Jesus College is recognised for its Listed buildings, sustainable design projects, and modern architecture. In 2014 it embarked on the West Court development by obtaining the Grade II Listed buildings belonging to its neighbour, Wesley House.
The College commissioned Niall McLaughlin Architects to design the plans and Cocksedge Building Contractors to carry out the refurbishment and reconfiguration of the site. The College wanted to sensitively refurbish the Grade II Listed building in order to make it heat efficient and sustainable, whilst keeping its attractive original features.
However, as a Grade II Listed building, creating a precise sustainable agenda with the introduction of insulation and secondary glazing posed some challenges. The main contractor Cocksedge, approached Selectaglaze, the UK’s leading provider of secondary glazing, for advice. The primary windows were draughty, allowing heat to escape and suffered from noise ingress and egress. The College stipulated that the original materials and architectural design had to be maintained and that the secondary glazing had to be considerate to the heritage of Jesus College.
Selectaglaze has considerable experience working on Listed buildings and it previously worked on the College’s Chapel Court student accommodation refurbishment, where it treated over 300 openings. Owing to the success of the previous project, Selectaglaze went on to install over 100 secondary glazing units in West Court. The original primary windows, iron casements set into stone mullion are striking features, so it was vital that the secondary glazing did not detract from them. A combination of casement and horizontal sliders were chosen to deliver the best match with the original design, so no new sightlines were introduced. Finished in anodised bronze, they complement the overall feel of the building.
The College hopes to reduce its annual energy costs due to Selectaglaze's work. Also, secondary glazing is widely used to reduce noise ingress and it is more effective than new double glazed windows in the majority of cases. Therefore, those staying there are enjoying the new and improved peaceful accommodation with little or no distraction coming from the outside.
Secondary glazing involves the fitting of an extra internal window inside the rooms of a building. It is a fully reversible adaptation and widely accepted by most heritage bodies. Selectaglaze secondary units are available in a variety of styles and finishes. They are fully factory assembled; allowing rapid installation with minimal disruption to teaching and work is frequently arranged during holiday periods.
Secondary glazing traps an insulating layer of air, which can reduce heat loss by 50%. With the introduction of low emissivity glass, U-values of around 1.8 can be achieved. High performance twin seals help virtually to eradicate draughts. In addition, noise ingress is significantly reduced. A gap between the primary and secondary glazing of at least 100mm achieves a reduction of 45dB - rising to more than 50dB if specialist acoustic glass is specified.
Established for fifty years and Royal Warrant Holder since 2004, Selectaglaze has a wealth of experience working on all building types, from Listed schools to new build hotels, working meticulously with clients to meet their requirements.
Selectaglaze will be exhibiting at London Build, Olympia between the 25th and 26th October 2017. This two day event brings together experts from the built environment to share and learn information about their industry. The Selectaglaze team can be found at Stand F29.
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