Diffused daylighting at the National Football Centre

Hotel, Sport & Leisure Tue, Mar 22, 2016 5:31 PM

One of the world’s largest sporting facilities to use Kalwall® with aerogel insulation technology is St George’s Park, the FA’s National Football Centre and training ground in Burton-on-Trent.  The ground has been designed to inspire world class performance and become the international University of Football and a hub where sport and business can interact. 

Architects RedBox Design Group has designed this dramatic multi-purpose facility, on its 134 hectare site, to cater for the FA’s coaching and education needs, including offering sports science and sports medicine facilities. The main contractor was Bowmer & Kirkland.    

Of particular interest is the full-size indoor football pitch and separate sports hall both of which are side lit by natural light using Kalwall. The cladding admits Museum-Quality Daylighting™, flooding the interior with natural diffused daylight while eliminating glare and shadows to create perfect playing conditions.

The architects have also maximised the highest levels of insulation and energy efficiency, whilst still maximising daylight, by incorporating an aerogel within 950sqm of the 2780sqm of Kalwall used on the site. This produces a remarkable insulating ‘U’ value of 0.28W/m2K, equivalent to a solid wall.

Apart from being specified for all types of new build, Kalwall is increasingly used for the refurbishment of cladding or rooflights on aged buildings. 

Project and technical information are available from Structura UK, the exclusive distributor for Kalwall translucent daylight building systems for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and a leading supplier, fabricator and installer of glass curtain walling, rainscreens, glass atria, windows and other architectural glass building products.. Case studies and technical information are available from Structura UK Ltd, Tel: 01233 501 504 or visit www.structura-uk.com/kalwall.