50 Year Old East Lothian Building Restored to Former Glory

Local Haddington employer, Pure Malt, recently completed a major restoration of their 150 year old former maltings building.

The project was a major undertaking which saw the old building being completely transformed from a disused malt factory to a modern office, R&D laboratory and welfare facility.

One of the challenges the architects faced when completely re-designing and re-purposing the building was how to ensure that the building could meet modern building standards.

One specific area of focus was how to ensure that fire separation would be maintained while still allowing light to flood the space; showing off the building’s unique character.

This is where fire rated glass partition products come in to their own. The designers needed to use a combination of 60 minute, 30 minute and non fire rated glass partition to allow the refurbishment to reach its full potential.

The principal contractor, PMCC, chose to partner with The Glass Wall Company to deliver this essential package of work.

Fire Rated Options

As the specification called for a variety of different fire ratings The Glass Wall Company specified, sourced and installed the appropriate glass from Pilkington’s Pyroguard range along with steel & aluminium framework from Forster’s Fuego system.

Achieving a required fire rating is achieved not only by considering the thickness of the glass to be installed but also the area and the sub-structure material into which the screen is being fitted.

The project included a combination of steel and masonry sub-structures along with a variety of sizes of opening.

To match the appropriate product to the specification needed, The Glass Wall Company surveyed each of the screen locations and carefully prepared a detailed breakdown of the sizes, sub-structure and performance requirement one. The proposal included CAD drawings for each screen for client and architect approval.

Other Considerations

Several of the glazed screens on the project were located at high level above the main access stair. In these cases, in addition to providing fire protection to protected zones, the glazed screens needed to act as edge protection for the safety of building users.

The Glass Wall Company was able to calculate and specify the correct products to meet the required standards for line load and edge protection.

End Result

The end result is a fantastic, modern facility utilising the best of current technologies allowing the formerly disused building to enjoyed by a new generation.

The Glass Wall Company can assist with glazing projects, from conception to completion, across the UK. To get in touch please email hello@theglasswallcompany.co.uk or visit https://theglasswallcompany.co.uk/