Recent recipient of a Schueco Excellence Award 2016, Alan Robinson, MD of Alumen, explains the work that was involved in the project that saw them win the Residential Development Commendation award

The Schueco Excellence awards are presented for ‘excellence in the design and installation of Schueco systems’.  As a long-standing Schueco fabricator, receiving this award really is a testament to the knowledge and experience we’ve gained fabricating and installing the Scheuco range during our long history.

The Project

Built in association with customer QDevelopments, The Longfords – a mews development of 7 houses and a duplex apartment on a brownfield site in Teddington, a suburb of Greater London – was designed by 5plus Architects to provide living spaces that have a seamless ’flow’ between the inside and outside. Set amongst Victorian properties, this new build project demanded a blend of both modern and traditional architectural styles to contrast against its surroundings.  The three rear properties make the most of natural light through the use of sliding and folding doors at the back and 2m wide by 2.6m high glazed screens at the front. These are set back in the brick cavity with full height vents to the side behind vertical timber louvres.  These large glazed apertures that made this project so much more challenging were perfectly suited to the Schueco range, thanks to their generous sizing capacity and slim sightlines.

To this end, Alumen fabricated and installed the ASS70HI Lift& Slide patio and ASS70FD bi-folding doorsets finished in metallic pearl/beige.  AWS75 tilt&turn windows, in the same finish, were used throughout but every single window had a different configuration of how it fitted in the cavity; some were forward, others pushed back – there wasn’t a standard way.  The tilt&turn windows measured up to 2.6m in height with fixed non-opening lights of up to 2m in width.

Furthermore, the bi-folding profile ASS70FD was used to fabricate the single doors which measured approximately 2.7m in height.

With its clean and contemporary appearance, and phenomenal ability to offer maximum fabrication dimensions of up to 1.2m x 3m per sash on the bi-folding door systems and 3m x 3m per sash on the sliding patios, it is clear that the Schueco products used were perfect for this development and we are pleased it got the recognition it deserved.

What the Judges thought

According to Hugh Pearman, Chair of the judging panel: “When it comes to translating the architect’s concept into reality, it is vital to ensure that the fineness of detail comes through in the finished building”.  Specifically, for this project judges appreciated the modesty of the development and its use of a variety of sliding and folded systems. “It’s nicely restrained,” said Louise Cotter, while Hugh Pearman commented: “This is a good example of a young practice revisiting the terrace typology.”

In addition to being an authorised Schueco partner, as a specialist aluminium fabricator, Alumen also offers the SMART range of products from their Kettering manufacturing facility. They have recently also launched a range of rooflights that offer trade customers a quality, value for money, off the shelf product. Autumn will see another product launch as Alumen bring to market their own in-house designed and engineered bi-fold doors which aims to take the best of bi-fold systems currently available in terms of aesthetics, ease of installation and operation – and improve on them.

For more information about Alumen, please visit our website www.alumen.co.uk.