Designed by Chetwoods Architects, St Austell’s £70 million White
River Place development makes best use of local resources and
benefits from the latest eco-friendly technologies, including
rainwater harvesting and a Solar Shading solution from
Levolux.
The development takes pride of place at the heart of Cornwall’s
largest town, providing
more than 14,400m2 of retail space, numerous restaurants and cafes,
a four-screen cinema, 69 homes and an underground car park with just
under 500 spaces. Given a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’, White River
Place has since picked up the 2010 National Retail BREEAM Award.
As the UK’s leading Solar Shading specialist, Levolux was chosen to
design, manufacture and install a bespoke solution incorporating its
Aerofoil Fins, Ventilation Louvres and a series of Glass Canopies.
These make a significant contribution to the overall energy
efficiency of the buildings by preventing excessive solar heat gain,
thereby helping to reduce the need for air conditioning.
Levolux’s new Infiniti Fin system is an innovative form of external
Solar Shading which features concealed fixings and supports a wide
range of Fins. It has been applied at first floor level using 200mm
and 300mm wide extruded aluminium Aerofoil Fins, arranged
horizontally in vertical stacks spaced across glazed areas. The
Aerofoil Fins are engineered to follow the building’s facade around
corners and have a combined length of more than 320 metres.
To create a co-ordinated external aesthetic, the Aerofoil Fins have
been finished with a durable dark grey or white powder coating, to
match the surrounding cladding.
Complementing the Infiniti Fin system, Levolux devised a series of
shading canopies, with a combined length of almost 57 metres,
projecting horizontally from the buildings above ground floor
windows. 150mm wide Aerofoil Fins have been grouped into rows of 10,
8 and 6, achieving projections of 1850mm, 1300mm and 1100mm,
respectively. Fixed between profile-cut side plates, the Aerofoil
Fins significantly reduce solar heat gain from building up inside
retail outlets.
Elsewhere, Levolux installed 19.5mm thick bespoke Glass Canopies,
formed from CIP laminated glass panels, attached to buildings with
stainless steel fixings. The Glass Canopies have a horizontal
projection of 2300mm and a combined length of almost 38 metres. The
canopies not only provide shade, but also offer protection to
entrance areas, allowing shoppers and pedestrians to take cover from
inclement weather.
To complete the solution, Levolux installed its Screening Louvres,
with an ‘S’ profile and a 50mm pitch, to form a vertical ventilated
facade, which conceals unsightly plant and equipment from view. The
Louvres are designed to allow optimum airflow for mechanical and
electrical plant to operate efficiently. In addition, Screening
Louvres with a ‘Z ’profile and a pitch of 140mm have also been
installed horizontally, screening unsightly plant and equipment, so
it cannot be seen from overlooking buildings.
Finished with a dark grey powder coating, the Screening Louvres
provide an attractive and highly durable external facade, and like
all of Levolux’s solutions, they are backed by the company ’s
design, manufacture and installation package.
White River Place, located at the heart of St. Austell, just 2 miles
from the Eden Project, sets a new benchmark for other retail
developments to follow. With its range of energy efficient features,
such as the Solar Shading solution from Levolux, the town centre is
benefiting from an alternative form of retail therapy.
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