A
stunning floor-to-ceiling glazing installation designed, specified and
delivered by GLASSOLUTIONS has helped create the ideal balance between form and
function at a new multi-use development in West Yorkshire.
Located
to the north-west of Leeds, Number One Kirkstall Forge is part of the 57-acre,
£400 million Kirkstall Forge ‘urban village’ scheme which on completion will
offer Grade A office buildings, contemporary housing, green spaces, cafés, bars
and restaurants in a beautiful riverside location.
One
Kirkstall Forge, the first commercial development on the site, is an office
building offering over 110,000 sq. ft. of highly flexible workspace over seven
floors, with floor-to-ceiling glazing at 2.8m height and a glazed entrance
atrium.
Brought
to the project by principal contractors Wates Construction, on behalf of site
developer CEG, the GLASSOLUTIONS Contracting team was tasked with the delivery of designs by
architects' practice Cooper Cromar. This required the design,
specification and installation of a glazed façade for the building, with deep
mullions and bronze pressed aluminium panel
cladding. In addition, the architectural plans featured a spectacular 8m unsupported mid-span entrance atrium which
GLASSOLUTIONS was also briefed to deliver.
The
glazing installation was required to be compliant with the highest
environmental sustainability standards, as the building aims to achieve a
BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating. Additionally, Number One Kirkstall Forge’s
enviable proximity to the development’s own railway station gave rise to the
need for acoustically-enhanced glass, to limit noise transfer and allow
residents to enjoy the tranquillity of Kirkstall Forge’s woodland location.
To give Number One Kirkstall Forge the ideal balance
between aesthetics and functionality, the GLASSOLUTIONS Contracting division
specified a combination of WICONA aluminium systems integrating with high
performance insulating glass units, spandrels and sandwich panels. The ‘stick’
curtain walling was fabricated using WICONA’s Wictec 50 systems, which provide
a slim 50mm face width and ensure excellent thermal insulation through the
incorporation of a uPVC thermal break.
For the glazing specification, it was vital to choose
products which would help the building adhere to the high efficiency standards
it was aiming to achieve, with low levels of heat transmission and solar gain.
To meet this brief, GLASSOLUTIONS opted to install insulated glass units
comprising Saint Gobain Glass’ SGG COOL-LITE XTREME 70-33ii, with single-glazed
units used for the spandrel panels to combat overheating.
With a G-Value of only 0.33 and an excellent
centre pane U-value of 1.0W/m2K, this specification reduces the need for both
additional heating and cooling, making it ideal for delivering energy savings
and improved thermal insulation. Despite this, SGG
COOL-LITE XTREME 70-33ii can achieve an impressive light transmission rate of
70%, maximising daylight within the building to create a pleasant working
environment. Aesthetically, the glass delivers a high degree of
neutrality both in transmission and exterior reflection, giving Number One
Kirkstall Forge a smooth, untinted glazed finish.
GLASSOLUTIONS’
work on the Number One Kirkstall Forge site began in July 2016 and finished in
November; the full building was completed in November 2017, with the first
occupants moving into the development in December 2017.
Paul Casterton, GLASSOLUTIONS’ Contracting Operations
Director, says: “This was a fantastic project for GLASSOLUTIONS to be involved
in. Our Contracting team has contributed to developments of different kinds all
over the country, but it’s rare that we have the privilege to play a part in
one which will have such a tangible effect on the appeal of a region to
businesses and families.
“Number One Kirkstall Forge is set to provide highly
desirable office spaces, built sensitively and responsibly as well as giving a
respectful nod to the industrial heritage of the Aire Valley. To have played a
part in a project like this feels very special.”
