Architectural glazing systems from Kawneer were chosen for a £18.5 million extension to University House at the University of Birmingham, said to be the UK’s oldest business school.

Products including two curtain wall systems, two door products and three window variations were used by main contractor Morgan Sindall Construction for the project, a gateway to the University of Birmingham’s city centre campus.

The new 3,000m2 extension features the company’s AA110 and AA100 mullion-drained curtain wall systems with capped and capless mullions as well as AA100 zone-drained fully-capped curtain wall. The AA100 system, with 50mm sightlines, was used in all areas with the exception of two full-height curtain wall screens which featured on the building’s ‘social space’ characteristic that utilised the AA110 system with 65mm sightlines.

Its series 350 and AA720 HI entrance doors were used alongside AA720 HI windows as fixed lights, side-hung open-in inserts and electrically-operated bottom-hung open-in inserts.

Glancy Nicholls Architects were appointed to design a building that provided a cellular and multi-occupancy space for the school’s academic staff, with student break-out spaces along with refurbished professional services, staff offices and enhanced café and catering facilities.

Glancy Nicholls director Simon Jesson said: “To maximise the daylighting the elevation incorporated large windows but also required user control of the ventilation as well as glare control. The system was able to provide the aesthetic requirements for incorporating silicone jointing to minimise the impact of the frame on the proportions of the windows.

“The relationship to the brickwork cladding, the stone and the glass-to-glass corners on the bay windows was managed efficiently with the necessary trims and recessed details to maintain a clean-looking façade.”

The glazing systems were installed by specialist sub-contractor and Kawneer dealer Duplus Architectural Systems.

Simon Jesson added: “Planning sensitivities were considerable with the massing of the building required to be sited adjacent to the listed building without dominating the elevation, but being contemporary with high-quality materials, in this case multi bricks and an Indiana limestone cladding system, complemented by the anodised bronze high-performance windows.

“The south elevation was a considerable challenge, with projecting bay windows that allowed daylight and a view of the formal lawn but were screened to adjacent landowners. The triple-glazed glass-to-glass corner projecting past the line of the cladding was a key design feature.”

www.kawneer.co.uk

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