Open views of nature reserve
17th May 2016

Chiswick Point, a mixed-use development by Bellway Homes in the London suburb, features more than 6,000m2 of aluminium curtain walling from WICONA, as well as window systems and a new lifting sliding balcony door.

The 15,000m2 scheme provides 124 contemporary apartments – 91 for market sale and 33 for affordable housing, as well as office accommodation. The design by concept architect Flanagan Lawrence and delivered by Boon Brown Architects, optimises the location which is set between a railway embankment to the north of the site and a tranquil nature reserve to the south.

Two buildings ascend from west to east with a series of stepping horizontal plates. The apartments were configured so all living spaces are south facing with a high level of glazing allowing open views of the nature reserve.

The southern elevations have solid and recessed glazed linear bands that alternate up the façade created from Wicona’s Wictec 50 stick curtain walling.  Continuous south-facing balconies extend along the length of the buildings. Larger areas of full-height glazing serve the living areas to maximise daylight.

Wicona’s new Wicslide 160 lifting sliding doors were selected for access to each balcony and were set into the full-height curtain walling. The doors were required to meet the PAS 24:2012 security standards. Main entrance and fire exit doors are Wicstyle 65 hinged doors.

The northern façades at Chiswick Point have a vertical emphasis and here smaller windows were constructed for the bedroom areas from frameless Wicline 90 SG top hung, open-out casements for natural ventilation. These systems are set within deeper reveals for greater privacy and security. 

Craig Jones, Director, Boon Brown Architects said: “We had great attention to detail in the choice of materials and selected Wicona to meet our design and cost criteria. We needed high levels of thermal performance, and demanding acoustic requirements as the buildings are located close to a railway line. All the glazing systems also had to be low maintenance and highly durable.”

The Chiswick Point development was designed to a BREEAM excellent rating and level 4 Code for Sustainable Homes.

www.wicona.co.uk