VEKA windows top of the class at historic College

VEKA windows top of the class at historic College

A beautiful and historic yet remote and weather-exposed building has been given a new lease of life thanks to Norscot, fabricators and installers of state-of-the-art PVC-U window systems from The VEKA UK Group.

Abden House in Dornoch, on the east coast of the Scottish Highlands was built in the 1890s to house the vast art collection of a wealthy businessman. Later it became Ross Hostel, then Ross House, today acting as an occupied college and office building – part of the University of the Highlands and Islands' North Highland campus.

As is so often the case with old buildings, Ross House's existing timber-framed sash and casement windows were in a state of decay, and far past their best in terms of thermal insulation and weatherproofing.

Working with educational institutions often holds strict time implications for contractors, dependent on term dates and the seasonality of the academic year. The entire 95 window project was delieverd in a month, from May to June, causing as little disruption to the college's staff, students and visitors as feasibly possible.

It was important that the new windows were styled sympathetically to the heritage of Ross House, especially as certain historic internal features of the building were specified to be retained.

Following a comprehensive on-site survey, 92 Tilt and Turn windows were fabricated using VEKA's M70 profile. The versatility of the system, both in terms of its non-intrusive styling and flexible methods of opening made it ideal for this project. The remaining three windows included two fixed casements and one circular 'bullseye' window, again using M70 profile, foiled white both inside and out.

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