Aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling systems from Wicona were used on the Highwood Gardens and Orchard Gardens phases of the Elephant Park development set to deliver nearly 3,000 homes in London’s Elephant and Castle by 2025.
The doors and windows needed to be Secured by Design compliant, as well as adhering to the requirements of Approved Document M for accessibility.
To achieve this, Wicona provided Wicline 75 windows, Wicstyle 75 doors and Wicslide 160 lifting-sliding doors. All three feature a multi-chamber construction to improve thermal insulation and are designed to achieve maximum weather and wind tightness. The products also helped meet the accessibility requirements and ensure compliance with Approved Document M of the Building Regulations.
The design of the Wicline 75 window allows the handle to be located within 1200 mm from the floor. It features a side-hung, open-in mechanism and a single handle for easy ventilation operation, including for those with reduced mobility or muscle strength. Simply by using the accessible locking handle and without needing to reach any other hardware, the user can then open the window further for cleaning. Closing the window returns it automatically to the safe ventilation mode. By using just one conveniently placed handle the user has full access to all ventilation and cleaning functionality, a clear contrast to more cumbersome traditional tilt & turn mechanisms.
The aluminium systems were fitted with SGG Stadip Silence for both the outer and inner panes, a laminated acoustic safety glass using SGG Planiclear in each glass leaf, and coated in SGG’s Planitherm to reduce tinting, maximise light transmission and increase solar gain, improving the overall energy rating of the glazing installation.
Graham Hurrell, Wicona UK sales director said: “Elephant Park is a flagship example of a truly modern development, designed with occupants’ needs at the centre. We are proud to have been able to contribute to creating an end result that will have such a positive effect for residents, local business and surrounding area.”
www.WICONA.com/en/uk/
www.panterhudspith.com/project/west-grove-south
