Landmark Council Building Restored With Crittall Windows

Grade ll Sessions House in Maidstone, Kent, the headquarters of Kent County Council, has recently been transformed with the replacement of all existing windows with Crittall steel profiles.

The building has recently undergone external refurbishment designed to maintain and enhance its visual appeal while at the same time updating its thermal and environmental performance to meet today's standards.

The existing windows were original single glazed Crittall medium Universal profiles and the Kent County Council's conservation department specified a complete like-for-like replacement. According to Allan Cox, conservation architect responsible for the specification, the decision to retain the same company that manufactured the original was twofold.

"We wanted enhanced performance from the windows," he explained. "Thermally and
acoustically, the profiles had to meet the demands of contemporary legislation but at the same time, there was a keen aesthetic appreciation of the product, in keeping with the history and character of Sessions House. Crittall windows fitted the bill perfectly." The specification took into consideration weather tightness and reduced maintenance costs, and with over 100 years experience in the fenestration market, Crittall recommended its Corporate W20 profiles as the ideal solution. Combining strength with minimal sightlines, the profiles are unobtrusive yet highly efficient and match the originals in terms of style and appearance.

"As headquarters of the local county council, the building is a dominant and important landmark in Maidstone," continued Allan Cox. "The window replacement scheme, which was undertaken in two phases, has rejuvenated the appearance of the structure without compromising or detracting from the original architectural style and we are delighted with our new energy efficient window system."

Carnival Time in Witham

Crittall Windows are pleased to support Witham Carnival, and Witham Kids Club, by providing a lorry to be used as a float in this year's Carnival Procession.

The members, parents and organisers of Witham Kids Club did such a great job of transforming our lorry into Never Never Land, that they won the award for the Best Decorated Trade Vehicle.

Congratulations everyone for making our lorry even more attractive than it usually is!!

Crittall's Westminster Winner

Physical performance for the replacement fenestration was put on a par with sympathetic styling by the project team responsible for the conversion of a former Royal Mail building in the heart of London; seeking to create residential accommodation as well as a contemporary design studio with a light and comfortable working environment. 

 

Howick Place in Westminster dates from 1894 and had served as a sorting office until developer, Fabbriche & Ceramiche, purchased the property. The painstaking refurbishment of the premises, led by Squire and Partners, involved Crittall Ltd in supplying some 200 of its Corporate 2000 windows under a sub-contract package for ISG Interior & Exterior Plc.

 

Crittall worked in close cooperation with both the main contractor and the architectural consultants to ensure its high performance steel framed units met the project’s wide ranging requirements; including planning conditions, thermal performance and physical security.

 

 

The project architect at Squire and Partners commented: “I have used Crittall on other contracts in the past and knew they would be one of the few companies able to supply the profile required to match the original fenestration in this building. We also required a high specification in terms of thermal performance and Crittall therefore supplied argon filled 28 mm units to match the requirements of the Building Regulations.

 

“In terms of the design support the manufacturer’s technical representatives responded well when coming back to us with information and possible solutions. This was a major project and the spaces created are very bright and attractive, with the slim window profile offering the maximum transmission.” 

 

The majority of the windows supplied for Howick Place are of the side-hung, open in configuration and were finished in anthracite grey polyester powder coat paint over the galvanised corrosion protection. The sealed units feature a 6.4 mm thick clear laminated inner pane with low-E coating, separated from a 6 mm clear toughened outer pane by the 16 mm gas filled cavity

 

Crittall Windows Retain the City Character

95 Gresham Street is a gem in the heart of the City of London. The £35 million refurbishment of the site makes extensive and impressive use of glass and steel to contrast with the existing external facade of Portland Stone. And for the glazing element, Crittall Windows supplied and installed its Corporate 2000 and W20 profiles for optimum visual impact and long lasting performance.

The original structure has been redesigned to offer eight floors and 95,000 sq ft of office space, with a brand new atria created as a main focal point at the entrance. The installation of the new windows was a like-for-like replacement, with the Crittall profiles helping to retain the character and traditional appearance of the external facade, whilst at the same time providing modern, advanced glazed units that comply with all thermal and energy efficient requirements.

