TOTAL70C Quality Frames for Luxury Care Home Living

When care home provider Northcare looked to build a new luxury property on Glasgow’s south side, they wanted nothing but the best for everything. Given the scale and bespoke requirements of the project, the company turned to commercial windows specialists Hadrian Windows Systems to fabricate and install all frames required.

Established over 30 years ago, Northcare Ltd (Northcare) is a care home provider that owns and operates facilities in the South Lanarkshire, Glasgow City, East Renfrewshire and Edinburgh areas. When the company began building its latest home ‘Balmoral’ in 2021, in the affluent Giffnock area on Glasgow’s south side, the need to ensure all aspects of the build met the level of quality associated with Northcare was key.

Purpose-built as a ‘five star’ luxury care home, Balmoral was constructed to differ from the traditional concept associated with such facilities. With the building being designed and decorated to the highest standards and twisting the traditional and the modern, residents’ comfort was prioritised above all else.

Consequently, when it came to window specification, the home’s designers wanted to ensure as much light could pour into the property as possible, giving its rooms and communal areas a light and airy feel while ensuring optimal thermal comfort. This meant a variety of windows and frame sizes were required, from those for residents’ rooms to larger lobby glazing.

Finding the Right Windows Partner

Given the scope and scale of the project, Northcare were unable to find a nearby fabricator or installer to carry out the window works. This led the company to look further afield for a company that could take on the project and work alongside other construction professionals progressing the build. After a detailed scoping exercise, Northcare found Hadrian Window Systems (HWS), a commercial glazing fabricator and fitter based in Blaydon-on-Tyne.

The company’s experience carrying out projects a distance away from its Northeast base was a key consideration for Northcare, as John Bowen, Installation Manager at Hadrian Window Systems, explains. “We regularly work at a national level, so the distance from Blaydon to Giffnock wasn’t a concern for us. However, as with any project of this nature, there were always going to be challenges to overcome.

“Given the build’s start in August 2021, fallout from COVID lockdowns remained a concern due to their effect on supply chains. Because of this, project planning was less straightforward than usual, especially over distance and when it came to fitting in with the larger construction site’s workflow.”

Close Communication

He continued: “We had to work and communicate closely with other trades and Northcare themselves to ensure our installation team was ready and available on site when they needed to be. This involved working in concentrated bursts to ensure we were flexible enough to accommodate any disruption to any other professionals on-site. We’re happy to say this approach was very effective at combatting practical issues caused by COVID.”

With communication key and longer lead times expected, the HWS team needed to ensure the full support of their suppliers if the project was to run smoothly. As the company enjoyed Authorised Partner status with polymer provider REHAU, it was well-placed to smooth over any potential COVID-induced disruption.

“Hadrian Windows Systems’ status as a REHAU Authorised Partner demonstrates that our two companies share high standards of service and professionalism,” says Gary Cameron, Area Sales Manager for REHAU UK. “As our over-20-year partnership has grown stronger, Hadrian’s made the decision to become an Authorised Partner and specialise in the installation of REHAU products, which we’ve been thrilled to see.

“Of course, their specialising in REHAU products and polymer puts the onus on us, the supplier, to ensure consistent provision of materials to the site, to specific deadlines. While potential COVID disruption did have to be addressed on this particular project, I’m pleased to say that by working closely together and establishing lead times well in advance, everything ran smoothly.”

Specifying the Perfect Windows

A key consideration across the Balmoral project was that HWS’s window designs had to account for the difference in ventilation regulations between England and Scotland. As the Scottish Technical Standards stipulated more background ventilation, diverging from the England & Wales Building Regulations used at the time, the HWS team worked closely with REHAU to adapt their existing designs.

Specifically, HWS adapted all frames provided by REHAU to include glazed-in trickle vents to allow for the higher air circulation stipulated by the Scottish Technical Standards. REHAU’s TOTAL70C frames comprised the majority of frames for the project, having been selected for their energy efficiency rating, which can achieve up to 0.8 W/m²K, thereby exceeding regulations set out in Part L of the Future Home Standards.

Similarly, the sealed, double-glazed units considerably reduced outdoor noise, allowing occupants to better relax undisturbed. This was an especially important consideration given the building’s leafy suburban location and proximity to the busy Kilmarnock Road. Given how close it was to this busy thoroughfare, the fact the TOTAL70C frame has achieved the PAS24 security accreditation was also a standout feature on this particular build.

The frame style options also available with the TOTAL70C allowed for a variety of casement designs, including in the care home’s reception and lobby areas. All windows were provided in REHAU’s Anthracite Grey smooth finish with white on the inside, further mirroring Northcare’s commitment to twisting the modern and traditional.

Assisting in Installation

A further consideration that HWS took into account on this project was that Balmoral’s architectural design meant the supplied TOTAL70C solutions would be installed vertically and stacked three stories high. This presented a challenge for HWS to ensure the structural strength of the windows and eliminate the possibility of frames expanding or settling incorrectly. Traditional couplers were therefore not suitable to the task, as they would not be capable of bearing the larger glazed sections required.

“Of all the aspects of this project that could have potentially caused us difficulties, the stacking of the bigger frames stood out,” John said. “However, what could’ve been a headache proved to be anything but – following consultation with REHAU and working with Northcare’s architectural team, we were able to use T-spar expansion couplers that had greater wind and dead load capabilities. As a result, we were able to give the larger glazed sections greater wind resistance while mitigating any issues that could have come from fitting with larger vertical loads.

He concludes: “Overall, we were very happy with how the installation at Balmoral went, and so was Northcare. In fact, the quality of the works provided can be seen in the fact that they want to work with us in the future on additional care home projects, which has been really encouraging to hear.

“Our experience with REHAU fitting frames for this particular project has also inspired us to look into further works of this kind up and down the UK. Their assistance, coupled with the confidence we have that they will always promptly supply frames of the highest-quality, gave us the peace-of-mind we needed during what could have been a complicated project.”

For more information about REHAU’s TOTAL70 window system, click here.