Product category:
Walls
News Release from: Wicona Projects | Subject: Unitised curtain walling system
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 17 March 2008
Wicona specified for tallest tower in
Sheffield
Wicona unitised curtain walling system has been specified for a new 32-storey tower in Sheffield, which will be the tallest building in the city.
The GBP3.5m facade contract will be delivered by Solaglas in partnership with Wicona Projects Developed by City Lofts, built by Shepherd Construction and designed by Conran and Partners, the tower is part of the City Lofts St Paul's Apartments scheme - an ambitious GBP40m development and the focal point of the GBP180m Heart of the City regeneration project
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 10 Aug 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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The tower will be iconic in stature and will form a commanding presence over the heart of the city and a spectacular addition to the skyline.
Its construction will use the latest off-site techniques, including pods for the kitchens, bathrooms and ensuites, prefabricated cylinder cupboards, and unitised curtain walling for the facade - reducing time on site, improving safety and guaranteeing quality.
Designed to be light and slender, the structure will be highly glazed incorporating around 6,000sqm of specially designed Wicona unitised curtain walling, which is being fabricated and installed by Solaglas.
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The unitised panels will be fully glazed and sealed in a controlled factory environment and installed in just three days per floor.
This innovative approach to facade construction will eliminate the need for scaffolding - significantly improving site safety and cost efficiency, and will allow the faster completion of a watertight envelope to each floor for earlier fitting out.
Project Architect, Ilona Hay of Conran and Partners, said, "We wanted to create a highly reflective facade for the tower, with contrasting clear and opaque areas of glass".
"The Wicona unitised system will allow us to have a more regular appearance to meet our aesthetic requirements and offers many site-related advantages, which will help guarantee completion on time and earlier occupation of the apartments".
She added, "The approach is fast, efficient, offers greater quality control and generates less material waste, which is important for sustainable construction." Jon Mangham, Project Manager at Shepherd Construction, said, "The Wicona system will remove the need for scaffolding or mast climbers on this project which is a really important safety benefit for the construction of such a high structure".
"The loadings on the scaffolding would make it dangerous to work at this height".
"We believe completing the units off-site in a manufacturing environment will offer quality benefits and greater cost efficiency compared to site-based construction".
"This is a more systematic approach to construction which will reduce the risk of remedial works and give us more programme assurity".
"It will also allow us to start fitting out at an earlier stage, as well as meet the most stringent performance and wind load requirements".
The unitised facade will be glazed in clear low E glass to the vision areas, with enamel-coated opaque glass used as vertical strips to conceal partition walls, and aluminium-faced spandrel panels as horizontal bands between floors and vertically.
The curtain walling will be capped to form a visible grid for a 'picture frame' appearance and tilt/turn casement windows will be inserted to naturally ventilate the living areas and bedrooms.
In addition to the extensive use of glazing, the tower will have a variety of complementary external treatments, including warm stone cladding, specially-made terracotta rainscreen, copper/bronze cladding and bronzed aluminium louvre panels, creating an elegant and memorable envelope for this landmark building.
Due for completion in Autumn 2009, the tower will provide 230 apartments - a mix of one and two-bed apartments and penthouses, with a contemporary Conran design for city centre living.
The two lower floors of the building will provide commercial and retail space.
Wicona Projects is the first facade specialist in the UK to offer a full package of services for unitised curtain walling, leading a team of specialists for every aspect of a facade project, from design concepts and specification, to fabrication, installation, testing and handover.
This approach gives specifiers, building contractors and developers the benefit of a seamless service, complete peace of mind and all the advantages of off-site construction for the building envelope.
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