Curtain
Wall Systems
Kawneer - “High-Quality” Kawneer helps take Optima to seven storeys
Walker Troup Architects specified the full
Kawneer range of curtain walling, windows and doors for a
client’s flagship development on a landmark site in inner city
Birmingham because “it was imperative that high-quality products
were utilised”.
Kawneer’s curtain walling with 50mm sightlines was complemented
with AA®601 casement and AA®603 tilturn and French casement
windows as well as 190 narrow-style doors for a Modern Methods
of Construction (MMC) project by Bullock Construction for Optima
Community Housing Association.
The £7million affordable housing development, Woodview, on Stone
Road in Birmingham, comprises 77 one- to three-bedroomed
apartments split into three blocks – one containing 30
apartments for shared ownership and two blocks of 23 and 24
units for rent.
Developed between Optima and Bullock under a Partnering Contract
to which Walker Troup, the structural engineers and the client’s
representative are all signatories, the 4,350m² site is due for
completion in August 2007 after 18 months.
The seven-storey building is being constructed using a wall
frame system which involves the off-site manufacture of large
reinforced concrete wall and floor panels. The panels form the
inner skin of the external walls, floors and all internal walls
including stairs and lift towers.
Clad externally in traditional brickwork with large areas of
glazed curtain walling and a standing seam aluminium roof,
materials were specified to meet stringent acoustic requirements
due to the site’s proximity to the six-lane dual carriageway A38
arterial route into Birmingham – the site had formerly been used
to facilitate an underpass.
The brief developed as part of the Attwood Green redevelopment
plan over 18 months from a much smaller building over three
storeys. However, extensive remediation works were required and
the brief was extended to provide between four and seven
storeys.
Simon Oakley of Walker Troup said: “A high quality of design was
expected by both the client and the city council planning
department. The design was developed in close partnership with
our client, Bullock Construction, local residents and the city
council over 12 months and the proposals were extremely well
received by the council when the planning application was
finally lodged.”
He added: “We initially specified Kawneer as our preferred
curtain walling and aluminium window system as our practice had
utilised their products previously and it was imperative on a
building which was to be a flagship for our client that
high-quality products were utilised, especially as the building
is seven storeys in part.
“The planning department was extremely keen that an aluminium
window/curtain walling system was utilised rather than the PVCU
which had been considered previously by Optima. This not only
allowed slimmer sections to be utilised but also larger windows,
consideration had to be given for cleaning even at the higher
levels.”
In addition, discussions took place at an early stage with both
Kawneer, their approved installer Aluminium Sashes and
Pilkington’s to ascertain various glazing specifications to
achieve the acoustic and thermal performance which was an
intrinsic part of the overall design of these elements of the
building.
“The Kawneer system has to date worked extremely well as part of
the overall building fabric. All parties are extremely happy
with the current status and quality of the Kawneer system being
installed,” said Mr Oakley.
“We are obviously aware of Kawneer as one of the market leaders
in this particular sector and were extremely keen that a
high-quality product was utilised from inception. This was
recognised by both the client and the constructor partner.”
Email: tracy@tlcpr.co.uk