When excellence is the target, it makes sense to turn to a proven supply chain that has the capacity to adapt to specific demands.
As a result, 2 New Bailey, in the heart of Manchester’s regenerating commercial centre, achieves a BREEAM excellent rating. It has been gained by using the “Rolls Royce” of ventilation- a VRF heating & cooling system, with airflow delivered into the occupied spaces via Gilberts of Blackpool grilles and diffusers.
Across the 188,500ft2, 11-storey high building, over 1000 GSFA premium circular swirl diffusers make an architectural feature of the exposed building services. Each of the contemporary-styled GSFA swirl diffusers has been set between the 3.6m high rafters, providing horizontal, high induction ventilation to give high air change rates with rapid entrainment and intermixing without cold spots or draughts.
The theme of architectural design is in the fore too in the main reception atrium, where jet nozzles create an elevated ‘wall’ effect, and a millimetre-precise 8.7m long flangeless L-RC linear strip grille further enhances the interior aesthetics.
In the two-storey reception area, the jet nozzles create a suspended, high level “wall”. Gilberts manufactured and supplied some of the 200 units as an architectural feature, to create the aesthetic effect without detracting from the ventilation strategy and targets. Further adding to the interior design, Gilberts manufactured and supplied a linear bar grille to create a continuous vent 8794mm long. This was supplied with a further 5 x 1m blanking plates, precisely cut and fitted on site to achieve the design objective.
Gilberts’ GXD air valves extract air from the WCs throughout the building to remove excess moisture and odours.
“The appearance of all the fixtures and fittings was essential to the architect and client, especially as so much of the ventilation is exposed,” explained Ian Buxton, commercial director at AB Engineering, building services contractor to Bowmer + Kirkland, the main contractor for the project.
“We obviously did not want to disappoint; we knew that the GSFA diffusers were a really good, tried and tested, solution that we knew would work. We also knew Gilberts could deliver the level of service with the capability to develop bespoke solutions as needed. The Gilberts’ offerings met all the aesthetic requirements of the design concept.”
Gilberts’ grilles and diffusers are proven to help achieve exemplar aesthetics and sustainability, with an established catalogue of BREEAM excellent-rated projects. The company has a reputation for excellence, not just in its products but its service, in-house design, manufacturing and test capability, and after-sales support.
It continues to invest in its services, most recently with state-of-the-art fabrication machinery, new powder paint lines, and extended warehousing facilities, to meet the growing demand for its solutions as Britain opens for business. Find out more @ www.gilbertsblackpool.com.
