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Thanks to the installation of NVELOPE cladding support systems, a purpose built mixed use development in Liverpool features an attractive external envelope that adds a bold statement to the city centre.

Paramount is a ten storey mixed use development that has been built on the land where the Paramount Theatre was previously located. Following the regeneration of the area, the development comprises top quality student accommodation, a spa and gym, as well as commercial space. The accommodation offers 488 units, with a variety of en-suite student bedrooms and studio study rooms complete with a kitchen. Centrally located, the development provides accommodation to the students of Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool Hope University and the University of Liverpool.

North West Developer, PHD1 Construction’s aim was to regenerate the 3500sq m2plot to meet the needs of the community. The developer wanted the development to include a fresh, contemporary piece of architecture, and to achieve this, required a cladding support system that could achieve a contemporary look with a smooth finish. Bak Cladding Solutions, the sub-contractor on this project ordered NVELOPE’S NV3 systems through Vivalda in Manchester

“The orientation of the building panels presented some challenges for fixing the cladding support systems onto the building’s envelope,” says Alan Trueman, Contract Director at Bak Cladding Solutions. “We were impressed with the flexibility of the NVELOPE NV3 system, and this helped us overcome the challenge. The support system provides concealed fixing, which achieves a seamless effect that complements the appearance of the external envelope.”

Manufactured from aluminium alloys, NVELOPE’s NV3 system is ideally suited for concealed fix or mechanically fixed vertical cladding applications. The system is secured using hangers and undercut stud anchors or screws to provide a concealed fixing. Horizontal NVELOPE channel profiles are fixed to the vertical profiles. Rainscreen panels are secured on to these horizontal profiles using hangers and adjustable hangers.

NVELOPE ‘T’ and ‘L’ profiles are fixed using NVELOPE support brackets through a series of flexible points. Flexible point brackets absorb wind loading and allow for expansion and contraction, whilst fixed point brackets absorb both vertical dead loads. NVELOPE brackets allow for adjustment between the face of the primary support to the outer face of the vertical profile, providing important flexibility in the cladding. When under strain from various weather conditions, including strong winds, the cladding is thus able to expand and contract.

The NVELOPE materials used were manufactured from extruded aluminium alloys conforming to BS EN 573-3 and production BS EN 755.

For further information on NVELOPE Rainscreen Systems, visit www.nvelope.com or call the company direct on +44 (0)1707 333 396.

NVELOPE cladding support systems have been installed on Sterte Court, a development of high rise and low rise flats in Poole, which has received a facelift that has not only improved the visual appearance and sustainable factors, but also extended the buildings’ life for at least 30 years.

Sterte Court is a residential building in Poole, which dates back to the 1960s. When originally built, the two 10 storey and two 4 storey tower blocks consisted of 134 one and two-bedroom flats. Constructed with rendered concrete wall panels on a concrete frame, the buildings were poorly insulated. A project to upgrade the development began in 2013, when Poole Housing Partnership, an Arms Length Management Organisation, which was set up under the Government scheme to bring investment for improvements to homes across the Borough of Poole, got involved.

Poole Housing Partnership appointed Keepmoat as the main contractor for this £6.7 million project. With the aim being to improve the residents’ living conditions, reduce fuel poverty, and update the visual appearance of the four blocks, the project would take around 18 months to complete. When it came to focussing the attention on the new façade, NVELOPE’s NV1 cladding support system was specified to hold the vertical cladding in place, and fitted by Kent-based façade installer, Teiko Ltd.

“The project benefited from ECO (Energy Company Obligation) funding, which requires the systems used to be BBA certified, and for the installer to be PAS 2030 certified” comments Adrian Buckmaster, Technical Manager, Teiko Ltd. “NVELOPE is BBA certified and Teiko Ltd is the only installer to be certified for Rainscreen Cladding to PAS 2030 standard.”

A key requirement for this project was to improve the thermal bridging. Thermal bridges cause increased flow of heat and need to be considered in the design and installation of a façade system. Since the fixing of ventilated cladding must go through the thermal insulation into the substrate, it cannot be avoided. It’s therefore important to achieve a thermal decoupling of the substructure from the ventilated façade through thermal separation layers. NVELOPE’s N1 brackets are pre-assembled with thermal isolators which help reduce thermal bridging and also prevent a chemical reaction which could occur between the aluminium bracket and the lime in a concrete frame.

NVELOPE’s NV1 flexible point brackets were well suited for this project as they allow for expansion and contraction of the cladding when under strain from various weather conditions including strong winds. The NV ranges provides a secure fixing solution for façade materials including high pressure laminate (HPL), timber, weatherboard, fibre cement, fibre concrete, ceramic, thin stone, aluminium composite material (ACM) and many other metals. Stand-off sizes for the vertical ranges are from 40 – 300 mm.

NVELOPE holds extensive stock to ensure orders can always be met and where necessary, immediate delivery can be provided. All NVELOPE cladding systems can be engineered to project specific requirements thanks to the expertise of its technical design support service. This provides architects and specifiers freedom with an almost infinite range of façade appearance and layout options.

Manufactured in the UK and developed using the highest specification alloys, NVELOPE products and systems are ideal for supporting a wide variety of façade materials.

For more information please visit www.nvelope.com