Selected for their weather, thermal and security performance, Technal aluminium curtain walling, windows and doors have been specified and installed at Ysgol Penyffordd, a £7 million-pound primary school located in the Flintshire village of Penyffordd, Wales. The school has been constructed to BREEAM Excellent standards.
Fabricated and installed by Westmore Architectural, the building was designed by Lovelock Mitchell Architects and constructed by Wynne Construction. The two-storey school features two striking pitched curtain walling screens on the front and back elevations. These are designed specifically to, open up and brighten classroom spaces, bringing as much light into the school as possible. Interfacing with dark grey and timber-effect weatherboarding and echoing the line of the roof, the aluminium systems are finished in a dark grey polyester powder coating.
Working with this contemporary architectural design, Technal Elegance 52 Curtain Walling suited the project exactly thanks to its narrow sightlines, which create a modern appearance. In addition, the curtain walling was selected for its unique manufacturing capability, which allowed Westmore Architectural to match the pitch of the roof. The curtain walling screens
to the project’s front elevation were fabricated with the CNC using welded sleeves for each apex.
“We fabricated the curtain walling, windows, doors and louvres to meet the project’s weathering and wind load requirements, together with compliance with Secured by Design,” said Robert Moreland, Commercial Director of Westmore Architectural Limited.
“The Technal team worked collaboratively on this project by providing the necessary technical specifications and support throughout the duration of the project.”
Technal also worked closely with the architectural practice to ensure correct product specification, including two key requirements: thermal efficiency and PAS 24 security.
Mike Molyneux, Project Consultant for Technal, highlighted: “The most crucial element to this project was getting the curtain walling screens to match the requirements for the pitched roof and setting out. Technal was selected for its ability to meet the necessary weather performance, and thermal and security requirements.”
Elegance 52 curtain walling uses an aluminium substructure width of 52mm, allowing a slim sight line while also providing the necessary strength and inertia requirements. It delivers high quality acoustic performance as well as the aesthetic appearance to suit different property types.
Offering multiple opening configurations, the Technal Dualframe 75 Si window range has been installed in ribbon configuration to all elevations. Exceptionally energy efficient, Dualframe 75 Si system can achieve specified U-values down to 0.9W/m2K. As well as achieving thermal performance, the Dualframe 75 Si suite also attains superior weather performance for water tightness, air permeability and wind resistance.
The STII Commercial Doors, which were installed on the entrances and fire escape, have undergone an extensive testing regime to achieve the required PAS 24 security. The doors also meet the necessary requirements for thermal insulation, achieving a U-value of 1.8W/m2k for doors without midrails and 1.9W/m2k for doors with midrails.
Design Coordinator at Wynne Construction, Richard Wynne commented: “When we were appointed at the two-stage Design and Build Project through the North Wales 21st Century Schools Framework, we knew that we needed to work with people who had a practical and collaborative approach.
“We chose to work with Westmore Architectural and Mike Molyneux – Project Consultant at Technal – because we had worked with them on numerous projects over the years. We had no issues from design to fabrication of the systems.”
Partly funded by the Welsh Government through the 21st Century Schools Programme, the project was built on the existing Abbots Lane Infants school site, amalgamating the previous building with Ysgol Penyfford junior school located in the surrounding area.
The new school accommodates 45 nursery pupils and 315 pupils from Foundation to Key Stage Two. Consisting of hall and studio facilities, community rooms, sports field area, multi-use sports pitch, habitat and recreational facilities, the school has also been future proof designed to accommodate classroom extensions should there be an increase in pupils required for the local area.
Technal is part of the Hydro Group, a world leader in aluminium solutions. Through its globally renowned Hydro Technology Hubs, the group is shaping a sustainable future, with innovative products that satisfy and surpass customer expectations, in line with demands of CSR and increasing environmental regulations.
For more information, please visit: www.technal.co.uk