Crittall’s involvement extended beyond just supplying the profiles, as architect, George Corrigan of architects, Rolfe Judd explained. “95 Gresham Street actually comprises both Princes House and Bartlett House,” he said. “One of the tasks that Crittall Windows was faced with was to refurbish the cast iron framing and panels to some of the fenestration in Bartlett House prior to installing the new profiles. This was done successfully, with the rest of the replacement window project completed on time and to the standards required for this conservation area. Crittall’s ability to offer this complementary service greatly contributed to the smooth progression of the scheme.”

The modernisation of 95 Gresham Street has now been completed and the result is a complete transformation of the site into modern, contemporary office space located behind a retained facade that continues to blend into the urban surroundings. Crittall’s range of windows has allowed this to be achieved due to the trademark narrow slimline profiles, which allow more glass to be used in an aesthetic capacity without compromising the inherent strength and performance of the windows. Moreover, the unobtrusive appearance of the profiles allows the architectural value of the original structure to be clearly visible by all those who pass by in the City.

Crittall scoops Queen’s Award

Britain's leading steel window manufacturer has received the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

Crittall Windows has received the award in recognition of its export achievements in the notoriously difficult American market where the Essex-based company has seen the value of its sales increase significantly over recent years. Crittall is now the second largest supplier of steel windows in the United States having re-built its entire distribution network there in just six years.

"We feel proud and honoured to be recognised by the queen's Award for our work and success in the US market, " said John Pyatt. "America can be seen as one of the hardest markets to compete in, and this accolade is the culmination of Crittall's long history, showing how a professionally-managed private company with an excellent product, a strong brand, and an enthusiastic workforce can take on the Americans at their own game."

The company dates back to 1849, and in 2004 Crittall Windows underwent a management buyout led by Mr Pyatt. At this point, its distribution market in the States disappeared, and the company had to begin again from scratch with its US operation.

Then, three years later, Crittall Windows moved to new state-of-the-art premises in Witham Essex from its factory in Braintree. Despite the upheaval, and now, the recession, the company has gone from strength to strength.

On both sides of the Atlantic, its products are being specified in high quality public and private sector buildings. These include the US 'Ivy League' universities of Princeton and Yale, the prestigious 300 Central Park West apartment block in New York, the University of Sussex, Grade II Listed Lichfield Court flats in Richmond-Upon-Thames, and the restored Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon. The firm is especially strong in the heritage market in both countries.

In order to win a Queen's Award, companies also have to demonstrate high quality business practices in employe relations, environmental policy, health and safety matters, and its relationship with the local community. In all these matters, Crittall Windows has scored very highly. Its worforce of around 200 is drawn from the local area, and one in ten employees has been with the firm more than 40 years.

"This is, in effect, an award for excellence in how we have gone about our business," says Managing Director John Pyatt.

Crittall Windows in fashion with Burberry

The new headquarters of the Burberry Group has been purpose designed to house the organisation’s workforce and operations at Horseferry House in Westminster. And to complement the customised individual interior of the 160,000sq ft eight storey building, Crittall Windows have been installed.

The building was originally built in the 1930s and following its transformation, boasts cutting edge showrooms and a modern, contemporary office space which retain some of the original architectural features. The windows were installed as a like for like replacement scheme to fit in with planning schedules for the Westminster area, and Crittall W20 profiles were specified. Additionally, the company also supplied glazed steel screens for the interior in keeping with the aim of the refurbishment to create light and a modern working office environment. This is the first time that all of Burberry’s employees are housed together under the same roof.

The internal steel glazed screens were an integral part of the interior design scheme, with the original lightwells transformed into dynamic day lit circulation spaces, made active by the incorporation of steel framed bridge links connecting the two halves of the building. Says John Pyatt, managing director of Crittall: “The use of the screens opens up the space as intended, allowing natural daylight to be part of the interior lighting scheme .

Externally, the replacement windows, in Burberry Brown match the interior and comply with all planning requirements by the local authority. We matched the small pane detail with the W20 profiles, which offer very narrow sightlines that do not detract from the beauty of the original architecture and style of Horseferry House.”

The building is now complete and with Crittall glazing featuring both inside and out, presents a fitting and contemporary home for the world-renowned Burberry name which makes the most of natural light for an ideal working environment.

