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Ultraframe
Portals Division adds Beauty to Health Spa
Ultraframe
has created one of its most complicated roof designs ever, building a
beauty therapy suite on the prestigious health spa Clarice House in Bury
St Edmunds.
Ultraframe,
designer and manufacturer of conservatory roofing systems, was consulted
when a previous company struggled to cope with the ambitious project which
involved building a 9.4 x 5.0 metre conservatory on the side of the 19th
century building.
Nick Booth, Portals Sales Manager for Ultraframe, said: 'This project
really did test the capabilities of both our Portal designers and production
teams. It is probably the most awkward conservatory roof that the portals
division has ever had to design and fabricate. The final result will be
stunning once installed and the interior completed.
'The challenge was to incorporate a 50 degree pitch glass roof to complement
the existing building, while at the same time incorporating dormer style
projecting roofs of differing levels to accommodate the connecting tall
feature window and adjoining lower doorway and stone steps.'
Glenn Hodgson, Portals General Manager, became the key link between the
architect and the customer, visiting site to discuss the proposals and
undertake a detailed site survey. Glenn worked closely with all parties
to come up with the most practical design whist still keeping the ambitious
project within budget and on programme. Local company A & B Glass,
a member of the Ultraframe Registered Conservatory Installer Scheme, also
worked with all parties to carry out the full installation. A & B
has already installed several portal framed conservatories and the company's
professionalism, experience and dedication enabled this expert team to
work quickly and efficiently on this stunning extension.
Based upon the detailed drawings and information prepared by Ultraframe's
Portal Division, A & B Glass compiled a total package for the supply
and installation of the portal frame, including glass, windows, frames,
gable frames and weathering.
A & B Glass Construction Manager Steve Darkins said: 'This is the
most ambitious conservatory we have erected, you really do have to see
it to believe it. Ultraframe's roof is, as always, spot on! No one else
could have made this one - everything will be easy after this, it has
certainly been a challenge'.
Stuart King, Managing Director of Clarice House, said: 'We have been delighted
with the work so far. It is going to look absolutely lovely and will be
the perfect area for our guests to relax and unwind in before and after
beauty treatments. The roof really does look beautiful and blends in perfectly
with the 19th century building.'
The Portals Division, under the leadership of the new Portals General
Manager, Glenn Hodgson, has recently re-structured. The division specialises
in the design, pricing, manufacturing and supplying of portal framed conservatory
roofs and bespoke roofs requiring the inclusion of additional structural
support.
The portals team, comprising sales, estimator, structural engineer, designers
and installation consultant are available for advice at all stages of
a project. They can assist with design, prepare budget quotations and
indicative layouts and if required, visit site to discuss proposals and
carry out detailed site surveys, followed up with detailed working drawings,
full structural calculations and fixed price quotations.
Glenn said: 'We understand every project is different and can tailor our
services to suit each individual client‚s requirements'.
Tel: 01200 452340
Curtains
for Draughty Spaces with Sheerframe
Part
of The Bury, a retirement housing scheme comprising a 16th century manor
house with 1980s annex, owned and run by Johnnie Johnson Housing, has
recently undergone a transformation by the installation of Sheerframe
7000 casement windows and curtain walling.
The
installation in the annex of almost 200 Sheerframe system 7000 top and
side hung casement windows and 26, 2.5m by 8m curtain walling structures
using the Sheerframe structural grid system, was conducted by Yorkshire
based Sheerframe fabricator Slimline Windows Limited.
Richard Lee, operations director, at Slimline, said, 'Due to the conservation
issues surrounding the old part of the building, it was essential that
the new windows in the adjoining building were as sympathetically styled
as possible. The sizable curtain walling structures and casements have
very clean sightlines so look good from both the inside and the outside.
The curtain walling also provides a great deal of light on the stairwells,
and the side hung windows are easy to operate by both staff and residents.'
The Sheerframe curtain walling system can be constructed in a wide range
of sizes and can accommodate most styles of Sheerframe windows. The structure
is made of aluminium beams fitted together in a grid system, into which
the window sits. The grid system has its own drainage, thermal break and
expansion/contraction elements integrally constructed making it suitable
for large scale commercial projects and schools and colleges.
Also installed were Sheerframe System 7000 casement windows which form
part of the thermal performance range to meet stringent Part L requirements
and come with co-extruded weatherseals to maximise weather performance.
Maintenance surveyor at Johnnie Johnson Housing, Peter Jordan, commented,
'The old windows were made of anodised metal and were draughty, difficult
to operate and unventilated, leading to conditions that became unbearable
during hot summers like last year. We were looking for a solution to these
problems and are delighted with the results.'
