Kawneer - “High-Quality” Kawneer helps take Optima to seven storeys

Walker Troup Architects specified the full Kawneer range of curtain walling, windows and doors for a client’s flagship development on a landmark site in inner city Birmingham because “it was imperative that high-quality products were utilised”.
Kawneer’s curtain walling with 50mm sightlines was complemented with AA®601 casement and AA®603 tilturn and French casement windows as well as 190 narrow-style doors for a Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) project by Bullock Construction for Optima Community Housing Association.
The £7million affordable housing development, Woodview, on Stone Road in Birmingham, comprises 77 one- to three-bedroomed apartments split into three blocks – one containing 30 apartments for shared ownership and two blocks of 23 and 24 units for rent.
Developed between Optima and Bullock under a Partnering Contract to which Walker Troup, the structural engineers and the client’s representative are all signatories, the 4,350m² site is due for completion in August 2007 after 18 months.
The seven-storey building is being constructed using a wall frame system which involves the off-site manufacture of large reinforced concrete wall and floor panels. The panels form the inner skin of the external walls, floors and all internal walls including stairs and lift towers.
Clad externally in traditional brickwork with large areas of glazed curtain walling and a standing seam aluminium roof, materials were specified to meet stringent acoustic requirements due to the site’s proximity to the six-lane dual carriageway A38 arterial route into Birmingham – the site had formerly been used to facilitate an underpass.
The brief developed as part of the Attwood Green redevelopment plan over 18 months from a much smaller building over three storeys. However, extensive remediation works were required and the brief was extended to provide between four and seven storeys.
Simon Oakley of Walker Troup said: “A high quality of design was expected by both the client and the city council planning department. The design was developed in close partnership with our client, Bullock Construction, local residents and the city council over 12 months and the proposals were extremely well received by the council when the planning application was finally lodged.”
He added: “We initially specified Kawneer as our preferred curtain walling and aluminium window system as our practice had utilised their products previously and it was imperative on a building which was to be a flagship for our client that high-quality products were utilised, especially as the building is seven storeys in part.
“The planning department was extremely keen that an aluminium window/curtain walling system was utilised rather than the PVCU which had been considered previously by Optima. This not only allowed slimmer sections to be utilised but also larger windows, consideration had to be given for cleaning even at the higher levels.”
In addition, discussions took place at an early stage with both Kawneer, their approved installer Aluminium Sashes and Pilkington’s to ascertain various glazing specifications to achieve the acoustic and thermal performance which was an intrinsic part of the overall design of these elements of the building.
“The Kawneer system has to date worked extremely well as part of the overall building fabric. All parties are extremely happy with the current status and quality of the Kawneer system being installed,” said Mr Oakley.
“We are obviously aware of Kawneer as one of the market leaders in this particular sector and were extremely keen that a high-quality product was utilised from inception. This was recognised by both the client and the constructor partner.”

Email: tracy@tlcpr.co.uk