When Excell Trade Frames was awarded the contract to replace the windows in a student accommodation block for the Sanctuary Group, the company set to work immediately on the fabrication of the 1,100 REHAU frames required for the job – as well as a plan to overcome the challenge of installing them in a 17-storey building, without access from inside.
Wardley House is a student accommodation block in the centre of Bradford, providing high-quality, modern living for up to 290 students from the University of Bradford and Bradford College.
The contractor on the job, City Gate Construction, worked with REHAU on a dedicated specification to meet Sanctuary Group’s vision for the refurbishment and the use of REHAU’s TOTAL70 profiles was agreed.
REHAU’s TOTAL70 casement windows are designed to meet the requirements of commercial and domestic refurbishment projects, as well as new builds. Available as either chamfered or sculptured profiles, the windows have single leg beads to provide easy but secure on-site glazing.
As TOTAL70 profiles are PVC-U, they guarantee maximum energy efficiency yet are low maintenance for building operators. So for Sanctuary Group, the windows will be very much fit and forget.
To give a modern, contemporary look, the spec for the TOTAL70 profiles included a grey laminate foil so that the windows and glazing would look completely grey – even with the sun shining on it.
Excell Trade Frames, a REHAU approved manufacturer and supplier, won the contract to replace the windows at Wardley House. With a factory in nearby Manchester, Excell measured and manufactured all the windows for the job and transported them to site in Bradford. The installation of the windows had to be carefully planned, as this had to be done from the outside of the building.
Eddie McGrath, commercial Sales Manager at Excell said: “In a previous refurbishment, false walls had been put up in front of the windows, giving students access to them via a meter square hatch. Unfortunately, this meant that we couldn’t get complete access to the windows from the inside of the building – the only way was from the outside!”
Scaffolding was put up around the building to help with the complex installation. Eddie devised a plan with four teams of fitters, who took out the old metal windows and lowered them to the ground, before hoisting up the 3m2 PVC-U replacements and installing them in position. The planning paid off, and Eddie’s team managed to complete a floor every week to finish the installation in just four months.
Matt Janicki, Area Sales Manager for the North West for REHAU Windows Solutions, said: “This was a large scale, complex project, but thanks to a well considered specification and careful planning of the installation, the new windows have unquestionably transformed the exterior of the building. Wardley House is a landmark for students and locals in Bradford and the TOTAL70 windows provide a fresh new look for the building to make it look modern and appealing while reducing energy and maintenance costs for Sanctuary Group.”