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FENDOR REVOLUTIONISES SECURE FENESTRATION AT RAMPTON
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Specialist Glazing System company Fendor, working in close cooperation with the consultants and main contractor, has developed a window system that offers a revolution in terms of both performance and the living environment for a new secure unit at Rampton high secure Hospital.
The new High Security Learning Disability Unit at RamptonHospital in Nottinghamshire has been built by Laing O’Rourke with Gilling Dod Architects being the architectural practice leading the design team. Knowing Fendor's expertise in relation to supplying window systems meeting the highest standards of security, the main contractor approached the company to take a radical approach to meeting the facility's needs.
As a result, Fendor has supplied double glazed curtain walling for communal areas, as well as double glazed windows to patients' rooms and other vulnerable locations, offering a wide range of attributes. These include full anti-ligature protection and patient control over ventilation, as well as high levels of natural light and resistance to attack.
Project Architect Mark Cowpland from Gilling Dod, comments: “In recent years at RamptonHospitalthey have used a polycarbonate glazed window, which meant there were no thermal properties and there were also condensation issues. So with the Learning Disability Unit we were re-introducing glass into the facility for the first time in over 30 years.
“Although it was not clear exactly what the client wanted at the beginning, we were given the brief that there was to be natural ventilation, operated by the service user themselves, and as much daylight as possible; while it should also meet Part L2 of the Building Regulations. Laing O'Rourke brought Fendor on board early and the manufacturer helped us work up a design, supplying numerous window sections and samples of glazing for testing.
“Fendor was therefore an integral part of the design team and has performed very well, while the windows themselves meet all of our aspirations on safety, security and energy as well as natural light and ventilation.”
For the Therapeutic Core building there were 27 areas of AlphaLine Aluminium curtain walling installed with SwingVent opening windows on actuators. Fendor also supplied steel glazed doors and 26 Steel SwingVent windows incorporating anti escape top hung vents.
In Houses A, B, C & D, the manufacturer fitted 22 high security SwingVent bedroom windows that were fully anti ligature and anti-pass. These windows are a special composite steel and aluminium frame. They were triple glazed with a laminated glass centre pane protected by a 'sacrificial' polycarbonate inner layer. The opening vents are operated by the patient via an internal anti ligature control knob, which is on a continuous turn mechanism to prevent potential damage to the operating gear by the patients. Fendor further supplied nine steel entrances for each building, incorporating doors and anti-escape top hung SwingVents.
The installation teams had to be fully vetted for working in secure areas, and were trained by Fendor to ensure quality standards were maintained throughout the contract.
