Kawneer Systems Light Barnsley's Transformation

Curtain walling, windows and doors from architectural aluminium systems supplier Kawneer have helped drive Barnsley's transport infrastructure into the 21st Century and win an award in the process.

Kawneer's AA®100 vertical dry glazed curtain walling, AA®601 top hung casement windows and 350 heavy traffic doors feature variously on the east elevation of the 150-metre-long main concourse, the two main entrances, retail units and offices.

AA®100 curtain walling has also been used on a glazed ‘tunnel’ bridge that links the new transport interchange with the town's railway station. The curtain walling here features curved mullions with a nose to the inside as well as curved toughened glass, to create the tunnel effect.

The Kawneer systems installed by approved sub-contractors SG Aluminium were already tried and tested by Jefferson Sheard Architects who have used them before, on a transport interchange for the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, as well as for learning resource centres at Barnsley College and Sheffield Hallam University.

The two-stage, two-year, £24.5 million design and build project by main contractor Laing O'Rourke is one of the first completed schemes of the ‘Remaking Barnsley’ strategic development framework by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council that will transform the town over the next 30 years. The project won the Award for Excellence for its unique design at the Institution of Civil Engineers' (ICE) Yorkshire and Humber awards ceremony.

A consolidation of two previous bus stations and a railway station, it provides a 4,259m2 high quality, fully enclosed passenger environment. This comprises a 150-metre-long concourse conceived as a glazed street, which is complemented by a travel information centre, offices and retail units forming pod-like buildings that can be accessed both internally and externally. The bridge link to the railway station provides a seamless transition between rail and road transport.

The interchange forms a public transport gateway to the town, with important links to the shopping area and markets quarter, laying landmark foundations for a new urban environment better suited to pedestrianised access.

It was vital to Jefferson Sheard that the state-of-the-art building was mainly glazed, not just for aesthetics but because personal security of users was also a major element of the brief from the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE).

Making use of such large areas of transparent glazing (the building uses five different specifications) and designing the retail units with rounded rather than acute corners means opportunities for crime are vastly reduced. ‘The glazing was a major element in our efforts to design out potential ambush points where muggers could lurk,’ said Jefferson Sheard's managing director Tom Rhys Jones.

Although the glazing provides a fully enclosed passenger concourse and waiting area, because this part of the building is not heated, the architects did not have to give particular consideration to energy use.

‘We didn't have to worry about heat loss through the glazing and because the main concourse faces east and is shaded by a large roof overhang we also didn't have to worry about heat gain,’ he added.

‘We wanted the areas to be full of natural light. The aesthetics of glass are also better and Kawneer is known as a leading supplier of glazing systems,’ he added.

The glass and aluminium of the Kawneer systems complement the other materials used - local stone, brightly coloured render, structural timber beams, an ETFE* roof to the main concourse and sheet copper on the canopy over the area where passengers get on and off the buses.

‘There was a technical interface between the copper roof and the Kawneer glazed wall on the east elevation. Since copper rainwater run off would cause a bi-metallic action with the aluminium, we had to design them to be physically separated but that did not cause any particular problem,’ said Mr Jones.

David Young, head of transport integration at SYPTE said of the award: ‘As an organisation we are delighted our work has been so highly acknowledged. It is a brilliant piece of architecture, planning and construction using recyclable materials and already has succeeded in attracting lots more people to use the interchange and in turn buses and trains.’

ICE award judge Les Goddard added: 'This project certainly has the wow factor. Its contemporary appearance is inspiring and refreshing. The interior is equally impressive with a spacious, friendly and open environment. By maximising the use of recycled materials and taking advantage of using daylight and natural ventilation, the project's environmental credentials are to be applauded.'

* Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene - transparent plastic that absorbs solar radiation and reduces thermal loss.

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