Various insulation products from Kingspan Insulation were installed at the new Dr Chau Chak Wing Building project in UTS Sydney to deliver excellent thermal performance.
Designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) opened in early February 2015. Constructed in less than 18 months, the 12-storey building accommodates the university’s business school including lecture and seminar rooms, research centre facilities as well as a basement level for car and bicycle parking.
As a 5 Star Green Star building, the structure is as efficient as it is bold, with innovation evident even at basement level. The low profile of the basement roof necessitated an insulation solution that would not only be thermally effective, but would also take up minimal space and satisfy the fire rating requirement.
Kooltherm K10 FM soffit boards from Kingspan were installed on over 2,000 square metres of the roof area of the carpark, with the foil surface exposed and positioned under the floor slab. The exposed foil surface harmonises with the overall building design, offsetting the darkness of the space and creating the illusion of a higher ceiling. Another 400 square metres of white-faced board were placed on the carpark ceiling near the entry. The thin profile of the boards meant the ceiling height could be maximised without sacrificing performance.
Kooltherm K10 FM soffit board achieves CodeMark certification standards, providing assurance to specifiers and designers that the product will meet its claimed performance benchmarks. This assurance is crucial when calculating energy efficiency targets for approved Green Star rating assessments.
Kooltherm K10 insulation boards, just 60mm deep, were installed in the protruding rectangular window boxes on the facade to achieve superior thermal performance. The narrow profile of the Kooltherm K10 panels allows the boxes the design freedom to maintain a visual lightness that is essential to the overall ‘treehouse’ playfulness of the facades.
Kooltherm K8 cavity boards were installed in cavity walls featuring block work, again offering the design advantages of narrow-profile efficiency. A super high performance, fibre-free rigid thermoset phenolic insulation product, the Kooltherm K8 cavity board is faced on both sides with a low-emissivity composite foil, autohesively bonded to the insulation core during manufacture. This reflective surface improves the thermal resistance of any cavity adjacent to the board without taking up excessive space.
Like all Kooltherm insulation boards, this cavity board offers another benefit over conventional bulk insulation materials: performing at almost 70% better than glasswool wall batts, these thin, high performance boards allow wall footprints to remain thinner, saving precious space and creating more useable internal floor area.
All insulation products used in this landmark structure enhance the functionality and efficiency of the building as far as the external walling is concerned, and also safeguard and preserve comfort for building occupants.
The Dr Chau Chak Wing Building showcases the genius of a team of dedicated design consultants, architects and engineers, all of whom were committed to the task of assembling the best possible materials in the best possible way.
Daniel Beekwilder of Daryl Jackson Robin Dyke, Local Executive Architect on the project explained that they were confident about specifying the Kingspan Kooltherm insulation range as it allowed them to address both the space constraints and the performance criteria. He added that it was critical for them to have trust in every product they specified to perform as stated and in full compliance to the highest possible standard.
This trusted quality extends to the insulation used in the structure; Kingspan Insulation recently won the 'Trusted Brand' Award in the Infolink ‘Trusted Brands’ 2014 Awards. Winning the ‘Trusted Brand’ award in the insulation product category for the second consecutive time, Kingspan Insulation also earned fifth place overall for most Trusted Brand across all product categories.
Kingspan Insulation Managing Director Scott Gibson added that the contract to handle many of the complex insulation elements of the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building presented them with a great opportunity to work alongside some of the most experimental and far-thinking design professionals in the world.
