Golden Square, in Soho, the City of Westminster, London, is a mainly hardscaped garden square planted with a few mature trees and raised borders in Central London flanked by classical office buildings. Its four approach ways are North and South, but it is centred 125 metres east of Regent Street and double that NNE of Piccadilly Circus. A small block south is retail/leisure street Brewer Street. The square and its buildings have featured in many works of literature and host many media, advertising and public relations companies that characterise its neighbourhood within Soho.
Given the scale and importance of this prestigious central London office location, it required our team at Glazing Refurbishment's Southern Division to complete one of their largest-ever internal lift glazing replacements, while also working alongside the pressures and challenges of keeping this recently refurbished office block fully operational for its prestigious clients.
The scope of works were to remove and upgrade the existing point fixed internal glass screens, the works package further extends to incorporate the associated glazed lift shaft.
One of the most significant aspects of the project scope was the challenge and delivery of 9 oversized internal high-level glass replacements in various locations on different floors and elevations. The work required the removal of the existing, identified, damaged and defective glass units and the subsequent manufacture of the specialist glazing at our modern bespoke facility located in Suffolk. The installation of the replacement glazed panels proved particularly challenging as the internal access was very limited adding to this the glass weight was more than 180kgs so it’s fair to say we used a huge amount of our internal and external specialist lifting and positioning equipment.
At Glazing Refurbishment, we are used to the challenges of working at many top industrial and commercial sites throughout the United Kingdom. We consider ourselves experts in installing, repairing, and replacing internal lift shaft glazing having installed many over our 30 years in business offering an extensive range of services and solutions to suit all your requirements.
Glazing Refurbishment were required to replace 9 specialist glass panels on various floors and locations on the internal lift shaft elevations. This was particularly challenging as the removal and replacements of the damaged glazing presented to our team was not as straight forward we first thought. Starting with all the logistical operations necessary to get all materials to the site, the difficult access between floors two and three , which required the glazing to be moved carefully with our specialist internal access equipment and our team of Glazing Technicians.
Glazing Refurbishment provided the necessary program detail, method statement and risk assessments, alongside the complete removal, procurement, and replacement work.
Additional scope included:
As part of the project scope, we were required to build a comprehensive and competitive quote for all works. Involved in this was the allocation of surveying team members for report production, grid-work drawings, glazing and façade inspections. On top of this, a written report was produced, which included:
Our clients required our IRATA Level 3 specialist abseil technicians to support the removal and disposal of all the pre-existing damaged glazing panels and site generated waste throughout the works.
Our team was required to use rope access to the internal lift shaft elevations to support our ground team with the replacements. All work was then finalised with a clear down of the working area. The job price included all access and consumables required for completion.
Glazing Refurbishment were able to bring together and deliver a scope of works that satisfied our customer requirements and expectations and fit well within the budget constraints that are often faced on such large and complicated jobs. This work fits in with our growing infrastructure of specialist services.
GR’s IRATA trained technicians were deployed on such a significant portion of the work due to the height and difficult access of the project. Following IRATA's safe rope access system method meant that all glass replacements, inspection, and finishing work could be included in this bespoke solution without adding any inconvenience to our long term valued clients.
We have successfully maintained and repaired the glazing at many high-profile businesses and facilities throughout the UK for the past twenty-eight years.
Some of our most challenging projects come in all shapes and sizes. While some are the standard jobs we complete every week, others are more challenging and complex. These challenging projects are the ones that use a lot of time and resources, and really push business resources you to the limit. For these reasons, many companies avoid them, instead preferring to focus on easier projects.
At Glazing Refurbishment, we love a challenge. We believe in taking on projects that inspires us; the ones you can’t stop thinking about even when you’re finished for the day. It’s not that we need extra motivation far from it but we’re at our best when we’re put under pressure by a demanding yet energising project. It’s not just the inspiration that draws us to these projects, over the years, we’ve recognised the many additional benefits that come with successfully completing demanding jobs.
These are the main reasons why businesses choose Glazing Refurbishment.
Projects can be challenging for different reasons. They may have a tight deadline, a limited budget, or complex requirements. But, at the heart of most challenging projects is a need to adapt, innovate, and overcome. Our team may be experts in their field, that doesn’t mean they don’t have capacity for growth. In facing up to a testing project, we are committed to expanding our knowledge and applying our expertise to deliver the perfect solution.
We Take Pride in our Work
The completion of the project gives our team something to shout and be proud about….
