News Archive
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Presentation at ECTP conference, Warsaw
04 October 2011
John Desmond, MD of Cygnum Timber Frame Ltd, presented the ongoing progress and results of the InsulaTFH project at the well-attended European Construction Technology Platform conference in Warsaw on th 4th October, 2011. John was supported in the presentation by Frank Faraday of FIEC.
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PRECISION features in ShowHouse magazine
19 April 2011
The PRECISION product and system was featured in the April edition of ShowHouse Magazine. Showhouse is a leading trade magazine for house builders and new homes industry suppliers.
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Press release for PassivHaus School
18 April 2011
CYGNUM BEGINS TIMBER FRAME CONSTRUCTION AT INNOVATIVE PASSIVHAUS SCHOOL Timber frame specialist, Cygnum, has commenced delivery of a £5.1 million school building – designed and built to the ultra-low energy principles of Passivhaus construction. The new Oak Meadow Primary School building is part of Wolverhampton City Council’s £16.6 million Primary Capital Programme, set to transform the region’s educational facilities for primary age pupils. Passivhaus buildings are designed and constructed to provide exceptional occupant comfort whilst using up to 90% less energy for heating and cooling than standard buildings. As a result, the completed structure requires minimal traditional heating and no air conditioning cooling systems, retaining existing heat gains in winter by using mechanical ventilation with heat receovery. Designed by Architype Architects, the building at Oak Meadow Primary School is a new two-storey, 2,500m2 structure being delivered by contractor Thomas Vale Construction. As a crucial element in the construction process and to achieve the required levels of insulation and air tightness for Passivhaus certification, a timber frame structure proved the perfect solution. Produced in the controlled environment of Cygnum’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, the structural panels and vital components could be delivered to the finest tolerances. The timber frame structure comprises a 340mm external wall insulation zone with a main air tight layer of 18mm OSB (oriented strand board), to the inner face of the external walls and first floor ceiling. OSB is water resistant and formaldehyde free and made of narrow strands of fibre cross-oriented in layers with a resin binder, it provides no internal gaps or voids for increased strength. In Passivhaus construction, all components in the exterior shell are insulated to achieve a U-value that does not exceed 0.15 W/m2/K. For this, Architype specified cellulose insulation for both the 340mm external wall and 400mm roof insulation. Made from 100% recycled newspaper and with zero ozone depletion potential, cellulose insulation has a thermal conductivity of 0.035 W/mK and exceeds BREEAM’s Green Guide rating of ‘A’, helping the building to achieve Passivhaus Standards. Internally, Cygnum’s innovative design incorporates the use of exposed glulam beams and posts in the main hall. The beams supporting the roof will be 200mm x 1000mm deep and span 11m, sitting on glulam posts of more than 6m high for an impressive aesthetic. The new Oak Meadow Primary School building is being constructed next to the existing school, which upon completion will be demolished to make way for new playing fields. Once the project is complete, with an expected handover in April 2011, the school will officially open its doors to students for the new school year in the autumn. For more information on Cygnum’s extensive range of timber frame solutions, please visit www.cygnum.co.uk. To find out more about the PRECISION system of using cellulose in the timber frame panel, visit www.insulatfh.eu.
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PRECISION shown at EcoBuild 2011
08 March 2011
After three days, 600 speakers, 1300 exhibitors and many more thousands of visitors, Ecobuild 2011 drew to a close on Thursday 3rd March. The exhibition introduced a whole host of innovative new products to the industry, including the successful launch of Cygnum’s new Precision range of closed wall panels, incorporating the company’s factory produced cellulose insulation. Continually striving to develop environmentally-friendly construction methods, Cygnum used its exhibition stand at Ecobuild to demonstrate its growing capabilities within the timber construction industry. Attracting large numbers of visitors and with plenty of interest shown in its timber structures, Cygnum’s experience at its first Ecobuild was extremely positive. “Ecobuild proved to be a great way for us to interact with architects, specifiers, contractors and other industry professionals,” said John Desmond, Managing Director of Cygnum. “We have been delighted with the interest shown in our new closed panel system and were extremely pleased with the number of new business leads that our participation has generated.” Since it started in 2004, Ecobuild has grown exponentially to become the world’s biggest and most successful exhibitions for sustainable design, construction and the built environment.
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PRECISION in BUILDING MAGAZINE
28 February 2011
BUILDING magazine highlighted our attendence at the Eco Build show in London in advance of showcasing the PRECISION product and system developed as part of the Insulatfh project. Click on: www.itmps.co.uk/digitaleditions/Building250211gaxr83.html for more details.
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ARCHITECTS JOURNAL - PRECISION Product of the month
25 February 2011
The PRECISION product, which is the Cygnum brand name for the product developed as part of the Insulatfh project, received a major accolade by being selected as product of the month in the Architects Journal. The timing of the announcement is a major boost to the project in advance of its showcasing in the Eco Build show in early March. One of the keys to the success of the project is to ensure that architects and specifiers are aware and accepting of the concept of the process and the product and any perceived barriers are eliminated. In this regard, the approval of the Architects Journal, which is a hugely respected source of practical information for architects and specifiers, was a major coup for the project.
