Radmat discusses how it rose to the challenge of waterproofing and insulating Bloomberg London’s highly technical and complex roof.
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Located in the City of London between the Bank of England and St Paul‘s Cathedral, Bloomberg‘s stunning European Headquarters building is rated BREEAM ‘Outstanding‘ with a 98.5 per cent score – the highest design-stage score ever achieved by a major office development. Michael R Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg stated; “From day one, we set out to push the boundaries of sustainable office design.“ His intentions are reflected in the building‘s BRE sustainability assessment
Michael Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman at Foster + Partners was engaged early in the project’s conception and said, “In some of our first discussions on the project, Mike Bloomberg and I arrived at a ‘meeting of minds’ on how the design of the new Bloomberg headquarters should incorporate the highest standards of sustainability. The project evolved from thereon into a building that is one of the most sustainable in the world. The deep-plan interior spaces are naturally ventilated through a ‘breathing’ façade, while a top-lit atrium edged with a spiralling ramp at the heart of the building ensures a healthy, connected and creative environment.”
One of the key features showcasing the building‘s sustainability is its impressive roof design. This comprises a complex petal-leaf design, which collects rain water and cooling tower blow-off water, to be treated and recycled (along with water from other sources, such as basins and showers) to then serve the efficient vacuum-flush toilets. The roof also incorporates vents, which work with bronze fins in the walls to allow airflow to pass through the building creating a ‘breathable‘ system requiring little to no artificial ventilation. High levels of insulation in the roof and walls reduce the need for heating during the colder months.
Radmat Building Products Approved Contractor Prater was contracted for the green/bio-diverse roofing and the installation of riverstone cobble margins and natural paving slabs. In addition, hot melt waterproofing was also required for multiple levels of the project.
The complex design of the roof was frequently challenging. Waterproofing had to be carried out to the structures behind the large-scale bronze blades across the building and the underside of the façade glazing. The different angles and densities of the blades meant a difficult task was faced when installing the PermaQuik waterproofing, ProTherm G XPS X 300 SL insulation, and ProTherm XPS X MK Water Flow Reducing Layer. In areas of high load PDS ProTherm G XPS X 500 SL was used beneath the Water Flow Reducing Layer. Radmat and Prater’s specialist teams carried out rigorous testing throughout the installation process and ensured the building was waterproof and thermally efficient.
Radmat‘s PermaQuik PQ6100, PQ2017, PQ2060/2061 Hot Melt Monolithic guaranteed waterproofing membrane was the perfect solution. It combines excellent waterproofing performance with toughness, durability, flexibility and strong adhesion to a variety of substrates including Zero falls. It is BBA certified ‘for the design life of the roof in which it is incorporated.’
The headquarters contain vast workspaces and meeting rooms, which demand optimum aural levels for communication and concentration. Radmat‘s ProTherm G XPS X 300 SL and ProTherm G XPS X 500 SL thermal insulation was specified as it was able to collectively meet the demands of providing high-standard insulation while conforming to important efficiency targets. It also helped to cancel out the noise from the city centre, while maintaining high acoustic quality inside the building, adhering to the required optimum aural levels.
Bloomberg‘s new European Headquarters has proved a great success and is recognised as the most sustainable and efficient office building in the world – aided by Radmat‘s insulation and waterproofing to last the lifetime of the building.
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