London Bridge Station
London’s oldest station receives a significant upgrade to meet its increasing demands
Case Study6 min read
OPTIM-R
Vacuum insulation panels
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OPTIM-R rigid vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) have a declared thermal conductivity of just 0.007 W/mK, outperforming commonly used insulation materials. This performance is achieved through a microporous core which is evacuated and sealed within a thin, gas-tight metal envelope and allows project U-values to be achieved with the slimmest possible insulation solution.
As within all OPTIM-R projects, we provided a specialist design service for the application at the Royal Pavilion. The designers used the architectural floor plan to determine the optimum layout for the OPTIM-R VIPs. Any gaps smaller than 300 mm, or areas where penetrations would be required, were filled using rigid insulation infill panels of the same thickness as the VIPs. This planned approach provided a clear installation guideline for the installers and allowed the target U-value of 0.19 W/m2K to be met with an insulation thickness of just 20 mm, limiting the scale of ground works on the project.
The OPTIM-R Flooring System is suitable for use with most underfloor heating systems. At the Royal Pavilion, installers laid a protective rubber crumb layer above the floor slab, followed by the OPTIM-R Flooring System. Fitting the insulation above the floor slab in this way allows the building to heat more quickly when the underfloor heating is turned on. An additional rubber crumb layer was then fitted above the system, followed by the underfloor heating system and floor screed.
Page updated 21/01/2026
Since its inception in the late eighties, the urban extension of Poundbury has captured the public imagination. Built on Duchy of Cornwall land, the entire town has been developed in accordance with the architectural and urban planning principals contained within HRH The Prince of Wales’ book ‘A Vision of Britain’. Affordable housing makes up one third of the properties within the walkable community and the overall population is expected to rise to 5,000 by 2025.
The Queen Mother Square forms the civic centre for the town and, in reflection of this, the buildings directly surrounding it have been designed in a grand style. The Royal Pavilion sits to the north of the Queen Mother Square. Its ornate design references Greek Revival architecture and includes an iconic lantern, which forms the focal point for Leon Krier’s original masterplan. Its construction was overseen by C G Fry and Son Ltd. in partnership with the Duchy of Cornwall.
The project team were keen to ensure the measures in their Sustainability Strategy were as unobtrusive as possible whilst still utilising latest technology. To achieve this, the OPTIM-R Flooring System was installed with underfloor heating.
