Public Service Hub, Ellesmere Port

Background

The Portal is a new £16 million Public Services Hub in Ellesmere Port, delivered by Vinci Construction for Cheshire West Council. The new facility is home to more than 500 council and public sector staff, a Job Centre Plus and a Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

Based at the former town centre bus station site, a combination of bronze aluminium cladding and glazing were designed for the street facing elevation. EWI was selected for the shopping precinct elevations to create a striking design. K Systems specified a direct fix system with mineral wool insulation and a silicone render finish.

A fantastic project to be involved with, which resulted in a new state-of-the-art, architecturally pleasing building.

Our Service

In collaboration with Bretton Architectural and our approved installer M & M Façades, we designed a comprehensive specification. Working in close partnership with both parties, our experienced team were on-site when required, providing technical and installation support.

This project was a catalyst for the wider Ellesmere regeneration master plan and a key project requirement for the Council was to reduce its energy and carbon footprint.

The Direct Fix system we specified is a cost-efficient solution for steel frame structures, which generates exceptional insulation and with a silicone render finish provides high levels of fire rating (A2,s1-d0). An ideal solution for this commercial new build.

Technical Project Details

The EWI needed to be line and level with the aluminium cladding, and to achieve this we specified K Systems M and selected 200mm mineral wool insulation boards. This system generates exceptional performance and provides high levels of fire resistance and non-combustibility.

The building was constructed with many environmentally friendly elements, including solar panels, air source heat pump and electric vehicle charging points. The use of mineral wool insulation resulted in a low U-value of circa 0.12 W/m²K, providing minimal heating costs for the offices and carbon usage was reduced to a minimum standard, keeping in-line with the Council’s aim of improving the standard of their buildings.

For the finish, a silicone render was specified. This durable, low maintenance finish offers an eye catching, clean design, creating a modern and contemporary aesthetic. Alongside the cladding and glazing elevation, the crisp render finish complemented the striking design and The Portal has transformed Ellesmere Port town centre.