DAYLIGHTING Magazine issue 12 September/October 2018

Issue 12 September/Ocober 2018

IN THIS ISSUE:

INNOVATIVE

REFURB • INDUSTRIAL ROOFLIGHTS • HEALTH & WELLBEING • TRANSLUCENT CLADDING AND MORE

CONTENTS

REGULARS 05

Editor’s Comment

06

FEATURES 12

Comment

Industry News

Seeing the light: Are we still in the dark about daylight design? Article by Velux Modular Skylights

10

16

32

Innovative glazing solution at Wigan Wallgate Station, by Twinfix 16

New Projects NARM Daylight Diary Updates from the UK’s influential trade association for rooflight manufacturers

36

Daylighting Icons Greene Science Center, Manhattan

Refurbishment

Daylighting at Spanish City, Whitley Bay,

by Xtralite 20

WEBSITE www.daylightingmag.co.uk

26

Translucent Cladding

28

Back issues & information for advertisers & contributors

AD SALES adsales@bennettand partners.co.uk Tel: 01295 711666

Why specify rooflights? John Godley of Hambleside Danelaw presents the case

Industrial Rooflights

What’s trending on social media?

More about DAYLIGHTING Magazine

EDITOR Paul Bennett paul@daylightingmag.co.uk Tel: 01295 711666 Mobile: 07900 895110

22

Gideon Sykes explains the role that Structura UK has played in a Community Project for Grenfell Survivors

39

Bennett & Partners Pure Offices Lake View House Tournament Fields Warwick CV34 6RG United Kingdom TEL: +44 (0)1295 711666

DESIGN/PRODUCTION production@bennettand partners.co.uk Tel: 01295 711666

38

Twitterings

DAYLIGHTING is published by:

Health & Wellbeing Will Goodenough of Whitesales asks: Can a building undermine its occupants’ performance?

34

Fire Testing Jane Embury of Wrightsyle takes a look at a demanding US Fire Test for glazing systems

CIRCULATION Daylighting is available by email, free of charge to subscribers, by logging on at www.daylightingmag.co.uk Free access is also available via our website and social media. Average impressions per issue are approximately 5,900, however this varies according to social media activity. Our readership is predominantly UK architects, specifiers, contractors, consultants and roofing professionals. Full details are available on our website. www.daylightingmag.co.uk While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of content, the publisher does not accept liability for errors. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

This publication contains editorial photographs which may have been supplied and paid for by suppliers. Full terms and conditions can be found on our website.

Front cover: Glazed Entrance Canopy at Wigan Wallgate Station by Twinfix. See page 16.

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Sept/Oct 2018

3

Structural Glazing Xtralite from

Bringing your vision to life Xtralite has developed a universal, structural glazing package for bespoke installations, offering architects complete design freedom and meeting the widest set of technical requirements.

Our experienced designers can bring your vision to reality, incorporating: A suite of interchangeable profiles Our Cascade internal water management system Custom engineered connections Bespoke closures Custom designed flashings Glass units tested to TN66 and TN67 Class 2 20 year warranty Xtralite Structural Glazing: Helpful People; Robust Systems; Stunning Designs.

Call us on Or visit

01670 354 157 xtralite.co.uk

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Latest climate report for policymakers paints a grim picture – fast action is needed After three years of research and a week of debate between scientists and government officials at a meeting in South Korea, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has issued a special report on the impact of global warming of 1.5ºC. The report states that the world is now completely off track, heading instead towards 3ºC. Achieving the preferred target of 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels will mean “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society”.

The critical 33-page Summary for Policymakers indicates difficult negotiations between climate researchers determined to stick to what their studies have shown and political representatives more concerned with economies and living standards.

One of the key points covered in the report is that global emissions of CO2 need to decline by 45%

from 2010 levels by 2030.

Given that artificial lighting represents nearly 20% of global energy consumption, it’s clear that greater use of daylighting in the built environment can make a significant impact on achieving that target.

For this reason, I make no apology for again using this column to draw further attention to the wider specification of daylighting as an important component in every nation’s sustainability agenda.

Paul Bennett paul@daylightingmag.co.uk

The need for reductions in emissions is now no longer something to be considered a long-term policy goal. It’s urgent. Very urgent.

We applaud and encourage the development and application of renewable energy across all sectors as a means to reduce emissions.

But let’s not forget that daylighting tackles the issue ‘at source’ by simply reducing the requirement for energy generated – by any means.

Issue 11 July/August 2018

Don’t forget, back issues are always available to read on-line at daylightingmag.co.uk

Issue 4 May/Jun 2017

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY FOR BETTER BUILDINGS

IN THIS ISSUE: CONTROLLING

HEAT& GLARE • DAYLIGHTING IN SCHOOLS • LISTED BUILDINGS • ROOF SAFETY • FIRE SAFETY AND MORE

Previous issues of DAYLIGHTING Magazine will be available on-line indefinitely. So you can refer back to old issues whenever you like.

It’s also on our ‘to-do’ list to set up a features index, so if you can’t remember in which issue you read that fascinating feature about XYZ, you’ll be able to find it in a moment.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Daylighting at work CLIMATE BASED DAYLIGHT MODELLING BIM GLASS ROOFLIGHTS DAYLIGHTING INNOVATIONS AND MORE

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Sept/Oct 2018

5

INDUSTRY NEWS

European developers and investors beware of confusion over new daylighting standard architects working on portfolios across Europe, will need to pay greater attention to which countries have adopted the new regulation and which are yet to do so. Failure to do so could have a knock-on impact on the work of the building designers, engineers, project managers and manufacturers, potentially increasing the length of the project and driving up costs.

Edward Pittar, Partner, Malcolm Hollis, Germany.

Independent building consultancy, Malcolm Hollis, is warning European developers and investors to beware of confusion over new daylighting standard, which is set to be approved before the end of the year.

Whilst the new standard will come into force in 2018, it will slowly be adopted by the 34 countries within the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) over the next 6 - 12 months.

With staggered implementation, developers, investors and

The European daylighting standard – EN 17037 – encourages building designers to assess and ensure minimum standards for daylight are met for spaces that are regularly occupied by people for extended periods.

It provides a single reference method of measurement and good practice across Europe, which currently doesn’t exist.

The new standard outlines minimum recommendations for a set of four daylight indicators: daylight provision, the view out from a space, the exposure to sunlight and protection from glare.

For a space, to be considered as day lit, the minimum target values must be reached for each indicator.

“The buildings we work and live in need to be fit for purpose and should promote healthy wellbeing. Access to natural light is a core element of this and the implementation of this European daylighting standard puts daylight back at the centre of building design. By having a uniform approach across Europe, developers, owners and occupiers are clear on what is expected and that can only be a good thing,” says Edward Pittar, Partner, Malcolm Hollis in Germany.

“However, as with the implementation of all new practices, there are sure to be some teething issues. It will take time for the various parties involved in building design and construction to get to grips with what the new standard is. We have been gearing up for the changes by implementing new software and expertise to be able to undertake the assessments required, as well as provide the requisite advice reports to assist designers and clients in the UK and across Europe to meet the new standard.” www.malcolmhollis.com

Two further RIBA approved CPD documents from NARM RIBA has approved a further two Technical Documents for CPD use from NARM, the National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers.

