One of the
most prestigious residential development projects in the UK has recently been
completed using a number of different products from Sto.
StoTherm Classic external wall insulation and StoDeco
profiles have been used to provide high levels of thermal insulation and an
outstanding external appearance for the 11 new properties which make up the
development in St John’s Wood, London, close to the world-famous Abbey Road
Recording Studios.
Created by
the Dwyer Property development group, the Hamilton Drive scheme includes a
terrace of 10 homes – each with three storeys above ground and two below - plus
a separate larger property. The houses were required to achieve a very high
standard of architectural finish and detailing, plus a BREEAM Excellent rating
for construction sustainability.
Sto
solutions were selected for this project as they offered a unique combination
of speedy construction and outstanding quality of finish. “Building the
properties with traditional methods and using stone detailing for the façades
would have taken considerably longer, and the client was looking for a
fast-track solution,” explains Sto’s Regional
Sales Manager, Pete Bishop.
“Our StoTherm
Classic system was specified as it provides outstanding thermal performance and
can be installed quickly and easily. StoDeco Profiles were chosen for the
intricate ‘stone’ architectural detailing, providing the same look as stone,
but in a material that is both lightweight and easy to cut and shape.”
The StoTherm Classic
external wall insulation used on the 70,000sq ft project was installed onto an
NHBC-compliant pvc rail system, using a drained cavity designed to ensure that
water and moisture is excluded from the main wall structure. The cement-free
StoTherm Classic EWI System offers market-leading impact resistance, being able
to withstand impacts of up to 60 joules - up to 10 times more than a
cementitious system - and as it needs no additional expansion joints the system
allows greater freedom of façade design. For this project the system was
finished with a 1.5mm coat of StoSilco silicone resin render to provide a high
degree of water repellence and resistance to the effects of weathering.
“The
architectural detailing on the building façades was created
using StoDeco Profiles,” explains John Tehan of Smallwood Architects of London.
The range of profiles,
manufactured using the remarkable Verolith material, are weather resistant,
durable, lightweight and easy to work and install. Available in a wide
range of standard designs, including sills, cornices, and many other decorative
architectural elements, StoDeco Profiles can also be custom made to provide a
unique visual appearance.
“At Hamilton Drive the
profiles were used to create cornice, window and chimney detailing, plus a
wealth of columns, arches, dentil courses and other features that were required
to enhance the building’s classically-inspired design,” adds John Tehan. “Sto
were closely involved with this project, and many of the individual StoDeco
Profiles were manufactured to bespoke sizes and
designs, to allow the required detailing to be created.”
“There was an enormous
quantity of detailing required on this project and the standard of finish had
to be the very best,” comments John Bishop of Kennet Construction, a Sto
authorised applicator who completed the installation work. “Fortunately, the
Sto products were very easy to work with. Many of the StoDeco Profiles were
pre-cut prior to delivery, and they proved to be very easy to work, shape and
sand on-site so that we could achieve a perfect finish.”
