Galway Mayo Institute of Technology

Student Name: Jonathan Flanagan

Student Number: G00262330

Chapel Ground Floor Plan

Extension Ground Floor Plan

Inroduction

Cluain Mhuire Campus was built in 1920 and is lo-

cated in Wellpark, on the Monivea Road. It was the

project for this years design and detail module

which saw an upgrade and extension to the chapel.

Its original function was that of a redemptorist

monastery and has now been retrofitted and up-

graded to meet the expectation of the client turning

the space into a 120 seat Theatre/Cinema cum TV

studio with a green room, storage rooms, changing

space and technical support office. The extension

acts as the buildings reception area fitted with disa-

bled and abled toilets. Joining the two buildings is a

light steel framed planar glazed link which allows for

the facade to express the large double dock door en-

trance to the chapel whilst providing a shelter when

navigating between the spaces.

DESIGN AND DETAIL UPGRADE AND EXTENSION TO CCAM CHAPEL

Jonathan Flanagan - B.Sc. (Hons) in Architectural Technology - Galway Mayo Institute of Technology

Galway Mayo Institute of Technology

Student Name: Jonathan Flanagan

Student Number: G00262330

Gutex Thermofloor Energy Flow Result Kingspan Aerofloor (EPS) Energy Flow Result

Ballytherm (PIR) Energy Flow Result Existing Energy Flow Result

LECA Insufill build detail analysed in THERM 6 displaying the Infrared view of heat

being retained by the proposed floor system

Ballytherm (PIR) Build Detail in Therm Existing Build Detail in Therm

Kingspan Aerofloor (EPS) Build Detail in Therm Gutex Thermofloor Build Detail in Therm Existing Victorian tile and parquet floor

Materials compiled into groups based on their use and function in the solid floor and scored through the ma-

trices, red line indicates choices made for the breathable floor build up

Results of LECA Insufill THERM analysis inputted in-

to excel for calculating Psi Value

Proposed upgrade for a breathable floor design to the chapels interior

Aims and Objectives

The aim for the project was to analyse, research

and investigate the existing elements within the

building and determine the best possible materi-

als to upgrade it with based upon the findings

throughout the report.

The element that was agreed upon and assigned

to the author was the upgrade of the existing

chapels solid floor. The floor was made up of

the original parquet flooring and Victorian en-

caustic tiling with a presumed solid floor struc-

ture on a raft foundation. Given the protected

status of the building great consideration was

given to the choice of materials and design so

that they would fall in line with conservation

principles and best practice.

The following were the objectives to be met to

ensure a well informed decision of materials:

Use the information contained in databases and

other published studies on materials to acquire

the ratings, properties and effects of the materi-

als under analysis. This will be the information to

be put through the matrix.

Carry out the analysis of said materials and their

assemblies through the use of established and

recommended software to understand the floor

assemblies energy and performance revealing

which floor option would be the best to be cho-

sen.

Analysis

The options for the existing floor upgrades to be in-

vestigated were the existing floor, a Ballytherm poly-

isocyanurate insulated floor, a Kingspan extruded

polystyrene floor, a LECA Insufill insulated floor

and a Gutex wood-fibre board insulated floor with

the various materials within the matrices added to

these options. THERM 6 was the software used to

determine the heat transfer through the buildings

floor and flanking elements. This enables the user to

determine heat transfer effects in building elements.

Evaluating heat transfer through THERM showed

the floors U factor, energy efficiency and local tem-

perature patterns which informed on condensation

and moisture damage.

The LECA Insufill Option build up was drawn up

in AutoCAD, exported as a .dxf file and underlayed

in THERM with each material and its lambda

value added. Internal (20°C) and external (0°C)

boundary conditions representing temperatures

were added to simulate real world environment

conditions. The U factor results that were gener

ated from THERM were then inputted into the

excel document for calculating the Psi values of

the floor and flanking element.

The Psi value that came close to or achieved a

better psi value than the ones recommended in

Table D6 in the Technical Guidance Documents

Part L for Dwellings 2008 and Table 03 of BRE

IP1/06 “Assessing the effects of thermal bridg-

ing at junctions and around openings” would

then be chosen as the option to use.

Conclusion

From the analysis of the 5 different options for the

proposed solid floor it was decided that the best

floor option to use would be option 4 LECA Insu-

fill Floor. This decision was made based on the fol-

lowing factors:

LECA Insufill scored the highest out of its insu-

lation matrix along with the Unilit 30 Screed and

using similar floor surfaces such as the Victorian

Mosaic floor tiles and reclaimed parquet floor in

the event of the floors original surface being

damaged upon removal.

LECA Insufill also scored the best U-value rating

out of all the options when compared to the 0.25

rating for new buildings which LECA Insufill

surpassed achieving 0.231.

A breathable floor design was specified based on

conservation principles and permeability. As existing

protected structures are made from porous and per-

meable materials they allow the building to evapo-

rate moisture over the summer months. As it is im-

possible to fully seal a DPM around an existing

structures floor without disturbing the existing walls

it was decided not to include one in the build-up as

it would defeat the purpose of a breathable floor

system as advised in English Heritages publication

“Energy Efficiency and Historic Buildings: Insulat-

ing solid ground floors”. Radon gas would be miti-

gated by installing a radon gas sump.

In the end it was decided to not disturb the exist-

ing floor for the following reasons:

Many of the tiles and parquet would be damaged

upon lifting and difficult to re-lay in pattern

Floors excavation could be very disruptive caus-

ing damage to the structure.

Replacing the floor surface would take much of

the buildings character away.

Ballytherm (PIR) Energy Flow Result Existing Energy Flow Result

DESIGN AND DETAIL INDIVIDUAL ELEMENT ANALYSIS PROJECT

Jonathan Flanagan - B.Sc. (Hons) in Architectural Technology - Galway Mayo Institute of Technology