42


EXTERNAL ENVELOPE


Senior supports landmark West Yorkshire regeneration scheme


T


he regeneration of a historic industrial building in Wakefi eld is anything but ‘run of the mill’ thanks to an inspired design by Hawkins/Brown and a high- performance fenestration package supplied by Senior Architectural Systems. Part of the group of buildings formerly known as Rutland Mills, which are located close to The Hepworth art gallery, the once derelict property has been given a new lease of life and a new name, with Gradient Mill now providing fi ve-storeys of modern commercial offi ce space.


in Wakefi eld is the latest addition to the ambitious


The new Gradient Mill offi ce building Tileyard North regeneration


scheme which has created the UK’s largest creative industries hub outside of London. The new building has been delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction,


with


Wakefi eld based specialist contractor Neu- Glass fabricating and installing Senior’s SF52 aluminium curtain wall system, alongside the


Wraptite®


manufacturer’s patented PURe® windows and doors.


aluminium


Combining a slim frame with strength and thermal effi ciency, Senior’s popular SF52 aluminium curtain wall system has been installed to the ground fl oor level alongside robust PURe®


Commercial Doors that


provide safe and secure access to the building. On the upper fl oors, large glazed openings have been created using Senior’s low U-value PURe®


aluminium windows which help to


minimise heat loss and fl ood the offi ces with natural light to create a more comfortable interior space. Smaller window units have been installed to the top fl oor, which is open to the underside of the steel truss roof, echoing the character of the adjacent mill buildings and providing a dramatic, light- fi lled workspace. The project team, led by Hawkins/Brown, has worked hard to repair and retain as much of the fabric of the original buildings as possible. It was vital that the new glazing


units complemented the nineteenth century architecture and a provided an effi cient interface with the existing structure. As a Yorkshire based business, Senior was well placed to meet the demands of such a large and complex contract as all of the company’s products were manufactured in nearby Rotherham and Doncaster, for timely transportation to the site in Wakefi eld.


01709 772600 www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk


membrane helps to deliver building performance that will be everybody’s cup of tea


M ore than 12,000 m2 of a former


tea factory is being transformed into a state-of-the-art broadcasting facility for the BBC – and Proctor Group’s Wraptite®


membrane is playing a part in


bringing “a 100-year-old industrial building back to life for the next 100 years.” The former Typhoo factory presented a host of challenges that would not be encountered on a new-build project. Arguably one of the most important of those challenges to get right was fi nding a solution that could deliver a good standard of airtightness while protecting the traditional brickwork superstructure. Wraptite


provides a consistent airtight seal that contributes to meeting a project’s airtightness target.


Alongside that, it is


also highly vapour permeable and allows the passage of moisture vapour out of the structure.


This is essential for avoiding any increase in condensation risk in buildings of all


of the masonry.


The job of installing Wraptite in this relatively uncommon way fell to specialist contractors CG Reynolds, whose work package included the steel frame system, partitions and ceilings as part of the Category A fi t out.


As a self-adhered membrane, a key feature


types. It is also critical in existing buildings where the moisture transport properties of traditional masonry have to be preserved so the brick work can ‘breathe’ and properly dry out when wet. A vapour closed construction prevents masonry from drying to the inside and increases the risk of mould and eventual decay.


A typical new-build project sees Wraptite installed to the external face of a sheathing board that is fi xed to the structural frame. Maintaining the outward appearance of the old tea factory and its existing brickwork meant applying Wraptite to the internal face


of Wraptite is that it can be installed without the substrate needing to be primed. “Proctor Group came to site a lot,” said Steve Upton, operations director at CG Reynold. “They were proactive and gave a lot of support.”


Broader support began in the earliest stages of the project and encompassed all aspects of the project team, starting with the architects. The Proctor Group technical team was involved with initial discussions about material choices.


01250 872 261 proctorgroup.com/products/wraptite


WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK


ADF MARCH 2026


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