CMS completes glazing contract for landmark HQ

Regeneration Mon, Mar 27, 2017 11:36 AM

High performance, windows, doors and curtain walling designed, manufactured and installed by CMS Window Systems were crucial in delivering a new HQ building for INEOS, one of the world’s largest petrochemical manufacturers.

The new HQ building is a £20 million development designed by Michael Laird Architects at INEOS’ 1,700-acre site in Grangemouth, Stirlingshire.

Being built adjacent to a chemical plant meant each aspect of the building’s design had to take into account the potential risk associated with a location of this nature.

The steel-frame building on two hectares was built over four floors totalling 6,490m2 by BAM Construction on the site of former industrial buildings. CMS provided glazing for all four elevations using Kawneer’s AA®110 zone-drained curtain walling with 65mm sightlines and AA®600 top-hung casement windows. Kawneer’s AA®600 commercial entrance doors were also delivered.

Plans for the Grangemouth site, home to INEOS’ O&P UK business, were unveiled in 2015 securing the long-term future of the plant and within a mere 12 months the construction project for the new HQ was complete. The HQ building, which won an Architectural Excellence Award (Commercial Buildings) in the Scottish Property Awards, includes meeting rooms and conference facilities located on the ground floor and three floors of open-plan office space above.

Michael Laird architect John Stewart said: “A feature of the HQ design was the provision of large expanses of glazing to allow light into the office and atrium spaces. The performance of the glazing systems was therefore a key requirement when considering the specific engineering associated with constructing an office building adjacent to the chemical plant. Kawneer glazing provided us with the perfect solution.”

Stephen Anderson, Aluminium Director of CMS, said: “We are very pleased to have been involved in the design, manufacture and installation of the building envelope solution for the prestigious INEOS HQ building. CMS has a wealth of experience in the delivering high quality glazing systems for construction projects throughout the UK.

Our highly experienced team worked hard to ensure the Kawneer system specified to suit a building adjacent to a petrochemical plant, was produced and installed to the exacting standards required.”

Based at Castlecary, Cumbernauld near Glasgow, CMS operates a 15-acre manufacturing and recycling facility as well as having additional recycling and manufacturing capabilities in Kirkcaldy, Fife. The company’s ethos is built around a holistic sustainability strategy and is underpinned by a product range that offers high quality external building envelope solutions, which it showcases in its unique Innovation Hub. CMS is one of Scotland’s fastest growing manufacturing businesses with one of the most active and successful Modern Apprenticeship programmes in the country.