University of Salford

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Key facts & Challenges

Sector: Student accommodation
Project value: £81m
Client: University of Salford
Architect: Sheppard Robson
Contractor: Graham Construction
Subcontractor: SCS Building Solutions and Bluegyp

The University of Salford has invested £81m in new student accommodation blocks and leisure facilities - including a cinema room for students, teaching staff and the local community. A consortium called Salford Village Limited was established to deliver the design, build and future management of the accommodation. The main contractor, Graham Construction, appointed Siniat as it's key drylining and external sheathing board supplier. The design brief was to create a distinctive new part of the city, with the target of achieving an 'excellent' BREEAM rating, setting high standards for sustainability and energy efficiency.

Specifications

Specification Detail

Installation Phase

The two biggest installation challenges was the very tight timescale and meeting the BREEAM 'excellent' rating. Working in partnership with our technical team from the early planning stage, Graham Construction chose 26,700m2 of Weather Defence to satisfy multiple requirements.

Weather Defence at Univerity of Salford. Student accommodation case study.

26,700m2

Of external sheathing board installed on nine residential blocks

6-8 months

Saved on the build programme

"If we'd gone down a traditional brick build, it would have taken two years to get the building watertight.

Brian Smith, Design ManagerGraham Construction

Results

LaDura is stronger and harder than other plasterboards giving greater impact and pull out resistance.

LaDura is a severe duty plasterboard giving greater impact, pull out and sound insulation.

Weather Defence is a revolutionary new external sheathing board, faced with water repellent material for superior weather protection.

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Local Impact

Student life is of course a mixture of hard work and hard play. Our products provide the acoustic protection that allows a student studying for finals to revise in peace. And sometimes, playing music is a necessity. One in six rooms are earmarked for music students, therefore needing extraordinary acoustic performance. Our boards also provide the robustness to withstand hard wear and tear, and provide 120 minutes of fire protection so maybe Mum’s and Dad’s can sleep a little easier, too.