Regent Street is having a makeover and many of its properties are being rejuvenated to keep this sought after area at its very best. A recent example is the conversion of two disused office buildings one, Albany House on the corner of Regent St and Mortimer St and another in Mortimer St. These have been redeveloped by the Crown Estate to create 24 high-spec luxury apartments, a stone’s throw away from some of London’s most desirable retail and night life attractions.
This presented the challenge of creating a comfortable and peaceful living environment in an area constantly on the go. As a Grade II listed building the original single glazed sash windows could not be altered in any way, so careful thought had to be given to dealing with traffic noise and the drafts and heat loss associated with older windows.
MSMR architects approached Selectaglaze, an original designer of secondary glazing systems, to assist in developing a solution. Secondary windows fitted with a gap of 100-200mm will achieve noise reductions of at least 45dB, far more effective than a normal double glazing. The frames are bespoke and tightly sealed which almost eliminates uncomfortable drafts and the use of thermally efficient low emissivity glass reduces heat loss by more than half to give a U-value of around 1.9. Selectaglaze developed a range of designs to meet the performance requirements and to be sympathetic with the overall design. This included one particularly noisy balcony which was treated with large hinged secondary doors glazed with 10.8mm laminated glass.
The inclusion of Selectaglaze Secondary Glazing for both thermal retention and noise insulation contributed towards the properties being awarded an Eco Homes Excellent rating.
Established in 1966 and granted the Royal Warrant in 2004 Selectaglaze is the UK’s leading secondary glazing specialist with extensive experience of working in buildings of all styles, including listed properties. The Company offers a wide range for tested products covering acoustic and thermal performance as well as protection against intruder and blast mitigation. A free technical advisory service is offered and a RIBA approved CPD is available to Architects and Designers.
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