Out of sight
November 2016

Gloucester Gateway Services, with TECHNAL systems forming a key element to its visible face has won numerous awards, despite being intentionally hidden from sight within earth-sheltered structures.

The Northbound and Southbound sites, between Junctions 12 and 11A on the M5 motorway were conceived by Birmingham based Glenn Howells Architects, and constructed by The Buckingham Group on behalf of Westmorland Limited. Elite Aluminium Systems Ltd has fabricated and installed a package of Technal systems encompassing MX Curtain Walling for the main elevation and FXi 65 windows.

To date, Gloucester Gateway has won the RIBA National Award 2016 together with the RIBA South West Award 2016 and the RIBA South West Sustainability Award 2016; as well as the RIBA South West Client of the Year Award.

The tinted glazed façade on each building is formed from Technal MX curtain walling. Elite Aluminium Systems has employed the Technal MX curtain walling to produce an extended glazed wall, with the FXi 65 fenestration system forming multiple windows in back-of-house areas.

Mark Longmore of Elite Aluminium Systems Ltd said: “There was an open specification for this important project and we primarily decided to employ the Technal MX Curtain Wall system because it could accommodate the 36 mm glazing units required to achieve the performance criteria. Due to the proximity to the motorway, the architects wanted to use two leafs of 10 mm heat-soaked toughened glass for acoustic performance – while the glass is also high performance neutral solar control, allowing clear vision whilst providing the required thermal properties.”

A spokesperson for AFL Architects added: “The Technal curtain walling and window systems were chosen for the Gloucester Gateway Services project for a number of reasons. Their aesthetic was a good fit for this unique project and their products’ durability and robustness was also an important factor. The staff at Technal have a very accommodating and helpful approach and it was great to have them as part of the team to deliver this highly acclaimed project.”