Mitchell House Project features Liniar EnergyPlus90 Windows
As new homes are urgently needed all over the country, the redevelopment of existing buildings can offer a solution – but in urban areas, noise pollution can often be a problem. As one developer discovered, however, Liniar’s EnergyPlus90 windows can provide the ideal answer!
Located in the heart of Eastleigh, Hampshire, in a prime location for both shopping and tourism, the 5-storey Mitchell House was an office block originally erected in the 1970s. After a long period of being abandoned, a health club showed interest in renovating the space – but ultimately, the plans fell through, so the building continued to remain empty.
In 2019, a developer had a vision and put a planning application in to remodel the decrepit behemoth into 67 luxury one- and two-bedroomed flats. With an idea that would bring additional living space to the city centre and life back to the community, the Mitchell House Project began.
The Project
When the tender went out for the project’s windows, recently established window installation specialist Mega Glaze Ltd put in its quote for the contract. Founded 18 months ago, London based Mega Glaze was started by partners Simon Benesh & Yehuda Bude, who have a background in development projects. Their new company specialises in the commercial and development sectors, so with this background, Simon was familiar with projects such as Mitchell House.
When the planning permission for Mitchell House was approved by Eastleigh Borough Council, it came with a caveat – any windows that were replaced in the building had to be replaced with acoustically rated windows which would prevent noise up to 42 decibels. Simon explains how he prepared for this:
“Mitchell House is located across the street from a train station. We knew going into this that the building’s age meant that there would need to be significant upgrades to modernise it – including providing some soundproofing from the noise pollution.”
“We did our research on the available options in the market for PVCu windows which would meet this standard but also offer security and excellent thermal performance. We found that the market is lacking in options for this type of product, and there are very few to choose from.”
Simon continues, “After investigation, we chose to go with Liniar’s EnergyPlus90 due to its slim frames and patented design features”. One of the only windows with the required acoustic-42 rating, Liniar’s EP90 system also boasts PassivHaus accreditation, providing unrivalled thermal performance – as well as exceptional security.
With the Liniar EP90 system ticking all the boxes, Mega Glaze ultimately won the contract for the windows, so we placed our order with a Liniar fabricator for EP90 windows foiled in 7016 Grey on white for the Mitchell House project.”
The Challenges
Liniar’s EnergyPlus90 system is 90mm wide but looks like a standard 70mm system from the inside and outside – the biggest difference is the weight of the finished product. To achieve an acoustic-42 rating you need an acoustic-rated glass – and Simon explains, “We used triple glazed units which are exceptionally heavy. We didn’t factor in the challenges in manoeuvring around the building with them. The weight of this on the installed windows proved to be troublesome and because of this a few frames indeed dropped and some subsequently were damaged.”
Photo Finish
Simon continues, “Sure, there were some bumps along the way. The frames that were damaged had to be replaced. I contacted Charlotte Curtis at Liniar to see if she could help us to get the job completed by the deadline. She made sure we got the replacement windows in record time, and the finished job is stunning – without the sound of a train in earshot!”
Mega Glaze may only have recently celebrated its first year in business but has already attracted well-known developers and worked on many high calibre projects with exceptional results. For more information about this up and coming double glazing company, visit https://megaglaze.co.uk/.
As regulations from both the World Health Organisation for noise pollution and the Climate Change Agency for zero-carbon properties come into force, the use of products like Liniar’s EnergyPlus90 system will be a must.
