An unusual job was awaiting Deceuninck fabricator Redbridge Windows on Hollybush Hill in Snaresbrook. A dilapidated timber lantern light was in need of replacing with a PVCu replica in accordance with local conservation regulations.

Set on top of a converted Victorian house the job required sympathetic design skills and expert installation procedures - for example, the scaffolding had to be cantilevered onto the roof to protect the original slate tiles.

The result is a perfect PVCu copy of the original lantern light, ensuring that its visual impact on the surrounding environment remains as stunning as ever.

Tel: 01249 816969
Email: mailto:deceuninck.ltd@deceuninck.com
Web: http://www.deceuninck.com

Janex supplies Scandinavian doorsets to schools across the UK

Janex, the UK supplier of Scandinavian windows and doors, has won the contract to supply high performance internal doorsets for Hampshire County Council to John Hanson School in Andover.

'Major contractor HBG Construction Ltd, which is the fifth largest building contractor in the UK, chose Janex for the high quality Scandinavian product and its sustainability for this application.' says the company. The doorsets were supplied with laminate finished to the face and PVC lippings to give durability and low maintenance.

Alex Brown, Managing Director of Janex Group, said: 'The key to winning the contract was our ability to supply and deliver in volume, quality doors from Scandinavia to HBG.'

Janex has also won a contract, worth £350,000, to supply doors and windows to four Highland schools in Scotland. One of the UK's biggest contractor's, MJ Gleeson, invited Janex to be involved in the project at the design stage so that Janex could advise them on the right products for the job at the most competitive price, as well as giving them appropriate advice on sound and fire resistance requirements.

Janex supplied Scandinavian internal doorsets - fire rating of up to 60 minutes and acoustic rating of 44dB with an oak-veneer. Internal screens - fire rating of up to 60 minutes insulation and integrity and acoustic rating to 52dB.

Janex also supplied aluminium-clad Tilt and Turn windows and specially designed aluminium-clad roof windows with combination flashings. The windows have a clear lacquer finish on the inside.

Alex Brown, said: 'MJ Gleeson, are building schools with private finance and chose us to supply the high performance Scandinavian internal doors and windows for all four schools. We are able to manufacture and deliver for large scale projects.

'Our window and door products are being used by housing associations, councils, private builders and PFI contractors the length and breadth of Britain because we can supply quickly and in large volumes.'

Janex was founded as a supplier partnership in Scotland ten years ago to bring Scandinavian timber windows and doors to the Scottish market. The company has enjoyed remarkable growth and is now well established throughout the UK market.

Tel: 01324 878700 (Grangemouth) or Tel: 0115 972 5231 (Nottingham)

Shopfront Services UK Ltd, Dartford, manufacturers and installers of architectural aluminium and structural glass, faced a dilemma when deep scratches were discovered on a glass screen they had installed in the so-called quiet room during construction work at the Blue Water Shopping Centre.

The scratches only became apparent when a final inspection was carried out prior to the grand opening of the room, a multi denominational rest area.

Beautifully decorated, with the carpets and furniture installed, the room looked fine, until the screen (designed to slide out if privacy is required) was tested, and in the subdued down lights the scratches on the glass became visible.

Whether the scratches occurred during transportation, handling or installation, or when the walled area was built around it was not known. What was known was that it would be almost impossible to remove the screen in such a confined space, since it had been enclosed in the recess.

It had taken four men to install the 4ft x12ft screen, so the cost of removal and possible replacement would have been prohibitive. Also the considerable time delay meant an alternative solution to the problem had to be found.

Shirley Bartlett of Shopfront Services was given the task of finding a company able to remove the scratches whilst the screen was in-situ. After a lot of searching her prayers were answered when she contacted Glas.Weld Systems, Kent.

Glas.Weld, who have traded in the UK for over 13 years suggested using their ‘Renovator’ system which they claim is able to remove scratches from all types of glass with no distortion.

The company commented: ‘The Renovator system has been used successfully in a wide range of applications to added value glass, so the problem with the screen at Bluewater was soon resolved by Glas.Weld quickly and efficiently with little or no disruption, and at minimal cost.’

Paul Gosbee of Shopfront Services said, ‘was very impressed with Glas.Weld, the expert they sent was left to his own devices and within a day he had removed all the scratches from the screen to everyone’s total satisfaction.

‘What was most impressive considering the limited amount of space there was to work in and the surroundings, was that no damage whatsoever occurred and the room was left spotlessly clean ready for use.’

Tel: 01474 564783
Email: mailto:glasscare@lineone.net

THROUGH THE ARCHED WINDOWS

HW Systems' HW 70 profile suite in a light oak woodgrain finish is being utilised throughout the refurbishment of the Essex County Hotel, Southend on Sea, Essex. The project, undertaken by Profile 2000 of Canvey Island, Essex involves refurbishing the existing 60s built structure and extending the hotel, restaurant and nightclub. As a result additional rooms have been created.

