Burmington Mill Christian Centre Building, Corian wall panels, Warwickshire Property, DuPont Design Product

The Green Hill Outreach Trust, Burmington Mill

Green Hill, Burmington, Brailes, Warwickshire, UK – DuPont™ Corian® De-mountable wall panels

20 Nov 2013

De-mountable wall panels in DuPont™ Corian® offer peace of mind in a flood-risk zone for the Burmington Mill Christian Centre

Location: 1 Mill House, Green Hill, Burmington, Brailes, Warwickshire, central England, UK

Burmington Mill Christian Centre

November 2013 – Old mill buildings can offer fascinating potential for restoration and repurposing, but as by nature they are located near water sources, they can be at risk from flooding. Such was the dilemma faced by the Green Hill Outreach Trust, a Christian charity that runs a community and conference programme from the Burmington Mill, an 18th century former flour mill. In July 2007 the worst floods in the Shipston on Stour area of Warwickshire in over one hundred years washed seven feet of muddy water into the ground floor, destroying the fixtures and fittings and resulting in a major insurance claim.

The Green Hill Outreach Trust based in Burmington Mill is in a flood risk area. The ground floor has been renovated in order to be ’water-friendly’ and features de-mountable wall panels made from DuPont™ Corian® high-tech surface.

Green Hill Outreach Trust, Burmington Mill Christian Centre in Warwickshire:

photo courtesy of CD (UK) Ltd, all rights reserved

While the claim was fully settled by the insurance company, the risk factors meant that costs were bound to escalate and the centre was faced with two choices: A doubled premium with an excess of £22,000 – or renovations to make the interior of the ground floor more ‘water-friendly’ and therefore not requiring cover against flooding.

The latter seemed the most sensible and affordable choice for the charity, although it meant some careful research into the most appropriate solutions for such an adaptable design. A concept began to crystallise to create de-mountable wall-panels that could be removed in the event of a flood warning and then replaced afterwards – preferably in a sturdy material that could survive any damage should the waters rise too quickly. The answer soon presented itself in the form of DuPont™ Corian® high-tech surface.

Fran Wilson of the Green Hill Outreach Trust explains, “It was while at the Grand Designs Live exhibition in Birmingham where we looking for a ground source heating system that we first came across DuPont™ Corian® and on finding out more about this beautiful, silky-feeling, non-porous material, it became clear that it might be the ideal solution for our new wall-coverings.”

The charity began discussions with Geoff Swift, Technical Consultant at CD UK Ltd, the distributors of DuPont™ Corian® in the UK, as to whether the material was suitable for the intended use and how best to apply it. In the event of another flood it would be necessary to easily remove the panels, dry out the walls and then replace the panels quickly and easily, with a minimum of disruption to the daily life of the centre, and minimal financial implications.

The ground floor of Burmington Mill Christian Centre has been renovated in order to be ’flood-friendly’ and features de-mountable wall panels, plus bespoke furnishings, made from DuPont™ Corian® high-tech surface.

photo courtesy of CD (UK) Ltd, all rights reserved

Challenges included the uneven walls of the old building and the fact that the panels would have to sit above non load-bearing plinth heaters 9which can simply be hosed down and dried out after a flood), so would need to be both de-mountable and fully supported by the wall structure. Furthermore, the renovation design for the ground floor, including a new refectory, kitchen, chapel and main foyer (159 square metres in all), incorporated some curving stud walls and decorative features which would require individual customisation.

DuPont™ Corian® proved to be typically adaptable in meeting all the key requirements for this unique project. Easily workable into the size, shape and form required and being lightweight yet robust enough to serve this particular purpose, the material was fabricated into panels that were then mounted using an ingenious system of aluminium rails and ‘industrial-strength’ Velcro for rapid removal in emergencies. Each panel is numbered and cross referenced to the mounting system for equally easy replacement into the correct position.

The ground floor of Burmington Mill Christian Centre has been renovated in order to be ’flood-friendly’ and features de-mountable wall panels, plus bespoke furnishings made from DuPont™ Corian® high-tech surface.

photo courtesy of CD (UK) Ltd, all rights reserved

The colour chosen for this application was Mojave, a subtle neutral tone from a carefully developed and exclusive palette for DuPont™ Corian® of over eighty choices, and the material has also been used to create bespoke furniture features in the Mojave and Medea colours, as well as seamlessly integrated worksurfaces and sinks for the refectory kitchen.

Fran Wilson continues, “We are absolutely thrilled with the choice of DuPont™ Corian® for our ‘water-friendly’ renovation. This design is not only highly practical, but also has resulted in a quiet, minimalistic elegance, which is a delight to the team and all our visitors. We are very peaceful about the possibility of any future floods, knowing that our key fixtures, fittings and equipment – including cookers and fridges on wheels – are easily movable, and that as soon as any flood water abates, we can dry out and get back to normal as soon as possible, with minimal costs for restoration. We would very strongly recommend this use of DuPont™ Corian® to any business in a flood area, it really is a fantastic solution.”

For further information about CD (UK) Ltd:

Tel: 0113 201 2240 www.cdukltd.co.uk E: info@cdukltd.co.uk http://twitter.com.uk

About DuPont™ Corian® (www.corian.co.uk, www.facebook.com/CorianDesign ) – The continuous efforts, the investment and the creativity of DuPont in research and technology, product innovation, new applications development and marketing have made DuPont™ Corian® high-tech surface a design tool offering exceptional versatility and almost limitless possibilities for producing high quality, effective, functional and reliable solutions addressed to residential, public and commercial environments, both indoor and outdoor. From kitchens to lamps, from bathrooms to the skin of buildings, from seating solutions to home automation systems, from radiators to touch control surfaces, from tables to furnishing and fashion accessories, to mention just a few: the “magic” of DuPont™ Corian® can be found today in an extremely wide variety of products, systems and objects that everyone uses or experiences in daily life. And the list keeps on growing.

DuPont™ Corian® (the whole range or specific types) has received important independent certifications for its environmental performance (like GreenGuard®, NAHB North American Builders Association, U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® Green Building Rating System, Scientific Certification Systems, Ecospecifier). Its hygienic performance has also been certified by prestigious independent institutions (for example, by NSF International, The Royal Institute of Public Health and LGA QualiTest).

The environmental management systems of all the plants of DuPont that produce DuPont™ Corian® have been certified according to ISO 14001. Moreover, as a result of a multi-year improvement program, all the plants of DuPont that manufacture DuPont™ Corian® have reduced to zero their impact on landfill by reducing, reusing and recycling manufacturing by-products and waste.

DuPont – DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit www.dupont.com.

Burmington Mill Christian Centre – Corian® images / information received 201113

Location: 1 Mill House, Green Hill, Burmington, Brailes, Warwickshire, England, CV36 5AF, UK