Scotland’s first dedicated design museum blends architectural expression with energy conscious design. Home to curiosity, innovation and learning, the £80m building is situated on the edge of the majestic River Tay.
Commissioned by Dundee City Council, the iconic landmark is the first building in the United Kingdom that has been designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and was built by BAM Construction. The visually-striking structure provides a new social and cultural hub, comprising 1,650 m2 of exhibition space connected to the historic riverfront. Inspired by Scottish cliffs, the angular form of V&A Dundee immediately demands attention.
The building also celebrates the best in energy efficient design achieving a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ Rating. Kingspan utilised the air source heat pumps in combination with geothermal energy to improve energy conservation. The V&A features thirty 200-metre deep bore holes to heat and cool the building. To ensure rainwater is effectively channelled off the flat roof, Kingspan’s tapered roofing design team created the detailed layout and specification for the final roof insulation scheme. These solutions address the potential heat loss from the museum’s expansive flat roof and also provide drainage management to prevent long-term maintenance issues. All three Kingspan Insulation products installed at the museum have been assigned the highest possible BRE Green Guide Summary Rating of A+.
On the second-floor circulation, foyer and galleries, Kingspan Access Floors supplied an RMG600 medium grade system for the museum. Finished with Attiro magnetic engineered timber flooring, this provides a high specification overlay finish with the benefits of a functional design which allows for easy access to the service void below. With 500,000 visitors expected in the first 12 months, the flooring solution also ensures durability.