Natural Insulations - Berwick Workspace

A comprehensive collection of high performance insulation products from Natural Building Technologies (NBT) has been used in the construction of Berwick Workspace, a new flagship managed business centre in the heart of Berwick upon Tweed.

A key element of the design was to use environmentally friendly, natural materials wherever possible. Insulation products supplied by NBT include Pavatherm Plus and Diffutherm woodfibre boards for the external walls and roof, and Hemp Batts were specified for use within the internal timber stud partition walls. The structure was finished in a variety of cladding materials, including timber, stone and render, resulting in the creation of a truly distinctive and contemporary building

Designed by Malcom Fraser Architects of Edinburgh, Berwick Workspace offers 35 individual offices as well as conference space for up to 50 people. In addition to this, the new centre also offers virtual office facilities and business incubation services to encourage and support new enterprise in the area.

Project architect, Calum Duncan of Malcom Fraser Architects comments: “We chose the products because of the high levels of thermal efficiency and breathability of the materials. The fact that the external wall build allows moisture to migrate to the outside makes for a healthier building and better working environment.”

Highly sustainable and environmentally sound, the woodfibre boards are manufactured from over 95% recycled FSC timber, whilst the Hemp Batt insulation is made of natural hemp fibres and treated with inorganic salts to deliver excellent fire and pest resistance.

Both systems offer the practical advantage of being easy to install as well as the ability to deliver exceptional levels of thermal performance. Fully breathable, the NBT systems effectively regulate internal moisture levels, protecting both the health of the building and its occupants by preventing damp and decay.

Installed to the exterior of the building structure, the woodfibre boards also minimise thermal bridging and improve airtightness levels, thereby helping new developments to achieve modern standards of energy efficiency. With high density and excellent specific heat capacity, the boards also introduce thermal mass into what would otherwise have been lightweight structure, bringing summer insulation to resist overheating as well as winter insulation for warmth – providing all year round energy efficiency.