Kingspan Insulation has opened a new warehouse and corporate headquarters in Malaga, Perth, Western Australia.
Designed to showcase the latest building materials and design philosophies to optimise industrial workplace efficiency and comfort, the new facility was officially opened by Irish Ambassador, His Excellency Mr Noel White.
The new buildings have been designed by Tone Wheeler, Principal Architect at Environa Studio in collaboration with Kingspan Insulation’s senior management to create spaces of exceptional energy efficiency, build quality and functionality.
Four primary objectives that the design had to achieve included substantial natural light, great natural heating and cooling, removal from the noise and busy interruptions of the ground level, and a sense of space.
The new development consists of a 1,650m² storage warehouse abutting a single-level administrative and corporate headquarters. The headquarters building will consume approximately half the energy of its predecessor structure while accommodating greater numbers of staff. Kingspan Insulation products including Kingspan Kooltherm, pre-insulated panels and AIR-CELL have been used extensively throughout both the warehouse and headquarters, producing R-values in some applications that exceed minimum BCA requirements by 100%.
Tone explains that the headquarters building has been designed as a single-storey, long, thin office, which is elevated off the ground to provide car parking beneath it. The concrete structure including the concrete floor is insulated from the outside. Maximum natural daylight and high levels of thermal comfort to keep it cool in summer with a minimal amount of air-conditioning contribute to energy efficiency. A sloping roof made out of insulation panels allows the creation of large open plan office spaces.
Key features of Kingspan Insulation’s new warehouse and headquarters:
- Leading insulation products such as Kingspan Kooltherm and AIR-CELL as well as Kingspan insulated panels used in the design
- Kingspan Powerpanel solar PV panels, designed to save 16,000kg of CO2 per year, with a 5-year payback period
- Kingspan KoolDuct pre-insulated ductwork, designed to reduce leakage by 80% compared to standard sheetmetal ductwork
- Waterless urinals, designed to save 5,000 litres of water per year
- Energy efficient LED lighting
- Glueless TacTile carpeting
- Screened outdoor timber deck area
Scott Gibson, Managing Director, Kingspan Insulation, says the new complex, which uses insulation materials and green energy initiatives from all major Kingspan divisions, marks a new era in the ongoing expansion and growth of the company in the region.
He added that Kingspan Insulation was recently voted Australia’s No. 1 trusted insulation brand, and the new premises will allow them to consolidate that position into the next decade and beyond.