THE MARSHALL BUILDING, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS

Introduction

When the London School of Economics (LSE) sought an architect for The Marshall Building, it held an international competition to select a contemporary design that matches its global academic reputation.

The winning design by Grafton Architects features striking pale stone rainscreen cladding that contrasts with the red bricks of surrounding buildings on Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

At 10 storeys high, the building needed to conform with the changes to building regulations which ban the use of combustible materials on all buildings over 18m in England and Wales. As a result, Grafton Architects specified Knauf Insulation’s Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab for the three external wall build-ups.

The Challenge

With U-values of 0.14 W/m²K, 0.20 W/m²K, and 0.21 W/m²K required for the different rainscreen wall build-ups, sub-contractor I&S Construction consulted Knauf Insulation’s Technical Services Team about the right depth of insulation. After conducting U-value calculations, 150mm Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab was recommended for all three build-ups. As well as fire safety and thermal performance, Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab has excellent sound absorption properties.

It's manufactured with ECOSE® Technology, our unique plant-based binder. It is low-carbon and generates low-VOCs, so it can be used to create better buildings – for occupiers, for installers and for the planet. ECOSE® provides the proven sustainability performance the industry needs, backed up by extensive testing and certification.

Results

Thanks to Knauf Insulation’s Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab, the Marshall Building will provide students and academics at LSE with a comfortable and quiet environment to facilitate their world-class academic work.