Aluminium glazing solutions from leading fenestration designer and manufacturer Senior Architectural Systems have been specified to create a light and spacious design and meet the thermal, acoustic and aesthetic requirements of a new commercial development in Sunderland.
Led by the University of Sunderland and designed by GSS Architecture, Hope Street Xchange mixes distinctive modern architecture with the sensitive refurbishment of a Grade II listed building to provide a contemporary new workspace. The glazing package for the building was installed by Hadrian Architectural Glazing Systems Ltd for main contractor Clugston Construction Ltd and features Senior’s slim profile SF52 aluminium curtain wall, SD and SPW500 aluminium doors and the patented thermally-enhanced PURe® aluminium window system.
Senior’s PURe® aluminium windows, which are the first on the UK market to feature a high performance thermal barrier manufactured from expanded polyurethane foam (PUR), played a key role in ensuring the project’s stringent U-values and energy-efficiency targets were met. The acoustic performance of the PURe® system was also an important factor in its specification owing to the scheme’s close proximately to a main road. With the need to create a comfortable internal environment paramount, the attractive addition of brise soleil shading to the southern entrance has further helped to minimise solar gain whilst complementing the building’s striking glazed façade.
As a modern extension to an existing Grade II building, Senior’s fenestration solutions were required to seamlessly integrate with the existing sandstone rainscreen and this was carefully executed by specialist contractor Hadrian Architectural Glazing Systems Ltd. Faced with the numerous challenges of working alongside an existing listed property and with limited access on site, the flexibility offered by Senior’s product range was also a key benefit as it enabled the glazing systems to be sealed rather than fixed into the neighbouring building.
Commenting, Darren Nichol, managing director of Hadrian Architectural Glazing Systems Ltd. said: “Hope Street Xchange is a fantastic looking building that will play an important part in the ongoing development of Sunderland and we are delighted to have been part of its creation. Working with Senior Architectural Systems enabled us to provide a glazing package that ticked all the boxes and which looks as good as it performs. The tight footprint of the site and the building’s location next to both a busy dual carriage way and a listed building made this an extremely challenging contract but one that we are extremely proud of.”
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