Masonite Beams Help New Ayrshire School Target 'Excellent' BREEAM Rating

The TRADIS® Closed Panel Wall and Roof system featuring Masonite products has helped South Ayrshire Council to target an 'excellent' rating under the Building Research Establishment's Energy Assessment Method for a new primary school in the village of Colmonell.

Following a limited design competition, ARPL Architects' proposal was selected and the design team appointed. Stewart Glendinning of ARPL architects of Ayr comments: "Our initial brief from the client, South Ayrshire Council, was to design and construct a school which would meet both their educational requirements and achieve a BREEAM rating of 'excellent'. The TRADIS® wall panel enabled us to achieve a highly insulated external envelope with a U value of 0.16W/m2K using recycled newspaper insulation. In addition, the TRADIS® panels contributed to achieving greater air tightness and reduced site time, with the entire external envelope of the 600 sq.m. school being erected over the course of just one week. The Masonite beams enabled us to achieve a thicker wall construction whilst minimising both the extent of timber used and the thermal transmittance of the studs."

The ARPL Architects have been working on the project with Eden Frame, the Cumbria based sustainable building company and main contractor Ashleigh (Scotland) Ltd.

The new school design carefully sets out a toplit open teaching area at the heart of the building with classrooms opening to outdoor teaching areas. All spaces are naturally lit and naturally ventilated. Internal finishings are all naturally sourced materials to provide the best possible learning environment. High levels of insulation, a planted green roofing system and under floor heating powered by air source heat pumps all contribute to the environmental credentials of the project.

TRADIS® is a closed panel wall and roof system which is pre-insulated to provide thermal performance to the highest standard. It is suitable for housing, educational buildings, offices and any other buildings for which high thermal performance is required. The TRADIS® system is a great example of one which offers off-site construction benefits and is pointing the way forward for wall and roof building methods. The system is available nationally via a network of Masonite stockists.

Masonite I-Joists combine a machine stress graded timber flange with either a Masonite K40 or Class 3 OSB structural board web. The I-Joists are manufactured in accordance with the environmental management system ISO 14001. Masonite I-Joists utilise wood fibre certified by the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) with full chain of custody processes.