The prestigious Cardiff University opened its doors all the way back in 1883 and is the tenth largest university in the UK. Its substantial student population inhabits a extensive campus in the heart of Cardiff, and the extensive research faculties have spearheaded ground-breaking research in science and maths. The aim of the new building was to provide more space for the growing research and development that occurs in these two collaborative departments, and it was essential that the building provided optimum indoor thermal comfort for productivity behind its sleek, modern aesthetics. Our Dri-Design was used for the project’s rainscreen façade, assisted by our K-Roc Karrier to give a supportive and resilient substructure. The 10,000m² Abacws building provides flexible and creative workspaces, lecture theatres and seminar rooms, as well as computer and cybersecurity labs that showcase Cardiff University as an innovative Russell Group University. This investment of upwards of £39 million needed an equally innovative and effective façade that minimised solar heat gains, maximised energy conservation, and offered aesthetic appeal to an ambitious and important building.

Design Stage

The plot selected for the building was located close to Cardiff university’s central campus on Senghennydd Road, across from the Business Technology Centre, the Student Union and the railway station. So, the new building needed to complement the hustle and bustle of the surrounding areas, standing tall with a modern grey tone façade and wide bottom floor windows to create a sunny, airy open space. The façade considers the orientation of the building to allow good daylighting levels all year round whilst also enabling studying students to be shaded on the upper floors if necessary. A highlight of using our Dri-Design façade to optimise on glazing area and form was the amount of usable space enabled on all floors of the building. Stride Treglown and Adjaye Associates collaborated on this design, which aimed to fill the urban grain along Senghennydd Road. The building’s colonnade has a sheltered route for pedestrians and cyclists, who can see into the insides of the building. Our Dri-Design was chosen for its high-quality aesthetic and interchangeable cassette types and sizes, in which the function of the rainscreen façade could be combined with creating an architecturally appealing building. The aluminium façade directs condensation from the back through its internal gutter system, which is carried out through the bottom of the wall. This enables the internal wall cavity to be dry, preventing streaking from occurring on the building’s external walls, and leading to relatively low maintenance for the substantial building.

Build Stage

The choice of our Dri-Design facilitated a speedy construction process, with the rainscreen façade installing twice as fast as comparable systems due to its minimal components. When combined with our K-Roc Karrier to fix the façade to the building, an early-stage weathertight building envelope can be created. Our K-Roc Karrier is an interlocking stone wool core insulated panel which supports the Dri-Design system and combines the benefits of a composite panel with the variety of aesthetic rainscreens to enable airtightness, thermal comfort, and an appealing outer leaf. Three colours of Dri-Design were used on the Abacws Building. A dark grey façade spanned the majority of the building, and light grey was installed on the top of the building. Around the windows a different shade was used on the pressed aluminium of Dri-Design to give the appearance of concrete window surrounds and create a feature of them. Part of the futureproofing of the building involves minimising its energy demands through the façade installation. The thermal performance of the K-Roc Karrier system enables low U-values and high levels of airtightness to reduce energy consumption and support an eco-conscious approach to construction.

The material and product selection means the modern build has excellent thermal comfort, daylighting, and weather resilience, creating a comfortable and stylish environment for the award-winning work and study happening within its walls.