A guide for architects and specifiers on how its products help them
meet sustainability criteria has been launched by leading UK
architectural aluminium systems supplier Kawneer.
The Cheshire-based manufacturer has unveiled an electronic
sustainability brochure (www.kawneer.co.uk/pr/sb) which explains
over a concise 12 pages how it plays a major part in being one of
the world’s top sustainable and low-carbon pioneering companies.
The brochure explains how systems supplied by Kawneer in the UK
enhance energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and being
weather-proof, corrosion-resistant and immune to the effects of UV
rays, offer optimum performance over long periods. They also improve
comfort levels for the building’s occupants, through natural
ventilation, direct access to daylight and improved outdoor views.
Examples of such systems range from the AA®3610LS linked sash
vertical sliding window for optimum ventilation, and thermally
efficient ’A’ Rated window systems* like the AA®541 casement and
AA®542 pivot windows, through AA®120 sunshades which reduce solar
heat gain to the AA®201 unitised (or off-site) curtain wall.
The sustainability brochure also provides information on how such
products were used on UK projects to achieve Eco Homes and BREEAM
“Very good” or “Excellent” ratings in case studies on City Campus
East at Northumbria University, No 4 and The Hub at Piccadilly Place
in Manchester, Islington Wharf in Manchester, Headingley Carnegie
Pavilion at the Headingley Carnegie cricket ground in Leeds, Cardiff
Central Library, and University Place at The University of
Manchester.
Kawneer’s parent company Alcoa is the first aluminium company to
have its primary aluminium Cradle to Cradle® certified in
recognition of the sustainability of its product and the practices
employed in its manufacture.
Aside from its practical and energy-saving advantages in
construction - aluminium’s natural strength, lightness and
durability makes it the ideal material for meeting architects’
glazing requirements – it can be recycled repeatedly without loss of
properties using just 5% of the energy originally used to mine,
smelt and produce it.
At Kawneer, leading-edge production techniques have been developed
to ensure manufacturing efficiency is optimised and environmental
impact is minimised to ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 environmental and
quality standards respectively.
Environmental responsibilities outlined in the brochure include
using recycled aluminium billets 100% of the time and all production
waste being recycled back to a smelter to be re-used, and aiming for
zero trade effluent discharge by 2020.
Kawneer also puts its green credentials on the line pro-actively and
details in the brochure its social responsibilities - how in the UK
in the past three years it has, through the Alcoa Foundation run by
its parent company, donated over £78,000 to projects in Cheshire. As
part of this, every October community projects benefit from the
hands-on help of Kawneer UK volunteers.
* The AA®541 casement and AA®542 pivot windows correspond to the BRE
Global Green Guide online generic specification for windows and
achieve a summary rating of A for non-domestic schemes (www.thegreenguide.org.uk, Element Number 831500023).
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