Location: Aberdeen, UK

Building Use: Education

Project Type: New Build

Extreme limitations of space made Kingspan KoolDuct, the latest in ducting technology, the ideal solution for a major £8.8 million refurbishment project at Aberdeen University.

The nine-story MacRobert Building on the university’s main King’s College Campus has been completely renovated in order to accommodate The School of Education which has been relocated from the Hilton Campus.

The refurbished building boasts state-of-the-art facilities for 1,400 full and part time students within the School of Education as well as for students and staff across the university. It includes an entire floor of ICT facilities available on a 24-hour basis, additional performance space, improved facilities for post-graduate research and continuing professional development, science classrooms, office space and a café. The building is also home to University Music.

Specialist manufacturers and installers Brankin Engineering Ltd assembled 4,000 square metres of Kingspan KoolDuct at their Broxburn, West Lothian fabrication plant and transported the system to the site in 25 carefully planned stages.

The ducting system was installed in the ceiling voids throughout the building and in the riser ducts on all levels as well as in two plant rooms. In addition a visible section of the Kingspan KoolDuct System was installed in each of the double tier sections on one side of the MacRobert Building.

Andrew Brown, of Brankin Engineering Ltd., said: “The KoolDuct System was chosen principally because of the severe restrictions of space in the ceiling void. There was only 375 mm available and the KoolDuct System was 300 mm deep, which left enough room for all the services as well as the ducting.

“The fact that Kingspan KoolDuct is pre-insulated and does not require additional lagging made it ideal because of the confined ceiling void space. The client is very happy with the performance of the ducting as well as with the appearance of the exposed sections of KoolDuct.”