Clearview National February 2019 - Issue 207 | Page 54
Aluminium Extra
PROUD SPONSOR OF ALUMINIUM EXTRA
ARCHITECTURAL ALUMINIUM SYSTEMS HELP
A NEW RESEARCH CENTRE TAKE FLIGHT
» » ARCHITECTURAL GLAZING
systems by leading UK manufacturer
Kawneer were specified for a multi award-
winning research centre for their design and
performance capabilities.
Kawneer’s AA®100 zone-drained curtain
walling and three types of doors were selected
by frequent Kawneer specifiers CPMG
architects for the £12.5 million Aerospace
Integration Research Centre (AIRC) at
Cranfield University in Bedfordshire. Cranfield
is the only university in Europe to combine
major aerospace research facilities such as the
AIRC with an operational airport and runway.
The Kawneer curtain walling panes of
3m x 1.3m, and AA®720 thermally-superior
doors, series 190 heavy-duty commercial
entrance doors and AA®3720 bifold doors,
were installed on the steel-frame structure over
eight months by a team of four from approved
dealer Drayton Windows for main contractor
and their parent company RG Carter.
The 3,400m2 AIRC is one of Cranfield’s
newest world-class facilities and is of
international significance. Co-funded by
Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Government and the
university, industry and academia work together
under one roof on cutting-edge research.
Facilities include a flight simulator and
laboratories for air traffic management,
unmanned aerial vehicles, a virtual wind
tunnel, a FANUC robot in the intelligent
automation centre, and a 1,500m2 open
laboratory with 18m x 6m sliding doors to
give access for demonstrator aircraft such as
the university’s 19-seater Jetstream 31.
CPMG’s brief was for a state-of-the-art
research centre that will help to change the
design of future aircraft, bringing academic
research and the testing of new ideas by the
co-funders. Their design is apt – a BREEAM
“Excellent” three-storey interpretation of a
modern hangar.
The BIM Level 2 designed accommodation
comprised a triple-height entrance atrium
and high bay area containing avionics,
thermals, mechanical, electrical and structural
laboratories … and the second largest gantry
crane in Europe using the only “Mega” lift
jacking system available in the UK.
Covered laboratories between these
triple-height spaces offer the opportunity
for further controlled research. Two further
54 » F EB 2019 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
floors of accommodation arranged above the
covered laboratories include visualisation
and simulation suites, open-plan office areas
and university meeting areas. Views from
these upper floors benefit from an aspect that
overlooks the high bay area and entrance
atrium, showcasing aerospace research and
providing collaborative working environments.
The building includes exposed concrete
soffits for thermal mass and photovoltaics for
renewable energy generation.
CPMG associate lead Aiden Bell said:
“We made sure the designs for the facility
not only met the brief to provide the space
and functionality that was needed but also
reflected the university’s strong architectural
identity which already has a number of flagship
buildings. Our design was selected from a
number of competitors as we portrayed the
strength of the university’s academic research
within the architecture of the building.
“We specified the Kawneer systems as they
could achieve the tight u-values and required
design criteria for two curtain walling systems
that were 38m wide x 13m high. Both east
and west elevations have large expanses of the
Kawneer curtain walling to offer visibility to
the entrance lightwell and the high bay area at
the rear of the building. It allowed the interior
aspects of the atrium and high bay area to be
showcased.”
He added: “The university’s commitment
to sustainability in general and to a better
performance on environmental issues is a
fundamental part of its strategic vision. All
major developments must be to the highest
possible energy standards, achieve BREEAM
excellent and have minimal carbon impact.
The latest technology and innovative solutions
to minimise heat gains and maximise lighting
and natural ventilation are implemented.”
RG Carter, who were on site, on the
perimeter of the airport, for two years, said:
“Using our in-house capabilities with Carter
Design, we provided support and advice from
our own structural and civil engineers to
redesign the structural frame and change the
curtain walling system from a self-supported
to a supported glazing system, and also
provide additional support to the structural
frame.
“Together with advice from our own
in-house company Drayton Windows, we
provided the architect and engineer with
design and construction details, as well as
windload and structural calculations, from
specialist suppliers such as Kawneer to develop
a workable solution that met the client’s
expectations and still followed the design
concept that the architect had laid down.”