NARM NTD11: ‘Understanding the differences between ‘nonfragile’ rooflights and ‘walk-

6

Sept/Oct 2018

on’rooflights and NARM NTD12: ‘An introduction to natural daylight design in domestic properties’ can be accessed on the RIBA CPD website: www.ribacpd.com/nationalassociation-of-rooflightmanufacturers-narm/13709/

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

INDUSTRY NEWS

VELUX announces £7million expansion in Fife

Roof window manufacturer VELUX® Company Ltd has today announced a £7million expansion to its iconic UK and Ireland head office building at Woodside Way in Glenrothes, Fife.

A new customer service centre, training facilities, office space, meeting suite and a staff restaurant will be housed within a 3,500 metre new build structure, which Glasgowbased main contractor ISG will deliver by autumn 2019.

The building has been designed

by Sinclair Watt Architects to sit alongside the existing head office, which features 200 VELUX roof windows. The new building will showcase the VELUX Modular Skylight System, alongside VELUX flat roof windows and sun tunnels.

Mick Schou Rasmussen, managing director of VELUX UK and Ireland, said: “Once completed, the new building will provide our existing employees with a much improved working environment and accommodate any increase in headcount in

the future. The new building has also allowed us to decrease our estate’s footprint by selling off a number of vacant buildings to growing local businesses, in turn boosting the local economy.

“VELUX is committed to having a strong presence in Glenrothes, Fife, so it is great to see work start on the new building at a time when the company is going from strength to strength.”

Councillor Altany Craik, Convener of the Economy, Tourism and Strategic Planning Committee at Fife Council said: “It is fantastic to see a local business expanding and growing like this. This new building looks very impressive and showcases many of the company’s products. There is no doubt this will help VELUX continue to be a leading roof window business in the UK and it clearly shows their commitment to developing their operation in Fife.” www.velux.com

Left to right: Councillor Altany Craik, Anders Dam Vestergaard, Sandy Page, James Connelly, Sam Small, Keith Riddle, Pamela Stevenson, Mick Shou Rasmussen, Peter Bang, Michel Langrand.

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Sept/Oct 2018

7

INDUSTRY NEWS

AB Glass enlisted for Cwmbran school development aged 11 to 16 and is linked to the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools programme.

Glass having secured a number of contracts with this leading construction company.

Swansea-based AB Glass will manufacture and install a range of aluminum systems for the project, including Kawneer AA100 curtain walling, AA540 windows, and AA190 and AA720 doors. Vitral UK rooflights will also be used for the project.

The company is due to start work on the new development this month (August 2018).

“We are keen to get started on this project imminently and look forward to seeing the development taking shape.”

Alan Brayley, Managing Director, AB Glass

Alan Brayley, managing director of AB Glass, said:

Aluminium manufacturing and installation company AB Glass has been appointed

by Kier Construction to carry out works at a new school development based in Cwmbran.

“The education sector is a significant area of business for AB Glass and we are pleased to be adding to our portfolio with the Croesyceiliog School development. This project also showcases our continuing relationship with Kier Construction, with AB

The £30 million redevelopment of Croesyceiliog School will accommodate 1200 pupils

AB Glass has a strong track record of developments within the education sector, particularly in Wales. In addition to being contracted for the Croesyceiliog School project, the company has also provided its services to Swansea University’s Bay Campus; Briton Ferry School, Neath Port Talbot; Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, Neath Port Talbot; Ysgol Bae Baglan, Neath Port Talbot; and the new University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) campus being developed in Swansea Waterfront. www.abforglass.co.uk

New appointment for Lareine Engineering with the appointment of Maria Carthy as Sales Specialist covering the North East of England and North Wales.

Lareine Engineering, the leading UK supplier of rooflighting, smoke and natural ventilation solutions, has expanded its nationwide sales team,

8

Sept/Oct 2018

With over thirteen years experience in construction sales, including key postions within the rooflighting industry, Maria brings considerable experience and energy to the role. She is a graduate of UCLAN with a degree in Management and Marketing and carries a Professional Diploma in Management.

Maria has joined the company at an exciting time, as it continues to develop its highly

regarded rooflighting design & installation capabilities as well as expanding its commitment to smoke and natural ventilation for applications in all sectors.

“I’m delighted to be joining such a dynamic team and look forward to playing a part in the Company’s ongoing growth and success”, she said.

Lareine Engineering Director Tom Bates said: “It’s great to welcome Maria to the team. Her experience and professionalism are highly regarded”. www.lareineengineering.com

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

INDUSTRY NEWS

Kinestral Technologies begins shipping Halio™ smart-tinting glass from new factory achieve production yields enjoyed by flat-panel manufacturers, with the goal to make smarttinting glass available to all.

Kinestral Technologies, Inc. has officially opened its first largescale Halio smart-tinting glass factory in Miaoli, Taiwan, which will produce flat-glass panels in sizes up to 5 feet x 10 feet.

By tapping into the country’s engineering talent and manufacturing expertise, the new facility joins an existing factory in California and will ramp up Halio production

to meet global demand.

The 100,000 square-foot factory was built by renovating a manufacturing plant owned

by G-Tech Optoelectronics Corporation (GTOC), one of Kinestral’s strategic partners.

By eschewing traditional electrochromic manufacturing processes and adopting many used in the flat-panel display industry, Kinestral will quickly

Halio, which looks like natural, clear glass until it tints to shades of gray, is becoming a preferred smart glass solution for many architects who are challenged to meet daylighting, health and wellness, and sustainability goals while still retaining views and the look of natural glass.

It is claimed that Halio can reduce energy consumption by up to 20% by reducing heat from sunlight and eliminating the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours. It also increases occupant health and wellness by ensuring comfort and dramatically reducing glare. www.halioglass.com

Newcastle architects dig deep on India housing project A team of Newcastle architects have swapped their drawing pens for shovels to help on a voluntary housing project in India.

Craig Van Bedaf, Adam Lee and Hannah Darmody from Pod, based in the Toffee Factory, Ouseburn, together with a team from client Miller Homes, recently jetted out to Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu province in South East India.

There, they linked up with the Habitat for Humanity charity to help construct several houses for the local Irula tribe, who currently live in mud huts with no

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

running water or toilet facilities.

Habitat for Humanity is working with the local government to develop the scheme on a small parcel of land that will eventually see 22 homes constructed. The homes have been designed to withstand the earthquakes

and monsoon floods, which are common in the region.

The team dug deep during their five day stay, drawing on their combined expertise to lay the foundations and cast the concrete columns for two houses. www.podnewcastle.co.uk

Sept/Oct 2018

9

NEW PROJECTS Imperial College, London Modular or off-site curtain walling by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer has played a key role in a building which forms the centrepiece of Imperial College London’s new White City campus.

The bespoke, twinskin and triple-glazed ventilated curtain walling, based on Kawneer’s unitised AA®201 system, features on the main south elevation of the Molecular Sciences Research Hub (MSRH) in the college’s first new campus in over a century. www.kawneer.com Fratton Park Stadium, Portsmouth Hambleside Danelaw supplied 211 metres of rooflights for the Fratton End stand at Portsmouth FC’s stadium. The existing 32/1000 forward profile was matched using Hambleside Danelaw Zenon Pro 24 rooflights.

The project was completed within a strict time schedule, during the closed season. www.hamblesidedanelaw.co.uk

10

Sept/Oct 2018

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

NEW PROJECTS Wall lights, Liebherr Works, Sunderland Hambleside Danelaw’s Zenon Evolution wall lights were selected to replace existing wall lights that had become heavily ingrained with dirt over the years, making this production facility a dark place to work. The building is approximately 30m high and, due to the location, strong winds can cause high levels of wind loading. It was therefore specified that the replacement wall lights must have excellent structural strength without compromising translucency. www.hamblesidedanelaw.co.uk

Woodside Care Village, Warwick Wrightstyle is shortly to supply advanced glazing systems to a ÂŁ7.5 million state-of-the-art care home being built by Deeley Construction.

