Introduction:
Constructing the new Balfour hospital and healthcare center was an unusual undertaking with remarkable logistical and technological hurdles, given its isolated island setting and exposure to winds twice as strong as the UK's average on the mainland.
Problem:
Acoustic design has to be carefully considered because of the combination of different departments, spacious public areas, and intimate private consulting rooms. This problem was made much more difficult by the location's normal daily wind speeds of 25 to 31 miles per hour in the winter, which results in exceptional needs for interior air pressure and further difficulties for the acoustic design.
Orkney is located 10 miles off the coast of Scotland's mainland, therefore supply chain logistics and programming needs also had to be taken into account by the crew. This involved gathering supplies, transporting them to the island, and shielding them from inclement weather. No waste had to be left on Orkney after completion, according to the contract.
Solution:
In order to preserve vital fire and acoustic performance while accommodating internal air pressure changes, a range of our Gypframe 'C' studs were chosen for the building's drylining systems. Among these was the application of GypWall Extreme to provide the building with the highest level of impact protection.
GypWall Robust and Gypframe 92 AS 50 AcouStud were chosen for consultation rooms in order to create extremely robust, but silent environments that provide patient privacy.
In order to achieve a combination of superior air quality, acoustic performance, and great visual impact in public places, British Gypsum advised using their Gyptone ceiling tiles in conjunction with the Casoline MF ceiling system. This combination not only produces a stunning appearance to go with the building's flowing contours, but it also effectively reduces reverberation.
Benefits:
All plasterboard waste was collected and recycled through our Plasterboard Recycling Service, reducing its current and future environmental effect on Orkney.
Additionally, we support The Balfour's continuous operation with our SpecSure® warranty, which ensures that our in-house developed systems will operate as intended for the duration of the structure.
We care about building better.
Client's Words:
"The construction was a steel construction with durable and hard wearing materials and external façade, designed to reflect the Orkney weather and high speed winds. We had to get things right the first time, and that was a challenge. Working with the British Gypsum team and their materials helped us to achieve this high quality outcome."
