“ Transparency in the buildings was important , particularly at ground levels , and
the Kawneer curtain walling provided clean , slim lines .
KAWNEER
of efficient drainage was a particular consideration . The mulliondrained Kawneer glazed curtain wall which completes the exterior of the main community building at ground-floor level was also installed at a 16 ° angle that falls back on itself .
The DarntonB3 project architect said : “ Kawneer is known to us . We have used their systems before and would specify them again .
The office-led scheme will boost local employment and increase footfall to Pontypridd town centre , with the ambition of making the town centre more appealing to new businesses .
“ Transparency in the buildings was important , particularly at ground levels , and the Kawneer curtain walling provided clean , slim lines . Sustainability was also a factor in the selection of building products .”
The main community building containing public facilities , a library , council offices , leisure and fitness centre , retail unit and café , is an architectural feature and is consistently more complex , featuring a curved on plan facade .
Constructed using steel , in-situ cast reinforced concrete , brick , glass , prefab timber units and individually sized and shaped zinc shingle panels , its roof structure is unique and visually impressive .
Its semi-monocoque design curves in two directions via a steel frame which connects to the reinforced concrete core . The frame supports prefabricated timber cassettes that are bolted back to the steel . Thin timber planks are used to form the curves of the façade and individual zinc shingle panels ( 6,345 in total ) are fixed using a clamp to form the outer face .
A sustainable construction practice was designed into the project as an important part of achieving a BREEAM “ Excellent ” rating . Elements included photovoltaic panels on the roof of the two office buildings , rainwater harvesting tanks in the plant rooms , and the use of several prefabricated , modular elements , such as the timber cassettes forming the community building façade . The project team also made use of BIM to track and measure its progress towards achieving the BREEAM target .
www . kawneer . co . uk
Creating a project with unique design features comes with its own set of challenges , and unsurprisingly the construction of the façade was one of the project ’ s most difficult elements . Due to its curvature , the façade angles out in places , creating a twometre overhang from the base of the building .
The design means there are areas where the windows are almost tilting back on themselves so the importance
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