September 2019
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Pre-coated Aluminium<br />
Above: Janet Nash House. “The panels were fitted by installer Topside, in between vertical and horizontal aluminium anodised fins to create a sheer façade.”<br />
winning building, known as Janet Nash House,<br />
was to create a contemporary workplace solution<br />
which embodies and reflects CEF’s drive and<br />
commitment for innovation. The structure is split<br />
into two areas, each with unique spatial qualities<br />
to support the requirements of the different<br />
departments across the company.<br />
The southern ‘L’ shaped block features a striking<br />
façade executed in Proteus HR Euromax AluNatur<br />
Elox Anodised Brushed pre-coated aluminium, for<br />
which FaulknerBrowns took inspiration from the<br />
foil shield of a coaxial cable. This is a lightweight,<br />
strong and versatile cladding panel that provides<br />
aesthetic screening to building facades. The<br />
cladding panels feature an aluminium honeycomb<br />
core, structurally bonded between two thin<br />
gauges of lightweight metal skin to create an<br />
optically flat panel.<br />
The honeycomb cladding panels fabricated for<br />
Janet Nash House using Euromax AluNatur outer<br />
skins with an Elox Anodised Brushed pre-coated<br />
finish recreate the coaxial pattern found within an<br />
electrical cable. The designers specified a precoat<br />
finish because it offered a value engineered<br />
method of recreating the granular appearance of<br />
stainless steel but still within the client’s budget<br />
expectations.<br />
Euromax AluNatur material consist of semitransparent<br />
clear-coats applied on brushed or<br />
transparent lacquered aluminium surface,<br />
highlighting the natural character of aluminium<br />
substrate material, and re-creating the<br />
appearance of stainless steel in the process. The<br />
pre-coat finish also minimises shade variation<br />
between panels and we worked with the project<br />
specifiers and installers to ensure consistency of<br />
grain direction at Janet Nash House to guarantee<br />
high aesthetic detailing.<br />
The panels were fitted by installer Topside, in<br />
between vertical and horizontal aluminium<br />
anodised fins to create a sheer façade, whilst<br />
giving a nod to the company’s core product range<br />
with the ‘coaxial’ pattern. The cladding panels<br />
were fixed between the fins with bespoke<br />
brackets utilising the curtain wall mullions as the<br />
primary structural point.<br />
In contrast to the aluminium finish of the<br />
southern building, the northern block features<br />
large format porcelain panels, which are fitted<br />
throughout as a reference to the traditional use of<br />
ceramics as an electrical insulation material.<br />
The way forward<br />
Where your client is seeking a solution for a large<br />
façade that will make their building look good but<br />
still within a defined budget, I believe pre-coated<br />
aluminium is the way forward. The material<br />
allows longer panels to be produced too, with the<br />
ability to roll form sections in excess of the typical<br />
bench press limitations of PPC options. This<br />
ensures a superior aesthetic and unquestionable<br />
advantages in corrosion resistance, durability and<br />
sustainability. So, if your next project involves a<br />
large façade and your client likes the look of wider<br />
cladding panels then pre-coated aluminium can<br />
provide an effective solution.<br />
Contact Proteus Facades<br />
0151 545 5075<br />
www.proteusfacades.com<br />
@ProteusFacades<br />
72 TC SEPTEMBER <strong>2019</strong>
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