Developers have been permitted to convert office space to residential use without needing full planning permission since 2013, creating a number of development hot spots.
Amongst these is Bristol, where a six-storey office block has been converted into The Milliners; a development of 109 apartments by principal contractor Headoffice3.
Detailed Specification
HeadOffice3 delivered the project as a fully-designed and specified scheme with a mix of studio, one-bed and two-bed apartments and penthouses. All two-bed apartments have allocated parking and roof terraces, which contributed to the detailing requirements for the cladding system.
Explains Ian Blakemore from Task Contract Services, the cladding sub-contractor on the project: “The upgrades and modifications introduced as part of the conversion created some significant detailing challenges.
“We needed bespoke detailing to accommodate both the protruding balconies to the rear of the building and the windows, which are flush to the façade, so it was vital that Shackerley prefabricated every façade panel to our exact dimensions and delivered each item to site aligned to the programme.”
Re-imagining the Façade
The existing 1970s building was a concrete frame structure with a façade of brown brick. Although the existing brick façades were in a good state of repair, they were significantly out of line and it was not possible to overclad them on the confined city centre site without increasing the external area of the building. Instead, the programme required the building to be stripped back to the concrete frame, with a completely new wall build up.
New structural infill panels were inserted between the concrete frame slabs with insulation fixed to the new external wall surface. The SureClad® ventilated façade system was then installed using Shackerley’s Queen’s Award winning SureClad® Access installation system.
Explains Ian Blakemore: “The ceramic granite panels were all prefabricated off-site under quality-controlled conditions in Shackerley’s ISO 9001 accredited factory. Each panel was cut, drilled and fitted with SureClad® Access fixing straps, which were secured to the rear with special undercut anchors.
“Shackerley prefabricated the façade system to our precise requirements and delivered everything to site in an installation-ready format to fit our schedule.
Shackerley fabricated more than 960m2 of façade cladding for the project, delivering items on a just-in-time basis due to the lack of storage space at the city centre site.
Inspiring Aesthetics
The majority of the ceramic granite cladding was specified in a creamy ‘Travertine’ colourway with a natural honed finish, creating a high-end aesthetic that mimics the look and texture of Bath Stone. A second colourway, beige Volcado, in the same natural honed finish, has been used to complement the ‘Travertine’. Façade panels were specified in a combination of 1200 x 600mm and 1200 x 300mm formats to allow the installation team to deliver a visually interesting offset façade design with feature banding.
David Smith from HeadOffice3 explains: “Shackerley’s SureClad® ceramic granite panels provided the appearance of Bath Stone with a much slimmer, more durable, lightweight panel.
“They also offer the advantage of being impermeable, ensuring freeze-thaw resistance by preventing moisture penetration, and they are resistant to algae, graffiti and U/V, so the robust new façade will retain its high-end aesthetic over time.”
All Shackerley façade systems are also non-combustible to Class A1 or Class A2 in accordance with BS EN 13501-1.
For further information visit www.shackerley.com or call 01257 273114
