Wraptite® Airtightness Protection for Northampton School for Boys
The Wraptite external air barrier system from the A. Proctor Group has been chosen for its high-performance, airtight insulation for a Department for Education (DfE) funded project of the offsite construction of Northampton School for Boys Multi-Academy Trust.
The new project forms part of a full turnkey solution provided by Algeco, acting as Principal Design and Build Contractor alongside Watson Batty Architects. The project includes a total of 210 modules using Seismic technology, plus a hybrid structure for the halls, to create the 1200-place new secondary school, including sixth form.
Utilizing Seismic technology for the Northampton school modules will deliver important benefits; it is 75% faster and achieves a 47% improvement in value compared to traditional construction techniques; it even offers a 33% improvement in speed when compared with standard modular construction.
In terms of sustainability, Seismic delivers significant reductions in both operational and embodied carbon of up to 70%. This is achieved through factors including design efficiency, materials selection and manufacturing effectiveness, leading to limited wastage.
A vital element of modern design and construction is to maximize energy efficiency. Controlling spiraling energy costs is particularly key in educational facilities such as schools and colleges.
The Wraptite air barrier system is a safe and simplified membrane system. It provides a fully self-adhered vapor permeable air barrier certified by the BBA and combines the critical properties of vapor permeability and airtightness. This approach saves on both the labor and material costs associated with achieving the energy efficiency demands in buildings.
The self-adhesive design is perfectly suited to offsite manufacture, easy and quick to apply. Installing Wraptite at a low level in the factory enables the membrane to be easily applied and avoids the risks of working at height. Offsite installation also enables the product to be installed in completely dry conditions to ensure full adhesion in a quality-controlled environment to deliver the required airtightness requirements. The product is very durable and provides excellent protection in transit and on-site.
The high vapor permeability of the Wraptite air barrier allows the substrate beneath to dry quickly and moisture vapor to escape and reduces the likelihood of mold, mildew, condensation, timber distortion and metal corrosion.
Also specified alongside Wraptite was Protech GM Super, a high-performance proprietary reinforced gas barrier that has been specifically designed by the A. Proctor Group to conform with the latest guidance.
The technical team at the A. Proctor Group provides comprehensive guidance to architects and contractors in specifying membranes.
More from Modular Advantage
A Huge Win for the Modular Construction Industry in Massachusetts
In early February, 2024, the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) released its proposed 10th Edition building codes. This draft included several amendments targeting modular construction that would have created an extremely difficult environment for the entire modular industry and could have eliminated the industry entirely in the state.
FEMA Announces Hawaii Housing Plan Using Modular Construction
Utah becomes the second state in the country, following Virginia, to fully adopt ICC/MBI standards 1200 and 1205. MBI will continue to work with leadership in Utah to implement the new program.
Supply and Demand: Solving Canada’s Housing Crisis One Relocatable Housing Unit at a Time
Not only do Moda Modular’s repurposed employee housing solutions cut the emissions related to construction down to nearly zero, but they also keep building materials that are often not biodegradable from slowly decaying in storage facilities.
It’s the classic environmental mantra of reduce, reuse, and recycle, scaled up and applied to building after building.
ICC/MBI Standards 1200 & 1205 Provide Foundation for Utah’s First-Ever State Modular Program
Utah becomes the second state in the country, following Virginia, to fully adopt ICC/MBI standards 1200 and 1205. MBI will continue to work with leadership in Utah to implement the new program.
Repetition, Communication, and Coordination: A QSR Case Study
This modular QSR project seemed like any another modular building on the surface. Inside, it was anything but. The rhythm, the desire to iterate and repeat, and the constant communication between all parties made it stand out.
Modular Architecture: Thinking Outside of the Box with Sara.Ann Logan
At a time when modular buildings were still seen as less than by many in the architecture and construction world, Sara.Ann Logan took the plunge and partnered to launch a design-build firm that designed, built, and constructed modular high-end single-family homes. But even though she could see the value of this kind of construction, it wasn’t universally accepted.
Colorado Developer ‘Attacks’ Attainable Housing Crisis
City, county, and state government bodies are reaching out to Fading West Development, a modular manufacturer and developer in Buena Vista, CO, to learn more about how they are using modular construction to solve the affordable housing crisis in Colorado. Governments are eager to learn how they’ve made modular development successful and profitable while meeting the growing need for affordable housing.
CES Group’s Stuart Cameron Will Convince You the Moon Is Achievable with Modularized MEP
While most people think of construction as a gradually layered process, MEP assemblies—such as the modular ones—tend to provide all-in-one installs, like a car factory. A modular MEP product helps developers, architects, and fellow modular manufacturers reach their goals through early integration and planning. MEP assemblies address all the unseen things like electrical, heating, and plumbing when looking at a finalized building. The very nature of MEP assemblies are crucial to any initial prospectus.
Automation: The Future for Offsite Modular Construction
Offsite modular construction lags far behind other industries in embracing and adopting automation. Some people believe it will decrease jobs. Others feel they’ve done okay without it, so why change? In reality, conventional construction methods simply cannot keep up. Cooper Lane of Brave Control Solutions points to the labor shortage and the housing crisis that’s rampant in Canada, the U.S., and globally.
Seizing the Modular Construction Opportunity
The CSA Public Policy Centre’s new report, Seizing the Modular Construction Opportunity, highlights how innovative modular methods can help to bring various building forms—from single unit housing to complex high-rises—online more quickly. Owing to efficient manufacturing practices and controlled factory environments, modular can achieve completion rates that are 25% to 50% faster than conventional construction approaches.