GLASSOLUTIONS brings secure, sustainable glazing to mammoth Elephant & Castle project

State of the art glazing solutions and a strong understanding of the needs of inner-city dwellers has helped GLASSOLUTIONS to secure a major role in the creation of two new residential and retail spaces in Elephant & Castle, part of one of the largest regeneration projects currently taking place in Central London.

Led by the integrated property company Lendlease, in partnership with Southwark Council, the Elephant Park regeneration project will deliver close to 3,000 homes by 2025, and GLASSOLUTIONS’ is working on the latest phase, West Grove, which is due to complete in 2018. It is GLASSOLUTIONS’ highest value contracting project to date.

West Grove aims to create state-of-the-art retail and residential spaces which will connect Walworth Road to the improved transport hub at the Elephant & Castle, with GLASSOLUTIONS providing the design and installation of aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling for the phase.

The focal building on Highwood Gardens, designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Architects, is located at the corner of Walworth Road and Deacon Street. With extensive retail space on the ground floor plus thirty storeys of residential accommodation, the building will be the tallest in Elephant Park.

Orchard Gardens, designed by Panter Hudspith, is located at the corner of Walworth Road and Heygate Street, and will include an eighteen-storey residential building with ground floor retail space, which will include affordable units for local businesses. This plot adjoins with Walworth Town Hall to create Walworth Square, a new civic focal point for the area.

With daylight-maximising inset balconies, residential blocks arranged to avoid single aspect north-facing homes and fittings chosen to save on water wastage and fuel consumption, the West Grove development was designed with sustainability and energy efficiency in mind.

This was therefore a primary focus for GLASSOLUTIONS when specifying systems and materials, as the glazing specification needed to meet high standards of thermal efficiency as well as adhering to the respected guidance of the Centre for Window Cladding Technology.

Additionally, the aim of Elephant Park to create housing of the highest quality in the heart of the city meant that GLASSOLUTIONS’ proposal had to fulfil very specific requirements to satisfy several professional bodies.

The installation was required to be Secured by Design compliant, as well as adhering to the professional values of the Lifetime Homes Standard and DDA requirements.

GLASSOLUTIONS’ proposal embraced all of these requirements, ensuring that the glazing specification would provide security and durability as well as energy efficiency and aesthetic benefits.

GLASSOLUTIONS began work on the site in late 2016. To create the buildings’ envelopes, GLASSOLUTIONS has specified Wicona aluminium systems fitted with SGG STADIP SILENCE acoustic safety glass for both the outer and inner panes.

This specification incorporates SGG’s popular PLANICLEAR coating to reduce tinting, maximise light transmission and increase solar gain, improving the overall energy rating of the glazing installation.

GLASSOLUTIONS’ 16mm argon gas 90% filled sealed units will incorporate 1.5mm acoustic clear PVB interlayers for resilience and noise reduction, as well as a black warm edge spacer to reduce thermal bridging.

With anticipated LT values of around 68% and g values of 45%, the specification will provide the ideal internal climate with optimum natural daylight, ensuring that residents’ homes will be secure, energy efficient, comfortable, and shielded from external noise.

Says GLASSOLUTIONS Commercial Manager, John Foster: “We’re excited to be a part of the Elephant Park regeneration project. Being involved with the construction of the masterplan has been a great opportunity for us, and it’s particularly gratifying to see first-hand the effect that this project will have on the local area.

“The complexes on West Grove will provide secure, desirable living space in the heart of London, with the additional benefits of affordability, energy efficiency and a great balance of communal and private spaces. It’s a fantastic feeling to know that GLASSOLUTIONS is a part of that.”