On Thursday 10th October, architects, engineers and fabricators from three projects presented how they worked together to deliver Schüco Excellence Award-winning schemes.

Photos
Architecture Today & Schüco

What makes an award-winning façade? How are architects and fabricators collaborating to ensure façade systems can be specified correctly as well as be designed and delivered for award-winning projects?

All this and more was discussed at Schüco’s London showroom on October 10^th — over drinks and canapés — as three winners from the 2024 Schüco Excellence Awards present their projects and detail how teams have worked together to deliver high-performance façade systems.

Gianni Botsford (left) and Kevin Lamb (right)

After an introduction from Schüco national specification manager Stephen Newell, first to present were Gianni Botsford, director, Gianni Botsford Architects and Kevin Lamb, design manager, MGI UK, who discussed Reciprocal House – a project that won the Individual House category and builds upon Foster Associates’ work from back 1969.

“We were extending an extension which is quite an unusual way of approaching it,” explained Botsford, highlighting the unconventional decision to keep the existing extension while demolishing the original cottage.

A key focus of the design was maintaining a balance between retaining historical elements and integrating modern enhancements. The team retained structural components like the metal deck, beams, and blockwork while upgrading critical elements like windows and thermal performance. This approach allowed the new structure to feel consistent with the past, while bringing it up to current standards. Botsford and Lamb emphasized the importance of these upgrades being “invisible,” ensuring that the spirit of the original Foster-designed space remained intact.

The house is designed to interact with its context — both the immediate surroundings and the broader landscape. Privacy and natural light were significant considerations, given the dense trees and nearby homes. Through careful planning and analysis of sunlight, the team oriented the building to provide optimal light conditions throughout the day, with views that change as one moves from the basement to the upper levels.

The iterative design process was integral to the project, involving collaboration with specialists like MGI to address the complex façade and glazing details. The project also highlights the importance of adapting and rethinking architectural details to fit new needs, such as custom-engineered window systems.

Mark Fineberg (left) and Dan Hilder (right)

Next to be presented was Bristol Beacon (winner in the Health, Culture and Leisure Buildings category) with Mark Fineberg, senior architect, Levitt Bernstein, and Dan Hilder, director, Apex Security Engineering.

The project involved a complex refurbishment of a historic concert venue. Originally a concert hall and warehouse complex, the building underwent significant transformations throughout its history, including two major fires and structural remodelling. The project addressed both the historical legacy of the space and the evolving social context of Bristol, including the cultural shift triggered by events such as the toppling of the Colston statue. This backdrop added depth to the architectural narrative, making the renovation more than just a technical task.

One of the key challenges the team faced was dealing with the structural irregularities in the inherited building.

“We went about doing our survey. We found that there wasn’t an opening that was level, plumb, square,” explained Hilder.

The team also worked with high-resolution photographs, as no original plans were available, to preserve as much of the building’s historical integrity as possible.

Acoustic engineering was a major focus in the renovation, as the venue needed to accommodate a wide range of musical performances, from delicate string quartets to high-energy, amplified concerts.

“We had to have a floating concrete floor so that we were acoustically isolated from the restaurant below… a waiter could drop dishes during a string quartet, for example,” said Fineberg. “And for a string quartet performance, you want the sound to richly reverberate around the space, you don’t want slap backs, so you have to dampen the back wall as well.”

The team integrated technical solutions, such as a floating concrete floor, to isolate sound between the venue and the restaurant below. They also worked with specialized materials like double-glazed windows and customized blackout blinds to meet the acoustician’s specifications, ensuring that low-frequency sound waves from nearby tour buses would not interfere with performances.

The renovation also focused on maintaining the architectural character of the space. Efforts were made to restore the historic plasterwork and daylighting, which were critical in maintaining the building’s original ambiance. However, modern elements were sensitively integrated, such as using bespoke L-shaped glazing beads to replicate historical profiles, blending tradition with contemporary performance standards.

Manny Patel (left) and Mark Brighouse (right)

The last project to be presented was The Parcels Building — the overall winner of the 2024 Schüco Excellence Awards – from Mark Brighouse, associate director, tp bennett, Manny Patel, CEO, Structura and Paola Sammarco, senior engineer, facade engineering at Arup.

For this scheme, tp bennett served as delivery architect for Grafton’s design. The project involved a retrofit of a 1950s structure situated in a prime location next to the Selfridges on Oxford Street, London, with the goal being to modernise the building while respecting its heritage and context. In doing so, the team were able to preserve 92.5% of the original structure and include a single-storey extension as well as a new façade that was in sync with Selfridges, using materials such as enhanced stone and precast concrete, aiming for both aesthetic and energy performance improvements.

The design strategy focused heavily on maximising energy efficiency. Key to this was the integration of high-performance solar control coatings, improving the thermal and acoustic properties of the building while optimising natural daylighting. This significantly reduced the U-value from an estimated 5 W/m²K with the old cladding to 0.3 W/m²K for the walls, while the U-value for the vision glazing was 1.4 W/m2K, achieving substantial energy savings and enhancing user comfort.

Early on in the project, the team worked closely through the PCSA (Pre-Construction Services Agreement) phase to refine the design and ensure feasibility. The compact nature of the Oxford Street location added to the complexity, requiring precise coordination for material deliveries and on-site logistics. Detailed 3D modeling in Revit helped streamline the design and construction process, allowing for meticulous planning and adjustment as challenges arose.

“This is a job where it was a very congested site – it’s Oxford Street. So you’ve got less space to manoeuvre, you haven’t got the room to deliver materials, and it’s just in time (JIT) deliveries for everything,” explained Patel.

During the retrofit, the design team faced unforeseen structural issues, such as deteriorating concrete and non-compliant elements, which required additional reinforcement and adjustments. Despite these hurdles, the project maintained a focus on achieving industry recognition, earning certifications such as the EPCA and BREEAM Outstanding for its sustainable design. This success was attributed to the thorough design and testing processes, including the development of mock-ups and the adaptation of materials like lightweight steel frames to reduce the structure’s weight and embodied carbon.