Skip to main content
Glassyard student accommodation building after façade remediation
PROJECT PROFILE

Glassyard, London:
Student Accommodation Façade Remediation

INTRODUCTION

Glassyard is a seven-storey, 270-room student accommodation building in Stockwell, south London, home to university students, with offices and art studios on the ground floor. Following changes to building safety regulations, a survey found that materials within the façade build-up no longer met current requirements, and the issue was preventing the building from being financed as part of a property acquisition.

Starfish Construction was appointed to deliver a full design and build solution: removing the existing render, zinc cladding, insulation and fire barriers and installing an approved, fire-rated façade, while the building remained fully occupied.

Speak to a Specialist
GLASSYARD, STOCKWELL, LONDON

Project Highlights at a Glance

  • Location: Stockwell, London SW9.
  • Sector: Student accommodation with ground-floor offices and art studios.
  • Our Role: Design and build contractor.
  • Scope of Works: Façade remediation, intrusive surveys with fire engineers, replacement of render, zinc cladding, insulation and fire barriers, a new lightning protection system, new windowsill detailing, and structural and U-value calculations.
DURATION

20 Weeks

OCCUPIED THROUGHOUT

270 Rooms

RESOLVING THE FAÇADE
TO UNLOCK A PROPERTY ACQUISITION

A pension fund was acquiring Glassyard as part of a commercial property portfolio, and its advisers approached Starfish Construction for a design and build solution that could resolve the façade quickly.

The façade materials were holding up finance on the transaction, so speed and certainty mattered as much as technical quality.

We produced a scope of works covering the removal of the existing systems and the installation of a new approved façade build-up, with structural and U-value calculations to support compliance with current regulations. Surveys, façade design and site delivery stayed with one team from start to finish.

Taking Time to Understand the Building

We began by reviewing the as-built drawings to establish how the façade was made up and where the system was likely to fall short, then used detailed and intrusive façade surveys to pinpoint the failed areas.

Wide view of the remediated Glassyard façade with new render and zinc panels

We agreed the removal strategy with fire engineers, so the affected materials could be taken out safely.

Working with material manufacturers, we diagnosed the problem and developed a design specification for a new fire-rated façade system aligned with current regulations.

New grey zinc standing seam cladding on the upper storeys at Glassyard

Our Expertise

DESIGNING AROUND THE EXISTING BUILDING

The new insulation was thicker than the system it replaced, which would normally mean replacing the windows. Instead, we developed a new windowsill detail so the existing windows could stay in place.

Keeping the existing windows saved cost and waste, and avoided further disruption inside the students' rooms.

In total, we removed and replaced 700 m² of Sto render, 180 m² of zinc standing seam and 220 m² of zinc cassette cladding, along with 1,100 m² of insulation and 190 m of fire barriers.

The lightning protection system was also replaced, and structural and U-value calculations were completed to support compliance with current regulations.

Glazed corner of Glassyard with new render to areas without cladding
Eight-storey scaffold wrapped in protective sheeting during the façade works
Underside of the balconies with replaced grey zinc cladding
Hoarded entrance area with scaffold and protective sheeting at Glassyard
Glassyard entrance and street frontage back in use after completion
Completed Glassyard exterior with new render, zinc panels and glazed corner

    Delivering in a Fully Occupied Building

    Students lived in Glassyard throughout the works, so protecting their day-to-day lives came first. We applied translucent privacy film to every window, worked to COVID-19 safe practices, and kept to agreed hours on weekdays and Saturday mornings, when most students would be at university.

    All works were completed in a fully occupied building with minimal disruption to the students.

    Four separate eight-storey scaffolds covered the individual work areas, and the site set-up also had to account for an adjacent emergency services route to nearby residential areas. Works paused for almost two months during the pandemic, yet careful scaffolding and access planning and a focus on residents and the community helped keep the building running as normally as possible.

    Replaced render system in an external stairwell at Glassyard
    LEAVING A POSITIVE LEGACY

    A safer façade with a contemporary finish

    Delivered in 20 weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic, the project left Glassyard clad in non-flammable materials, with the affected materials safely removed and minimal disruption to the students living there. The new render systems and contemporary zinc cladding have also given the refurbished areas a modern facelift, and the materials carry a 20-year warranty with a life expectancy of 40 years.

    Alongside the façade, we delivered 180 m of security fencing, 11 new glazed shop fronts, 11 new insulated roller shutter doors and new double-glazed windows throughout, including the offices. We also refurbished 23 bathrooms, including asbestos removal. The blocks and individual units continue to enjoy healthy, long-term occupancy.

    PROJECT SUMMARY

    • 270-room student accommodation building kept fully occupied throughout.
    • 700 m² of Sto render system removed and replaced.
    • 180 m² of zinc standing seam and 220 m² of zinc cassette cladding replaced.
    • 1,100 m² of insulation and 190 m of fire barriers replaced.
    • Lightning protection system replaced.
    • 20-year material warranty with a 40-year life expectancy.
    • Four separate eight-storey scaffolds covering the individual work areas.
    • Completed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with structural and U-value calculations to support compliance.

    BUILDING ENVELOPE

    CLADDING

    TECHNICAL SURVEYING

    STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS

    Planning Façade Works in an Occupied Building?

    Our team surveys, designs and delivers façade remediation for occupied residential and student buildings across the UK. See how we approached a similar scheme on our student accommodation façade replacement in Bournemouth.

    Contact Us
    View All Project Profiles