Harbour View, Poole

Harbour View, Poole

The Project

Glossbrook Builders Ltd appointed Volsen to undertake the installation of a roofing system with the addition of a living green roof on their new steel framed building at Woodland Burial Ground in Poole. The development was on behalf of Tapper Funeral Service whose aim was to open the first crematorium in Dorset for more than 30 years, at a cost of £4 Million. The building was nestled within a 70-acre site and much thought was given to merging the building with its surroundings, utilising local suppliers and resources during the construction process.

The Client required a waterproofing roofing system that could work effectively under a living roof, supporting the additional load that originates from the soils, water and plants whilst maintaining its waterproofing integrity and insulating properties. We were provided with a design that initially placed the composite panels that would eventually make up the deck of the roof, between the steel beams of the building’s roof structure. However, we considered this would cause an issue with loading and could potentially lead to a collapse of the green roof as the components settled and developed.

We suggested that an alternative to placing the panels in-between the steels, was to place them across the beams, in effect spanning the beams for strength. This would also provide significant cost savings to the Client, as the panels would not have to be cut and shaped around the steel beams but rather laid directly onto them. This ensured a more straightforward approach to the installation, resulting in a significantly quicker fitting time and streamlined process.

The roof was comprised of Kingspan Envirodek composite panels which are structurally insulated and offer a light-weight solution to create the deck for the roof. These panels are specifically designed to support the load of a green roof and can be installed

quickly, at a rate of 1000m2 per day with the aid of a crane, ensuring a quick and safe install whilst achieving the required specified 0.18 Uvalue.

Once the deck was in place, the roofing membrane Sarnafil G410-15EL in lead grey was installed, providing a 20-year waterproofing system for the roof. The addition of a protection layer over the membrane, ensured the roofing systems integrity with the green roof installed on top creating a complete roofing system.

Having re-visited the site recently, we are extremely pleased to see how well the green roof is developing and just how well the whole building balances with its natural surroundings.

Stephen Tapper, Joint Managing Director at Tapper Funeral Service said “It was important to us to design a crematorium which has spiritual identity and meaning by linking the building to the natural surroundings of Harbour View, reinforcing it as a place of calm”.

Case Studies