To maintain the style of the original building a number of arched windows featuring Georgian bars were required to complement the existing windows. The arched windows feature on the main hotel building and are carried through to the new night club extension. While they appear as normal windows from the outside, they are in fact dummy windows that back on to a bar area. The result is that the aesthetics of the property's exterior are maintained while the nightclub interior is not compromised by penetrating day light.

PVCu windows were specified at the request of the hotel owners for their maintenance
free benefits. PVCu also offers a number of benefits for the fabricator in that it lends itself to the curved shapes required. Had timber been specified, sections would have had to have been laminated to achieve the desired results. Additionally, the PVCu light oak finish eliminates the naturally occurring inconsistencies that exist in timber and ensures complete colour uniformity and texture for the total project.

Tel: 01452 722227
Web: http://www.hwsystems.co.uk

SENTINEL DOORS NETS KINGFISHER CONTRACT

Sentinel Doors has recently completed a supply and installation contract for 166 of its composite doors for Kingfisher Housing Association.

Kingfisher was formed in 1995 to provide good quality affordable homes to those in need of housing, and owns, manages and maintains over 4,000 properties for rent to individuals, families and the elderly in Basingstoke and North Hampshire.

As part of the refurbishment programme, Sentinel Doors provided tenants from 166 houses and bungalows with 'Choice Leaflets' offering three door styles - the 601, 603 and 607 - in five different colours.

All the composite doors were fitted with hardware approved under the 'Secure by Design' scheme and were installed by Sentinel Doors' own 'Approved Installers'.

Commenting on the installation, Kingfisher's building surveyor Peter Vincent says: 'We are very pleased with the specification and performance of the doors and the quality of the installation team that Sentinel Doors supplied as part of the Project Partnership.'

Tel: 01443 229219
Email: mailto:post@sentinel-doors.com

Vetrotech Saint-Gobain Supplies World's First Glass Flyover Tunnel

A flyover glass tunnel, believed to be the first of its kind in the world, has been completed in Hong Kong.

The innovative structure, built as a noise enclosure, was glazed into steel profiles using Pyroswiss Extra, a specialist fire-resisting glass from Vetrotech Saint-Gobain. The system has been tested to BS476 to give 60 minutes integrity for both smoke and fire resistance - a key criterion for the glass tunnel contract.

The dual carriageway Wong Chu Road glass tunnel is 519 metres long and involved 2,672 glazing panels, 310 louvres and 8,050 square metres of noise absorptive roofing. The total glazed area is 10,000 square metres.

Vetrotech Saint-Gobain is a leading supplier of fire resisting glass products, with a comprehensive range of glasses to meet any specialist application.

The HK $180 million noise enclosure was built for the benefit of nearby residents in Tuen Mun New Town, has taken three years to complete, and forms a major part of a HK $1,000 million roads project for the Territory Development Department of the Hong Kong Government.

Pyroswiss Extra has been successfully tested and certified to BS 476 Part 22 providing fire and smoke resistance in temperatures in excess of 900 degrees centigrade for up to two hours. As there are no wires, coatings or interlayers in the product it remains totally transparent at all times.

Each panel of Pyroswiss Extra for the noise enclosure weighs some 200kg with an average size of 2.8 metres by 1.2 metres, reducing traffic noise by up to 32dB.

'The Wong Chu noise enclosure demonstrates how glass technology has greatly increased design options for architects and specifiers. Our product range means that we are providing glass and glazing solutions for an ever-expanding range of applications,' said David Clarkson, managing director of Vetrotech Saint-Gobain UK Ltd.

The enclosure was specified as part ofthe Tuen Mun Foothills Bypass, a new road network to meet traffic demand arising from the development of a sea terminal and new industrial estate. However, the anticipated increase in traffic would also have unacceptably raised noise levels.

The noise enclosure was built jointly by Hong Kong Construction (Holdings) Ltd and AMEC International Construction Ltd, a subsidiary ofthe UK-based AMEC Group. The structure was designed by Scott Wilson (Hong Kong) Ltd.

Tel: 0113 239 1500
Email: mailto:infovsguk@vetrotech.co.uk
Web: http://www.vetrotech.com

KAWNEER AND GLAMALCO PARTNER WITH ARGENT ON PRESTIGIOUS COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN READING

Kawneer and Glamalco have won a £2.4 million partnering contract to provide precision-engineered curtain walling and specially designed fixed light windows for the Argent Group's prestigious new Forbury Square development in Reading.

Commenting on the appointment, Tony Giddings, Construction Director of Argent Group Plc, said, 'We've been partnering extensively with Glamalco and Kawneer on the Brindleyplace development and we like working with them. They've got integrity and are willing to work on the basis of negotiation, coming up with innovative solutions as to how we can do things more cost-effectively. And once you get a good relationship going, I think it's important to foster it.'

One of three Argent developments in the Thames Valley area, Forbury Square is a city centre scheme situated close to Reading station on an empty site, which was formerly the headquarters ofthe Prudential.

