During the
decade that transformed Britain into technicolour and saw the economy thrive,
the 1960s witnessed a boom in the construction of multi-storey office
complexes.
Fast
forward 50 years, and many of these buildings now stand empty following steep
declines in industry and subsequent financial recessions.
Now, many
councils are calling out for renovations of these tired and outdated
structures, and Sim Chem House was no exception.
As experts
in water management, Wavin was called in by contractors CLG to help them
specify a robust water distribution system to support its renovation into over
180 residential apartments.
In the
heart of Manchester’s thriving community of Cheadle Hulme, Sim Chem House was
last occupied in 2011 by an engineering consultancy, leaving the near
82,000sqft building derelict for almost six years. In 2017, Stockport Borough
Council earmarked the site for redevelopment, to help support the increasing
demand for homes.
The aim of
the site is for 184 high-spec apartments, including hardwood flooring, granite
worktops and designer bathrooms with prices starting at £135,000 for a
one-bedroom apartment.
Part of the
extensive team on the renovation was mechanical and electrical contractor CLG,
who turned to Wavin for the business’ expertise in water distribution systems
for redevelopment sites.
With the
area of the site being restricted to the existing footprint, and with tight
timings, CLG tasked Wavin to propose a quick solution that would make most
efficient use of the space available. Reviewing the existing 1.27acre site,
Wavin specialists recommended the Tigris K1 press-fit range, which boasts
various benefits for the specification of the development and the project’s
timescales.
The biggest
problem the development faced, as with most renovation projects, was the
routing of the piping being restricted by the existing structure. When Wavin
first visited the site, the availability of space and routing options showed
that lagging – insulation of the pipes post-installation – would have been near
impossible and incredibly time consuming.
Tigris K1
is a multilayer pipe system designed for potable water and heating
applications. It is ideally suited for installation on commercial projects such
as schools and colleges, apartment blocks and hotels, and particularly suited
to renovation projects because it is pre-insulated, negating the need to fit
lagging to the pipework and reducing installation time. The Wavin team knew
that CLG needed a quick turnaround for the water management system installation
and Tigris K1 would be a perfect solution.
The
press-fit nature of the Tigris K1 system meant that the installation was quick
and simple, offering long runs with few joints needed throughout the site. A
further benefit of the Tigris K1 range is that its radiator connectors and
compression adaptors mean it can be easily connected to heating system and
appliances.
To ease the
process of installation further, one of Wavin’s Technical Support Engineers,
Steve Harris, visited the site to deliver comprehensive training on the
features and benefits of the Tigris K1 products, as well as providing hands-on
product demonstrations for the main contractor, CLG.
Additional
training was provided during the installation process, with on-site training
sessions and certification of installation training delivered by the team at
Wavin.
Ben Culver,
Mechanical Project Manager, at CLG, said: “The technical advice and training we
had from Wavin was second to none, we always knew we had the support of a
strong team working with us through this part of the redevelopment.
“The Tigris
K1 press fit system was a clear choice for us to adhere to the site size and
development timeline, and it has provided us with excellent results to quickly
move onto the next phase of the redevelopment.”
Work on the
six-storey redevelopment at Sim Chem House began in Summer 2017. Now renamed
Fabrick, the anticipated completion of the project is early 2019.
Paul
Metcalfe, Product Manager for Hot & Cold at Wavin, concluded: “Our Tigris
K1 range has time and again proved invaluable for contractors dealing with
tight deadlines on redevelopment projects with very specific requirements
enforced by an existing development. With no lagging necessary and the
flexibility to fit nearly any space or size project, it’s proving to be a top
choice for contractors re-purposing developments.
“Our
technical team is always on hand to support contractors and third parties, with
training for staff on site so that installation can run as smoothly as possible
to avoid any costly delays or mistakes. At Wavin we pride ourselves on being an
extension of our clients’ team, available to provide advice and training
wherever needed to get the job done to the highest quality.”
