The Client
Doig+Smith has served the construction industry for over 80 years, across both public and private sectors. When Edinburgh Curling Club’s building, situated within the famous grounds of Murrayfield Stadium, required a new exterior cladding solution, Doig+Smith looked for a principal contractor partner. After a successful tender submission and presentation, Doig+Smith commissioned Starfish Construction Group to provide diagnostic surveying, management, and installation of new cladding for the property.
The Project
Originally constructed in 1980, there was a desire to enhance the visual aspect of the building and provide a sustainable solution for the future. Our technical surveying division quickly identified that the hollow core blocks from the original build were not a common type of construction material, and contained a wood fibre particle which meant a poor ‘pull out’ rating for installation of a new cladding system. We advised, due to the load-bearing limitations of the existing wall structure, that an alternative specialist fixing had to be engineered, thus ensuring adequate support of the new cladding system.
- Significantly improved aesthetics to modernise the buildings’ appearance
- The increased thermal efficiency of the building
- Reduced energy bills and running costs
- Starfish Construction committed to complete works for the start of Curl season
- In-house technical & design team identified the failings in the existing system
- Engineered out the sub-structure flaws
£165,000
Value
8 Weeks
Duration
800 m2
Cladding Area
Challenges and Solutions
One challenge we faced with the property was the external elevation as it was an unusual shape, which didn’t have a level flat surface, and stepped in and out. The complete cladding system was specified to be flush all around, therefore various loading calculations were assessed and produced by our technical and design teams. This ensured that the larger sections of cladding support rails were fit for purpose and provided a visually seamless finish to the building, retaining its original shape, albeit improved.
Outcome
As you will see from the images, the new cladding provides a modern and inviting aspect to the property. The upgrading of the building envelope has also delivered new revenue, enticing more new members to the club. The new cladding system and method of installation have brought the added benefit of the reduced cost of running the facility, by enabling Edinburgh Curling Club to regulate the ambient temperatures more efficiently, thus reducing their energy consumption.