HNC Graded Unit

Paul Osborne

Culzean country park upgrading

Caf/Visitor centre construction and materials The client has specified that visitor centre/caf be constructed to the following criteria: Minimum plan dimensions of 12m x 8m Masonry structure

To ensure that the visitor centre/caf is in keeping with the rest of the project several factors will be considered: Materials used are eco friendly and sustainable Structure blends in with surrounding landscape Construction methods mitigate possibility of contamination to ground or watercourse

Materials Roof Several options for roofs can be considered slates, tiles, felt etc. but in modern construction several new technologies for eco friendly roof coverings have been developed, tried and tested, The main 2 that stand out are: Green roofs - they are basically the use of vegetation as a roof covering to retain or delay storm water run off easing the pressure on drains, they also provide a habitat for birds and insects, also there appearance is pleasing on the eye especially in urban areas where a lack of greenery is becoming an ever increasing issue. Also green roofs are renowned for theyre thermal properties further reducing the pollution caused by burning fossil fuels to heat less energy efficient projects. Recycled metal roof coverings these are normally made from aluminum or steel and provide a much more durable roof covering in comparison with felt or tiles and even after the lifespan of the building has passed a recycled metal roof covering can be reused on future projects further improving the green credentials of this roof covering.

As the main aim of this project is to provide the most environmentally friendly materials whilst retaining the natural look of the surrounding landscape, means that the green roof is the material of choice, this was mainly due to the fact that as this was a country park project and the materials being used had to tie in with the rest of the theme the use of vegetation on the roof would further compliment the surrounding landscape in comparison with the recycled metal roof as the surface texture, color etc. would not be in keeping with the natural feel of the project. Green roof will be installed by experienced contractors such as Icopal. The main problems that arise from green roofs are improper waterproofing of the roof

leading to water damage to the structure which then in turn causes a potential contamination issue as remedial work that would need carried out to solve this can range from the use of chemical sealants to a full refit of the roof. Typical example of green roof construction:

Image from: www.icopal.co.uk After the rainwater run off has made its way through the green roof it will then transported back to the drains by means of guttering, the type of guttering being used on this project is aluminum guttering due to its far superior life span over PVC guttering, thus reducing the environmental impacts caused by regular maintenance or renewal. Masonry structure As the client has specified that the structure must be of masonry construction the option I have considered to mitigate visual impact of the masonry is cladding, several materials can be considered for this these being: Wood style cladding made from wood flour (Taken from thinning timber) + Resins these 2 materials combined give an excellent alternative to real timber cladding which cause deforestation and pollution, timber has a far less lifespan. The product that looks very sustainable and environmentally friendly is WOOZEN, it is manufactured by LG HAUSY and is virtually maintenance free, also once it has finished its purpose (i.e. the building will be removed or cladding changed) WOOZEN is totally recyclable and reusable further increasing its green credentials. Green rainscreen cladding systems are becoming increasingly popular as they are easily installed and come with pre planted vegetation, which are mainly used to give green areas in heavily urbanized environments. The cladding has very similar properties to Green roofs, but are more visual due to their geometry on a structure.

As my structure has already a green roof with vegetation, Green rain screen cladding would be too much greenery, although the building is to compliment the surrounding landscape this cladding would cause the building to be disguised too much, so the cladding being used on this project will be the wood style cladding which will give the structure distinguishing features as the roof will be green with vegetation and the walls will have a wooden effect cladding. Typical example of WOOZEN cladding building:

Image from: www.davidclouting.co.uk This cladding system works very similar to conventional cladding systems by the use of hidden fixings to hold the cladding in place on the structures. To ensure that the environmental impact of cutting the material on site is mitigated a fully operational dust extraction system will be installed on all saws etc. Typical example of fixing of WOOZEN cladding system:

As the structure is acting as a visitor centre/caf the final exterior component that has to be dealt with is the windows, the main aim is to ensure the maximum use of energy i.e. triple glazed windows retain far more heat inside the building opposed to single pane windows. To ensure the public can enjoy wonderful views from the visitor centre/caf large windows will be used to create an open feel to the building, as the plan dimensions are relatively small for such a structure. The windows will be: Triple glazed to ensure maximum energy efficiency Brown or wood effect uPVC to blend in with the rest of the structure and surrounding landscape Made from old recycled windows to ensure minimum environmental impact (Eurocell plc recycle the upvc from old windows to make components for their new windows)

The structure will be made in compliance with BS 8103-1:2011 Structural design of low-rise buildings. Example of similar finished project:

Image from: Archicentral.com Please refer to drawing (Building Caf/visitor centre) for details Access to caf/visitor centre i.e. doors with be in compliance with BS 8300: Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people.