Aliva UK is celebrating a top Insulated Render and Cladding Association (INCA) award for a stunning, sustainable office design.
Aliva beat off stiff competition from five other developments to win the Architectural Design Award jointly with AEW architects for the £15m headquarters of Wrexham-based telephone answering firm Moneypenny.
The awards, at the Titanic Hotel on Liverpool’s Stanley Dock on 5th October, recognise the UK’s most successful external wall insulation projects. Aliva UK was also shortlisted in the Excellence in System Design category for the same scheme.
It was the latest in a string of awards for the Moneypenny headquarters project, which had been highly commended by the British Council of Offices two nights previously. It won the BCO regional award earlier this year. Moneypenny’s offices were opened by HRH Prince Charles in the summer.
AEW Architects selected Aliva for its expertise in offering complete solutions. It delivered every aspect of the façade design, from panel layouts and window details to a bespoke façade fixing system.
Aliva worked with AEW Architects to develop a design of clean, crisp render that wraps in unbroken lines around the building. The headquarters’ window detailing is accentuated by Aliva’s anodised bronze Alucovering aluminium cladding, which draws attention to the large picture windows and gives an extra dimension to the building’s external appearance.
Aliva installed 5,000sqm of its Termok8TM insulated render on a specially designed fixing system. The thermal efficiency offered by Termok8TM was a key consideration in the architects’ selection process. Its use enhances the building’s environmentally sustainable and self-sufficient design, which also incorporates rainwater recycling, solar energy, ground source heating and natural ventilation for climate control.
Termok8TM helps Moneypenny to withstand the worst of the British weather – imperative given its semi-rural location. The render’s self-cleaning and anti-algae staining properties will also ensure the building maintains its pristine finish for years to come.
Mitch Gee, chairman of INCA said ”External wall insulation is not all about improving the thermal efficiency of the UK housing stock. It is about providing innovative and exciting cost-effective insulated render that assists the architect in designing attractive buildings. Moneypenny HQ demonstrates this with a beautifully simple, seamless curve.”
Phil Hepworth, Associate at AEW Architects said: “We needed a supplier who could deliver a complete system that would last, but also look good and be able to work with the building’s smooth flowing curves, while complementing the development’s picturesque setting. It was Aliva UK who could provide just that and make our design vision really come alive”.
James Ormerod, Managing Director at Aliva UK, said: “We are delighted to win this award with a project that shows off the highly creative uses of insulated render. The Moneypenny HQ is a stunning building throughout, and we are very proud to have put the winning face on it. It was particularly satisfying for our expert team to see the project through from initial design to installation.”
The INCA award has topped off a successful 12 months for Aliva UK. Earlier this year, it won an international technology prize for its ceramic cladding at Newbury racecourse. It was also a finalist in the 2017 Surface Design Awards, with a stunning gold anodised aluminium façade for Grafton Street NHS car park in Manchester.