DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE
Award winning ironmongery at the OWO - HAF @ JOHN PLANCK -
fasteners , sash lifts and stops , sliding pocket doors with flush fitting handles , wardrobe rails , limiting stays , cupboard knobs , bespoke cranked handles , umbrella racks and wardrobe light plates .
Steeped in history , one of the most iconic building renovations to have occurred in recent years is that of London ’ s Old War Office ( OWO ). Sensitively restored over an 8-year period , at a cost of over £ 1billion , the Grade II listed building is now home to the exclusive 120-bedroom 5 * Raffles London hotel as well as 85 super-prime luxury residences .
With the specification of over 5,300 doors and 1,000 windows to co-ordinate as part of the redevelopment , project lead EPR Architects sought specialist expertise from HAF @ John Planck for the sourcing of the vast quantities of ironmongery required .
Barny Bott , Business Development Manager from HAF , said “ Monumental is the only word we can use to describe the scale of the project . With such a huge number of doors and windows to furnish and numerous different consultants and interior designers to liaise between , our effective co-ordination and communication skills were important factors to the success of this project .”
Barny continues , “ Most of the hardware was bespoke designed and manufactured , crafted to either directly replicate the original hardware that had previously been in place , or to reflect the concepts devised by the interior design teams . Where standard products were used , we co-ordinated their refinishing to match the burnished bronze finish that had been used throughout . We also applied a protective , Nanotech coating to common area fittings to protect guests from ongoing and future infectious diseases .”
Given the number and variety of door designs , sizes , construction and ironmongery requirements , fire testing was also an extensive part of the process . Barny said : “ There were over 50 different door designs in total , each of which was outside of the door manufacturer ’ s standard test scope and had to be independently fire tested .”
Whilst only completed in September last year , HAF @ John Planck has already won a number of awards for the OWO project . Presented by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers ( GAI ) in conjunction with the Royal Institute of British Architects ( RIBA ), it was awarded the Residential Award , Hospitality Award and Winner of Winners Award at the AI Specification Awards 2024 with the judges commenting that it is “ A stunning and in some cases breathtaking project ” that was “ difficult to find fault with ”.
HAF ’ s involvement in the project spanned a staggering 6-year period , liaising with 37 different consultants , including four separately appointed interior designers , creating 19 separate hardware packages .
The list of products provided by HAF is vast and included many ‘ bespoke-design ’ pieces including door hinges with decorative finials , lever handles , pull handles , door knobs , push plates as well as various window fittings and espagnolette bolts . Other items supplied include automatic door operators , electric locks , overhead manual and hold-open door closers , floor spring closers with special ‘ flooring cover ’ trays , door coordinators , ornate drop rings , casement www . johnplanck . co . uk
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