Cripps Court is one of the oldest purpose built student accommodation blocks at Cambridge University, originally constructed in the 1960’s. In need of total refurbishment, the project was given to Architects Purcell Miller Triton, with a brief to improve the accommodation to 21st century standards and to provide a clean, comfortable and above all energy efficient place for the 200+ students to study and sleep.
Purcell Miller Triton identified the ThermaSkirt product as a possible solution having first seen it on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den some years earlier. They asked the M&E contractors WSP Group to evaluate ThermaSkirt as an alternative to the proposed panel radiators. Despite some initial scepticism, WSP quickly spotted the technical and installation advantages that ThermaSkirt could offer the main contractor Morgan Sindall, as well as the energy & space saving improvements that the Architects and client were looking for.
Combining the skirting board and radiators in one, ThermaSkirt could be installed pre-finished in less time than traditional skirting, whilst saving over 2.4 Km of pipework required to connect to radiators under the window from the service risers. With ThermaSkirt being a smooth, low profile, any health and safety or hygiene issues were completely addressed. Being securely fixed to the wall at low level, the system is completely resilient to student ‘high jinx,’ or ‘over exuberance’ – a common problem with wall hung radiators.
Phase 1 (60 units)
With a days on-site training, contractors Munro Building Services were soon up to speed with the product and were amazed at how quickly they could install the ThermaSkirt, often completing 12 rooms a day with a four man team.
With simplified and shortened pipe runs from the service risers to the ThermaSkirt, nearly £4,000 in copper pipework and joints alone was saved. With no need to paint the skirting once installed, each room was completed on average of 4 hours quicker than a skirting-and-radiators solution, more than compensating for the slightly higher initial capital cost.
With 2 more phases to complete in 2013, Munro, Morgan Sindall, WSP Group, the Architects and the client are all thoroughly delighted with the ThermaSkirt product and its promise of more useable space for the student, reduced maintenance costs & and lower fuel bills for the College.
Project Value: > £40 million
Contractor: Morgan Sindall
Architect: Purcell Miller Triton LLP, Cambridge
Engineer: WSP Group, Cambridge
Sub-contractor: Munro Building Services Ltd
Andy Maltny, Associate Director at Munro Building Services sums his companies experience with the product:
"ThermaSkirt was quick and simple to use, and when installing, it enabled us to easily navigate around the contours of the rooms while freeing up wall space that would otherwise be taken up by radiators, allowing for maximum use of the walls within the facilities. Having installed successfully on time and on budget I would happily work with the ThermaSkirt product again"