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PRECISION featured in Timber Trade Journal
14 February 2011
Timber frame manufacturer claims European first for insulation Cygnum Timber Frame claims it has become Europe’s first timber frame manufacturer to produce and install its own insulation at source. Cygnum Timber Frame’s new PRECISION closed panel system, to be unveiled at Ecobuild on March 1-3, features the cellulose insulation – made of 80% recycled paper. By producing and installing its own cellulose from locally-sourced waste paper, Cygnum says it can deliver complete closed panels to construction sites, minimising overall carbon footprint for builders through reduced transport, packaging and waste. Cygnum has developed the cellulose manufacturing process as part of the InsulaTFH project funded by the EU ECO-Inovation programme. It worked with a German equipment supplier and the European Construction Industry Federation to refine the process and for filling timber frame panels to achieve a target U-value of 0.15W/m²K and lower. This involved the installation of a new production line. “The manufacture and installation of high performance insulation at our facility is the logical step for closed panel systems as we remain committed to delivering low-energy building solutions,” said John Desmond, Cygnum managing director. The TTJ is the UK's leading magazine for the timber trade, covering latest industry news, market intelligence, opinion and developments in technology.
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PRECISION in Timber in Construction Magazine
07 February 2011
Timber frame specialist Cygnum has launched a revolutionary closed panel timber frame system that combines the company’s timber engineering solutions with a new capacity for creating high performance recycled insulation. Together the system offers one of the most sustainable closed panel timber frame solutions on the market. The company’s new PRECISION® range closed wall panels also sees Cygnum introduce its own cellulose insulation – composed of 80% recycled paper. With this development, Cygnum is Europe’s first timber frame manufacturer to produce and install its own insulation at source. Cygnum set about creating a new closed panel system to minimise the carbon footprint of each construction component. By producing and installing its own cellulose, from locally sourced waste paper, Cygnum delivers complete panels to the construction site. This minimises the overall carbon footprint through reduced transport, reduced packaging and reduced waste. Quality insulation is integral to the use of timber frame during the construction of a sustainable building. Closed panel systems, when insulated with high performance cellulose, can deliver outstanding levels of energy efficiency. To meet and exceed environmental building regulations, Cygnum’s Precision® range will incorporate a low-cost, robust process for transforming paper material into cellulose insulation fibres. The company has developed this process as part of the InsulaTFH project, which is funded by the European Union ECO-Innovation programme. ECO-Innovation supports the commercialisation of practical initiatives which have the potential for major reductions in environmental impacts. The InsulaTFH project commenced in June 2009. Working with a German equipment supplier and FIEC, the European Construction Industry Federation, Cygnum completed the development of processes for manufacturing cellulose from recycled newsprint and for filling timber panels to achieve a target U-value of 0.15 and lower. To accommodate these processes, Cygnum has installed a new production line at its timber frame manufacturing facility. Once installed into the closed panels, the cellulose provides exceptional thermal conductivity – helping specifiers, contractors, home-builders and developers to achieve outstanding levels of thermal performance and air tightness. Each wall panel is manufactured using advanced in-house methods of manufacturing and cellulose insulation to dramatically reduce thermal bridging. Now, by using advanced detailing around junctions and the factory-installed cellulose, the ability to reduce heat loss associated with thermal bridging can be tackled more efficiently. With close attention to detail during the manufacturing process, the Precision® range makes cellulose a more affordable option whilst ensuring improved standards of insulation are easily achievable. “The launch of the new Precision® range is part of Cygnum’s ongoing research and development into innovative solutions for the creation of low carbon buildings.” said John Desmond, managing director at Cygnum Timber Frame. “The manufacture and installation of high performance insulation at our facility is the logical step for closed panel systems as we remain committed to delivering low energy building solutions.” The PRECISION® range and system is set to be officially unveiled by Cygnum at Ecobuild 2011 held at London’s ExCeL Exhibition and Conference Centre from 1-3 March. See www.timberinconstruction.co.uk for more details
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Work Commences in Oak Meadow Primary School, England
24 January 2011
Work has commenced on the construction of the Oak Meadow Primary School in Wolverhamton, England. The school will be one of the first schools built to the Passive Standard in the UK and has been specified throughout to use environmentally friendly construction systems and materials. Cygnum are providers of the timber frame, the make-up of which is largely similar to the PRECISION product, being a double stud wall filled with cellulose insulation to achieve exceptional levels of energy efficiency. The timber frame element of the project will continue for a 12 week duration. Much work has been carried out between November 2010 and January 2011 in carrying out product tests prior to sending it for full field trials during January to May 2011.
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PRECISION at the Self Build Show, Cork.
08 November 2010
The PRECISION product range and system were showcased over the weekend at the Self Build Show. The show, shich attracts over 10,000 visitors with a total spending budget of over €1 billion in house construction, has proven to be a highly effective means of introducing new products and concepts to the consumer and specifier. The response to the new product and process was extremely positive, with people particularly attracted to the concept of using locally & sustainably sourced insulating materials to produce a highly energy efficient home. Arising from the show, we were invited to tender for over 100 jobs using the new system.