Wrightstyle will be installing fire-rated screens and doors at the Woodside Care Village, an inspirational new care home in Warwick which will provide care for 72 older people and people living with a dementia, due to open in 2019. www.wrightstyle.co.uk

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Sept/Oct 2018

11

COMMENT

SEEING THE LIGHT

Are we still in the dark when it comes to daylight design?

By VELUX Modular Skylights

There is nothing quite like the warm glow of a sunrise, the way the afternoon sun plays across a room, or how a single ray of sunlight has the power to transform a space. Yes, the effects of daylight are well known in the architecture community, but are they really understood?

Multiple studies have shown exposure to natural light aids health and wellbeing, increases productivity, improves mood, and even helps to save energy and retain staff. However, these studies have also highlighted a need for a greater focus on

12

Sept/Oct 2018

daylight design, introducing it earlier in the planning process and more comprehensive government lighting standards.

Natural light is an essential design element According to Andrew Bissell, Lighting Director at Cundall, daylight design should be involved from the very outset of any project. Every detail from where a building site is located, its orientation and the daylight exposure it receives, to window placement, the balance of thermal heating and the

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

COMMENT use of glazing can influence building comfort.

“Daylight design needs to be involved at the planning stage – any later and its effect is already limited. It’s about how light enters a space – thinking about all the rooms, not just basing it on digital models and numbers but also lighting patterns and ensuring light is distributed evenly in every space.”

“In my experience, many architects tend to, understandably, base their knowledge of daylight on past projects,” says Laura Phillips, Lighting Designer and Associate Director at Arup, “There is a tendancy to shy away from specifying daylight systems, as they can be costly to a project if not considered and integrated early on, and the benefits can be difficult to sell to a client.”

“Greater collaboration on daylight quality is needed – early on within the brief – to create buildings that allow daylight to be utilised to its full potential.”

Daylight is a commodity Daylight, when harnessed correctly, has been shown to have massive energy benefits, offsetting the need for less healthy artificial lighting while cutting energy costs by 30% to 45%.

Decades of research has also shown exposure to daylight throughout the working day can improve mental function – including memory and speed of work – between 10 and 25%, and improve productivity by up to 15%.

It has an even greater psychological effect than fresh air.

Greater access to daylight, and something as simple as having a desk with a view, can also help with staff retention as employees are shown to be happier and take less sick days. Unfortunately, the adverse of inadequate lighting can have equally extraordinary results as the Chinese

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

government has discovered cases of myopia among China’s schoolchildren increased by over 50% in just 6 years.

The artificial versus natural light debate A lot of new lighting technology has been designed to replicate natural light, but it offers no real benefit.

As much as LED and other artificial lighting claims to mimic natural light, it has a very limited spectrum and lacks the naturally occurring colours vital for proper visual performance, and the regulation of hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain – such as cortisol, which is related to stress, and melatonin, a prerequisite to sleep.

“Greater collaboration on daylight quality is needed – early on within the brief – to create buildings that allow daylight to be utilised to its full potential.”

That being said, adequate levels of daylight throughout the day are not always possible due to the everchanging position of the sun, window orientation and other factors. This is where a greater understanding of daylight design comes in, as outlined

by Laura Phillips.

“We work closely with architects and clients to ensure lighting is considered as a whole, both natural and artificial, through detailing and effective lighting controls.”

Layouts need to be designed to balance artificial and natural light, taking into consideration façade reflection, the sun’s movement, glare, shading, light intensity and automation – to ensure spaces are evenly lit, there is good patternation, and external and internal elements work together.

Most importantly, lighting needs to suit the function and needs of the occupants of the space. Offices, laboratories, leisure centres and especially schools all have different, specific requirements.

A new standard for daylight There is growing demand for more detailed daylight standards and clearer parameters to be introduced to ensure

Sept/Oct 2018

13

COMMENT

Andrew Bissell, Lighting Director, Cundall

daylight design is implemented at the planning stage. Whilst recent years have seen a positive step change with the move from daylight factors to climate-based daylight modelling.

There is now a need for further changes, such as introducing the spectrum of the light to the matrix as well as more measurement positions relating to the eye position and viewing direction of occupants.

Andrew Bissell believes, “We need to move away from current light measuring tools as they just look at the amount of light and not how it affects occupants. Measures like melanopic lux and circadian stimulus – which seeks to measure both the visual and biological influences of light – and greater clarity on what ‘health lighting’ means need to be made regulatory standards.”

The more we learn about daylight, the more we see the need for professional bodies to influence government to improve standards. More case studies and research is also needed to develop best practices.

Event series like VELUX’s ‘Design a Brigther Future’ are a definite step in the right direction as a way to highlight the need for more integrated daylight strategies. Laura Phillips will be speaking at the event in Glasgow this November, and Andrew Bissell recently spoke at the event in Manchester, where he had this to say,

14

Sept/Oct 2018

“It is bringing together developers, architects, lighting designers and academics into one room to discuss research and real evidence of how to better utilise daylight and ventilation to build healthier buildings. This is what we need and it can really make a big difference.”

Daylight design is still considered a “non-discipline” and the responsibility of it sits across the design team.

Focusing more on the importance of daylight in the built environment is key, it could be taught to a much greater extent at university level. When lighting specialists are appointed to design daylight schemes for galleries and museums, some staggering results are achieved in the process of ensuring works of art are not damaged by lighting. Yet the same level of service is not afforded many regular buildings we use, is our health and wellbeing less important than preserving art?

Daylight design is still considered a “non-discipline” and the responsibility of it sits across the design team.

Focusing more on the importance of daylight in the built environment is key...

To find out more about how daylight and ventilation improves human wellbeing and performance, book your free place at the next Velux: Design a Brighter Future Breakfast Event.

The next events to take place are Birmingham (23 Oct) and Glasgow (7 Nov). For more details and to register, please visit Eventbrite.co.uk and search for “VELUX”. www.velux.co.uk/modularskylights

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

MBS Software Waldram Tools v4.0 - Daylighting Software MBS has been developing software for the last 25 years.

Delivering applications that are powerful yet easy to use.

Waldram Tools is an excellent package for meeting the requirements for daylight & sunlight testing laid out in the BRE Guide.

It is however much more than that, with many tools to aid design, such as facade analysis including solar radiation to test for overheating. Ray traced Daylight and sunlight calculations using Radiance, which allows more complicated situations to be assessed.

Transient shadows can be assessed over a range of times with the shadow cast matching the colour of the proposed building The potential for solar glare can be assessed in an easy to read rendered image

The software produces:

· · · · · · · · ·

BRE Compliance tests VSC,APSH,NSL,Sunlight to Amenity and Average Daylight Factor Rights of Light contours Complete excel exports Automated transient shadow images Climate based daylight calculations Spatial Daylight Autonomy Annual Sunlight Exposure BREEAM calculations Solar Glare Solar Radiation Facade analysis

Available for AutoCAD 2014-2018* * Alternative product: "Daylight for Sketchup"

For more information contact us on:

Tel: 020 3176 0984

email: info@surveymbs.com

www.surveymbs.com

REFURBISHMENT

Innovative glazing for heritage refurbishment An innovative modular rooflight system that can be installed in a fraction of the time of traditional split-bar glazing systems and is also non-fragile was the “cherry on the cake” for the refurbishment of this main line railway station’s Grade II listed entrance canopy.

