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Effisus Vapour FR Membrane System helped shape one of the most exciting projects in London. At the heart of Greenwich Peninsula, Design District is London’s first permanent, purpose-built hub for the creative industries.
Conceived and developed by Knight Dragon, and designed by eight leading architects, the Design District’s collection of 16 unique buildings supports 1,800 creatives, encompassing individual makers, start-ups, innovative enterprises, and industry leaders. It is a place where Writers, Animators, UX Designers, Filmmakers, Photographers, Interactive Designers, Woodworkers, Thinkers, Architects, and Artists of all kinds can get together and turn their ideas into art.
Effisus partnered with London-based and award-winning Adam Khan Architects consulting on Façade Weatherproofing. The two buildings designed by Adam Khan are very different from each other and, in the words of Adam Khan, they are “a contrary couple”, one a raw monolith of concrete and the other a lightweight building with an Op Art-inspired façade.
Effisus Vapour FR
A benefit of using Effisus products is the consultancy provided by Effisus to adapt the solutions using a project-by-project philosophy. In this project, it was vital that every product adhered to the strictest quality standards. With that objective in mind, Effisus provided the building with Effisus Vapour FR Fire-Rated System, it is high quality and multifunctional vapor barrier that provides waterproofing, and fire resistance and is made of special fiberglass fleece. This membrane is a vapor barrier that protects the building fabric and insulation from water, heat radiation, and moisture transfer which prevents mold from developing. It also works as a fire-retardant layer in constructions.
This membrane was developed to achieve a fire reaction Class A2-s1, d0 according to EN13501 when tested with all its Effisus accessories simulating the end use on a façade. When tested as a standalone solution, it achieved a fire reaction Class A1, the best possible fire classification for a non-combustible product.
Fixing Solutions
The Effisus Vapour FR Membrane System is installed in the inner face of the back wall (warm side of the building) and is fixed on top of the vertical Galvanized Steel SFS. The installation, fixing, and perimeter sealing, was done using Effisus Adhesive Tapes, specifically Effisus 2Bond DS and Effisus 2Adjoin DF. These tapes provide moisture-proof sealing and are suitable for bonding Effisus Vapour FR membrane to smooth, non-porous and porous substrates.
Project Collaboration
This project is a great example of how Effisus project-by-project approach brings advantages to the market and how partnerships with clients are cemented. The process started with in-person meetings to discuss the project details. After studying the project in-depth in conjunction with Adam Khan, design reviews were made until the final solution was reached. One particular detail in this project was that one of the building blocks was pre-casted and adjustments had to be made in order to find the best possible application of the membrane.
When the project entered the construction phase, Effisus Technical and Commercial Team followed the process closely, providing support to Adam Khan and the Contractor in order to assure that everything was done correctly and that if any doubt came up, it would be answered immediately.
It is important to mention that, because of the way Effisus worked and overcame the obstacles that are inherent to projects of this importance, the Effisus Vapour FR A2 Fire Rated System solution was extended to other blocks of the Design District, namely A1 and D4 (designed by Barozzi Veiga) and C3 (designed by HNNA Architects).
Associated Products: Effisus Breather FR
In addition to the Vapour Membrane that was used in this project, Effisus Breather FR A2 Fire Rated System is also part of Effisus System Solutions.
Effisus Breather FR Membrane System is a waterproofing and vapor-permeable membrane made of a special fiberglass fleece and a water-based compound, that makes it eco-friendly and is also Fire Rated Class A2-s1, d0 (tested as a system with its Effisus accessories). When tested as a standalone solution, it achieved a fire reaction Class A1 in accordance with the classification standard EN 13501-1, EN ISO 1716, ISO 1182. This product guarantees optimum protection of facades with closed and open rain-screen cladding systems, cavity and masonry, leaf weatherboarding panels, tile/slate, and timber frame cladding against the wind, damp and driving rain. The membrane should be installed on top of the external insulation (cold side of the building) protecting the entire facade composition. The weatherproofing design of the breather membrane systems should be done in detail and on a project-by-project basis.
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