IKO Roofs Overseas Students at the University of York

The University of York has invested in a £27m infrastructure in the Heslington East Campus which is planned as a state-of-the-art learning facility for pre-university overseas students to provide academic preparation programmes prior to their undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

The new development – Piazza Building – will provide a 350-seat auditorium, flexible learning spaces including two laboratories, a learning resource centre, a 350-seat lakeside view restaurant, offices spread across 70,000 sq ft. and space for student societies and activities.

The new three-storey building was designed as crescent-shaped to wrap around a retained oak tree in the courtyard, located to the south of Langwith College on the University campus.

To give the building an aesthetically pleasing and sharp look, aluminium was used on the façade cladding, roof edges and fascia. IKO Polymeric’s Armourplan P PVC roofing membrane in slate grey was specified to complement the dark grey colour of the cladding and roof edges. Chemplas, who managed the roof installation, chose IKO Armourplan P membrane to meet the guarantee requirements of the client and contribute to the BREEAM rating of the building.

The crescent shape roof required attention to details and a neat installation which was achieved to a high standard by Chemplas. IKO Armourplan P membrane made the installation easier thanks to its flexibility. Whilst suitable for extended guarantees, this membrane is still only 1.2mm thick, making the complex detailing easier. With high-quality polymer throughout – even on the lower layers – and high-performance reinforcement, IKO Armourplan P membrane offers a robust solution.

Due to the campus being exposed to strong winds, a wind uplift calculation was the key to the performance of the single-ply roof. IKO Polymeric’s technical team provided Chemplas with a report advising the right number and type of fixings required in different areas of the roof.

Looking over the green fields of Heslington, the roof is now complete and the building will be ready to welcome students from all over the world in the next term.