The Cladding Solution
The rainscreen façade design and specification had to provide long-term durability, weather performance, low maintenance and visual impact.
The new envelope successfully blends stone, metalwork and floor-to-ceiling glazing with panoramic views.
Spanwall’s rainscreen package for this prominent building involved the manufacture and assembly of over 6,000 components, and the CNC routing of over 10,000m of metal profiling.
The aluminium cladding was polyester powder coated in two shades of bronze and was used to striking effect in vertical and horizontal rectilinear configurations which complement the stonework.
Maximising Work Offsite to Facilitate Installation
The construction methodology for the rainscreen system was to use offsite pre-assembly to maximise work in the controlled environment of Spanwall’s factory, before transporting pre-assembled multi-element panels to site for faster installation.
The George’s Quay site had restricted access for deliveries and was highly constrained with very little space for material offloading and storage. This required a rethink of traditional cladding installation.
By applying digital workflows and offsite processes to the project, Spanwall was able to fabricate 230 large, sub-assembled rainscreen panels, radically reducing the site installation phase for Alucraft.
Meticulous Quality Control
The cladding solution and use of offsite pre-assembly delivered meticulous quality control and a level of accuracy that can be very difficult to achieve on site. Each panel could then be installed seamlessly in the exact sequence – minimising material waste, storage, product damage on site, reducing vehicle movements, and maximising speed and construction efficiency.
To address the restricted site access for deliveries, Spanwall and Alucraft used a just-in-time approach to achieve a highly efficient delivery and installation programme. This required stringent logistical planning, scheduling and collaboration at every stage.
The Façade Contractor’s Perspective
Ronnie Mills, Managing Director, Alucraft:
“The partnership with Spanwall on this project allowed close collaboration, in both design and manufacturing, and this proved hugely beneficial to the project. Being able to utilise the sheet metal production capabilities and knowledge from Spanwall’s team, with the expertise of our specialist façade team ensured that we had a streamlined the design-to-manufacturing workflow throughout the process.”
“The bespoke rainscreen solution used Spanwall’s offsite manufacturing and assembly capabilities, ensuring that the sub-assembled rainscreen units could be delivered to site on a just-in-time basis. This allowed our site installation teams to better manage the logistical constraints of the site and fast track the façade installation. This reduced time and cost.”
