Royal opening

Saint-Gobain Building Glass helped design and create the £27.5 million Oastler Building, which was officially opened recently by The Duke of York at a ceremony that celebrated the success of apprentices and trainees, via numerous sub-contractors and manufacturers, that were involved in the project.

The building provides a new home for the University of Huddersfield’s Law School and the School of Music, Humanities and Media.

Occupying a prominent site on the Shorehead side of the campus, the six-storey building is BREEAM Outstanding rated thanks to the use of SGG Cool-Lite SKN 165 II collar control glass in its curved frontage and a 3.5m cantilever. This dramatic design feature helps to self-shade the building’s glass facade to reduce solar gain and energy costs for cooling.

Saint-Gobain Building Glass worked with commercial sealed unit manufacturer Dual Seal Glass to ensure the correct technical glazing specification was provided and ensure that project deadlines and demands were met on time and in full with an excellent quality finished product.

Nigel Meredith, managing director of Dual Seal Glass, said: “The partnership created between our two businesses is invaluable and it helps to ensure that we can meet the ever increasing demands in the commercial building sector.”

Adrian Adams, facades market manager at Saint-Gobain Building Glass, said: “The team at Saint-Gobain Building Glass is proud to have been part of a project that was made possible by the involvement of many fantastic local businesses. It has been incredibly inspiring to see this project take shape and we look forward to seeing it become an established part of the Huddersfield skyline.”

The new building is a tribute to Richard Oastler, the 19th century reformer who campaigned to curb child labour and improve conditions for all workers in the new factories of the industrial revolution.