Curtain walling and doors by leading aluminium systems supplier Kawneer were specified for a refurbished landmark building for their quality, architectural detailing and technical support.
Kawneer’s AA®100 zone-drained curtain walling and series 190 heavy-duty commercial entrance doors were selected by Stride Treglown Architects for Eastleigh House, the £8.3million new offices for 350 members of staff of Eastleigh Borough Council in Hampshire.
Kawneer’s glazing features on a new bright and naturally-lit double-height “glass box” at the front of the building for the ground-floor customer service centre and café for informal meetings between council staff and the public, and break-out space and meeting rooms at the upper floors.
It was installed over nine months by approved specialist sub-contractor Aluminium Sashes for main contractor Balfour Beatty.
The council’s former offices in Leigh Road were in urgent need of repair, too large for the number of staff and not as accessible as the new ones in a 5,100m2 1970s office building on Upper Market Street in the town centre where the ground floor of five floors provided vehicular access and undercroft parking.
The existing building had originally been mostly clad in an aluminium curtain walling system which was very tired and required replacement. Only the concrete structure could be retained, with the existing floor to ceiling heights and structural elements providing challenges to the design team.
The undercroft has been filled in to create much-needed additional floor space for the new customer service centre and café. Surrounding public space has also been improved and enhances the overall appearance of its key city centre location.
Stride Treglown senior associate architect Cora Kwiatkowski said: “The transformation of the building is astonishing.
“Eastleigh Borough Council was looking for an innovative, creative and sustainable design and using passive environmental principles such as PV panels, energy-efficient lighting and much improved insulation and air tightness, the building offers simple, well-designed, low-energy workspace, a high level of sustainability and already achieved a BREEAM “Excellent” rating at design stage.
“We specified the Kawneer products for their good quality materials, architectural details and helpful technical support. All of our criteria for the curtain walling was met. It interfaces very well with the other materials – render and coloured glass panels as well as the protruding aluminium panels used as part of the curtain walling.”
Stride Treglown regularly specify Kawneer systems on a variety of projects in the commercial, education and healthcare sectors.
Cora said: “As Kawneer is a leading supplier of architectural systems and curtain walling we regularly approach them for advice.”
Council leader Keith House added: “Staff are delighted by their new surroundings and it will also be a much more welcoming environment for our residents, businesses and visitors alike.”