Tel: 01773 852311
Windows
combining traditional styling with severe weather resistance were required
to meet stringent planning conditions, while ensuring the comfort of residents
at a new care and nursing home overlooking the windswept Holme Valley
at Holmfirth, near Huddersfield.
White
Rose House Care Centre - run by Meridian Healthcare Ltd. - is a 60 bed
care home, comprising 40 long-term residential beds and 20 short-term
nursing beds, in the grounds of the Holme Valley Memorial Hospital. The
fenestration contract was the result of an on-going partnership between
a local window fabricator and one of the area’s most prestigious
builders.
‘The local authority wanted windows to complement the natural stone,
from which the care home itself is built, and other buildings in the area,’
says Richard Pogson, Managing Director of the Lockwood Window Company,
which manufactured and fitted them.
The windows chosen by the building contractors, Conroy Brook Developments
Ltd., were the 58mm Kömmerling
Gold, finished in light oak.
In total, around 140 windows were installed, including top-hung and side-hung
casements, along with entrance doors, and floor-to-ceiling corner screens
made of toughened fixed panes sprayed with a coloured film to mask the
staircases.
Says
Conroy Brook site manager Graham Barber: ‘Because of the high winds
around here we needed weather-resistant PVCu. And the light oak finish
means they go very well with the stone building.’ Work is due to
start in the new year on White Rose House’s nursing accommodation.
Lockwood, which has been manufacturing Kömmerling systems since 1997,
also supplies windows for the 25 high quality homes - each valued between
£500,000 and £1m - that Conroy Brook builds in a year.
Conroy Brook’s latest £500,000 homes in Halifax have all been
fitted with the classically-curved Kömmerling Connoisseur. ‘Its
rounded, sculptured appearance is becoming increasingly popular, especially
with the light oak and rosewood finishes,’ says Richard Pogson, who
currently has 18 employees, manufacturing around 100 windows a week from
a 5,000 square foot factory, in Lockwood, Huddersfield.
Web: http://www.kommerling.com
Anglian
Films Provides Zoo with a Big ‘Welcome’ and Cuts Running Costs
Conscious
of the need to provide a welcoming and cool environment for visitors to
Port Lympne Zoological Gardens near Folkestone in Kent, the owners Howlett
Wild Animal Parks engaged Anglian Film’s
approved installers Ultra Stop (Kent) Ltd to come up with a solution for
its atrium entrance.
Many
people may not be aware that Howletts Wild Animal Parks have become one
of the world leaders in breeding rare and endangered animal species. In
fact, The Port Lympne Zoological Gardens is home to the world’s largest
captive breeding herds of Black rhino and African elephants.
Keen to ensure that visitors entering the Zoos atrium would feel comfortable,
even in high summer, the Parks management contacted Anglian approved installers
Ultra Stop to seek specialist advice concerning the 6000 sq ft of overhead
glazing.
Ultra Stop undertook a meticulous survey of the atriums roof construction,
especially the high levels of visible glare and solar heat penetration.
The company’s final conclusion was to recommend high performance
reflective film from the Anglian range.
The reflective film was successfully installed to the inside surface of
the atriums glass roof which has resulted in a significant improvement
to the environment inside the building. An addition benefit has been a
reduction in winter heating and summer air conditioning costs.
Tel: 01603 420574
Email: mailto:admin@Anglian-films.com
Broomielaw
Design Demands Bespoke Cladding Solution
While
the award of many curtain walling contracts still comes down purely to
price, MagHansen’s success in
securing the specialist package for a striking new office development
in Glasgow has been attributed to the company’s design capabilities
in developing technical solutions to very unusual requirements.
200
Broomielaw has been built by Sir Robert McAlpine with Glasgow based Keppie
Design being the architectural practice tasked with achieving the optimum
from an awkward site on the banks of the River Clyde.
After investigating a number of proposals with leading façade companies
from across Europe, the project team decided to accept MagHansen’s
proposals as best fulfilling the aesthetic and logistical demands for
the development.
As a result the HansenGroup member company has designed, manufactured
and installed a system designed specifically to suit the functional and
aesthetical requirements. The system encloses the seven storey high, sweeping
main façade that avoids the use of any conventional mullion structure:
emphasising the horizontal lines of the installation thus improving the
visual link between inside and outside space.
