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.
