TM Shrubhill CS

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case-study

shrubhill

edinburgh

diverse

TM

stone cladding

taylormaxwell.co.uk/facades

When a client uses your product again on their very next project and the planners cite it as the example to follow, you must be doing something right. That is exactly what happened when Taylor Maxwell supplied the generix stone cladding system for a £12.5 million build in a historic part of Edinburgh…

Building in a conservation city requires extremely sensitive design.

When CAG Architects set about designing Shrubhill, 7000m2 of student accommodation and retail space on the hillside where Edinburgh slopes down to meet Leith, they had to take into account the rich and diverse architectural and cultural heritage of the district.

Architect Gregor Small explained the thinking that went into the design of the new building on Leith Walk - the main artery linking Edinburgh and Leith: “It’s an interesting, quite bohemian part of the town with an eclectic mix of buildings and shops.

It has its own character and a lot of people have lived there all their lives.

Shrubhill itself is predominately ground plus 4 storeys in elevation, and we designed it to be similar to the sandstone tenements existing in Leith. The building descends as Leith Walk steps down and the individual façade widths of the blocks replicate those of the tenements.

We went for that look as the primary purpose of the building is to be a domestic property for students.”

info@taylor.maxwell.co.uk

/research & guide Planners liked the stone finish, but initially insisted the building be clad in solid stone on all four storeys which would have proved too costly for the client, Ziggurat Student Living.

Ogilvie Construction, the lead contractor on the project, had approached Taylor Maxwell and other suppliers to try to find a stone cladding system that would meet the financial and planning requirements of the build.

TM offered to supply solid Stanton Moor buff sandstone for the ground storey, and for the upper levels generix stone cladding panels fronted with the same stone.

The panels significantly reduced material costs and installation time, and the planners gave them the thumbs up once they had seen how similar they looked to the solid stone. “Taylor Maxwell produced stone samples which were essential in getting planning permission from Edinburgh City Council.” Gregor Small reported.

“They provided a 4m2 panel onsite and that was the clincher, it had all the corners and angles as well as some of the solid stone. Their work and endeavour got us over the line in terms of ensuring the planners would be happy with the end result.”

taylormaxwell.co.uk/facades

info@taylor.maxwell.co.uk

/provide When it came to putting the design vision into practice, time was tight.

“There was an absolute drop-dead completion date to be ready for the student intake in September, so the client was happy that it could be installed quickly and completed in one calendar year. That was almost as important as the aesthetics!” recalled Gregor Small.

TM played a role in ensuring the project met its demanding deadline according to Ogilvie Construction project director Stewart Edgar: “Once the stone was ordered, it was all available on time and in all the right quantities.

The overall service from Taylor Maxwell was very good. They pay attention to your needs and they really didn’t put a foot wrong.”

Pictures show Shrubhill is a worthy addition to the architectural tradition of Edinburgh. The results were so effective that Ogilvie have decided to use the generix stone cladding system again on a nearby student block further up Leith Walk using a different type of British sandstone.

Stewart Edgar said: “Shrubhill has attracted positive comments from anyone who has seen it, the finish is of a very high quality utilising traditionally built 100mm thick sandstone on the ground floor with the generix stone cladding system above. The quality of the stone is consistent and it’s well-sized, it just looks really good.”

The reaction of the planners shows that the generix stone cladding system really was the right way to make a new building blend into a historical area at a reasonable price, as Gregor Small concluded; “I think it’s worked really well, we would say that but the real proof is that a number of new buildings in central Edinburgh are now adopting the same cladding system that can be used with British sandstones that you would expect to see in the city. It’s gone from something that we had to convince the planners of, to something the planners are recommending.”

taylormaxwell.co.uk/facades

generix is a cost effective portfolio of ventilated rainscreen façade solutions which offers a range of natural stone façade panels. generix comprises of two systems, generix lite and generix plus. generix lite is a cost effective solution which uses a 20 and 30mm natural stone panel with a 90 degree horizontal kerf. The panels are secured to the generix lite vertical rail using the patented one piece four way stainless steel clip attached by Tekscrews. Neoprene strips eradicate wind rattle and assists impact resistance. generix lite 5262 adhesive is also applied for additional impact performance.

/key features of generix • Fast track construction • Universal substructure • Varied panel options • Cost effective • Certified to the latest industry standards • Flexibility in design

info@taylor.maxwell.co.uk

generix lite is very quick and easy to install.

generix

The external façade/structure should be surveyed and the vertical tolerance ascertained. The structure to be overclad must be watertight prior to the installation of the stone rainscreen system as the system is designed as a primary line of defence and not a watertight cladding solution.

Vertical generix lite rails cut to size should be wiped clean and any moisture removed before applying 2 lengths of compressible neoprene strips onto each rail. These strips are then cut to length in the correct position by peeling off the self-adhesive backing paper. Rails are lifted into their correct positions and fixed to the brackets using the specified fixings and tightened to the correct torque.

generix plus

It should be ensured that the correct type of rail, i.e. single, double or corner rail is used in each individual rail location.

Once all railing is complete, the installation of the specified insulation between the rails can commence using proprietary fixings, ensuring all insulation batts/boards are installed tight together with no gaps. Note that the system is designed to have a clear cavity gap of a minimum 39mm between the outside face of the insulation and the rear face of the stone tile when installed.

Tiles should be positioned next to the area to be clad and each tile is then supported off the base clips.

Press firmly in position, select an intermediate clip and secure using the specified Tek Screw.

Repeat the process until complete‌simple.

After applying the generix lite neoprene, locate base or intermediate clip into tile slot (Kerf) location and secure with the generix lite adhesive and Tek Screw (where specified).

The clip comes as standard in a stainless steel finish, or upon request in black.

generix lite

taylormaxwell.co.uk/facades

feeling inspired? contact your nearest facades solutions provider Taylor Maxwell Glasgow 3000 Academy Park, Gower Street, Glasgow, G51 1PR Taylor Maxwell Edinburgh 1a Clerk Street, Loanhead, Edinburgh, EH20 9DP Taylor Maxwell Leeds Unit 1 Bramley Grange, Skeltons Lane, Leeds LS14 3DW Taylor Maxwell Manchester Carlton House, 18 Albert Square, Manchester, M2 5PE Taylor Maxwell Nottingham Units 7 & 8, Castlebridge Office Village, Kirtley Drive, Castle Marina, Nottingham NG7 1LD Taylor Maxwell Birmingham 6080 Knights Court, Solihull Parkway, Birmingham Business Park, B37 7WY Taylor Maxwell Cardiff 13 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9HA Taylor Maxwell Bristol Taylor Maxwell House, The Promenade, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3NW Taylor Maxwell Barnet Cosmo House, 53 Wood Street, Barnet, EN5 4BS Taylor Maxwell Witham The Matchyns, Rivenhall End, Witham, CM8 3HA Taylor Maxwell Leatherhead Ashcombe House, 5 The Crescent, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8DY Taylor Maxwell Winchester Winchester House, Basingstoke Road, Kings Worthy, Winchester, SO23 7QF Vobster Cast Stone Co. Ltd. Newbury Works, Coleford, Radstock, BA3 5RX

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