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Keele House, a former Tax Office, had stood empty for many years. Given its close proximity to Keele University, the building is ideally located for student accommodation, and many felt that not investing in the property was a wasted opportunity.
Profile 22 and FrameXpress, a longstanding member of the Profile22 Approved Window Contractors Scheme, worked with contractor, Bardsley Construction, to transform the empty space into 160 high spec studio apartments. Reborn as Keele House, the building has been completely refurbished, with associated offices, kitchens and a gymnasium also delivered as part of the project.
To ensure warmth, safety, ease-of-use and pleasing aesthetics, Profile 22’s new Flush Tilt-Turn PVC-U windows were fitted in all 160 apartments – a total of 180 frames.
A cost effective, quality solution
Despite falling into disrepair, the building is a landmark in the local area, and as such, the planning stages of the project created some additional challenges.
Located in the very centre of Newcastle-under-Lyme, it was essential to the council’s planning department that Keele House’s aesthetic complemented the local area.
Adrian Moss, Midlands regional manager at Bardsley Construction, said: “In line with planning guidance, they insisted on the use of aluminium window frames. However, the budget for the project simply could not cover this.
“Struggling to meet the aspirations of all parties, we approached Profile 22, a trusted, long-standing supplier to us. The company provided a Flush Tilt-Turn sample, which we showcased to the planning department and after careful consideration, the use of Profile 22’s Anthracite Grey on White windows was approved for Keele House as an alternative to aluminium.”
Available in a wide range of colour options, Profile 22’s new Flush Tilt-Turn System provides excellent security and weather tightness. The tilt before turn operation provides improved safety and the ability to carry out cleaning without risk – a vital consideration in high-rise applications. In the tilt mode the window offers secure ventilation, an important factor in ground floor installations. The tilt-turn gearing prevents selection from tilt to turn, while in tilt mode and vice versa. Anti-slam is fitted as standard and the gearing is concealed for improved aesthetics.
When specified in Anthracite Grey the appearance of the PVC-U windows “exactly” match the look of aluminium, but are more cost effective than their metal equivalents, making the product a perfect match for Keele House and the specifier.
Smooth delivery and installation
Adrian continued: “We began working on site in March 2016 and had finished delivering the accommodation by December that year. Profile 22 was a fantastic partner throughout the project, and were on hand to assist with any questions we had during installation.”
The windows were fabricated and installed by FrameXpress, a Profile 22 Approved Window Contractor, with an established reputation for excellence in respect of both products and customer support.
Mark Westbrook, managing director at FrameXpress, said: “This particular Flush Tilt-Turn system was an entirely new product for FrameXpress, which required meticulous attention to detail during the fabrication process.
“Performance and security are always priorities but with a new product it is essential to give these the utmost attention, however we worked closely with Profile 22 to ensure that the installation went as smoothly as possible.
“There were a large number of tradespeople on site at the same time, which can make a project more complex, but Bardsley Construction were fantastic at scheduling the work, ensuring that the installation was carried out in the expected four to five-week timeframe.
“We have gone on to incorporate the new Flush Tilt-Turn system into other projects after the success of the Keele House installation; it’s really easy to install and it’s great to be working with a product designed specifically for large commercial projects.”
Achieving a luxury finish with PVC-U
Using Profile 22’s innovative Flush Tilt-Turn product, an iconic building has been created in Newcastle-under-Lyme from a space that once stood vacant and in disrepair.
The Flush Tilt-Turn system has a distinctive, sleek, modern design making it especially suited to new-build apartments. The high-performance weather seal system achieves a superior thermal performance, with U values to 0.8 W/mK this means that students now have a comfortable environment in which to study and relax.
Adrian said: “The Flush Tilt-Turn window and its slim-line profile has perfectly complimented the student accommodation building and helped to provide a luxurious finish. There is a real sense of attention to detail here.”
The Profile 22 Flush Tilt-Turn system is considered to be approximately 20 per cent cheaper than aluminium, making it a cost-effective alternative for any project. It is also a versatile option when budgets are tight but strict council planning regulations are in place.
For more information on the Profile 22 Flush Tilt-Turn system please visit www.profile22.co.uk or call 01952 283377 or email commercial@epwin.co.uk
