Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, Margate

ITP membrane chosen to protect long-term health of hospital facility

ITP’s FlameOut Breathe breather membrane has been specified for a £12m project at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, where the existing Emergency Department is being expanded and upgraded to enhance the facilities and increase capacity.

Architects HMY worked with East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust to design a scheme which includes a new entrance, reception and waiting area, new adult and children’s treatment areas and staff facilities built within new extensions. Existing spaces will be remodelled to improve rapid assessment and treatment areas and resuscitation bays. WW Martin has been appointed as the main contractor overseeing the development.

The front extension will include improvements to the public face of the hospital, with an over-sailing roof sheltering the new Emergency Department entrance and creating a link to the main hospital entrance. Cladding experts, Apex Facades, chose FlameOut Breathe to provide advanced membrane solution offering multiple protective functions to a high level, including W1 water tightness, Euroclass B,s1-d0 fire retardancy and high water vapour permeability to control condensation within the building’s interior.

Adrian Brunger, Managing Director at Apex Facades, said:

“Apex Facades carry out a lot of major contracts on high-rise and high-risk buildings. We select FlameOut Breathe for many of these projects as it has the Euroclass rating required to comply by law and provides excellent breathability to prevent moisture from reaching the insulation layer. The W1 rating demonstrates its suitability to protect against driving rain, so we know that it’s a reliable all-round solution.”

Suitable for roof and wall applications, FlameOut Breathe is made from breathable, non-woven fabrics with self-extinguishing, flame-retardant properties independently tested to EN 13501-1. ITP supplies a wide range of other solutions to maintain the long-term health of buildings, including roofing underlays, vapour control layers, UV resistant membranes and ground barriers to protect against harmful gases and contaminants in brownfield and industrial land.