PVCU upsell
DGlass has recently completed an Ideal 70 installation on the site of a former Taunton hospital.
Supplied in anthracite grey on white, the windows and doors have been pivotal in defining the character of the build, the company said.
Designed in 1892 by architects Gile, Gough and Trollope, Tone Vale Hospital closed its doors to patients in 1995. Built in the red/brown local stone, the site included the imposing main Grade 2 listed hospital building, church and a collection of Victoriana mews and outbuildings.
These provide the site for Cherry Tree Mews, a development by the Jones Building Group, which has converted existing buildings, combining them with new additions to the site.
This includes a gate house, six town houses and a lodge house, split into two separate properties but designed to appear as if a single building, and a number of luxury apartments, converted from within the main building.
“The original design of the windows was in aluminium,” James Clayson, general manager at D Glass, said. “The windows had really large openers on it, with full height push-out the windows. That’s something that you can’t achieve with PVC.
“At the same time you have to ask ‘does that give the property any character?’ and the answer was ‘no’. All it gave you was a single run of glass.
“We have redesigned it in Aluplast’s Ideal 70PVCU suite to break up that run. One, it’s better structurally and delivers better thermal performance and second, visually, it’s absolutely fantastic.”
The windows were supplied in anthracite grey on white in the German-engineered Ideal 70 PVCU window and door system from Aluplast.
With a choice of 24mm to optimum 40mm triple glazed options, the slim line system achieves a WER A+ rating with standard components and A++ with specific profiles and IGUs.
120 casement windows, French doors, Juliet balconies and side-lights windows were designed to complement the red/brown of the stone used in original buildings. At the same time they were also chosen to contrast with the contemporary white render used at the front and rear of the buildings.
“We’ve created a Victoriana back, to match in with the old buildings behind but designed the front as contemporary. The idea behind that is to break it up from the surrounding buildings and the surrounding environment – and to be different,” James said.
“We were looking for an upsell and to be different. What we have done with the windows and doors has supported us in upselling the properties and making the whole site work.”
He pointed to the pairing of traditional timber sliding sash windows at the rear of the lodge house, and against traditional timber stonework with Aluplast Ideal 70 in grey against white render.
“To use timber sashes on one side with PVCU casements on the other is very unusual but it’s going to be absolutely stunning,” he said.
Cherry Tree Mews Walkthrough: https://youtu.be/mklYBrxY0E8
Interview with James Clayson, DGlass: https://youtu.be/XT_t3LId_q4
