Due for completion in late 2006, the new Aquatic Testing and Training facility is a centrepiece of the Australian Institute of Sport’s expansion of its sports facilities and services.
With this in mind, the Cox Group of architects in Canberra was given a strict brief to produce a design that satisfied the stringent thermal performance and sustainability requirements now required of new buildings as well as creating the right environment for the athletes and support personnel to be able to train and achieve the results envisaged by the commissioning of such an innovative new facility.
To satisfy the design brief the Cox Group looked to a combination of Styrofoam building insulation and Roofshield breather membrane to create a roof design that met the needs of the AIS.
In an older building, housing a training pool, the roof system had failed due to rust damage caused by condensation build-up. The old bulk insulation and foil sarking installation had trapped condensation in the roof structure rather than redirecting and venting the moisture away.
Cox architects found that due to its superior thermal performance and moisture resistance, Styrofoam was a much better option to use in the roof line, to be able to handle the high humidity developed by a swimming pool enclosure.
Also the problem of condensation forming in the roof structure was solved by the use of Proctor Roofshield breather membrane. The use of Roofshield meant that any moisture vapour that formed would be able to vent through the Roofshield in one direction but be held out by the membrane in the form of bulk liquid. This means that the roof internals and bulk insulation will be kept dry and performing at its maximum.
Delnas Metal Roofing, the roofing contractors, also found the Styrofoam and Roofshield extremely easy to install. Darryl Leisham said that, ”Using Styrofoam sheets and the Roofshield membrane meant that we didn’t need to use any special protective clothing or equipment to install the products, compared to other materials which can be very cumbersome and needs you to use special precautions.”