Aluminium fenestration systems manufacturer and winner of a King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation, Senior Architectural Systems is not a company to stand still. Two of the firm’s recently completed contracts are said to be leading the way in sustainable construction methods to become ‘firsts’ in their sectors.
The UK’s first carbon-neutral built community arena
The new Canon Medical Arena in Sheffield has been designed by architects Bond Bryan and aims to address inequality in the city by providing significant employment opportunities as well as offering a ‘one-stop-shop’ preventative healthcare service.
The centre will be home to diagnostic imaging systems tasked with helping to relieve post-Covid waiting lists and allow residents to receive early intervention where needed. It is also the new permanent home of the Sheffield Sharks and Sheffield Hatters, as well as the RESPECT programme, which aims to provide young people with better access to sports and health education.
Achieving carbon-neutral status was only possible through the careful specification of building materials. Senior revealed that the firm’s aluminium fenestration systems, which offer full ‘cradle to cradle recyclability’, were chosen.
The SF52 curtain wall system has been used to create the arena’s modern façade, which Senior explained offers slim sightlines and design flexibility without compromising on ‘exceptional’ thermal performance. The firm’s SD aluminium commercial doors were selected to complement the use of the curtain wall system and provide a ‘robust’ solution for a high traffic application. Both Senior products were fabricated and installed by specialist contractor MIS Architectural Aluminium Rotherham on behalf of main contractor Beboys.
Going the distance at the UK’s first carbon neutral bus station
Senior’s varied order book has also seen the manufacturer involved in another landmark scheme – the new St. Margaret’s Bus Station in Leicester which has also been designed and built to achieve carbon-neutral status.
Designed by architects BDP, the creation of the station was supported by the allocation of £10.5 million from the Getting Building Fund, a government scheme designed to deliver jobs, skills and infrastructure across the country. With space for 24 bus bays, the building boasts LED lighting, solar panels, electric bus charging points, and a glazed concourse for maximising natural light and reducing energy consumption.
Senior’s SF52 curtain wall system has been used throughout, while the company’s SPW501 aluminium door system was also selected thanks to its suitability for high traffic commercial environments. Both products were fabricated and installed by Elite Aluminium Systems Ltd for main contractor Morgan Sindall.
Senior added that it is committed to supporting the construction industry’s journey to net zero, with all of its fenestration systems manufactured from ‘responsibly sourced, low carbon’ aluminium.
