Tyler House, London

A combination of external wall insulation and resin brick slips from Sto has helped create a thermally-efficient and visually striking appearance for a £7.8m residential refurbishment project in London. Located on the Stockwell Park estate, Tyler House now benefits from the use of Sto resin brick slips which have been installed as the final façade finish, onto the company’s StoTherm Mineral K external wall insulation system.

The Tyler House building is organised around a central courtyard, and houses 48 flats with one, two, three or four bedrooms. “The buildings underwent a significant amount of refurbishment in order to improve the living conditions of the residents, and providing effective thermal insulation was a key element in that process,” explains Richard Watson of project architects Rock Townsend. “The Sto solution allowed us to provide that insulation. We also wanted to add 13 additional flats and the Sto brick slips gave us the opportunity to create a dramatic new appearance for the existing parts of the building which would contrast with the rooftop extension.”

The Sto materials were installed by Sto applicator Regency Plastering of Dartford. “The residents remained in their homes throughout, and there were no problems in installing the external insulation and brick slips whilst they were there,” explains Regency’s Paul Brown.

The BBA-certified StoTherm Mineral K insulation system is ideal for refurbishment projects such as Tyler House. Its external installation means that insulation performance can be substantially upgraded without the loss of any living space inside the premises. Comprising mineral-fibre boards which deliver high thermal performance and unrivalled fire protection, the system also incorporates reinforcing layers to provide additional impact resistance. For this project the insulation was installed using StoLevell Uni adhesive and supplementary fixings to create a strong and reliable bond with the substrate. 

Designed specifically for use with Sto’s external wall insulation systems and StoRend systems, the Sto mineral brick slips used on Tyler House are manufactured from a rugged and durable synthetic render, and combine a realistic simulated brick appearance with reliable, weatherproof properties. They can be used to match the appearance of surrounding buildings without compromising on thermal insulation, or as in this case, to create dramatic and individual facades. For Tyler House they were specified in a white brick slip colour which contrasts with the new, rooftop extension.