Weber EWI system completes Pathfinder mission for Huntingdon Council

Pathfinder House is the iconic name for the original building in Huntingdon that in wartime housed the famous RAF Mosquito Pathfinder Squadron. From here, orders were issued for the squadron planes to attack the enemy’s industrial heartland so the site has a special resonance for former and existing RAF personnel. Structural problems were recognised once the building became home to the local District Council and demolition and redevelopment was decided some years ago.

Today, the title belongs to the fine new facility built to house Huntingdon District Council’s many departments and staff. Designed by architect Peter Smith of the SMC Corstorphine & Wright practice in Warwick, the building has been completed in two phases by Carillion. Substantial space has been created over seven stories with generous parking and access included in the overall site layout.

The main construction format chosen was traditional blockwork with insulated render and the weber.therm XP External Wall Insulation (EWI) system was selected. The core render material is manufactured in the UK, and Weber’s HQ is based only minutes away from the Huntingdon site in Flitwick, Bedfordshire.  Unlike many render suppliers, Weber can claim green sustainability credentials, as necessitated by the District Council, as all of Weber’s render products are produced in the UK.

The build project was split into two phases and had a total contract length of 134 weeks. The weber.therm XP External Wall Insulation installation with weber.therm M1 through-colour render application contract was awarded to FPP Ltd (Fink Projection Plastering) of March, Cambridgeshire. FPP has extensive experience of using the weber.therm XP EWI system. Founded 35 years ago by Tony Fink, the company today applies 40,000m² of render per year. “The weber.therm XP EWI system is very user-friendly, is quick, easy and economical to install, offers high thermal efficiency and looks good,” says Mr Fink.

The Huntingdon project featured complex surface details and substantial areas of curved walling around the auditorium section of the building. 100mm- thick, expanded polystyrene and mineral fibre insulation boards were fixed to the blockwork substrate using weber.rend LAC adhesive or mechanical fixings.  The system uses a meshcloth reinforcement followed by weber.therm M1 one-coat, through-colour cementitious render which was machine applied and hand finished.

Further information about Weber EWI systems, case studies and product specification is available at www.netweber.co.uk, or telephone Weber on 01525 722170.

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