- Client - ForViva (formerly City West Housing Trust)
- Architects - Halsall Lloyd Partnership
- Main Contractor - Forrest Construction Ltd
- Smoke Control Contractor - Dyer Environmental Controls Ltd
The investment by ForViva to completely refurbish this 1960’s era Tower Block, firstly involved engaging architects Halsall Lloyd Partnership with a brief to improve both the appearance of the building and its thermal characteristics . The overall objective was to enhance the quality of life for tenants through a superior visual appearance and a more comfortable environment, especially in winter.
In addition to the application of external thermal insulation to meet current Building Regula-tions, a key element of the work involved replacing the old fixed timber louvres, to stop cold winter winds affecting each floor.
To meet the combined requirements of Approved Document B and Approved Document K, Dyer Environmental Controls selected Fieger Louvre Windows. Working closely together, Dyer and Fieger applied a bespoke solution, first developed for the nearby Southway House. The smoke vents comprise 7 no. double-glazed louvres, which provide the 1.5 m2 geometric free area required by The Building Regulations. In addition, the vents were constructed with an integral fixed top & bottom panel, manufactured from insulated aluminium and colour-matched to the frame.
A total of 40 no. Fieger SmoTec vents, test-ed in accordance with EN 12101-2, were installed to provide dual-purpose general ventilation in summer and emergency smoke control.
The vents were fitted with D+H LDF 100-60 24V DC motors, programmed for anti-trapping, which was wired to the control system installed by Dyer Environmental Controls, based on individual their RZN 4503T control panels.
Saint-Gobain Planitherm Ultra was used for the double-glazed elements, which consist of 6mm toughened outside, a 16mm Argon cavity and 6.38mm laminated inside.
An overall U-value of 2.0 W/m2 K was achieved, which with a class-leading low air leakage rate of 0.41 m3/hour/m2 provides a highly energy efficient feature of the refurbishment.
The full height vents were also supplied complete with integral stainless steel crossbars for additional security.
