PORCELANOSA Grupo Projects : the sophisticated ventilated façade at the Belfast Hospital in Ireland, manufactured with Ston-Ker
The Ulster hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland, carried out an important expansion project which was done by the award-winning Avanti Architects and Kennedy Fitzgerald architects architecture studios. When dealing with an ambitious project outline, they banked on Ston-Ker as the best solution to create the ventilated façade for this building which boasts six floors.
The challenge facing an adverse climate
When designing this new building, the challenge was to have a façade which was highly resistant to: the unfavourable weather conditions in the area, the low temperatures, the high humidity and the frequent rainfall and snowfall.
Additionally, a material which enhanced the brightness of the building was sought after, since sunny days do not come along that often in this area where, for around 4 months a year, the sun goes missing.
The Ston-Ker ventilated façade
The Ston-ker wall tile by Porcelanosa was the material that played a major role in the new building’s façade. It was installed by way of a hidden clip ventilated façade system developed by Butech, the firm specialised in building systems from the PORCELANOSA Grupo.
The essential requirement for carrying out the project was its façade system certification as stipulated by British regulations, and in addition to this, water tightness tests were also sought.
Butech counted on the INASUS SL firm for the on-site façade installation, some 6000m2 in total, along with 2000m of bricks. It was installed on a light structure (SFS) through an auxiliary system of Omega profiles. Regarding the joint, those overseeing the project opted for an 8mm partition, both vertical and horizontal.
The chosen Ston-Ker model, Ceilán Marfil, which, instead of being installed in the 592mmx1200mm standard format, it was done through a special production so that when being added to the 8mm joint, a vertical 600mm piece was achieved. In doing so, it was matched up with the curtain wall of the rest of the building.
This highly-resistant material has less than 0.1% water absorption, which provides an energy saving of up to 30%, and furthermore, it improves sound insulation. As well as that, it offers a finish and a colour tone which enhance reflection and provide greater brightness. By doing so, the technical and aesthetic requirements of the design were met.
The final result on the outside of this building which boasts 288 rooms with bathrooms, several specialised medical wards, storage rooms and a public canteen; is a façade with its very own identity, with a sober style and a modern cutting-edge feel.