Project:Viewforth High School - Windmill Community Campus
Location:Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland
Sector: New Build Education
System:Stylite External Wall Insulation
Size: 2000m2
Client:Fife Council
Problems
Viewforth High School in Kirkcaldy was built in 1908 and due to it age was deemed to no longer meet the needs of the local community. The building was costly to maintain, had high fuel bills, and was not considered suitable as a modern teaching facility.
Client Requirement
As part of their Building Fife’s Future programme, Fife Council wanted to replace Viewforth High School with a new facility. They wanted one campus to house multiple services including a high school, primary school, library, customer service office and a new centre for community use.
Fife Council’s proposal was to create a new campus known as Windmill Community Campus. It would feature buildings with high quality design, high functionality, be fit for a modern curriculum and promote a culture of lifelong learning within communities. The new Viewforth High School was to offer 600 pupils and parents a very different experience than the old building, including state of the art teaching spaces and technology along with a new sports centre.
Design Solution
The main contractor, working on behalf of Fife Council, specified a lightweight steel framing system for the new high school building. After erecting the main frame a carrier / sheathing board was fitted to clad the structure.
Stylite External Wall Insulation boards, comprising of lightweight Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) boards measuring (L)1200 x (W)600 x (T)200, were then installed directly to the carrier board using an adhesive fix. Two layers of base coat render and a final decorative top coat were then applied to the insulation boards to provide a protective and weatherproof finish to the school.
Result
The external wall insulation system, in conjunction with the steel frame and carrier board, achieved a super low U-value of 0.14W/m2K. This level of thermal performance resulted in reduced energy usage and low energy bills for the school whilst also future proofing it for its whole life cycle.
The final contemporary topcoat provided the system with a watertight finish and excellent weather resistance and an attractive façade that fully met the councils aesthetic expectations.
SPI National Sales Manager, Brian Monaghan.
