curtain walling

Kawneer glazing systems help with a Welsh town’s regeneration

High performance curtain wall and door products by Kawneer feature on the Taff Vale redevelopment in Pontypridd.  Aluminium glazing systems from leading UK manufacturer Kawneer were specified by key supply chain partner DarntonB3 Architecture for the redevelopment at the heart of the regeneration of a South Wales town.  Multiple curtain wall and entrance door products from Kawneer were specified on

Read More »

Kawneer systems help take the wind out of Birmingham’s sails

Curtain walling, windows and doors feature on a 33-storey apartment tower. High performance building façade products manufactured by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer were specified to handle the challenging wind loads on Birmingham’s tallest exclusively residential tower block. Kawneer’s AA®100 zone-drained and capped curtain walling, complemented by AA®720 top-hung ventilator windows

Read More »

Latest Issue

BDC 321 : Oct 2024

curtain walling

Kawneer glazing systems help with a Welsh town’s regeneration

High performance curtain wall and door products by Kawneer feature on the Taff Vale redevelopment in Pontypridd.  Aluminium glazing systems from leading UK manufacturer Kawneer were specified by key supply chain partner DarntonB3 Architecture for the redevelopment at the heart of the regeneration of a South Wales town.  Multiple curtain wall and entrance door products from Kawneer were specified on the three buildings that comprise the £40 million Taff Vale redevelopment in Pontypridd.  Kawneer’s AA®110 capped and SSG (Structurally Silicone Glazed) curtain wall and thermally-superior AA®720 doors feature on several storeys of two office blocks whilst the AA®110 capped curtain wall product has been used on the ground floor of the statement community building.  In addition, Kawneer’s AA®190 TB entrance doors were installed on all three buildings over nine months by a team of up to 20 operatives from specialist sub-contractor Dudley’s Aluminium for main contractor Willmott Dixon. Dudley’s won Willmott Dixon’s “Overall Partner Award” for this project at their Supply Chain Awards.  Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council commissioned Willmott Dixon to develop the ambitious project to kickstart Pontypridd’s resurgence, providing much-needed space for employment and for the community.  All three buildings at Taff Vale share the same reinforced concrete basement and podium design. The two office buildings are similarly designed five-storey, steel-framed blocks. The office-led scheme will boost local employment and increase footfall to Pontypridd town centre, with the ambition of making the town centre more appealing to new businesses.  The main community building containing public facilities, a library, council offices, leisure and fitness centre, retail unit and café, is an architectural feature and is consistently more complex, featuring a curved on plan facade.   Constructed using steel, in-situ cast reinforced concrete, brick, glass, prefab timber units and individually sized and shaped zinc shingle panels, its roof structure is unique and visually impressive.   Its semi-monocoque design curves in two directions via a steel frame which connects to the reinforced concrete core. The frame supports prefabricated timber cassettes that are bolted back to the steel. Thin timber planks are used to form the curves of the façade and individual zinc shingle panels (6,345 in total) are fixed using a clamp to form the outer face.  Creating a project with unique design features comes with its own set of challenges, and unsurprisingly the construction of the façade was one of the project’s most difficult elements. Due to its curvature, the façade angles out in places, creating a two-metre overhang from the base of the building.   The design means there are areas where the windows are almost tilting back on themselves so the importance of efficient drainage was a particular consideration. The mullion-drained Kawneer glazed curtain wall which completes the exterior of the main community building at ground-floor level was also installed at a 16° angle that falls back on itself.   The DarntonB3 project architect said: “Kawneer is known to us. We have used their systems before and would specify them again.  “Transparency in the buildings was important, particularly at ground levels, and the Kawneer curtain walling provided clean, slim lines. Sustainability was also a factor in the selection of building products.”  A sustainable construction practice was designed into the project as an important part of achieving a BREEAM “Excellent” rating. Elements included photovoltaic panels on the roof of the two office buildings, rainwater harvesting tanks in the plant rooms, and the use of several prefabricated, modular elements, such as the timber cassettes forming the community building façade. The project team also made use of BIM to track and measure its progress towards achieving the BREEAM target. 

Read More »

Kawneer systems help take the wind out of Birmingham’s sails

Curtain walling, windows and doors feature on a 33-storey apartment tower. High performance building façade products manufactured by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer were specified to handle the challenging wind loads on Birmingham’s tallest exclusively residential tower block. Kawneer’s AA®100 zone-drained and capped curtain walling, complemented by AA®720 top-hung ventilator windows on the first to top floors, with AA®190 TB entrance doors on the ground floor, were specified by Glancy Nicholls Architects for the £30 million 33-storey Left Bank 2 tower. The external façade is constructed of in-situ reinforced concrete frames that were developed over two years by main contractor Wates for developer Regal Property Group, Left Bank 2 is the second tower to feature Kawneer’s aluminium systems at The Bank, between Broad Street and Brindley Place in the city centre. Also funded by real estate investment company Aprirose, Left Bank 2 comprises 217 luxury one to three-bedroomed apartments with private gym, residents lounge and coffee bar, private kitchen and dining room, on-site cycle storage, and secure and private outdoor green space. Featuring 3,580ft2 of ground-floor retail space, it is one of only two residential skyscrapers in the city to measure over 100 metres tall. Left Bank 1 is 21 storeys and features Kawneer’s thermally superior AA®720 windows. Glancy Nicholls’ focus was to respond to the Grade ll listed building that occupies a key part of both the site and its streetscape, and to provide a new public realm link to the adjacent commercial and leisure district. The “brass” building envelope on both towers takes reference from the historical context of the neighbouring Brasshouse building and the site’s brass and metal working heritage. Glancy Nicholls’ Marketing Co-ordinator Sophie Casewell said: “We specified the Kawneer systems for their system performance, particularly in relation to wind loads. “The curtain wall system delivered the required performance to deal with the challenging wind loads on the 33-storey tower, with the site also elevated geographically within Birmingham. The aesthetics of the system also delivered upon the desired design intent.” She added: “The Kawneer glazed elements are a significant element with the façade design and assisted with the aesthetic detailing required. The glass to glass corners maximise daylighting and views across the city. “The client has been very satisfied with the product, with over 70% of the apartments sold by building completion. The glass to glass corner windows were a big selling point and the aluminium material assisted in achieving the client’s sustainable target deliverables.” The Kawneer systems, including AA®100 curtain walling featuring 50mm sightlines, were installed over 18 months by a team of eight operatives from Kawneer-approved specialist sub-contractor APiC UK who also installed the Kawneer windows on Left Bank 1. APiC’s Sales and Estimating Technician Andrew Finn said: “The relationship that was established on the first tower ensured that Wates and Glancy Nicholls had the confidence to proceed on Left Bank 2 using Kawneer products with APiC as their preferred curtain walling sub-contractor.” Left Bank 2 was a finalist in the 2020 Facades Awards UK for Best use of a building facade system using aluminium. Glancy Nicholls have also used Kawneer systems on the St Modwen student residences in Swansea and the John Taylor Free School in Burton.

Read More »