Steel windows for former brewery

West Leigh, a member of the Steel Window Association, has manufactured and installed bespoke double glazed W20 frames for the refurbishment of a former brewery building in south London.

The company carried out the £130K contract on the Plough Brewery, Wandsworth Road, for Marston Properties, working with specialist restoration architect, McDaniel Woolf in order to satisfy the concerns of local conservation officers.

Not only were the new W20 windows customised to respect the property’s heritage – including bespoke vents, hardware and glazing details – but they also offer much improved thermal and acoustic performance. In addition, West Leigh’s fitting of the windows had to be completed without disruption to the work of the Plough Brewery’s tenants, who are mainly involved in the fashion and creative industries.

West Leigh produced a total of 80 made-to-measure windows, up to 2,200mm tall where semi-circular heads feature, mimicking the appearance of those believed to have originally been installed when the brewery was built back in 1868.

The architect for Marston Properties, Richard Woolf, said: “Obviously working with the conservation officers on a Grade 2 listed property, they had a great deal of input. It was in trying to achieve the detailed approvals necessary that the steel windows came into their own, harmonising with the building and replicating metal windows from a previous century.

“We worked with conservation and with West Leigh, to create a suite of windows for this renovation which would be harmonious – and being in steel would work with the authentic cast windows. We have had good feedback from the business owners about the service and the reduction in road noise, while Marston Properties was delighted that the Plough Brewery has now received The Clapham Society Historic Building Award.”