The Project Architect for Keppie Design, Mr Christian Van Dee, comments:
‘The restricted nature of the site boundary forced us to adopt a
curved façade form to maximise the space. Then the main approach
to the building from the east looks at the frontage from an oblique angle
and having a repetition of mullions would have obscured the view of the
interior.
‘We started off with a solution where we omitted the external vertical
cap, but kept the internal mullion. However, this did not give the result
we wanted. We went through various proposals with different specialist
suppliers but only MagHansen could achieve the advanced engineered solution
with which we were really comfortable. There was a certain logic to the
MagHansen design, separating the steelwork and the curtain walling from
the structural elements. It looks very striking.’
As part of its design input, MagHansen proposed to utilise secondary steel
members behind the façade, spanning the distance between primary
structural elements to take the wind load. Then stainless steel pre-tensioned
rods were introduced along the secondary members before the weight of
the 2.6 x 1.2m glazing units was introduced.
The other three elevations to 200 Broomielaw have been enclosed using
MagHansen’s familiar curtain walling and window systems while, internally,
sister company FendorHansen provided fire resistant screens around the
atrium and escape stairs.
Tel: 0113 2555111
Email: mailto:sales.leeds@maghansen.co.uk
SAS
Brings New Life to Office Development
UK
systems supplier, Senior Aluminium Systems
(SAS), has given a new lease of life to an office development at Heanor,
Derbyshire.
With fabricator Insight Architectural Glazing, SAS has refurbished the
two-storey offices with a high performance glazing system to create the
striking façade.
Over 30m of SCW curtain walling was installed into Marshall House to provide
the glazed entrance. Polyester powder coated in navy blue, SCW has a 50mm
wide face dimension which offers a range of mullion depths and feature
caps to cater for differing structural and architectural requirements.
Incorporated into the package were thermally broken SX 200 windows and
SAS doors. Specified to be top hung and fixed lights, the SX 200 range
is a high performance drained lightweight commercial window system.
SAS aluminium glazing systems were chosen because they offer a high level
of specifier flexibility and cost effectiveness. Aluminium is strong,
light, doesn’t corrode, requires little maintenance, keeps its appearance
over time and is 100% recyclable.
Senior Aluminium Systems supplies Britain’s commercial fabricators
from its head office in Denaby and two regional service centres in Newport
and Livingston.
It supplies aluminium facades, windows and doors to the commercial and
residential construction markets. It is also a major supplier of architectural
façade systems for retail outlets, educational establishments,
commercial buildings and heritage sites.
Tel: 01709 772600
Profix
Window Systems
is completing a superb new build contract to manufacture and install windows
and doors at a distinctive housing development in Bromyard, Leicestershire.
The exclusive four bedroom properties were fitted with Deceuninck’s
60mm decorative casements including French doors and residential doors.
In
addition, Profix manufactured and supplied the cavity closers to site,
offering considerable time savings benefits to the builders. Cavity closers
are quick to install and provide factory-made standards on site. Additionally,
using a cavity frame system makes the need to fit a conventional vertical
or horizontal damp-proof course to the window unnecessary and bricks or
blocks do not need to be cut. This saves time on site, reduces wastage
and overcomes dpc failure. Once in position, the windows were simply snapped
into place at a later stage in the build process.
Main contractor, AR Williams Building Contractors, chose Profix as its
preferred supplier due to the company’s reputation for quality and
service. Additionally, sourcing both the cavity closers and frames from
the same supplier simplified the procurement process for the contractor.
Director of Birmingham-based Profix, Mick Sadler, is delighted with the
project and stated, ‘Our business has been involved in the new build
arena for sometime. By offering a supply and fit solution, we are able
to work directly with the contractor to ensure the deadlines are met.
We are very confident that this will now lead to additional business.’
For more information on Profix’s products and services call 0121
358 6128
A
dramatic splayed bay window for an architect-designed property in Mid
Glamorgan has posed no problem for local installer Saracen Limited –
thanks to experienced Duraflex fabricator,
Griffin Windows. In addition to the 4-metre high feature window, the impressive
new build project involved approximately 60 PVCu windows and half glazed
doors in a Rosewood finish from the Duraflex Diamond Suite.
According to Stuart Price, General Manager of Pontypridd-based Saracen,
the project required commitment and expertise from installer, fabricator
and systems company. ‘This project simply wouldn’t have been
possible without the technical advice from Griffin and the flexibility
of the Duraflex Diamond Suite, which was able to satisfy the architect’s
demands in terms of both aesthetic appeal and performance.’
All the window units for the project were manufactured from Duraflex’s
65mm Bevelled profile and incorporate sash restrictors and trickle vents.
