OUR LATEST CASE STUDY FOR DOWNLOAD - THE SILVERSTONE WING
« Unison Building, Nottingham »
Friday, March 5, 2010 at 3:36AM CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW/DOWNLOAD CASE STUDY IN PDF FORMAT
Unison is the UK’s largest trade union representing local government and health services, with over 1.3 million members nationally. When the fire safety tower at their Nottingham office became a safety risk due to rainwater damage, the AshTech rainscreen cladding system from Ash & Lacy Building Systems, was selected to refurbish the building.
Built in the late 1960s, the Unison stairwell escape tower, also referred to as The Lighthouse, was constructed using rendered walls. One side of the building was particularly affected by the weather, as the tower is located on a hill. This caused numerous problems for Facilities Manager, Brian Parbutt, whose duty was to ensure the safety of 75 occupants in the adjoining building.
Building Surveying consultants, Watts and Partners, were appointed to resolve the water ingress problems, and Project Manager David Jolley of Watts and Partners, worked with Main Contractor Dave Hammond of Sandoms (Batley) Ltd in agreeing the best solution to take forward to construction, based on previous knowledge of the AshTech rainscreen system.
Marksman Roofing were appointed as sub-contractors, to carry out the design and cladding work. Ash & Lacy supplied aluminium composite material (ACM) rainscreen panels in metallic silver forming cranked vertical column casings for the main entrance of the tower, along with feature transoms featured between the glazing. Matching column cappings and flashings were also supplied to enhance the overall aesthetics of the tower. All components were fixed using the proprietary adjustable support system.
Brian Parbutt was impressed with the results. He commented: “Ash & Lacy’s Rainscreen Cladding System has proved extremely successful as we no longer experience problems with rainwater penetration. An added benefit is that the cladding has considerably enhanced the tower’s appearance.”
The AshTech Rainscreen Cladding system allows for crisp, clean lines that give an impression of continuity. Through the flexibility of aluminium and the expertise of their in-house design team, Ash & Lacy can offer architects and specifiers a range of interesting designs, using the latest in CNC Technology.