Maple are creating striking vertical blades for the façade of the new Braywick Leisure.
But the most significant feature of the new wood-grain effect brise soleil is something most people may never notice.
The £33m leisure centre project is one of the first in the world to use state-of-the-art i-SOL8 thermal-break brackets – designed in collaboration with Maple’s specialist teams.
The brackets, which attach solar shading systems to curtain walling, have been developed in response to new strict building regulations relating to interstitial condensation. In short, any penetration to the curtain wall envelope must now have a thermally efficient interface.
Nowhere is this more important than in public spaces like leisure centres and swimming pools, where warm, moist air meets the cooler surfaces of the building’s construction and can cause condensation and damp. In the case of curtain walling, the condensation can cause serious internal damage to the mullions.
The critical components of the new backets are manufactured from a carbon fibre composite – as strong as metal – which provides industry-leading thermal isolation, as well as impressive vibration resistance and load-bearing properties.
To most people, however, the most impressive features will be more than 50 large brise soleil blades (ranging from 3m to 5m tall) on the building frontage – designed to provide visual impact but also protecting leisure centre users from the sun’s glare.
When complete, the new Braywick Leisure Centre will include a 10-lane swimming pool, a 200-station gym, four squash courts and sports hall.
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