A variety of window styles from the Diamond Suite were specified, from
standard casement to tilt and turn, together with non-standard triangular
frames.
Glazing includes Pilkington ‘K’ toughened glass for optimum
thermal efficiency and security.
Given
the property’s exposed location, the architect specified a PVCu solution,
rather than timber, that would retain its good looks whatever the weather
conditions and require minimal maintenance. ‘Choosing Duraflex’s
recently introduced Rosewood finish has given the homeowners the best
of both worlds – the look of traditional timber with the durability
of PVCu,’ adds Stuart. Duraflex believes its latest foiled option
offers an attractive colour that has been further enhanced for a more
natural effect that could easily be mistaken for the real thing.
A successful family-run firm, Saracen Limited was established approximately
nine years ago and has been working with Griffin Windows and the Duraflex
Diamond Suite from day one. ‘The product and service package is excellent
and has certainly helped us win contracts and grow the business to its
current £1 million annual turnover,’ concludes Stuart.
Tel: 08705 351351
Web: http://www.duraflex.co.uk
Pilkington
Planar for Hong Kong
Two
blocks of a building at the Science Park at Pak Shek Hok in Hong Kong
have made stunning use of the Pilkington
Planar™ frameless glazing system from Pilkington Building Products-UK
to enhance their appearance and performance.
Buildings
4a and 4b have been specifically designed by the Hong Kong Architectural
Services Department to meet stringent environmental and energy efficient
targets.
Building 4a is square in shape with a central landscaped atrium roofed
over with a skylight that allows daylight to penetrate to the centre of
the building. 225m2 of double glazed laminated Pilkington Planar™
were required, with a laminated glass fin support. The fins comprise 12/2/12mm
Pilkington Planar™ with the clerestory glazing 19/16/6mm Pilkington
K Glass™. The imposing steel structure is minimised by the use of
the structural laminated glass fins supporting the horizontal Pilkington
Planar™ panels.
For block 4b, Pilkington Planar™ was used for the atrium glazing
and entrance canopy to form a stunning focal point to the six storey high
building. 19/16/6mm Pilkington K Glass™ Planar was installed with
a horizontal steel truss support, fixed using special S14B four point
castings with stainless steel Pilkington Planar™ 902 bolts.
This is one of the largest Pilkington Planar™ facades in Hong Kong
and is has been designed to dissolve the frontage causing the internal
space to flow into the landscaped entrance courtyard, enhancing the symbiosis
between the inside and the outside. This design also aims to reduce the
energy consumption of artificial illumination.
The Pilkington Planar™ system complements the aluminium clad building
which also incorporates photovoltaic panels. The use of double glazed
window units with Low E coated clear glass improved the thermal and acoustic
performance. Using clear rather than reflective glass also avoids any
reflected light disturbance into neighbouring buildings on the science
park.
The building was commissioned by the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology
Commission and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Corporation.
Web: http://www.pilkington.com
Groupco
Gives Flats a Facelift
Groupco
has provided the high quality hardware for a near £460,000 refurbishment
project at Broughton House, a twelve-storey block of flats in Bristol.
The
window division of Quicksons (South & West) Ltd of Bristol, South
Western Windows Ltd, is replacing the buildings’ outdated steel windows
with a low maintenance PVCu solution on behalf of Bristol City Council.
The work included window replacement and external renovation, and the
project forms part of the Council’s ongoing programme to upgrade
local housing stock to meet the Government’s Decent Homes Standard.
South Western Windows has installed a combination of casement windows
with Maco MK1 Shootbolt gearing in kitchens at Broughton House, plus Top
Swing fenestration in other living areas to satisfy the requirements of
emergency egress and allow easy cleaning from the inside. Groupco has
also supplied 600 sets of PN UNI System hardware for the Top Swing windows,
which is designed to ensure smooth operation and durability together with
safe restricted positions for ventilation. Featuring a sturdy construction
and low maintenance, the System meets the latest UK demands for strength
and function, and is proving a popular choice for demanding public sector
projects like Broughton House.
South Western Windows is a successful fabricator and installer to the
commercial sector. The company is an approved local authority supplier
and has considerable experience in supplying replacement doors and windows
for social housing. South Western Windows has been sourcing window and
door hardware from Groupco for nine years. ‘Groupco offers an excellent
all-round service and has a wide range of top quality products. Ordering
is easy and the staff are always on hand if we need advice. In fact, Quicksons
has just been awarded a further contract by Bristol City Council for another
multi-storey block of flats and will be ordering the same specification
of fittings from Groupco as used at Broughton House,’ comments Karl
Quick, Director of Quicksons.