The Multi-Link-Panel system glazed with Georgian wired polycarbonate from polycarbonate roofing supplier Twinfix was specified by Network Rail for the entrance canopy element of a £1 million refurbishment of historic Wigan Wallgate station in Lancashire.

The glazing panels, each comprising fast-track “fix and link” aluminium structural bars glazed with 6mm solid Georgian wired polycarbonate, were

16

Sept/Oct 2018

pre-assembled at Twinfix’s factory in Warrington, Cheshire, for delivery to site for installation by specialist contractor Everlast Rail.

Everlast’s contracts manager Colin Duxbury said: “Though we had knowledge of this system, we had not previously installed it. Twinfix arranged the delivery of all components to our site compound behind the station. The components were all marked up and

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

REFURBISHMENT came with a layout drawing showing which piece fitted where.

“The installation was relatively straightforward aided by a couple of instructive visits by the installers. The relatively narrow gutters made for a tight fit for some components but all in all everything came together on time.

He added: “Once our installation teams got into the swing of things everything went well and the finished roof looked very smart. Twinfix Multi-Link was chosen primarily because of its nonfragile qualities - its ability to remain intact when subject to impact loading.”

The refurbishment of the Grade II listed canopy, which had been leaking, included the redecoration of all steelwork, the liquid waterproofing of canopy gutters and the replacement of the traditional glass with the lightweight polycarbonate system.

Polycarbonate is typically 200 times tougher and half the weight of glass and at Wigan Wallgate, combined with

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

the Multi- Link-Panels which can be installed in two thirds of the time of traditional split-bar glazing systems, the system performed to Class B of the HSE’s recommended drop test ACR[M] 001:2014 “Test for non-fragility of profiled sheeting roofing assemblies.”

The 120m² canopy at Wigan Wallgate is a steel-framed structure with three central lantern bays, each with a pitched glazed roof approximately 9m long by 3.5m wide, with similar but shorter bays each side of 3.5m in length. The Twinfix panels were installed at 600mm centres.

The system performed to Class B of the HSE’s recommended drop test ACR[M] 001:2014 “Test for non-fragility of profiled sheeting roofing assemblies.”

Colin said: “The new roof had to be approved by Wigan’s Conservation Officer. For understandable reasons he took his time reviewing samples of the proposed roof and needed a few site visits before finally granting his approval.”

To comply with planning requirements an additional detail was added to the standard design in the form of a small

Sept/Oct 2018

17

REFURBISHMENT

triangular fin at the top of each glazing bar. The purpose of this fin was to keep the glazing bar in keeping with the look of the original bar, ensuring a sympathetic restoration of the station.

“This could only be fitted once everything else was in place and there’s a lot of them,” said Colin.

“There was a lot of work to be done in a relatively short time and as the canopy works rolled into autumn, the weather began to turn which affected the painting of the steelwork and the liquid lining to the valley gutters, all of which had to be completed before we could install the glazing. Fortunately, the glazing itself could be installed regardless of the weather.

“The contract period for the whole scheme was 26 weeks, starting immediately after the Easter Bank Holiday 2017. The canopy refurbishment took place during the final six weeks and the canopy glazing installation in the last three weeks of

18

Sept/Oct 2018

that – the cherry on the cake so to speak.”

The new canopy was just one element of the station refurbishment which included a new main slated roof, replacement of all first-floor windows and suspended ceilings, and repointing of external brickwork and chimneys.

Paul Childs, company secretary for the Railway Heritage Trust which part-funded the project, said: “The trust was most impressed with Network Rail’s recent sympathetic refurbishment of the forecourt canopy at Wigan Wallgate, particularly the use of Twinfix’s Georgian wired polycarbonate.

“The Georgian wired glass effect and surface texture of the material offered an appropriate and practical alternative solution to traditional glazing for this railway heritage application.” www.twinfix.co.uk

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Georgian Wired Polycarbonate Non-Fragile Rooflights Twinfix is a family run business.

As experienced innovators they offer a range of well-engineered glazing products, many of which are fitted on the roofs of Rail Stations and Depots.

The Multi-Link-Panel is an aluminium framed modular rooflight system, designed with a unique ‘fix and link’ fixing method that results in incredibly quick installation, ideal for short possession times.

The panels are non-fragile to ACR(M)001:2014 and available with different polycarbonate glazing variations, from clear solid (offering a glass like appearance) to Georgian wired and multiwall options.

The benefits of this system are: • Safe in use: All Multi-Link-Panels pass the ACR[M]001:2014 drop test, in accordance with HSE recommendations, with a ‘B’ designation.

• The Twinfix Georgian wired grade solid polycarbonate is particularly popular as it mimics Georgian wired glass.

• Polycarbonate absorbs vibrations without cracking, crazing or breaking.

• The aluminium framework can be powder coated to a RAL colour to suit your project.

• The light weight of the finished product results in less stress to the fabric of original buildings.

• Sleek in-line access hatches (developed at the request of Network Rail) offer unobtrusive and safe access through the glazing for maintenance purposes.

• Factory manufactured rooflight panels means no costly mistakes on site.

For more information contact us on:

Tel: 01925 811311

Email: enquiries@twinfix.co.uk

www.twinfix.co.uk

REFURBISHMENT - advertorial

Historic Rooflightsbuilding & Safety: a 21st Century View renovation enjoys sea and sky views A historic building in the seaside town of Whitley Bay has undergone a radical renovation and development programme restoring it to its former glory.

Spanish City, which was constructed in 1910, has been given a new lease of life as part of a coastal development plan driven by North Tyneside County Council.

Its unusual name is reputedly borne from the ‘Toreadors’ concert party who played on a temporary stage in what was then home to Rockliffe Rugby Club between 1904 and 1907. To protect their audience from the inclement North Eastern weather, canvas and wood awnings were built and painted to look like a Spanish Village and the rest, as they say is history.

Fast forward to the 21st century and the £10m investment has seen the restoration of original features along with modern extensions and the wonderful rotunda atop the building has been beautifully brought back to life as a focal point of the project. The ceiling of the central space has been removed from the ground floor to allow visitors to see the iconic dome and the architectural detail.

“We are proud to have been able to supply products to this stunning project which will rejuvenate the heart of this seaside community,” said Jim Lowther sales director Xtralite. “Our rooflights will allow visitors to make the

20

Sept/Oct 2018

most of the lovely sea views and have integrated seamlessly into the heart of the building with ease, balancing practicality and aesthetics perfectly.”

Xtralite supplied products from its X-Glaze range which incorporated a series of self-supporting 37.5mm double glazed units with dimension of 4.92 metres wide and a slope length of 2.52m pitched at 5° 7 units covering an area of 86.78 sqm.

The Double Glazed Glass units were made up of 10mm thick Guardian SunGuard 70/35 toughened solar control outer pane, 16mm Argon filled cavity with black spacer bar, 11.5mm thick clear heat strengthened laminate with Ionomer interlayer and black boarder to give building users greater comfort. Practically, the units were fitted directly to the builder’s kerb and resulted in a 1.2 W/m²°K Ud value (relating to the glazing units only).

Andrew Coleman, Senior Project Manager at Robertson Construction, main contractors for the project commented; “It was important to flood the building with as much natural light as possible and to capitalise on the lovely sea views afforded from certain aspects of the building.

