Sika is thrilled to have been awarded the prestigious Judges Choice – Special Commendation accolade at this year’s Insulated Render and Cladding Association (INCA) Awards. The Building Finishing team was recognised for the complex External Wall Insulation (EWI) system designed for the iconic Selfridges building in Birmingham.
The annual INCA Awards recognises innovation and excellence in EWI projects and for 42 years has celebrated EWI and the transformative effect it can have on buildings. The Judges Choice – Special Commendation award is presented to exceptional projects and it’s clear to see why the Selfridges building, an iconic part of the Birmingham cityscape for two decades, impressed the INCA Award judges. Its unique curved façade, comprising of 15,000 individual anodised aluminium discs, and areas where the walls blend seamlessly into flat roof sections, added to the complexity of the façade refurbishment.
Working alongside contractors, Rendserve Ltd, Sika created a bespoke EWI system design using a roofing grade insulation board along with high impact, standard and specialist mesh. The SikaGard 675 liquid coating was colour matched to the building to ensure the façade stayed true to the original design. The INCA judges were impressed with the “quality of design and installation versus the complexity” demonstrated by Sika.
Kevin Mangan, Technical Manager for Sika’s Building Finishing division, was also presented with the INCA Outstanding Achievement Award. His work on the Selfridges project for Sika is just one highlight in a career which spans 30 years in the EWI industry. He has taken an active role in working groups set up for many of the standards used across the industry today and is the current chairman of the INCA Technical Committee.
Sika’s EWI systems combine high performance renders and coatings with quality insulation to create attractive, energy-saving façades for new build and refurbishment projects. It recently opened a dedicated training centre at its plant in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire to offer applicators, distributors, architects, and contractors a combination of both classroom-based and practical product training from Sika industry experts.