Education fenestration package

The development of a highly sustainable education facility in Flintshire has made extensive use of glazing solutions from Sapa Building Systems, including doors, windows and curtain walling.

The Post 16 Education Centre at Connah’s Quay has been constructed at a cost of £13.75 million as a joint development by Coleg Cambria and Flintshire County Council.

The centre was designed and built to exceed BREEAM Excellent standards: including promoting the use of natural daylighting and ventilation.

The building’s layout accordingly creates a mix of carefully orientated, open-plan and smaller spaces where the sunlight is transmitted through a mix of Sapa’s Elegance 52 ST curtain walling, and the manufacturer’s Dualframe 75 Si windows, as well as its ST11 commercial doors. High standards of security and rugged performance, including achieving PAS 24 performance requirement for the doors and windows, were emphasised throughout.

Elegance 52 ST curtain walling is an externally capped, thermally broken curtain wall system that offers many design options through the use of different mullions and cover caps. Several special locations such as 90° angle mullions or variable angles have been designed with a minimal use of material; resulting in slim sightlines.

Sapa’s Stormframe ST Thermally Broken Door features a polyamide thermal break which, as well as offering the option for dual colours to be used, also means the door is capable of achieving low U-values. Single or double doors can be rebated or centrally pivoted with the option of a built-in anti-finger trap stile.

Also crucial to the education environment, a drained low profile threshold and bottom rail adaptor ensure that disability access under BS8300 and Part M of the Building Regulations is fully accommodated across the wide range of options available.