Balancing comfort, aesthetics, building

“...a prime example of how modern products can be used in restoration... sympathetically embracing the fabric of the building but making it fit for its new intended purpose.” www.daylightingmag.co.uk

REFURBISHMENT - advertorial

regulations and thermal efficiencies can be tricky but the reputation and reliability of Xtralite products allowed us to fulfil all requirements. Supply was efficient and technical information and support was readily available allowing us to stay on track with our timescales to meet the launch deadline of summer 2018.”

can be used in historic restoration programmes to great effect sympathetically embracing the fabric of the building but making it fit for its new intended purpose.”

Jim concluded: “This is a prime example of how modern products

www.xtralite.co.uk

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

X-Glaze is just one of a range of glazing and rooflight products offered

by Xtralite.

Sept/Oct 2018

21

INDUSTRIAL ROOFLIGHTS

WHY SPECIFY ROOFLIGHTS?

By John Godley, Technical Manager, Hambleside Danelaw

Rooflights play a vital role in the modern building but are often overlooked. They are the common link to many aspects of building design and can help the designer, the building owner and the occupier to achieve a more sustainable, energy efficient and enjoyable place to work and to live in. Well considered rooflight design at the outset of the building concept can have dramatic effects on all aspects of the building from the owner’s potential asset value to the well-being and productivity of the occupants.

Buildings that provide high levels of natural light are more positive working environments than those which are dependent upon artificial light. It is known that people respond better to working in natural light conditions, as the eye and brain functions work better, resulting in improved concentration and overall performance. Plus, of course, less dependency on artificial light significantly reduces energy consumption and running costs as well as impacting positively on the buildings overall carbon footprint.

22

Sept/Oct 2018

In new buildings where high levels of insulation are now being installed, the most significant savings in energy can be realised through the utilisation of the free resource that is natural daylight. The energy consumed by artificial lighting far exceeds the relatively small amounts of heat energy that are lost through increasing the rooflight area, which is a small part of the whole building fabric. The amount of energy required to light a well-insulated building is far greater than the amount of energy required to heat it and can be the greatest

The energy consumed by artificial lighting far exceeds the relatively small amounts of heat energy that are lost through increasing the rooflight area, which is a small part of the whole building fabric.

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

INDUSTRIAL ROOFLIGHTS single energy use in the operating the building.

Of course, artificial lighting will always be essential in occupied buildings subject to occupational requirements, particularly in the winter months or in areas where localised specific or constant lighting levels are required, but even low energy lighting systems can create relatively high energy demands. More so when the lighting is turned on and left on throughout the daylight hours irrespective of need where automated lighting controls have not been incorporated into the design.

Thermally efficient insulated rooflights can further reduce heat loss and energy consumption. The effectiveness

of rooflights as a contributor to energy efficiency are acknowledged in the Building Regulations Approved Document Part L. It recommends that industrial and commercial building structures should have a rooflight area of 10% to 20%, subject to limiting solar gains. Research by De Montfort University and published by the National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers (NARM) demonstrates the savings that can be made by increasing rooflight areas.

...even low energy lighting systems can create relatively high energy demands. More so when the lighting is turned on and left on throughout the daylight hours irrespective of need...

The graph below demonstrates the reduction in CO2 emissions of a typical notional building as the rooflight area is increased to the optimum 16% to 18% and used in conjunction with a fully automated lighting control system.

Source: NARM NTD06.2 2014 Designing with Rooflights

Rooflights are a simple and costeffective choice to introduce a more even and useable distribution of natural light, particularly in large structures where light is required deep into the building or in enclosed areas that cannot be lit through an external wall. Increased areas of light-diffusing rooflights, often with lower light transmission or improved thermal performance, can optimise the energy

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

performance of the building, and there are many permutations of performance to choose from. Reduced areas of rooflights with high light transmission levels and poor diffusion that create glare and hotspots, while still leaving areas of shadow and gloom that must be overcome with localised artificial lighting, only demonstrate poor consideration to the daylight design.

Sept/Oct 2018

23

INDUSTRIAL ROOFLIGHTS

Another element to consider is a BREEAM assessment. Many local authorities now insist on this before they will give planning permission, therefore it is vital to optimise the rooflight design, distribution and product type. Using rooflights with low or reduced embodied carbon is a further example of good product selection that can have a significant effect on the BREEAM assessment.

Ultimately; •

Clients need to have buildings to meet the stringent regulatory requirements that will continue to tighten, or even exceed them.

•

Achieving a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ as opposed to ‘Very Good’ can make a significant difference to the developer who is looking to let a large industrial or

24

Sept/Oct 2018

warehouse building to a prospective client.

•

Having a building that is lit by natural daylight will improve the efficiency, productivity, mental alertness and the general health of the occupants that work in the building.

•

In combination with good air- tightness and low fabric U-values, a reduction in the use of artificial lighting is the best way the building occupier can lower the energy cost of running the building.

When considering the design of a building it is now vital that rooflights, rather than being an afterthought, are treated as an essential design element right from the start. www.hambleside-danelaw.co.uk

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Innovative upgrade & refurbishment solutions for profiled fibre cement or metal roofs & cladding

Upgrade your rooflights and reduce your operating costs by up to

33%

Filon FAIR Factory Assembled Insulating Rooflight

Recent independent research by Elmhust Energy*, demonstrates that improvements to rooflights and lighting controls can bring huge savings in energy and emissions.

In one typical example, a large retail DIY store, total carbon emissions could be reduced by 29% and total operating costs could be reduced by 33%.

These savings equate to a reduction in total operating costs of £5.20/m2 per year, giving a total saving of £20,435 per year.

As one of the UK’s leading providers of profiled rooflights and roofing sheets, with huge experience across all kinds of public and private sector buildings, Filon Products is your ideal partner in roof and rooflight upgrades and refurbishment.

We also offer: • Fixsafe for safe replacement of rooflights and roof sheets • Lightweight over-roofing for cost-effective roof refurb with minimal disruption.

For details, please call us on 01543 687300 or visit www.filon.co.uk

*See the report at http://www.narm.org.uk/ uploads/pdfs/NARM_NTD10.pdf

Filon Products Ltd, Unit 3 Ring Road, Zone 2, Burntwood Business Park, Burntwood, Staffs WS7 3JQ

TRANSLUCENT CLADDING – advertorial

Helping Grenfell Survivors Get Fighting Fit. Gideon Sykes explains the role that Structura UK has played in an ambitious London Community Project aimed at supporting survivors of the Grenfell disaster.

As part of the BBC DIY SOS build to support the Grenfell community, Structura UK is proud to announce it has helped to realise the ambitious project to build a new Community Centre and a replacement Dale Youth Amateur Boxing Club – located in Bay 20 of the Westway. Both projects are aimed to support the survivors of the Grenfell disaster.

Over 200 square metres of Kalwall® translucent cladding has been used along the whole elevation of the new Boxing Club using the newly adapted THERM+ ‘stick built’ curtain walling system from RAICO. This is the first project realised using the new system and has worked remarkably well.

The ability to conceal the fixings and screws coupled with the mill-finished aluminium framing has created a wonderfully smooth and dramatic façade.

The scheme was also supported by Fabrication Facilities which supplied specialist fixing brackets and On Site Recruitment which supplied the glazing fixers.

This new Kalwall+Raico system offers incredible versatility, even allowing the switching of materials - such as aluminium, steel or glued laminate timber (Glulam) - within the same façade. This means the framing can be prefabricated at the factory and then assembled on site with the Kalwall panels being easily incorporated. In addition, there can be a seamless transition between the panels to

26

Sept/Oct 2018

fixed or operable windows without the need for additional structural changes or support. This combination works in harmony to maximise natural daylight whilst allowing vision out and controlling solar gain. Overall, the system allows for monolithic, single action installations which save time on site and give excellent cost benefits together with a high thermal performance and long life cycle.