Conceived by Argent as a mixed-use development, the original masterplan created by Porphyrios Associates was substantially revised by the practice after planning permission was rejected. Redesigned on the same basic principles, the final masterplan is for a predominantly commercial office scheme, with a modest restaurant/retail element.

The development comprises two new office buildings and a generous new public space, Forbury Square, which acts as an extension to Forbury Gardens, an existing park.

Building Two, designed by Lifschutz Davidson, is a double aspect, 'see-through' building, wrapped around a central glazed atrium and located on the south side ofthe square. It acts as a backdrop to the whole development, whilst also fronting onto the existing Abbey Square to the south. A pedestrian walkway through the building links the two public spaces. The long north and south elevations ofthe five/six storey, rectangular building will be fully glazed using Kawneer' s Series 1612 Curtain Walling System and feature a combination of structural silicone glazing and standard caps.

Doriano Chiarparin, project architect, comments, 'The decision to use Kawneer' s Series 1612 system followed a lengthy process of fine tuning and value engineering, ensuring that the curtain walling solution balanced design intent with cost constraints.'

Building One has been designed by Porphyrios Associates and is smaller in volume and scale than the Lifschutz Davidson building. Marrying modern materials and technologies to an essentially classical philosophy, the five storey building has been designed by Porphyrios as a pavilion-type structure that responds in scale to the new public square.
The elevation housing the main entrance is predominantly glazed, again using Kawneer's 1612 curtain walling, which is interrupted by small colonnettes. The main facade reflects the adjacent transparent facade of Building One and the Edwardian Law Courts opposite.

The other three elevations express a more traditional language, with punched windows articulating the masonry walls of brick and stone. Alan Quartly, sales director of Glamalco, says, 'In order to achieve the distinctive window frame design required by the architect, Kawneer developed extrusions that replicated Scotia-type mouldings and cover trims.

Similar Kawneer window extrusions were used by the architect on its Three Brindleyplace building for Argent in Birmingham. However, the Forbury Square extrusions differ because the windows on Building One are fixed as opposed to opening lights. The extrusions were also used on the loggia doors.'

Tel: 01928 502500
Email: mailto:enquiries@eu.kawneer.com
Web: http://www.kawneereurope.com

CONSERVATORIES-ON-SEA

Conservatories proved to be a major marketing advantage for a small, exclusive development of luxury houses close to the sea at Scarborough.

Double-hipped Georgian-style conservatories with box gutters and the K2 roofing system, were installed at the new four-bedroom homes, by Kömmerling fabricator Crown Glass, for local builder Stonehouse Developments.

As well as the conservatories, Crown Glass also supplied and fitted 16 casement windows at each of the £200,000 houses, using the Kömmerling Gold 58mm system. In addition, each conservatory has two sets of French doors - one opening into the house, and the other into the garden.

'The conservatories create a light, airy room overlooking a college playing field,' says Crown Glass Managing Director Rob Hagan. 'And because they were fitted while the houses were being built, they don't incur VAT.'

He says Crown Glass is finding that more and more builders are including conservatories with their new homes as a highly cost-effective way of increasing living space.

'The conservatories at this exclusive development near the Scarborough coast are being used as a valuable part of the main living space. Many builders we deal with in the North-East appreciate that modern developments in technology and design mean conservatories are not just used as extra seating for the lounge anymore, but are rooms in their own right - offices, children's playrooms, kitchen extensions, dining area, even bedrooms.'

Scarborough-based Crown Glass employs 13 staff. One of the first things Rob Hagan did when he took over the company more than three years ago was to switch to the Kommerling system: 'because of its ease of manufacture, and the unrivalled quality of the finished windows. It's a good selling point to builders, the public and the windows trade.'
Tel: 01784 464000

Email: mailto:enquiries@kommerling.com
Web: http://www.kommerling.com

STRUCTURAL GLAZING CREATES NEW CLASSROOMS

Xtralite, manufacturers of rooflights and structural glazing, have helped create new computer suites for two Hertfordshire junior schools by designing and installing rooflights to span the existing, inner courtyard areas. The canopy at the William Ransom Junior School in Hitchin has a 7.3m span x 8.5 m long, while the one at the Giles School in Stevenage spans 6.lm x 7.3 m long.

The inner courtyard design of both these schools was typical of many built in the 1960's and 70's. However, an increased need for the provision of lnformation Technology facilities within schools demands extra classroom space. A cost effective solution is to create this extra space by adding roof, floor, electrics and lighting to these previously underutilised courtyard areas.

The canopies are manufactured from extruded aluminium glazing bars strong enough to allow up to an 8.5m span unsupported, yet light enough for easy handling and reducing loads on the existing buildings. Glazing in both schools is 16mm bronze triplewall which, as well as being lightweight and unbreakable, helps reduce glare - particularly important in ICT areas.

Both projects were installed over a week during the school holidays and Xtralite worked closely with the property consultants at both design and installation stages.
Tel: 01670 354157

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