Project Overview
Nelson Street in Belfast serves as a key hub for student accommodation, conveniently located near Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University, making it highly
accessible for students. The development fosters a vibrant community, offering a range of modern living spaces, including purpose-built apartments and private rentals, alongside facilities designed to support both academic success and personal development.
Client Brief
Alumasc Roofing was engaged to deliver a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary roofing solution, supported by a unified single-source, back-to-back warranty. The project’s unique requirements involved the integration of both a blue roof system and sports surfacing.
The blue roof system plays a crucial role in helping the project meet Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) targets in the Belfast area by managing stormwater and reducing the risk of flooding. Additionally, the tenants benefit from the inclusion of the sports track, which promotes physical activity and enhances overall health and well-being.
Alumasc held preliminary meetings to fully understand the project’s scope, ensuring a tailored solution that aligned with the client’s vision and budget. This proactive collaboration laid the groundwork for the successful execution of the project.
This project presented several challenges, including the need to accommodate both hard and soft landscaping finishes on a compact 2,000m² site. High levels of water attenuation were required, making the blue roof system essential. Logistical challenges also arose due to the city centre location, necessitating efficient coordination of deliveries. Additionally, achieving stringent U-value targets, managing insulation heights, and designing parapet upstands required careful planning and innovative solutions to meet the project’s goals, including the need to achieve a fire classification of BROOF(t4).
Solution
Alumasc’s Derbigum BluRoof is designed to alleviate flood risk by reducing and controlling the peak rate of discharge, in compliance with design requirements. This facilitates the detention of stormwater up to a prescribed maximum hydraulic head for subsequent controlled discharge over an elongated period.
The Derbigum BluRoof system benefits from the combined expertise associated with Alumasc Roofing and Harmer Engineered Drainage Systems; allowing a truly single source blue roof solution that is integral to a system of this nature. The Derbigum BluRoof system is fully BBA approved and Alumasc provide a service package that provides the client, specifier and end user with complete confidence in the integrity of the waterproofing and drainage solution, with Derbigum membranes boasting a life expectancy in excess of 50 years.
Working in Partnership
For over a decade, the strong partnership between Graham Construction, Tandragee Roofing, and Alumasc Roofing has ensured seamless project execution from start to finish. This long-standing collaboration has facilitated efficient project delivery, with technical and sales queries, including detailed wind uplift calculations, promptly addressed.
After successfully securing the project through a competitive tender, Tandragee Roofing efficiently installed a range of waterproofing systems and green roofs to meet the specific project requirements. Tandragee Roofing has a proven track record of delivering projects with Alumasc Roofing across both the UK and Ireland.
The Alumasc team played a key role throughout the project’s lifecycle, actively participating in initial design discussions, offering valuable insights, and providing consistent support from concept development to project completion.
Craig Begg, Director of Scotland and Ireland, says “Nelson Street serves as a great example of our system offering with unique finishes achieved to meet the client brief. Once again, the collaboration between Alumasc, Tandragee Roofing, and Graham Construction is on show at its very best”.
