Refurbishing the key historic site of Tower Works in Holbeck, Leeds, called for materials of a high quality with aesthetics and performance standards that are consistent with Grade A office design.
The architect faced lots of technical challenges, including building in an inaccessible listed structure on the verge of collapse and close scrutiny by planning officers regarding accurate and appropriate detailing.
The use of rooflights was approved for the scheme and the Conservation Officer made the final product selection, favouring the original Conservation Rooflight® for use on the Listed Building as it is the most appropriate and sensitive product for the application.
neo™ was an obvious choice for the new-building as the consistency in detail and language between it and the Conservation Rooflight® is evident.
Architect Sam Wilson, Bauman Lyons: “Tower Works meshes remarkable heritage with grand aspirations for sustainability and design quality. As the pioneering first phase of an exemplar mixed-use development on a strategic gateway site in central Leeds, a technically demanding project and highly visible from many local vantage points, quality of the final result was of paramount importance to Client & Design Team. The Rooflight Company satisfied these requirements for both the restoration and new build components of the project, and we are proud of the result.”
A total of fifty motorised rooflights were specified for this project. Fifteen bespoke Conservation Rooflights were approved in various sizes. Five standard neo™ S6 were also specified, each with motorised opening. To complete the project a further thirty bespoke neo™ Steel rooflights measuring 1556mm (w) x 1108mm (l) were Type A Linked in sets of two. Type A linking results in a 50mm gap between each of the casements internally although externally gives the appearance of a continuous run of rooflights.
Paul Taylor, Director of Creative Space Management: "Tower Works combines remarkable heritage with grand aspirations for sustainability and design quality, therefore the final result was of paramount importance to our Client & the Design Team. The Rooflight Company were specified to provide rooflights to this project as they provide aesthetically pleasing and sympathetically designed products which were a perfect fit for a project such as Tower Works."
Tower Works is the first phase of an exemplar mixed-use development of a historic site, adjacent to Leeds Train Station in Holbeck Urban Village. This phase delivers 17,700m² of start-up and grow-on space for Creative & Digital Industry businesses, in a mixture of refurbished and new buildings which employ progressive sustainable passive design techniques in a highly sensitive historic setting.