Architect and Builder Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | Page 56

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Saint-Gobain: Walls and Ceilings
Covered at V&A Silo District
Saint-Gobain worked closely with the professional teams and the V&A to provide a comprehensive
and technical approach towards ensuring that the best product choices were made.
S
aint-Gobain has been involved on
the Silo District since the initial
development of No 1 Silo.
The use of drywall has become a recog-
nised standard across all the district.
Silo Hotel
Setting a new standard for luxury hotel
accommodation, the new Silo Hotel sits
above the recently opened Zeitz MOCAA,
occupying six floors in the museum’s grain
elevator area.
Janet Thompson, Saint-Gobain Gyproc’s
regional technical and specifications
manager in the Cape, detailed some
of the challenges that Saint- Gobain
needed to address. “The original Grain
Silo building was a heritage site and
because of this the developers at the V&A
Waterfront required materials that would
support the building’s unique construc-
tion requirements for both the museum
and the Silo Hotel. The project called for
lightweight yet high-strength wall and
ceiling materials that would enhance visual
appeal while adding practical value.”
Saint-Gobain Gyproc was contracted to
specify material for the Silo Hotel and with
drywall lightweight construction proving
to be the best way forward, 15 different
types of plasterboard were brought in that
were selected based on their sustainability,
acoustic, fire rating and thermal properties.
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These components are particularly
necessary in a luxury establishment like
the Silo Hotel, where privacy within rooms,
safety of guests, aesthetic appeal and
reducing maintenance become important
considerations,” explains Thompson.
Taking into account
privacy for guests, her first
port of call was to introduce
twin stud and tracks and
as a result achieved a 63
dB sound rating, a great
improvement on the
traditional 48dB.
For fur ther acoustic
comfort, Gyproc Acoustic
Rigitone was installed
in the study and private
restaurant area to allow for
quiet and discretion and to
ensure thermal comfort.
Isover EnergyLite Acoustic Insulation
was installed in the ceiling. Following this,
Gyproc Cretestone was specified for all
the rooms and bathrooms to complement
the drywalls and provide aesthetic appeal.
Plasterboard was selected that helped
the building reach a one-to-two hour
fire rating. To control moisture levels in
bathrooms, Gyproc Moisture Resistant
RhinoBoard was installed. The toilets and
vanities are hung to the drywalling thanks
to a special reinforced bracing.
Ceilings comprise Gyp-
roc Cretestone skimmed
9.5mm RhinoBoard and the
rooms are adorned with
decorative bulkheads.
Plasterboard also
allowed for a sustainable
construction project. “Our
products are made using
less water at factory level
and require no water on site.
There were also
time and money-saving
benefits to using drywall.
Thanks to plasterboard being ten times
lighter than brick work, there was a
17.5% structural cost saving as well as
a significant time saving component,
as the project was completed earlier
than anticipated.
“Specifying materials for this extra-
ordinary luxury hotel and considering
products that resulted in an end-product
which is not only sustainable, but
encompasses the safety and comfort
features we set out to achieve, has truly
been both a privilege and highlight,”
Thompson concludes.
Zeitz MOCAA
Crucial to the redevelopment of this
heritage site into the Zeitz MOCAA was
selecting the right interior construction
materials during the design phase.
Mark Noble, Development Manager at
V&A Waterfront, required materials that
would not only support the museum’s
construction requirements, but that met
budget parameters and were environ-
mentally friendly.
“We wanted to preserve the integrity
of this 96 year old building,” Noble
explains, “while converting it into a
space that encompasses the comfort
and sustainability of a world class
museum. And one way to achieve this
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