Context:

This project showcased the first installation of our biobased panels at BT Adastral Park in Ipswich as part of the University of Suffolk’s Institute for Sustainability. Funded by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership through the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund, the project aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of this manufactured construction and assembly solution together with the potential for buildings to act as net-carbon sinks.

Construction:

The foundation and base of the structure consists of eight concrete pads with box beams assembled around the perimeter and our NBS wood fibre floor cassettes inserted inside. Our NBS Hempsil wall cassettes and window sections were then installed using spline pegs to secure them to the floor and other wall sections. The roof cassettes and angled box beam sections were then installed. Woodfibre was applied externally on the walls and roof followed by the weatherproof membrane. Next battens were fixed around the membrane on to which larch cladding was mounted. Wooden shingles were installed on the roof. Plasterboard was installed internally and painted with cork floor tiles installed.

Performance:

The building is being instrumented for future analysis to evidence the actual thermal performance and relative humidity in comparison to external conditions to validate its efficiency and hygrothermal buffering capacity. This evaluation and monitoring is being carried out by the University of Suffolk and we are early awaiting results!