Contemporary glazing brief

CMS Window Systems was involved in the creation of the new Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries (DCL&G), which was crowned Scotland’s best building in the 2017 RIAS (The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland) Awards.

The company was appointed to deliver the window and curtain walling contract for the £12.4 million project by Fife Council and Fife Cultural Trust. The project took an existing B-listed library, which was the world’s first Carnegie Library, built with money donated by Scottish businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, and a former bank to create a new cultural centre.

The new building also houses a new museum, exhibition galleries, local history reading room, new children’s library, and a mezzanine café with views over the landscaped garden to Dunfermline Abbey and the Heritage Quarter.

CMS Window Systems was awarded the fenestration contract by main contractor BAM Construction, with the brief being to manufacture and install a range of aluminium windows and curtain walling finished in RAL 7024 graphite grey. All windows use the Metal Technology 4-20 Hi+ system which incorporates a thermal break. The complementary curtain walling – capped and silicone pointed – was fabricated using the Metal Technology System 17 Latitude to provide consistency in aesthetics and performance.

The windows and curtain walling are glazed with sealed units that balance thermal insulation with solar control to maintain an energy efficient, stable internal climate. Windows feature a 6mm toughened pane for security and safety, a 16mm argon-filled cavity, and a 6.4mm Planitherm Ultra N pane to provide a balance of thermal insulation and solar control. The curtain walling incorporates an additional solar control element with the application of SGG Cool-Lite Xtreme II and 20mm cavity.