Kalwall is a popular choice for projects where performance, long life cycle and low maintenance are required, coupled with an aesthetic finish.

The aluminium or thermally-broken grid core with interlocking I-beams gives Kalwall incredible strength. The lightweight system reduces the need for supporting structures while offering the highest protection in terms of windborne debris and resistance to impact, abrasion and point loads. The exterior face is colour stable and includes a UV resistant, self-cleaning surface.

This means that normal rainfall helps to keep the surface free of dust and dirt while at the same time retaining its original colour during the weathering process. Furthermore, the inclusion of an erosion-prevention barrier protects the interior from weather exposure and the risk of fibre-bloom, cracking and crazing.

Case studies and technical information are available from Structura UK Ltd on tel: 01233 501 504 or by visiting the website: www.structura-uk.com/kalwall

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

TRANSLUCENT CLADDING – advertorial Over 200 square metres of Kalwall® translucent cladding has been used along the whole elevation of the new Boxing Club using the newly adapted THERM+ ‘stick built’ curtain walling system from RAICO. This is the first project realised using the new system and has worked remarkably well.

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Sept/Oct 2018

27

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Can a building undermine its occupants’ performance?

By Will Goodenough, Daylight Solutions Director, Whitesales Group

The simple answer is yes. Poor air quality and low levels of natural light can significantly impact performance and overall wellbeing. Often, employees in cramped, dim or poorlyventilated working environments find their output compromised through lessthan-ideal physical conditions.

So, it’s not just London’s roadsides where air quality is a cause for concern; indoor air quality in all sorts

28

Sept/Oct 2018

of buildings is compromising staff’s performance and productivity. And part of the problem is being created simply by us breathing out. Outside, where the air is clear, we breathe in carbon dioxide (CO2) at a concentration of around 400ppm (parts per million).

And that’s not even the way nature intended; until the industrial revolution, CO2 averaged no more than 280ppm.* The air we breathe out carries CO2 at 30,000ppm. Outside, that’s rapidly

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

HEALTH & WELLBEING diluted; indoors in a restricted space, we begin to change the composition of the air and increase the CO2 concentration.

And what about natural light? Surely if our spaces are adequately lit, whether that be with artificial lighting sources, that will suffice. Actually, the benefits felt when building designs deliver ample daylight, and interiors are flooded with natural light, are significant. Better concentration, increased productivity, more motivation

and morale, resurgent recruitment and retention levels – all through optimum daylight levels. And more natural light means decreased energy bills and a lower carbon footprint, benefiting building owners and the planet.

Are we overstating the impact of subpar levels of daylight or natural air?

Well consider this - below are some symptoms you may well recognise, and the CO2 concentration levels at which they’ll start occurring:

400ppm

Typical outdoor air – ideal for clear thinking

600-1,000ppm

Starting to notice a little stiffness and even bad smell

1,000ppm+

Drowsiness, feeling tired, yawning – and a drop in decision- making and information-processing performance

2,500ppm

Significant drop in decision-making performance

20-30,000ppm

Nausea, light-headedness, increased heart rate and breathing

50,000ppm

Continuing symptoms, headaches and impaired vision

Without adequate ventilation, in a 14m2 office with just one person, CO2 levels can exceed 1,000ppm in 45 minutes.

So, it makes sense that if you have 20 school children and a teacher in a classroom for an hour’s lesson, the CO2 levels are going to increase rapidly. The same principle applies to anywhere people gather indoors: office buildings, hospitals; even your gym. Without good ventilation, CO2 levels will rise throughout the day.

In reality it’s hard to tell exactly how we’re affected in the real world, but some studies have revealed results of real concern. A 2015 study in America conducted by a team from Harvard, SUNY Upstate Medical School and Syracuse University involved a controlled office experiment.

Manipulating CO2 levels from 550ppm to 1,400ppm and having the participants undertake a Strategic Management

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Without adequate ventilation, in a 14m2 office with just one person, CO2 levels can exceed 1,000ppm in 45 minutes.

Simulation test each day at 3pm. At 945ppm, cognitive functions dropped by 15%. At 1,400ppm, the scores plummeted to 50% lower than on the 550ppm days. The results echo a 2012 study (Satish, Fisk et al), which found that at 2,500ppm some performance metrics fell to levels associated with dysfunctional performance. If decisionmaking might be so badly affected by poor air quality, imagine what might happen in a hospital if CO2 levels are unmonitored and uncontrolled.

And the impact of more natural light?

Across all industries: public sector and private, office staff or workers in warehouse environments, optimum levels of natural light are shown to benefit employees and increase their overall wellbeing. Wellbeing for employees goes beyond just ‘wellness’, important as that is. It’s a complex blend of the physical, psychological, social

Sept/Oct 2018

29

HEALTH & WELLBEING

and relationship aspects of employees’ working lives. Bright working environments are essential for happy, healthy employees.

Creating an internal climate that works Building regulations should be a baseline in building design. However, the right daylight/ventilation solution in the design stage can enhance BREEAM and SKA ratings. Building designs need to consider solutions that feature daylight combined with passive or controlled ventilation to bring in fresh air and prevent CO2 build-up.

As the damage of climate change becomes clearer, the construction industry has worked hard to reduce carbon emissions, tighten building envelopes and provide better insulation. The by-product in many buildings has been the CO2 buildup within. HVAC systems aren’t necessarily helping; in many cases they recirculate a lot of indoor air to manage temperature levels and reduce energy costs. And if we’re largely recirculating CO2-rich air, we’re also not clearing out any pollutants emitted from building materials, furniture and carpets.

An answer lies in real-time CO2 monitoring linked with opening rooflights or rooflights featuring ventilation systems. When concentration reaches a predetermined level, the rooflights are triggered into action, drawing in fresh air and expelling stale, CO2-laden air. It’s even possible to track levels across different

30

Sept/Oct 2018

parts of a building when the CO2 sensors feed the building management system. The fact that the rooflights also draw in natural light – with all its proven benefits for everything from improved performance to reduced absenteeism – mean a singular solution to two very distinct problems can be achieved.

With all this in mind, it’s highly likely that a buildings’ environment may be compromising output and actually costly to business. A Guardian newspaper article on workplace productivity confirmed this – “Empirical research lends weight to the case for comfort.

Poor indoor air quality is attributed to an average productivity loss of 10%, according to a 2008 literature review”**.

...the construction industry has worked hard to reduce carbon emissions, tighten building envelopes and provide better insulation. The byproduct in many buildings has been the CO2 build-up within.

Modern, innovative solutions to let in light and air, throw shade at artificial options. Daylighting and ventilation systems can be adapted to any building, all sectors, and every purpose.

Rooflights, skylights, ridgelights and bespoke roof glazing options all enable buildings to be modified to enhance natural light and air – and reap significant returns, through improving morale, health, wellbeing, productivity, lower energy costs, reduced carbon footprint – the list goes on! www.whitesales.co.uk References: * Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know, Joseph Romm, OUP, 2015 ** Guardian Wed 22 Oct 2014 https://www. theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/ oct/22/happy-sustainable-workplace-open-thread

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Turning design aspirations into reality...

Brighter solutions for superior aesthetics and better environments Our bespoke roof glazing solutions and continuous rooflights deliver outstanding natural light, help cut energy costs and enhance internal spaces.

