EDITOR ’ S CHOICE
SCHÖCK PROVES MORE THAN EQUAL TO PASSIVHAUS CHALLENGES
CUSTOM HOUSE
Custom House is a major regeneration scheme in Newham , East London . A project which Schöck has been heavily involved in from the outset ; initially providing full design support and installation training . The project is designed to Passivhaus standard , so the need to effectively eliminate any risk of thermal bridging at various points of the design detailing was crucial . As Europe ’ s leading supplier of innovative loadbearing insulation products , this is where Schöck really came into its own – with high performance solutions for the columns , balconies and parapets . Known as the Custom House kickstart project and designed by Adam Khan Architects and Haworth Tompkins ( for which they received a Housing Design Award ) it is part of a wider masterplan by Adam Khan Architects . The main delivery partner is The Hill Group and the scheme overall consists of three mansion blocks , ranging in height from four to eight storeys . This first stage though will deliver 95 affordable homes , along with commercial space , community growing space , communal gardens and a high-quality accessible public realm .
The columns presented a special challenge It is estimated that around 40 % of all structural thermal bridges in buildings are caused by walls and columns ; and these are calculated to be responsible for at least 10 % of the heating energy loss . The recently introduced Schöck Sconnex range is a unique solution to this problem , allowing walls and columns to be directly and permanently insulated . There are three product variations , the type W , type P and type M . Specifically , the Sconnex type P is the product used at Custom House . It consists of a thermal insulation element and a reinforcement element , both of which are required to withstand the bearing load . The thermal insulation element has a pressure-resistant support structure , made of light-weight concrete and polypropylene fibres , all in a 100mm thick insulation layer . Its performance significantly reduces heat flow , but importantly , also eliminates the need the for the traditional solution of using cumbersome flanking insulation . On this occasion though , quite apart from effectively isolating the rectangular columns from the rest of the building , there were challengingly high load requirements . To meet these demanding loads , it was necessary to incorporate multiple Sconnex type P units at the head of each column – the first time this particular design solution has been used in a UK project .
Parapets are as prone to thermal bridging problems as balconies
Preventing thermal bridging at the Custom House parapets was also a critical consideration for such a high performance development , because as with balconies , parapets can allow conductive materials to transfer energy through the thermal barrier . Conventionally , in the majority of cases , the method of insulating parapets and parapet walls is to wrap the perimeter of the wall with an insulation barrier . However , the Schöck Isokorb XT type A used here offers a solution
Custom House Image courtesy of Adam Khan Architects
To meet these demanding loads , it was necessary to incorporate multiple Sconnex type P units at the head of each column – the first time this particular design solution has been used in a UK project .
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