Fitzroy Apartment Retrofit - Energy Efficiency Upgrade

The retrofit of these twin 3-story apartment blocks upgraded failing single glazed timber units into high performance uPVC frames with Softcoat LowE Double Glazing, seeing an instant performance boost in comfort and wellbeing with less demand on heating and cooling loads and costs.

CHALLENGE

In Fitzroy, Victoria, windows and glass doors in these aging dual 3-story apartment blocks needed an urgent upgrade. The original timber frames were in a terrible condition with considerable wear and tear, rot damage, air leaks, and peeling paint.

The gaps in the timber framing negatively affected the performance of the entire building envelope, as well as the comfort and wellbeing of those living inside from heat loss during colder times of the year, unwanted heat gain during warmer times of the year, and noise and moisture infiltration.

The single-glazed regular clear glass did not help either, providing near-zero insulation and no reliable protection from the sun, all adding to unwanted heat loss and heat gain, and noise infiltration inside.

All these factors added to uncomfortable winters and summers, high energy waste and additional cost to heat and cool alongside impacts on the comfort, health and wellbeing of those living inside.

SOLUTION

Retrofitting both the glass and frames to energy-efficient glazing from Vue Windows & Doors brought the building into the future of energy efficiency, as well as immediately impacting the comfort, wellbeing and health of the tenants living inside.

A darker external uPVC colour finish was used to modernise the look of the aging buildings with instant impact, while allowing ongoing easy maintenance and cleaning thanks to the rot and corrosive resistant uPVC material. The welded corners allow a single piece structure to combat air, moisture and acoustic infiltration while also minimising unwanted heat loss and heat gain.

Partnering the high-performance frames with high performance Softcoat LowE Double Glazing then allowed an ultimate total system solution. Insulglass LowE Prime® was chosen as an ideal complementary and compliant glass option. Great Insulation (lower U-Value) to tackle colder times of the year with great Solar Control (lower SHGC) to tackle the contrasting warmer times of the year.

A neutral look to the glass reduced glare factors and yet high Visible Light Transmittance (VLT) with excellent colour renditions allowed an unaffected view of colours from inside-out.

We interviewed the long-term tenants before and after the retrofit, covering areas like energy costs and comfort in both winter and summer as well as acoustics. The result of the retrofit has been a significant success in all of these areas.

One long term tenant commented, ‘We are extremely happy with the apartment, and the double glazing is the best feature I've ever found in a rental in 20 years, so we're quite delighted by it. The glazing has especially been beneficial during winter’.

Frames : uPVC Fixed Windows, Awning Windows and Hinged Doors - Vue Windows & Doors

Glass : Insulglass LowE Prime® - Australian Glass Group

Photos : Courtesy Emma Ashurst

https://agg.com.au/project/fitzroyapartment-retrofit/