Architect: Howarth Litchfield Partnership Ltd
Type of works: supply and installation of high-performance rigid urethane and phenolic insulation.

A state-of-the-art City Academy school, which specialises in business and enterprise is benefiting from high-performance rigid urethane and phenolic insulation from market leaders Kingspan Insulation.

The £24m Walthamstow Academy has places for 1,150 pupils from Year 7 upwards and is an independent state school sponsored and run by the United Learning Trust, the largest sponsor of Academies in the UK.

David Pickersgill, Director of the Howarth Litchfield Partnership Ltd in Durham, designers of the academy, explained the choice of Kingspan Insulation for the school roof. He said, “We have used Kingspan products on numerous Academy projects previously and have never had any issues. There was a lot of talk between ourselves and the Kingspan technical representatives at the time and a solution was agreed and moved forward.”

The roof for the steel-framed structure comprised the Kingspan Thermataper TT47LPC/FM flat roof insulation in combination with Kingspan Kooltherm K11, a premium performance rigid phenolic insulating roof board, and an additional acoustic membrane.

Designed for use under fully adhered single-ply waterproofing Kingspan Thermataper TT47 LPC/FM ensures low heat loss through the roof as well as preventing the build-up of rainwater. With a thermal conductivity of 0.027W/m.K, the boards can easily achieve the U-values required for compliance with Building Regulations.

Kingspan Kooltherm K11 Roof Board is one of the most thermally efficient insulation products commonly available (with a conductivity as low as 0.021W/m.K), and allows the use of the thinnest possible insulation board to achieve required U-values. As with the Thermataper System, Kooltherm K11 has little load-bearing impact so can be especially useful where there are issues with space or load to be considered. With a closed cell structure that resists both moisture and water vapour ingress Kooltherm K11 provides reliable long term performance over the lifetime of the building.

Kingspan Insulation offers an extensive range of insulation solutions for both newbuild and refurbishment projects. Specifiers, stockists and contractors are supported with a comprehensive and free technical advisory service.