Pilkington glass helps transform office block

Pilkington has helped architectural practice Flanagan and Lawrence to transform an office block built in 1975 with a triple-height structurally glazed atrium.

A new commercial office building has been created after Bath Road Central office park underwent a major renovation and extension. The outward appearance has been transformed by a light-weight skin, only the core and structural frame of the previous building now remaining.

Seven full-height structural frames support a canopy to form an entrance on the front of the building and behind this is the 15m-high glazed atrium, filling the building with natural light. The walls of the atrium are constructed from structurally glazed units, supported by a low-profile framing system.

Commercial sales manager at Pilkington United Kingdom Limited, Michael Metcalfe, said the project demonstrates how striking facades can be created with structurally glazed units with curtain walling and by removing external framing.

Designers can achieve clean lines and add visual appeal to the building with the system giving the appearance of an uninterrupted wall of glass.

The double-glazed Pilkington Insulight™ Sun units comprise an outer pane of 6mm-thick toughened and heat-soaked Pilkington Suncool™ 66/33 and an inner pane of 10mm-thick Pilkington Optifloat™ Clear, also toughened and heat-soaked.

Therefore, the glazing has the combination of insulation, solar control, transparency and structural strength that is required to create a climate that can be kept cool in the summer and warm in the winter without excessive heating and air-conditioning costs.

Michael Metcalfe continued to explain that without the right glazing I place, a triple-height fully glazed space can easily overheat in the sun or get cold during the winter months. However, the Pilkington Suncool glass keeps out 64% of the sun’s energy while allowing a high visible light transmission of 66% due to advanced multi-layered coating that filters out the invisible, but very high energy, UV rays in sunlight while allowing most of the visible light to pass through.

A second, internal atrium lets natural light enter the rear portion of the building. This is covered by a glass roof created using double-glazed units incorporating 13.5mm-thick Pilkington Optilam Clear.

Michael said “the internal atrium at 234 Bath Road does a good job of opening up the interior of the building, and this was made possible by the section of glazed roof.”

Contact:

Pilkington United Kingdom Limited,
Greengate Works,
Sherdley Road,
St. Helens,
Merseyside,
United Kingdom,
WA9 5 DZ

Phone: 01744 692000
Fax: 01744 692569

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