Technal Systems Chosen for BREEAM Rated Retail Conversion of Car Works

The regeneration of the once huge Longbridge works in the Midlands has seen the area transformed into a vibrant new retail district, with MX Grid Curtain Walling as well as doors and windows from the Technal range.

The regeneration of the once huge Longbridge works in the Midlands, where many famous British motor cars were originally built, has seen the area transformed into a vibrant new retail district, with MX Grid Curtain Walling as well as doors and windows from the Technal range proving equal to the demands of the project team and the high profile national retail chains due to occupy the buildings.

Known as Park Point, the ambitious town centre regeneration is now in its third phase with Elite Aluminium Systems being the specialist Technal fabricator producing and installing the MX Curtain Wall, FXi 65 Windows and CD Doors on behalf of main contractor, Morgan Sindall and its client, St Modwen.

Importantly, as well as creating Class A office space and ultra-modern shopping spaces, the Park Point development has also been designed to achieve a BREEAM Very Good rating.

Therefore, utilising Technal’s high performance aluminium curtain walling, window and door systems offering high insulation standards and excellent sustainability credentials were an important part of attaining these goals.

Elite Aluminium Systems’ £1.55 million contact for the most recent phase at Park Point saw the West Midlands based company working on a series of large retail stores including a new Sainsbury and a branch of M&S, along with a new Premier Inn and The Island office development.

The General Manager for Elite Aluminium Systems, Mark Longmore, commented: “There have been some very challenging aspects to this project, not just because of the scale to the development- but the need to produce a lot of bespoke solutions in terms of combining systems to achieve certain aesthetics, and also to meet some unusually long spanning requirements.

“We chose to employ the MX curtain wall and other Technal systems because of their performance parameters and their reliability, as well as the support we receive from the manufacturer. We have completed two phases successfully and expect to win more work as the development progresses.”

Technal’s MX suite of curtain walling profiles offers contractors and consultants the widest set of technical and practical benefits as well as providing an aesthetic and very durable solution for a variety of project types.

The system has been tested to provide excellent wind and weather resistance as well as thermal performance beyond the requirements of the Building Regulations; while enabling specifiers to maintain consistent sightlines across complex elevations.