HFD Group’s 177 Bothwell Street, set to become Glasgow’s largest single office building, has reached another significant construction milestone with the commencement of the installation of three acres of glazing on its exterior.
Equivalent to the size of nearly 50 tennis courts or – coincidentally – 177 double decker buses, the façade is predominantly made from recyclable glass and aluminium. The glazing will offer market-leading G and U values – measures of thermal and environmental performance – in a boost to 177 Bothwell Street’s sustainability. HFD is targeting an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of ‘A’ and BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard.
Made of almost 40% recycled material, the glass has a low iron content to ensure it is the clearest and most colourless available, making the best use of natural daylight throughout the office building. The glazing will be installed using an innovative monorail system to erect the panels – the first time this technique has been used in Scotland.
Despite Covid-19 causing a pause in construction to protect workers’ health, 177 Bothwell Street is beginning to take shape with significant progress made on its steel frame. HFD Group recently announced a series of enhanced design features focussed on hygiene, health and wellbeing, removing many of the building’s ‘touch points’ and using technology to simplify occupiers’ experience of the building.
Set for completion in Q3 2021, a large section of 177 Bothwell Street has been pre-let to Virgin Money for its new headquarters, while HFD Group’s serviced offices business will occupy 65,000 sq. ft. in the building. An independent economic impact assessment concluded that the development will generate £2.8 billion of gross value added (GVA) to the Scottish economy over 25 years.
David Shearer, managing director of HFD Construction, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic caused a temporary halt to construction – a decision we took early to protect the health and wellbeing of our workers and contractors. Despite that challenge, we have made significant progress with the construction programme following our return to site and have been working closely with our supply chain to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”
Stephen Lewis, managing director of HFD Property Group, added: “With 177 Bothwell Street’s extensive floorplates, it is important from a wellbeing perspective to maximise the natural light coming into the space. Specifying the highest performance glazing is a key part of achieving the environmental and sustainability standards we have set for the building.
“At 177 Bothwell Street we have managed to create exceptional office space whilst delivering market-leading environmental and energy performance. The development’s EPC rating will come in at below 10, around 33% more efficient than a standard ‘A’ rated building. The selection of the right glazing means that day-lighting is enhanced, without compromising on temperature regulation and energy consumption at different times of year.”