A recent case study of a project in the UK demonstrated that some 146.98 tons of CO2 emissions were prevented by using Technal’s solutions produced with Hydro Circal 75R aluminium. A sustainable façade system featuring the recycled aluminium was installed at the first Enterprise Zone office development at Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP), contributing to reducing the building’s carbon footprint and its BREEAM Very Good rating.

The Technal team were approached by the main contractor to offer specification solutions that would suit the aesthetics and technical requirements of the 7,500-sq-m nett area of the four-storey building project. Designed around a central core with a linking wing either side, Technal MX Grid Aspect curtain-wall spans vertically. The facade also incorporates Technal’s Soléal FY65 casement windows, and Stormframe STII doors.

For optimal energy efficiency, the windows and curtain-walling needed to meet specific performance requirements, including a specified area weighted average U-value of 1.4W/sq-mK with G-values of 0.4 and 0.3. Technal MX curtain-wall offers an integrated thermal break which, when combined with high-performance glazing, means these values are achieved – reducing energy consumption for heating, lighting, ventilation and air-conditioning.

The building’s construction brief outlined a BREEAM Very Good rating. To achieve this successfully, one of the contributing factors was to ensure that all parties involved in the project had a shared sustainability ethos. The Hydro Circal 75R product aligned to the values outlined in the project’s brief.

Dean Sherwood, Project Consultant for Technal, commented: “Our MX curtainwalling was already offered, but the fact that we also proposed it in the Hydro Circal 75R range was an added benefit at no additional cost. Operating the most advanced recycling technology in the industry allows us to provide the highest recycled content aluminium in the market.”