Discover the possibilities, call us today.

www.whitesales.co.uk | sales@whitesales.co.uk | 01483 271371

SPECIAL FEATURE

daylight diary Daylight, energy efficiency and reduced emissions: the new world view...

In this, its twentieth year, the National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers is more active than ever in its role as advocate for the UK’s rooflight industry, with growing attendance at regular meetings and a healthy membership roster.

In this issue of DAYLIGHTING Magazine, we’re going to look back at recent changes in the understanding of the role of rooflights in building design – and the role the association has played in those changes.

As recently as the turn of the millenium, there was still a prevailing perception amongst architectural specifiers and other interested parties, that rooflights had a negative effect on the energy efficiency of buildings. This view was borne out of the fact that even the best insulating rooflights of the time generally offered lower thermal performance than surrounding roof areas.

This led many to believe that large rooflight areas would lead to unacceptable heat loss in cold weather and unwanted solar gain during warm weather: each situation contributing to increased energy usage required for heating or cooling the building.

The introduction of new Part L Building Regulations in 2002, was a key catalyst in the then newly formed National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers’ (NARM) decision to commission a study

32

Sept/Oct 2018

to evaluate the contribution that rooflights made towards energy efficiency in buildings and thus compliance with the new regulations.

The resulting study, authored by leading experts Dr. J. Mardaljevic and Prof. K. Lomas, of De Montfort University and published in 2003, was entitled ‘Daylighting and Solar Analysis for Rooflighting: Resolving the Percieved Conflict in Part L Regulations’.

Climate Based Daylight Modelling The study utilised advanced Climate Based Daylight Modelling methodolgy, developed at De Montfort University and focused on the example of large span industrial buildings (eg factories and warehouses). It produced far more accurate predictions than previously available of the illumination levels that can be achieved through rooflights, and the number of hours per year that different lighting levels are available for, as well as the levels of solar gain that rooflights can provide.

This provided previously unavailable guidance on rooflight areas which will provide good daylight levels without creating any risk of solar overheating.

As recently as the turn of the millenium, there was still a prevailing perception amongst architectural specifiers and other interested parties, that rooflights had a negative effect on the energy efficiency of buildings.

In 2006, the regulations were updated again. For the first time they focussed on overall CO2 emissions, and referenced SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model), the software tool developed by BRE to estimate these, based on a building’s energy

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

SPECIAL FEATURE

20th ANNIVERSARY

1998 – 2018

consumption. At this point, NARM called upon the team at De Montfort to carry out further analysis to assess the effect of rooflight area on energy use and associated CO2 emissions from both heating and lighting systems. The results of an hour by hour analysis of a whole year’s weather data clearly demonstrated the significant positive effects made by rooflights, and were used to verify SBEM software, which continues to demonstrate these benefits, leading to greater simplicity in achieving Part L compliance through appropriate rooflight areas.

and educate on the appropriate use of daylighting as a means of achieving lower energy consumption and therefore reduced CO2 emissions across all sectors.

Rooflight areas & lighting controls

In today’s architectural world, natural daylight is an increasingly highly valued element in the design of buildings, with greater energy efficiency as just one part of the equation. Natural daylight has been proven in countless studies to contribute to greater wellbeing among building occupants, with evidence of improved patient recovery rates in hospitals, enhanced student performance in schools and other health benefits across all sectors.

A further report prepared by Oxford Brookes University’s Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development (OISD) has revealed that properly ventilated metal clad buildings are not prone to overheating, even at higher rooflight areas.

NARM has also worked with Elmhurst Energy, a Government approved accreditation body. An influential report produced by them, provides an analysis of the effects of improving daylighting and lighting controls on existing non-domestic buildings.

NARM is an active member of the RIBA CPD Providers Network, publishing high quality CPD material that draws upon the broad knowledge held within the association.

Over the years, NARM has continued in an ongoing campaign to inform

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Oct/Nov

2018

NARM’s influential early work on daylighting and energy efficiency is now widely recognised and supported by many other professional bodies including CIBSE and RIBA, and reinforced by further independent research by manufacturers and other organisations worldwide.

Daylighting today ...and tomorrow

The technical documents mentioned in this article, as well as others covering different aspects of daylighting design are available for free download from the association’s website: www.narm.org.uk, where you can also find more information about NARM, or enquire about membership and the benefits that it can offer to rooflighting businesses. www.narm.org.uk

View our CPD Seminar on YouTube Download NARM Technical Documents at www.narm.org.uk Are you a RIBA member?

Book our CPD Seminar now for double points Become a NARM member

Connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Sept/Oct 2018

33

FIRE TESTING

Water torture and the Great Exhibition...

Jane Embury, Marketing Director at Wrightstyle, explains the origins of a notoriously difficult US fire testing regime.

Water is not something you usually associate with testing the strength of a glazing system. But it’s still being practiced to test the protective level of glazing systems in the United States. Nowadays, it’s called the hose stream test. The test, controversial and challenging, is notoriously difficult.

American test methodology requires, as in Europe and elsewhere, for the glazing system to be subjected to furnace temperatures of over 1750ºF, testing the strength of the glass, the protective level of the glazing system, and its overall capability to maintain compartmentation in a fire situation.

However, immediately after fire exposure, the American testing standard also requires the glazing system, to then be subjected to a highpressure fire-hose test, aimed directly onto the super-heated steel and glass assembly.

In the hose stream test, the longer the fire resistance being applied for, then the longer and more severe is the highpressure water exposure. This tests the glass for the thermal shock of being deluged and suddenly cooled by the fire fighting services, as well as by the building’s own sprinkler system.

Like many test regimes, the hose stream test has its roots in a byegone age, and wasn’t even originally designed to test the glass. So byegone an age, in fact, that Queen Victoria was still on the throne.

34

Sept/Oct 2018

The reason for this was a seachange in architecture and, perhaps surprisingly, it was a British architect, Joseph Paxton, best known for designing greenhouses, who changed everything.

Paxton was the surprise choice to design the main pavilion for the 1851 Great Exhibition and Paxton simply drew on his horticultural experience to design a structure that contained over 300,000 panels of glass to a total of more than one million square feet.

Joseph Paxton’s experience in garden design served him well because, by scaling up his earlier work, design to completion took just seven months.

The result was a giant greenhouse: an entire, huge building made only of wrought iron and glass.

The finished building was, of course, a wonder of its day. The public, and not a few architects, flocked to London from all over the world. In total, over six million of them – not bad for an age without budget airlines or the motorcar.

In the hose stream test, the longer the fire resistance being applied for, then the longer and more severe is the high-pressure water exposure. This tests the glass for the thermal shock of being deluged and suddenly cooled by the fire fighting services, as well as by the building’s own sprinkler system.

Inside its great halls were some 13,000 exhibits and the money it generated allowed the government to build other great symbols of Empire, including the Albert Hall and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Not a few of the architects who saw the Great Exhibition were from America, and they took the concepts they’d seen back to the United States. The balance between form and function was being rewritten: iron, and later

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

FIRE TESTING

steel, now allowed the architect to think in new ways about building design. The modern skyscraper was born.

However, the hose stream test, first introduced in 1918, wasn’t designed with glass in mind. It was designed to test the integrity of the cast and wrought ironwork that had been popularised by the Great Exhibition.

At that time, there was little understanding of the critical importance of compatibility between frame and glass. The result was that the iron frame often failed – putting fire-fighters and a building’s occupants at risk.

