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Companies have now realised their workers are as productive and as committed when working from home as when commuting to an office
DPTC, Sheffield
overhaul saw the building transformed into 404 apartments and other units. Specialist preparation, spraying, venting and curing facilities were set up so the refurbishment could continue with minimum disruption. Work on panels was also carried out in situ from cradles suspended around the building. An added complication was the fact that, with the building changing use from commercial to residential, the paint needed to achieve Class 0 on spread of flame in accordance with BS 476.
Crouch End Picture House
Cladding innovation Obviously, the character of glass and the design of curtain walling will change in the future. As Dr Ronan Daly, head of FIAM and senior lecturer at the University of Cambridge, is quoted as saying “Smart technology applied to glass has the potential to perform a number of important tasks – from identifying the presence of bacteria on a hospital window to performing as a touchscreen display.” “Conductive materials can already be printed onto flat surfaces, and alongside the NSG Group we’re now overcoming the physical challenge of completing this for curved applications – this opens up new opportunities for designers to use glass technology to solve their modern design challenges.”
Historically traditional glazing has been the key to admitting daylight into a building be it residential, commercial or leisure. However, in other situations,
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translucent cladding holds the key. These allow for light transmittance but also offer quite different, and enhanced, material and performance benefits. An example is Kalwall, an insulating cladding system developed in the US to transmit ‘museum quality,’ diffused light evenly into an interior without the harsh contrasts of light and shade. Avoiding hotspots, glare or shadows, it can remove the need for any blinds or shutters, while reducing solar gain and reliance on HVAC systems and artificial lighting. U-values as
low as 0.28W/m2K, equivalent to a cavity- filled solid wall, are achievable by including translucent silica aerogel within the panels. The recent redevelopment of the food court at Kings Mall Shopping centre, on a five-acre site in Hammersmith, London, highlighted some interesting and complex challenges. The new residential apartments above the shopping centre were being adversely affected by light pollution and lack of privacy from visitors walking through the food court atrium. Owners and developers Schroders decided to install the translucent cladding around the whole of the atrium. This screened the external courtyard above, thereby mitigating the issues around privacy, while maintaining the maximum levels of interior daylight. The panels complement the industrial feel of the redevelopment and its hard concrete and stone surfaces, while providing benefits for shoppers and residents alike. These include line-of-sight protection, maintaining privacy for the residents and controlling light pollution, while bathing the interior with diffused daylighting, year-round. So, as the urban landscape continues to evolve around us and the working patterns of millions of employees fundamentally changes, architects and designers have many innovative and forward-thinking companies offering the very best solutions in modern materials.
Manny Patel is managing director of Structura UK
ADF FEBRUARY 2021
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