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Cygnum begins promoting PRECISION on website
20 October 2010
Cygnum has today luanched its new website & associated marketing documentation which features very strong branding for the cellulose filled panel system. The panels will be branded under the name of PRECISION, which was decided upon as it is one of the key attributes and differentiators between our system of insulating and the conventional methods. Crucially, the same brand name will also be used in the exploitation phase to promote the underlying production system. The response has been excellent to date, with people being very attracted to this new concept in building techniques and they find the new website and brochures very informative in this regard.
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More dissemination planned in next number of months
23 September 2010
As the project advances apace, we will be significantly increasing the levels of disemmination over the next number of months. As part of that process, we will: overhaul the Cygnum website and brochures to emphasise the cellulose filled timber frame products under the brand name of PRECISION. A key part of achieving exploitation is to first achieve market acceptance for the product. develop the Insulatfh website to promote the PRECISION system attend major exhibitions in Ireland & the UK to promote the building system promote the system with features in relevant trade journals - to achieve this we will engage the services of a UK based PR company.
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Visitors to UK exhibition exceed the 200 mark
30 July 2010
Today visitor numbers to our permanent exhibition in Buildstore in England exceeded the 200 mark. The stand, which is co-sponsored by Cygnum and Insulatfh, functions as a permanent physical display of the project progress and is regularly updated. The Buildstore is a unique exhibition space in that it affords companies an opportunity to exhibit for an extended duration and as such is an ideal platform to illustrate the progress of a 30-month project such as InsulaTFH. The exhibition is also well known for showcasing the latest in sustainable home building techniques.
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Disemmination event in Cork
25 June 2010
In Cork city today, a seminar was held at Lifetime Labs to disseminate awareness and results of interesting research work being conducted by a number of companies in the north Cork area. John Desmond, Managing Director of Cygnum Timber Frame Ltd, formally launched the InsulaTFH project and provided an overview of the ECO Innovation program. Presentations were also made by Mid Cork Pallets Ltd, Palfab Ltd and Eirebloc Ltd who are involved in environmental and business improvement projects under the LIFE program and the FP7 NMP program. The Guest of Honour at the seminar was the Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork. The seminar was attended by waste recylers, local authorities, environmental experts, researchers, agents representing the EU, and members of the banking and financing sectors.
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First complete house test
07 May 2010
Today the company delivered its first house to site, manufactured using the results & innovations of its application testing work conducted to date. The house was built to the exacting standards set by Karlsonhus of Sweden, which not only looks at the use of energy by the house but also the embodied energy in the materials used in the construction. The house is located on Sherkin Island, which, being one of the most westerly islands in Europe, posed extreme conditions in terms of addressing the transportation and weatherproofing challenges of the project.
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Density confirmed
27 April 2010
The density tests have confirmed a density level of 70kg/m3 is required in a factory filling scenario to ensure consistency of density throughout the cavity is maintained through the transport and erecting process. The project now moves to developing a measurement and quality control process to ensure that each cavity can be tested and verified to that density level.
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Application testing continues
24 March 2010
Application testing continues and to date over 50 panels have been tested. The initial objectives are to identify the density needed to counteract the risk of settlement during transport and erecting, and to develope a process to ensure a consistency of density throughout the panel cavity. As part of the testing, different sizes and make-up of panel cavity were tested under different density levels and different application techniques (vertical & horizontal filling). Once this phase is completed, the next phase will be to streamline and optimise the manufacturing process and develop the necessary quality controls.
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Application Equipment purchased
19 January 2010
The company has purchased the Fibrmaster 350 machine to assist with the application testing and development work as part of the project. The machine was sourced from the UK and its normal use is for on-site cavity-filling with cellulose insulation. As such the machine will need significant levels of testing and modifications to meet the requirements of factory filling. Meanwhile work is ongoing in terms of scoping and specifying the micro cellulose production plant, with contact being made with suppliers and machinery manufacturers as far afield as China and Australia.
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UK Exhibition for Self Build
15 January 2010
Cygnum has agreed to take an exhibition stand at BuildStore’s National Self Build & Renovation Centre in Swindon, which is the UK’s ONLY permanent centre for self builders & renovators.
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Focus Expert Group Meeting - Brussels
17 November 2009
A meeting took place at the Brussels office of FIEC in order to address the perceived barriers to the use of cellulose as an insulant. The meeting included the project partners, experts from materials research, architecture and construction, and the EU project officer.
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SelfBuild Extend & Renovate show
06 November 2009
Cygnum introduced the outline concept of the InsulaTFH project at the SelfBuild, Extend & Renovate show, held in Millstreet, Co. Cork. See www.selfbuild.ie
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Project begins ...
24 June 2009
Today, John Desmond, managing director of Cygnum Timber Frame Ltd, signed contracts with the Executive Agency for Competitiveness & Innovation (EACI) to carry out the InsulaTFH project within the ECO-Innovation programme of the European Union.
