Taking educational refurbishment to a new level, a unique and innovative Soprema insulation specification provided a durable solution to bring a historic landmark to life.
Soprema, quality manufacturer of sustainable waterproofing and insulation solutions, helped restore a Grade II Listed former radio station building in Rugby, and transform it into a distinctive and state-of-the-art secondary school. Houlton School is a new educational campus, which includes a main teaching block with a grand entrance and dining hall, capable of accommodating more than 1,000 students.
Developers, Urban & Civic (U&C), led by architects van Heyningen and Haward (vHH), worked closely with Morgan Sindall Construction – appointed under an PCSA from RIBA stage 2, and their specialist supply chain to address the project’s complexity.
As a specialist manufacturer, Soprema was included during the design phase, which helped to mitigate risks and engage in value engineering exercises. The design of Houlton School prioritised a fabric-first approach, focusing on the building envelope’s quality and energy efficiency. The integration of Passivhaus software and thermal modelling enabled optimised insulation and improved performance.
Architect’s specified Soprema’s PAVADRY insulation solution – a natural and ecological, innovative thermal insulation board based on wood fibre, bonded with hardboard and a lime-plaster parge coat. The integrated air barrier provided by the moisture-open parge coat, together with the hygroscopic properties of the wood fibre and careful repair of the historic brickwork, ensured a controlled moisture transport which prevents the formation of damaging moisture. This characteristic makes PAVADRY the ideal insulation board to prevent the trapping of moisture within the historic fabric and was crucially important for the project to protect the original features of the building, and future-proof the structure for years to come.
Houlton School is an inspiring example of an elegant and creative retrofit, proving that almost any kind of repurposing is possible with a historic structure.
Contact us today to get a copy of the case study on the Houlton School project or to speak to one of our technical experts.