Ductwork choice at Manchester office complex
18 July 2026
Phenolic ductwork fabricated from the Kingspan KoolDuct System has been installed as part of Island, a 100,000ft² office development in central Manchester, which has been designed to leading standards, including NABERS 5* and BREEAM ‘Excellent’.
Designed by architects Cartwright Pickard, the 10-storey building includes Grade A office space plus a rooftop terrace, breakout areas and a wellness room. The Island is smart technology-enabled, with its building management system linking to sensors throughout the office and displaying live energy performance data to occupants via screens across the building.
The innovative KoolDuct System is formed from panels with aluminium foil facings and a rigid thermoset phenolic insulation core. This pre-insulated design avoids the need for a separate lagging stage and can weigh up to 70% less than ductwork constructed from galvanised sheet steel and then insulated with mineral fibre.
The system was fabricated and installed by EcoDuct. As the phenolic boards can be easily modified with hand tools, EcoDuct were easily able to modify the runs where required – avoiding potential delays from design alterations.
Testing has shown that air-leakage rates can be reduced to a fraction of those typical of conventional galvanised steel ductwork, helping to lower energy demand for the Island by allowing system fans to operate at a lower rate.