The hose stream test, once also a UK requirement, went out of fashion as iron was replaced with steel – a material immensely stronger and more resilient than the iron it replaced.

However, and despite enormous advances in steel glazing systems, the

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

hose stream test has been retained in the USA for all fire-rated systems seeking accreditation for more than one hour of protection – despite growing calls for it to be abandoned as an anachronism.

Manufacturers outside the US, such as Wrightstyle, exporting curtain walling, door, screen and window systems to the States, still have to undergo the dreaded hose stream test.

This is also important in parts of the Middle East, where many American architects are based, or when American companies are looking to build to US fire standards.

It does however seem strange that, in a world where advanced glass and glazing systems are designed to withstand searing temperatures or the blast impact of a lorry bomb, the real test, at least in the USA, comes down to a stream of cold water. www.wrightstyle.co.uk

Sept/Oct 2018

35

DAYLIGHTING ICONS The biggest: the best: the most awe-inspiring; the most outrageous; the most influential...

In this regular feature we indulge ourselves and our readers with images of daylighting projects throughout the years that simply deserve a double page photograph...

Greene Science Center, Manhattan Described by architect Renzo Piano, as a ‘factory’ and a ‘palace of light’, his Greene Science Center in Manhattan, is home to Columbia University’s Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute.

Approximately 900 scientists will occupy the facility making use of the flexible teaching facilities available.

On all four sides, the facade features extensive glass fenestration encased by an arrangement of exterior bracing and steel beams that run up through the structure.

The curtain walling system, found on the northeast and southeast sides, uses a 16-inch-thick cavity between layers of glass the exterior of which has been coated to minimize solar gain. Inside, blinds—part of an automated building management system—can be dropped down to counter glare issues.

36

Sept/Oct 2018

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

DAYLIGHTING ICONS

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Sept/Oct 2018

37

@Daylighting_Mag

Twitterings Follow us for regular updates between issues... in the meantime, more highlights...

38

Sept/Oct 2018

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

DAYLIGHTING MAGAZINE

DAYLIGHTING Magazine back issues

DAYLIGHTING is published by:

Click on any of the cover images below to open a back issue Pilot issue November 2016

Issue 2 Jan/Feb 2017

Issue 3 Mar/Apr 2017

Issue 4 May/Jun 2017

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY FOR BETTER BUILDINGS

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY FOR BETTER BUILDINGS

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY FOR BETTER BUILDINGS

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY FOR BETTER BUILDINGS

Daylighting in heritage buildings PLUS INDUSTRIAL ROOFLIGHTS POLYCARBONATE GLAZING THE DAYLIGHT FACTOR BOMB-RESISTANT GLAZING AND MUCH MORE!

Nov/Dec 2016

IN THIS ISSUE:

IN THIS ISSUE:

Passivhaus Daylighting

Daylighting in education

DAYLIGHTING & HEALTH PATENT GLAZING NON-FRAGILITY GLAZING INNOVATION AND MORE

DAYLIGHTING & VENTILATION TUBULAR DAYLIGHT SYSTEMS GRP ROOFLIGHTS RIGHTS TO LIGHT AND MORE

Jan/Feb 2017

Issue 5 July/August 2017

Issue 6 September/October 2017

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY FOR BETTER BUILDINGS

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY FOR BETTER BUILDINGS

Mar/Apr 2017

IN THIS ISSUE:

Daylighting at work CLIMATE BASED DAYLIGHT MODELLING BIM GLASS ROOFLIGHTS DAYLIGHTING INNOVATIONS AND MORE

May/Jun 2017

Issue 7 November/December 2017

Bennett & Partners Pure Offices Lake View House Tournament Fields Warwick CV34 6RG United Kingdom TEL: +44 (0)1295 711666 EDITOR Paul Bennett paul@daylightingmag.co.uk Tel: 01295 711666 Mobile: 07900 895110 AD SALES adsales@bennettand partners.co.uk Tel: 01295 711666

Issue 8 January/February 2018

DESIGN/PRODUCTION production@bennettand partners.co.uk Tel: 01295 711666 WEBSITE www.daylightingmag.co.uk

IN THIS ISSUE:

IN THIS ISSUE:

Controlling heat & glare

Daylighting for dramatic effect

DAYLIGHTING AT HOME DAYLIGHTING IN FARMING DAYLIGHT & NEIGHBOURLY MATTERS AND MORE

RETAIL SECTOR REFURBISHMENT & ENERGY SAVING MODULAR ROOFLIGHTS AND MORE

Jul/Aug 2017

Sept/Oct 2017 Issue 10 May/June 2018

Issue 9 March/April 2018

IN THIS ISSUE:

IN THIS ISSUE:

Daylighting in FACTORIES & WAREHOUSES ENERGY SAVING WITH LIGHTING CONTROLS CURTAIN WALLING AND MORE

Nov/Dec 2017

SUN TUBES DELIVERING DAYLIGHT DEEP INTO BUILDINGS • ROOFLIGHTS & NON-FRAGILITY • PASSIVHAUS • DAYLIGHTING IIN MUSEUMS & GALLERIES AND MORE

Jan/Feb 2018

Issue 11 July/August 2018

Pilot issue November 2016

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY FOR BETTER BUILDINGS

IN THIS ISSUE: DAYLIGHTING & VENTILATION IN THE

RETAIL SECTOR • DAYLIGHTING IN EDUCATION • LIGHT TRANSMISSION: FACTORS TO CONSIDER • ROOF SAFETY • TRANSLUCENT CLADDING AND MORE

Mar/Apr 2018

IN THIS ISSUE:

IN THIS ISSUE:

• DAYLIGHTING DESIGN • FIRE SAFETY • FACTORIES & WAREHOUSES • DOMESTIC PROPERTIES • AND MORE

CLIMATEBASED DAYLIGHT MODELLING at Central Park Tower, New York

May/Jun 2018

Daylighting in heritage buildings

CONTROLLING

HEAT& GLARE

PLUS INDUSTRIAL ROOFLIGHTS POLYCARBONATE GLAZING THE DAYLIGHT FACTOR BOMB-RESISTANT GLAZING AND MUCH MORE!

• DAYLIGHTING IN SCHOOLS • LISTED BUILDINGS • ROOF SAFETY • FIRE SAFETY AND MORE

Jul/Aug 2018

Sept/Oct 2018

Advertise in DAYLIGHTING Magazine Information for advertisers is contained in our media pack, which is available on our website.

2019 MEDIA PACK COMING SOON!

CIRCULATION Daylighting is available by email, free of charge to subscribers, by logging on at www.daylightingmag.co.uk Free access is also available via our website and social media. Average impressions per issue are approximately 5,900, however this varies according to social media activity. Our readership is predominantly UK architects, specifiers, contractors, consultants and roofing professionals.

Full details are available on our website. www.daylightingmag.co.uk

While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of content, the publisher does not accept liability for errors. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

This publication contains editorial photographs which may have been supplied and paid for by suppliers. Full terms and conditions can be found on our website.

Connect with us on social media

www.daylightingmag.co.uk

Sept/Oct 2018

1

20th ANNIVERSARY

1998 – 2018

Shaping the future of daylighting for over twenty years.

NARM, the National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers,

is the influential trade association representing the UK’s rooflight industry. We are closely involved in developing and implementing legislation affecting UK rooflighting. Choosing rooflights from a NARM member company is the simple and certain way to ensure adherence to standards and legislation. You can also gain access to a wealth of free and objective specification information on our website: www.narm.org.uk BOOK OUR CPD SEMINAR