM) - Northern Ireland’s largest Level 2 BIM project. This necessity for quick installation was one of the drivers behind choosing Geberit Mapress for the buildings water and natural gas systems.

Geberit Mapress Stainless Steel was used for the building’s low temperature, hot water and chilled water systems, for the mist fire suppression system and natural gas. Geberit Mapress Copper services potable water, rainwater harvesting and high temperature drainage systems. Alongside Geberit Mapress copper, Geberit HDPE transports laboratory chemical water, safety cabinet and fume cupboard drainage.

HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) is resistant to high temperatures and aggressive media, such as chemicals – it can withstand around 95% of all commercially available alkalis, acids and chemicals - making it suitable for range of applications; including roof drainage systems and laboratories, as is demonstrated at the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute.

Adding to the building’s sustainable credentials, Polyethylene is environmentally friendly and completely recyclable, with no toxic emissions released during its processing, or in case of fire.

The Wellcome-Wolfson institute demonstrates how BIM can be used successfully to help a building meet its requirements; in this case, being fit for purpose, sustainable and completed in a short timeframe. Products such as Geberit Mapress fit well with BIM, helping building designers and contractors get piped building services installed quickly, with a ‘right first time’ approach.