Wetherby Building Systems, the UK’s leading manufacturer and distributor of external wall insulation (EWI) systems, has helped transform properties across South Manchester with a unique creative design concept that boasted the most extensive use of brick slip cladding in Europe.
The £12m project, funded by the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) scheme, saw Southway Housing Trust upgrade almost 900 of its thermally inefficient properties across Withington, Burnage and south Manchester. While window replacements and loft insulation were included as part of works, EWI was the major focus for the project, as it offered the added benefit of refreshing the properties’ facades.
Adopting a refreshing approach to social housing refurbishment, Southway Housing Trust not only wanted to upgrade the energy efficiency of its housing stock, but also dramatically improve the aesthetics of the area, to bring people together and empower tenants with a sense of pride in their community. With the design being equally as important as the energy performance, Wetherby was enlisted to work with Triangle Architects to devise an EWI solution that would meet the architecturally cutting edge vision of creating individual streetscapes across the estates.
Originally built in the 1920s, the non-traditional properties were a mix of Diatomite and Corolite construction and the EWI solution needed to work with both property types. The Diatomite houses were originally clad in the same horizontal layered brick and render pattern, while the Corolite properties were fully rendered, so a slightly different design philosophy needed to be adopted for each property type.
Over time, these original elements had been altered, losing the original design concept and identity of the area, making the estates feel disorientating and claustrophobic. Southway Housing Trust wanted to completely refresh the estates and so decided to give each street type its own individual identity incorporating colour variations to street cluster.
To achieve the desired effect, Wetherby’s Epsiwall and Epsibrick systems were specified as the most effective EWI solution for both thermal efficiency and aesthetics. The insulation comprised 60mm Phenolic insulation board with the Diatomite properties finished with WBS Laguna Brick Slips to the full exterior. Bespoke for this project, several properties were fitted with specially sourced, coloured ceramic brick slips to create a unique, vertical design to enhance the elevations, with clusters of streets boasting a different colour design.
The Corolite properties were originally fully rendered, so in keeping with the existing design these properties were finished with 1.5mm white silicone render, which was highlighted with a small horizontal pattern of coloured, ceramic brick slips to create an understated design feature.
The unique design concept succeeded in completely transforming the area into aesthetically pleasing properties that residents were proud to call their home. The individual street scenes, while creating a striking visual effect, also provided a sense of belonging for the community.
The energy efficiency achieved was equally impressive, with the application of EWI resulting in one of the greatest U-value reductions Wetherby has seen to date. With a previous value of 3.3 W/m2K, each home in the area now has a U-Value of 0.3 W/m2K, in line with current building regulations. The energy efficient measures have also significantly reduced the annual fuel bills for residents, in addition to cutting carbon emissions for the area.
This project is a shining example of how EWI can do much more than just improve energy efficiency, used creatively it can also completely transform housing estates, giving residents a renewed sense of pride in their community.
Commenting on the project, Devon Poyser, Performance and Customer Care Manager at Southway Housing Trust said: “We had a very clear vision for this project, which was to work in partnership with local tenants, residents, framework partners and stakeholders to make South Manchester a place that people are proud of.
“With the creative design that was utilised for this scheme, the housing estates were unrecognisable and the refreshed properties really brought the community together.”
Going much further than thermal efficiency and aesthetic improvements, the project also allowed the opportunity to deliver a range of employment and training opportunities for the local community.
The results of the project speak for themselves, but the impressive scheme has also been recognised by the industry after it was highly commended in the annual Insulated Render and Cladding Association (INCA) awards.
Wetherby Building Systems Ltd is the UK’s market leader in the manufacture and distribution of a wide range of external wall insulation (EWI) systems, polymer modified renders, silicone & acrylic thin-coat renders & brick slip systems for the retrofit market. Wetherby’s insulated render systems offer environmentally sympathetic external façade solutions that have been successfully installed on many domestic refurbishment projects, new build schemes, commercial buildings and educational establishments for over 20 years.