‘A new model of education’
10th May 2016

Dualframe Si Casement windows, Elegance 52ST curtain walling and STII commercial doors from SAPA BUILDING SYSTEMS were specified throughout when Associated Architects was developing the design for University of Birmingham School.

The school is a new model of education, the first academy free secondary school to be aligned to a specific university.

The school’s success was supported by the university’s estates team and the school’s preopening team working closely together alongside Alexandra Parish, Interim Director of Operations for the school. Site manager David Nicholls, of Willmott Dixon, Dean Sherwood, Project Consultant at Sapa Building Systems and Alex Paul from Associated Architects also worked together to ensure a high standard of building design to complement the equally high quality teaching methods. As a result, the school is being used as a template for best practice since its opening in September 2015.

Alex Paul specified Sapa’s Dualframe Si Casement windows, in a special 2100mm high module to achieve the required available air flow and light transmission. This is the ideal solution for education, healthcare or commercial applications.

The window profiles used achieved a BRE “Green Guide A Rating” and include a polyamide thermal break technology to ensure high thermal performance, without the need for costly triple glazed sealed units.

The project also took advantage of the newly-launched Sapa Stormframe STII thermally broken commercial door. This new offering achieves improved robustness with it’s 65mm thick door leaf along with increased thermal performance by incorporating the same polyamide thermal break technology as seen in Sapa’s range of windows. Also, as the maximum door leaf height has been increased to 3000mm (subject to maximum weight restrictions), the new STII door gives greater design flexibility for architects and clients alike.

The simplified manufacture of the doors means there is no additional tooling or training required for those already trained for the original Stormframe ST door system. This helps the fabricator to avoid extra costs if their workforce has already worked with previous products.

Dean Sherwood, Project Consultant at Sapa, said: “With pupils and teachers in mind, it was important to achieve robust safe operation and the anti finger trap stiles and stronger profiles do this whilst maintaining elegant design. Also, the STII commercial door product is available tested to PAS024 security standard. Similarly, our doors allow for ease of passage thanks to the DDA compliant adjustable power door closers. It was great to see a new product of ours fit the objectives of the project so well.”

Alex Paul of Associated Architects LLP added: “The considerations of any school design will emphasise on cost control balanced against the aspiration to achieve the highest quality possible. We specified Sapa to achieve this and have been pleased with the quality service, general support and the standard of its windows and doors. We would be happy to specify them again and have done so on a number of projects since.”  

www.sapabuildingsystems.co.uk