Case Study:
The Box Project - Plymouth
Overview
The Box Project is a major new museum, art gallery and archive for Plymouth and the South West.
The opening of The Box was one of the most significant cultural events in the UK in 2020. Plymouth’s former Museum and Art Gallery, Central Library and St Luke’s church buildings have been completely transformed with a series of new galleries and exhibition spaces. The Box also features a striking elevated ‘archive in the sky’ with research and learning facilities, food, drink and retail spaces. It’s also created a major new public square for performances, events and artistic responses.
Client
Wilmott Dixon
Location
Plymouth
Project Type
New Build Development
Product Used
Nexseal 2.0 LE
Install Date
October 2018
Install Size
787m2
Install Duration
3 Days
The Project
Brief
Main contractor, Wilmott Dixon, were appointed to deliver the construction work for this £46 Million project. With a 700m2 external sofitt to insulate, the Wilmott Dixon team needed a solution that was quick to install and compliant with modern building regulations. Keen to see what spray foam insulation could do for the project, the team contacted ThermoFoam for our expert advise and specification. Our brief was to install a compliant solution using eco-friendly products, installed rapidly without any mess or impact on the surrounding building whilst adhering to strict site health and safety regulations. The archive room at the Box contains a wide range of historical artefacts and our brief was to provide an airtight, thermal solution that could help to manage the environmental conditions to preserve these valuable assets.
Solution
Nexseal High Lift closed cell foam was the order of the day for this project. It’s high tensile strength and ability to bond to the concrete soffit substrate makes it the perfect antidote for the building envelope. Combine the exceptional thermal performance and the speed of install thanks to the low exothermic properties, the entire 787m2 surface was fully insulated to airtight standards within 3 days. The Box Project had the environment in mind when selecting construction materials and Nexseal LE helped score points towards this low carbon construction thanks to its low global warming potential and HFO Blowing Agent. Even though the project required working at height from a scissor lift, the versatility of spray foam insulation helps to make for an easier and safer application.
Warranty
Nexseal Closed Cell spray foam offers such a strong cohesive bond to the surface onto which it is applied and it will not shrink, diminish or reduce in performance over time. We offer a 25-year product guarantee with an expected product life well in excess of this timescale. When applied by a ThermoFoam-approved contractor, a 25-year installation warranty is also applicable.