A timeworn and cold Post Office with the assistance with Selectaglaze secondary glazing has been given fresh life as thermally efficient Apartments.
The Lanes in Brighton are well-known for their vibrant shops and unique cafes and bars; with the sea just a stone’s throw away. It has been a popular location for tourists and holiday makers for hundreds of years.
In the heart of the Lanes is Ship Street filled with many gorgeous Listed buildings, including the Old Post Office which is Grade II Listed. The main building dates back to c.1925 which includes parts of an earlier building dated 1898 and an annex to the rear. It served as the main Post Office in Brighton for many years.
The building underwent major renovations, with extensive alteration works carried out in order to modify it into apartments. What was once a canteen and sorting area has been completely transformed. However, the change of use was not without it challenges; creating a warmer living space required serious consideration. The primary windows were draughty, allowing heat to escape and due to the Listed nature of the building could not be changed. Selectaglaze offered an ideal solution with its secondary glazing. It is fitted to the room side of the building and is a fully reversible adaptation, so is widely accepted by most heritage bodies.
The introduction of secondary glazing traps an insulating layer of air, which can reduce heat loss by up to 50%. With the introduction of low emissivity glass, U-vales of around 1.8 can be achieved. The use of high performance twin seals help to virtually eradicate draughts.
An added benefit of secondary glazing is noise reduction. When there is a gap between the primary and secondary glazing of at least 100mm, a reduction of 45dB is possible.
Selectaglaze installed 75 units, using a mixture of the Series 20 and 25 vertical sliding systems. On the larger windows, some of which were nearly 3000mm high and 1300mm wide, the Series 25 was used which can take up to 8.8mm thick glass without any compromise to its operations. All units are bespoke to ensure the tightest fit with matching sight lines where possible, to make them virtually unnoticeable from the outside.
Established for fifty years and Royal Warrant holders since 2004, Selectaglaze has a wealth of experience working on all building types, from Listed offices to new build hotels working closely with clients to meet their requirements on projects.
