Specialist insulation manufacturer Kingspan Insulation met the design imperatives of maximising thermal efficiency and internal floor space at the new ABC Brisbane headquarters in Queensland.

Designed by Richard Kirk Architect and constructed by Leighton Contractors, the new ABC Brisbane headquarters is a hub for the organisation’s diverse broadcasting and cultural activities. 

The rectangular multilevel building abutting Grey and Russell Streets in Brisbane’s central Southbank district contains a mix of open-space offices and boldly cantilevered glazed studio areas. Light and space are central themes of the design, facilitated by expansive glazed walls and a structural linear simplicity.

One of the key design considerations was a practical approach to internal comfort within a context of overall openness and light.

Kingspan Insulation was able to accommodate the design imperative for high-performance, unobtrusive and slim-profile insulation to maximise internal floor space while offering occupant welfare.

Kingspan Kooltherm K12 Framing Board was used in concrete wall applications by the developers to ensure thermal efficiency with minimal intrusion into workspaces.

A super high-performance, fibre-free, rigid thermoset wall insulation featuring double-sided, low-emissivity foil for added thermal protection, Kooltherm K12 Framing Board is capable of providing Total R-Values of up to RT3.0 (heat flow out) using a 40mm Kooltherm thickness in concrete wall applications. This spatial efficiency means wall profiles in the ABC Brisbane building are far less bulky than walls lined with conventional insulation products.

The rigid fabrication meant panels could be installed as continuous linings, free from the thermal breaks that characterise traditional soft insulation materials positioned between timber or steel framing. Rigid Kooltherm K12 insulation panels also eliminate the dangers of sagging, slumping, displacement or deterioration typically seen in soft insulation products.

The continuous Kooltherm K12 panels therefore, reduce energy wastage, minimise the workload of air-conditioning and heating units, and help to stabilise temperature fluctuations. Each of these outcomes assists with the overall charter of the building to create a safe, efficient, healthy and pleasurable workplace. 

Kooltherm K12 Framing Board can be used in a variety of applications and is easily cut to size to suit asymmetrical applications. In addition to concrete walls, it can be used with masonry block walls, brick veneer walls, steel-framed walls and timber-framed walls.