Steel Windows - Repair or Replace

Windows are that part of a building's fabric that so often defines the character and aesthetic of the property.

In many early-to-mid 20th Century buildings, across both public and private sectors, those windows are made of ungalvanised steel, and the passage of years may have taken its toll, in terms of corrosion, failing paintwork, broken or bent hardware. The glass and glazing compound may also have suffered.

Faced with ever more stringent Building Regulations, the owners of such properties need to decide how to proceed with improvements. They can be reassured that excellent opportunities exist for either improving the condition of what is already there, or replacing them with modern equivalents.

Crittall is the UK market leader, with 150 years' experience in steel fenestration, and has a long history of involvement in repair and replacement of windows, working closely with local authority planning and conservation officers, with architects, and with conservation bodies, such as English Heritage, to repair or replace windows installed from the early 1900s. Over 70 percent of the company's UK work falls into this category, with Crittall providing a survey, design, manufacture and installation service, acting, in many cases, as main contractor.

The decision to repair or replace depends on many factors, not least, the amount of maintenance that has been undertaken on a property. Before 1947, steel windows were only zinc sprayed, rather than hot-dip galvanised as they are today. So, pre-war fenestration may be deeply corroded.

Successive layers of paintwork, bowed or misaligned sections, missing putty, and broken handles or stays are also likely to be factors.

Repair work can be of a limited nature, performed on-site to tackle light corrosion, remove minor frame distortions, and re-glaze, with perhaps the addition of draught-proof gaskets and secondary glazing. Costs can be relatively modest, but, of course, the improved windows will not conform to modern performance requirements, especially in respect of energy efficiency.

An alternative approach is to remove the units, and return them to the factory for total refurbishment, where the frames are grit-blasted back to the bare metal, damaged units repaired, with new sections welded-in, hot-dip galvanising takes place, and the frame is polyester powder-coated providing 15-20 years' protection before any further painting is required. Draught-proofing and secondary glazing can be added, and new hardware fitted to match the original.

All this can be costly, and the windows will still not meet modern performance standards.

However, both the current, and forthcoming amendments to the Building Regulations Part L on energy efficiency make allowances for buildings of historical or architectural merit, covering a wide range of properties, either as individual structures, or within the context of their neighbourhood. So, this level of repair, may be adequate to satisfy the requirement of Part L.

The aim, however, should be, both to preserve, and to achieve betterment wherever possible.

The answer is replacement steel windows which may be deemed a more economic solution, in view of the findings of a condition survey, and a desire to achieve modern performance standards.

New steel fenestration will allow for double glazing that meets either a 2.2 W/m² whole window U-value, or a centre-pane U-value of 1.2 W/m²k. This will contribute towards the new requirements for reducing a building's carbon emissions total, as spelled out in the revised Part L. Weatherstripping, trickle ventilation, corrosion protection, and polyester powder coating are also part of the solution, while at the same time, replicating the visual effect of the original windows.

Examples of this abound. Look at the new facade of the Boots Company's D10 Building in Nottingham. This is a Grade I listed building dating from 1932.

Working with the original firm of architects, and, in consulatation with English Heritage, Crittall supplied and installed its Corporate W20 windows to recreate the curtain-walling effect for which this exceptional modern movement structure is famous.

Social housing refurbishments include the high-rise Avondale Tower for the Corporation of London, and Northwood House for Lambeth LBC. Then there is the neo-gothic Crown Court building at Wood Green in North London, the celebrated Hoover Building alongside the A40 in West London, and the Grade II listed Viceroy Court, a private residential block with curved fenestration overlooking Regents Park.

Crittall's current range of windows provides modern, high-performance replacements for the Universal range first seen in 1909, and the imperial SMW introduced in the 1920s. The original fenestra joint, patented in 1905, is still available. Bespoke solutions can be created as required.

Experience shows that each project must be reviewed on its own merits, and that repair, where possible, is the first option, and is preferred for aesthetic reasons. If, however, replacement is chosen, to meet cost, or performance requirements, then this can be done sympathetically, with modern steel products, that satisfy the regs and aesthetic appeal of a project in equal measure.