The manufacturer’s Multiclad and Glasal panels, both in grey, were specified by Cooper Cromar architects primarily for their light weight for the landmark Tower 464 - at 464 Pollokshaws Road.
This was because the practice’s design to convert the offices into 50 apartments comprised stripping the existing building back to its concrete frame and erecting two steel bracing towers to allow the backbone of concrete cores to be demolished.
The limitations of the existing structure required extensive development of lightweight solutions that would meet the building regulations, particularly acoustic standards, and Cooper Cromar specified the Marley Eternit panels because they were an “affordable and relatively lightweight” rainscreen product that would provide a contrasting colour and texture to the off-white render. They also satisfied the performance criteria in terms of BBA certification, weathering, colour fastness, optical flatness and ease of installation.
“They were essential in ensuring the crispness of the finished building and have weathered well, retaining that crispness in Glasgow’s challenging climate,” said Paul Lessing.
Cooper Cromar’s brief from developer Calmont (Scotland|) Ltd was to convert the office building into luxury apartments with generous glazing and balconies, to exploit the views over the city.
Their design was “positively” received by local planners as it helped to regenerate a rundown area of the city although some modifications were necessary to satisfy particular planning concerns.
Multiclad and Glasal were used by Cooper Cromar to pick out feature elements on the eight-storey tower and the two- and three-storey podium – Multiclad on the roof overhang soffits and Glasal on the facades and fascia – and were surface fixed using coloured caps.
The project won the “Private collective and social housing” category of the first UK Aluminium in Renovation Awards organised by the Council for Aluminium in Building who found it an “interesting” renovation which served as an example of good design for others to follow.
The judges said: “This was a difficult problem. A frankly ugly, grim building, yet rather than do the workmanlike re-cladding that would have met all the technical issues, the architects have modified the structure to give some real status, adding huge value to the surrounding area.”