Fire station refurbishment
As part of the redevelopment of the original 1960s Deeside Fire Station, curtain walling, doors and windows from Sapa Building System were specified and installed.
Close to the town centre of Queensferry, Flintshire, in North Wales, the original part single and part two-storey brick building was constructed in the 1960s. However, it had become tired and not functionally adequate for the 21st century fire and rescue service.
There were two main priorities: to ensure the building would serve the needs of the emergency services staff and the local community; and to remodel the original 1960s building to create the appearance of a new build.
Architecturally, there are a lot of different building styles on the main road where the fire station lies so it was important from a design perspective that the building made a strong impact visually.
The updated building, with its striking contemporary design, features a black Corium brick slip system to over clad the administration and living spaces with a striking, green clad contrast to the adjacent high level single-storey appliance bay.
Lawray Architects’ director David Hughes said: “The Sapa systems were used on a previous scheme: Llangefni Police Station in Anglesey. Lawray Architects and North Wales Police and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service were pleased with the products from a performance and cost perspective hence specifying them for this project.”
Large vertical curtain walling screens comprising Sapa’s Elegance 52 ST standard system finished in a grey colour have been installed to the front –the aluminium substructure width of 52mm allows a slim sightline while maintaining the necessary strength and inertia requirements.
Also installed throughout the building are Sapa Dualframe Si 75 Casement window units, which were constructed as a top hung window and fixed light configuration, with the company’s Dualframe Si 75 tilt before turn windows also fitted within the brick structure.
With advanced polyamide thermal break technology, Dualframe 75mm Si provides high thermal performance.
All of the systems are finished in grey with colourful contrasting cill flashings in a fitting fire engine red. This strong red is also carried through on a porch feature, which surrounds Sapa Building System’s Stormframe STII High Traffic Aluminium Door installed to the front of the building as a double door unit with pivot anti finger trap stiles. This particular door offers high levels of thermal insulation and is tested to the relative clauses within PAS24: 2012 and 2010 Equality Act Compliant.
