INCA Case Study: Waterlooville Health Centre, Portsmouth

Waterlooville Health Centre was built in the 1980’s, with a cavity wall construction, and is managed by the NHS as the client.  The original building had a flat roof, but had a shallow pitched conversion applied over the concrete roof with metal roof sheeting.

In January 2022, Structherm Ltd were approached to give their expertise to a refurbishment, comprising of Structherm’s External Wall Insulation system combined with the Structherm RoofLine rain water management system, along with the wonderful Structherm ArtBrick^TM solution.

Solution & Specification

New windows and doors were specified, along with the Structherm External Wall Insulation, and using an ArtBrick^TM finish.  A new roof was planned, however the existing metal corrugated roof had numerous services penetrating through it such as roof lights and ventilation ducts, and the building had to remain in operation for the duration of the work.  Hence it was decided that the existing roof sheeting should be retained, however there was insufficient overhang to provide protection to the new EWI system.  Structherm therefore designed and detailed the RoofLine solution where the new gutter system and flashings provided more than adequate rainwater protection.  This saved significant costs on the project as it allowed the building to be insulated and transformed without the need for the roof to be replaced.

The RoofLine system is designed with a sloping bottom face to ensure the rainwater drains away from the face of the building and has a lower front edge.  The high volume aluminium gutter is supported by a thermally broken fascia and has the outlet on the front face of the gutter such that the rainwater pipes can drop cleanly in front of the EWI system.  There is also a secondary membrane under the gutter to provide additional protection against rainwater ingress should any leak occur.

Installation & Challenges

Co-ordination of detailing with the windows and door manufacturers ensuring the window and eaves details were practical and easy to construct.

The client required the windows and doors to be moved out beyond the face of the existing brickwork.  As a result, a Triotherm Structural Thermal support system was incorporated in to the Structherm EWI system to enable the windows and doors to be fitted in this location and to minimise thermal losses around the reveals.  Structherm’s ArtBrick^TM finish was selected by the client to create a modern look and transform its appearance.

Bespoke RoofLine gutter and downpipe sections were fabricated to deal with any existing difficult areas without having to make any modifications to the roof, thus saving costs and time on the project.

The End Result

With the U-Value significantly reduced to 0.25 W/m2k, from 1.67 W/m2k previously, the building now benefits from a more comfortable temperature during the winter months, whilst also reducing energy costs.  Structherms expertise has breathed new life into the health centre and elevated it into one of the more impressive buildings in the NHS estate.  The use of Structherm’s ArtBrick^TM has completely transformed its appearance and given the building an up to date and contemporary look.