Kooltherm pipe insulation delivers modern performance at Grade 1 listed spa

Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation has been used to insulate pipework distributing ancient thermal spring water around a stunningly refurbished Georgian spa hotel in Buxton.

The Crescent, Natural Baths and Pump Room were constructed during the 18th and 19th Centuries. The historic buildings have now been restored as part of a £70 million project by Buxton Crescent Limited, which is jointly owned by CP Holdings and the Trevor Osborne Property Group Ltd, established to deliver the project and manage it on completion. The regeneration project includes a thermal natural mineral water spa, visitor attraction (managed by the Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust), retail units and an 81-bedroom luxury spa hotel to be operated by ENSANA. Freehold of the buildings is held by High Peak Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council who alongside the Heritage Lottery Fund also provided grant funding for the project.

The Crescent building’s Grade 1 listed status, its poor state of repair and close location to the town’s historic springs presented significant challenges to the project team, which included Vinci Construction UK and Imtech. Whilst the focus has been on sensitive restoration, the building services specification also makes use of modern technologies which will make the building both comfortable and cost efficient to run. As part of this approach, Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation was installed on concealed pipework throughout the buildings.

Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation is one of the most thermally efficient pipework insulation materials on the market today, with an aged thermal conductivity as low as 0.025 W/mK (at 10 °C). This performance allowed pipework, including that transporting the naturally heated thermal water, to be effectively insulated with the thinnest possible thickness of insulation. This was a key requirement for the project as Richard Drew, managing director of installers Gill Insulation, explained:
“This was a highly complex installation due to the Grade 1 listed nature of the building which limited the scale of alterations that were possible and meant pipework had to be lagged in highly confined spaces. Our highly experienced installers were able to overcome these challenges through careful detailing and installation along with the reduced overall diameters of the insulated pipework which could be achieved with Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation.”

In addition to its excellent thermal performance, Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation also supports a healthy environment for guests at the luxury hotel. The product is certified as a best-in-class low emitter of harmful VOCs under the Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold standard, showing it complies with some of the most demanding voluntary specifications from across Europe.

Image Credit: ENSANA

Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation also possesses excellent smoke and fire characteristics, with a Euroclass reaction to fire rating of BL,s1,d0. A BIM object can also be freely downloaded from the bimstore in Revit format.

With Kingspan Technical Insulation’s free Pipeline Technical Advisory Service, which can be contacted on 0808 168 7363, clear advice and guidance can be accessed at every stage in a project.

For more information:
Tel: +44 (0) 1544 388 601
Pipeline Technical Advisory Service: 0808 168 7363
Fax: +44 (0) 1544 388 888
E-mail: info@kingspaninsulation.co.uk
Website: www.kingspantechnicalinsulation.co.uk
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