The Hayle Marine Renewables Business Park offers state-of-the-art offices and industrial space for a range of companies involved in the marine technology sector. Having been led by Cornwall Council, the Business Park forms part of a regeneration of Hayle, a port town in the very west of the county. After years of decline, the idyllic town’s revitalisation of the quayside involved attaining planning permission for over 800 homes and the completion of the new North Quay Road infrastructure. As a town inherently linked to the marine life it lies besides, this needed to be factored into its sustainability credentials and the specification of high-performing, marine-resilient materials.

High performing and transformative
When plans were put in place for Hayle’s new development, many steps were taken to ensure the business park upheld environmental and sustainability targets. The selected products were chosen for the high quality, longevity, and resilience they would provide. Phase two of the development involved the construction of six new BREEAM ‘Excellent’ workspace units (circa 1475 m2 total area), in addition to the extension and refurbishment of an existing building to provide five BREEAM ‘Very Good’ office units (circa 430 m2 total area). These included ancillary facilities, car parking and landscaping. As part of this phase, the team specified Kooltherm K108 Cavity Board as cavity insulation within the blockwork walls of the refurbished building to provide excellent thermal performance, with the aim to help reduce carbon emissions.

The rigid insulation boards have a thermal conductivity of 0.019 W/mK, allowing the desired thermal performance to be achieved with a minimal product thickness. They also feature a low emissivity foil facing which raises the thermal resistance of the cavity, helping to prevent overheating in the warmer months. Additionally, the proximity of the business park to the coast meant the materials had to be resilient to moisture degradation. Kooltherm K108 is installed with a residual cavity, which helps to resist moisture penetration and preserve the construction for longer.

This insulation was supplied in a 75 mm thin profile which allowed developers to maximise lettable office space. There are currently units still available to rent and any interested parties should contact Vickery Holman for more details.