In 2012 High Wycombe based aluminium fenestration designers, manufacturers and installers, Hazlemere Commercial were awarded a £2,200,000 + VAT m contract by Bucks County Council to replace all the single glazed windows at County Hall in Aylesbury with specially designed and made double glazed aluminium commercial windows.
An article entitled “Buckinghamshire County Council” about this prestigious project was published in March 2013 on the UK Construction Magazine website. The article goes onto explain that “The Council is currently replacing all windows at County Hall in Aylesbury. This is necessary because the current single glazed windows, of which there are 1,437, were fitted when the offices were built in the 1960s and have now deteriorated.” This comes at the time when the Council has had to make cutbacks to services due to the budgetary restraints, but Bucks County Council finance and resources cabinet member Peter Cartwright said: “Of course we’re in tough times but as a responsible owner of public buildings we need to ensure they’re properly maintained. We also have a duty as a responsible employer to maintain good working conditions and we have listened to feedback from our staff about the windows.”
According to the article “The work, which began in February 2013 and will last for nine months, will introduce new windows with better thermal efficiency and reduced solar gain. It is calculated that it will reduce energy costs by 15%. Work is being undertaken by Hazlemere Commercial, with the existing aluminium vertically sliding windows being replaced with Sapa Building Systems, Dualslide Vertically Sliding Windows, all of which includes high performance solar glass. A special feature was designed into the window in conjunction with the system supplier, Sapa Building Systems, in order to prevent the tilt in facility for internal cleaning when being accessed by the ordinary user. Hazlemere also has to be sensitive with the work because there is a peregrine falcon that uses the building for nesting. Costing £2.2M, work will be completed in September 2013.”