Contact: Alison Collins
Tel: 01733 234750
Web: http://www.groupcoltd.co.uk
Former
Factory Transformed into Homes
Who
would believe that these luxury oak-clad homes were once a window factory,
and before that, chicken sheds. Profile 22
fabricator Mainstream Windows, Doors and Conservatories supplied and fitted
over 50 frames and French Doors at this quality conversion of its former
production site.
The Profile 22 system with its superior aesthetics and thermal insulation
meeting the requirements of Document L was specified by developers Rocol
Building Services for the conversion of the former 50m by 9m industrial
building at Portway, south of Birmingham.
Now
an exclusive development of six four-bedroomed homes, the Light Oak foil
was chosen to complement the external timber character of the building.
Planning regulations stipulated that the original structure of the building
had to be retained, including its overall dimensions, shape and even roof
pitch.
The four-acre site, comprising two separate blocks for offices and production,
was originally a chicken farm when Mainstream moved in six years ago.
It was sold for development when the company moved to larger premises
in a more prominent location in Birmingham 18 months ago, increasing production
capacity to up to 500 frames per week.
A niche specialist in the commercial and newbuild sector, Mainstream holds
several accreditations, including the IRL (Industrial Research Laboratories)
Accreditation - Birmingham City Council's own specification criteria required
by suppliers tendering for the authority's housing refurbishment programmes
and ISO 9001: 2000, together with a DTI-backed quality mark scheme.
Commenting on the installation, Mainstream's Managing Director Richard
Elson said: ‘The conversion involved knocking down our old offices
at the front and the factory block behind was split into six homes. It
felt strange to be installing the frames in the same building where we
used to manufacture them!’
He added: ‘They've done a great job with it and it all looks very
different now. Unless you knew the place before, you would never guess
its true past.’
Tel: 01952 290910
Sarnafil
Barrel Roof Tops this Upside Down House
This striking architect designed house in Portishead is now completed after its owner, Rob Lamoon, took three years to find the plot and will take another three years to finish the development. The upside down house has the living accommodation on the first floor so the view of the Bristol Channel and over to Wales is fully enjoyed even when eating breakfast.
This
modern house needed a modern roof – the unusual shape limits the
choices of covering. Rob explains: ‘I didn’t want to use bitumen
felt as it was too old fashioned, lead was too expensive and GRP was more
costly and would not have looked right. Having seen Sarnafil
at a show in 2001 at the NEC, I decided this good strong product was the
right roof for me. I chose the dark grey option to resemble lead. Sarnafil
is ideally suited to unusual shape roofs because it is so flexible.’
Contact: Bob Newall
Tel: 01603 748985
Email: mailto:robert.newall@sarnafil.co.uk
ThermoSpan™
Helps Transform Arsenal Building
Work
on the conversion of one of the former armoury buildings within London’s
Woolwich Arsenal site has been completed using specialised glass products
from HansenGlass for a variety of
applications. The Marlborough Building is amongst a number of Thameside
apartment developments on the historic site being undertaken by Berkeley
Homes.
This
technically demanding sub-contract package was undertaken by Bedfordshire
based Barretts of Aspley, working in close liaison with project architects,
the A&Q Partnership.
The Contracts Manager for Barretts of Aspley, Alan Hughes, comments: ‘This
project involved both refurb and new build elements with an extra two
floors being added on top of the existing building. The original cast
iron columns were shot blasted and primed before they were re-erected
as part of the new structural steel gantry. The gantries were fitted with
new mild steel balusters and new columns were manufactured for the upper
levels to support the roof structure. This was before being fitted with
the FortPlus™ toughened glass infill panels.
‘We also enclosed the lifts and stair towers using steel framing
and structural glazing. We decided to use HansenGlass because of our previous
experience of the company on other projects. HansenGlass was also able
to meet the tight lead times required and the project went very well.’
While an extra two levels were added to the property during the renovation,
the four storey elevations have been visually unified by glazing the stair
towers, liftshafts and balconies with ThermoSpan™ structural bolted
units and FortPlus™ panels supplied by HansenGlass.
Rising some 12 metres up the face of The Marlborough Building, the stair
towers are clad using single glazed ThermoSpan™ structural bolted
glass panels. The scope of the works also included the creation of a structural
bolted glazed roof area where single ThermoSpan™ was again utilised
but this time in a horizontal plane.
Contact: Graham Chung
Tel: 0151 545 3000
Email: mailto:sales@hansenglass.co.uk