A new care home complex in Southampton, that has been designed by a sector specialist architectural practice to fulfil the needs of those with dementia or different neurological conditions, has made use of IPP’s A1 non-combustible Cemgold boards to create Memory Boxes that will help patients find their rooms and orientate themselves by storing photographs or other memorabilia.
Adanac Park is being built for Hamberley Developments by Highwood Construction with Harris Irwin from North Yorkshire leading the design team. The 95,000 sq. ft. facility comprises two U-shaped buildings either side of a shared service block, with the neurological clinic containing a gym as well as treatment and consulting rooms, while the residential wing has 80 high specification en-suite bedrooms offering long term accommodation.
Prominently positioned in the corridor wall outside each of the rooms is one of the 600 x 400mm boxes with a lockable door, which were fabricated on site by Highwood’s own carpenters, with the room number featured in large, high contrast numerals. On the room side of the boxes, however, a similarly sized panel of 12.5mm thick Cemgold replaces the plasterboard lining to offer half-hour fire resistance.
The Project Architect for Harris Irwin, Michael Bond, recounts: “Because the Memory Boxes are made up using standard blockboard, they required separate fire protection for which we specified a material meeting the requirements of Euro Class A2 should be utilised. The main contractor, Highwood then proposed Cemgold which met all of the criteria.”
In fact, larger quantities of the 18mm Cemgold went on to be used in areas of the flat roof construction, with Highwood confirming the boards were robust, but easy to cut providing the correct saw blades were used. All the Cemgold used at Adanac Park has been supplied through Elliott builders’ merchants in Eastleigh.
Available in thicknesses of 6, 10, 12.5, 16 and 18mm, the 1200 x 2400mm sheets of Cemgold are widely specified across the construction industry for interior and exterior applications including in combination with IPP’s Magply boards, as a sheathing in rainscreen cladding build-ups or as a render substrate. With a density of 1,209 kg/m3 Cemgold offers a maximum flexural strength of 12.74 MPa in the longitudinal direction as well as good impact resistance. Then in terms of fire performance, the product is fully tested to BS EN12467 and rated A1 incombustible.