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Putting sustainable construction at its core, the first Enterprise Zone office development at Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP) features TECHNAL aluminium curtain walling made from Hydro CIRCAL® , which uses a minimum of 75% post-consumer recycled aluminium, the façade contributes to reducing the building’s carbon footprint and its BREEAM Very Good rating.
Designed by leading architectural practice Stephen George + Partners LLP (SGP), the development is being built through Major Works UK, part of the Scape National Construction Framework, by main contractor Wates Construction. The £22 million project began in February 2019 comprising a 7,500-square metre nett area, four-storey building, which will house the headquarters for leading software company, The Access Group.
Completed in November 2020, the new office development, funded by Leicestershire County Council, is the largest, single-occupier office deal in Leicestershire.
The TECHNAL team were approached by Wates Construction to offer specification solutions that would suit the aesthetics and technical requirements of the project. Designed around a central core with a linking wing either side, TECHNAL MX Grid curtain wall spans vertically. The facade also incorporates the company’s FY65 casement windows, and Stormframe STII doors.
For optimal energy efficiency, the windows and curtain walling needed to meet specific performance requirements, including a specified area weighted average U-value of 1.4W/m²K with G-values of 0.4 and 0.3. Designed for thermal efficiency, TECHNAL MX curtain wall offers an integrated thermal break, which, when combined with high-performance glazing means these values are achieved - reducing energy consumption for heating, lighting, ventilation and air-conditioning.
“The façade design is a combination of metal cladding panels and curtain walling with the two and three-storey expanses of the curtain walling framed by the cladding,” said Kanti Chhapi, Studio Director of SGP. “The overall aesthetic objective of the building was to create a place with strong composition, clean lines, and a memorable identity.
“All the aluminium systems were finished in RAL 7037 matt grey and one bespoke element was the demand for combinations of glass, glass look-a-like, opaque and louvre panels.”