Levolux is providing a bespoke Solar Shading solution to O2, for its new 110,000 sq ft building in Slough, helping it to achieve a ‘very good ’ BREEAM rating and an EPC rating of B.

The new building li nks with O2 ’s existing offices to create a 200,000 sq ft campus and features an eye-catching arrangement of stainless steel mesh screening.  Comprising nine 3 metre high by 1.75 metre wide panels, the stainless steel mesh screening creates a sharp, modern aesthetic and provides solar shading to the south facing elevation of the building. The integration of an extruded aluminium walk-way system provides a secure platform to facilitate cleaning and maintenance of the structure with less need for expensive access equipment.

To complete the bespoke solar shading system, Levolux installed a total of 465 rectangular aluminium Louvres to the building ’s extensive glazing, arranged vertically and horizontally. In addition, a total of 374 tubular shading Louvres, with a diameter of 50mm were installed to screen two main stair cores, enhancing the building ’s design and providing another effective form of shading.

The complete Levolux Solar Shading system, with its light grey powder coating, not only sets the building apart from its neighbours, but provides external solar shading using a variety of materials and designs to effectively shield the building from the sun ’s rays. This dramatically reduces the effect of solar heat gain on the building ’s internal environment by as much as  95%, while allowing plenty of
natural daylight to filter through.

As an essential component of the external fabric of the building, Solar Shading helps to create a comfortable, naturally lit environment for the building ’s occupants all year round. This will improve the health, wellbeing and productivity of O2’s employees.

In addition, by minimising solar heat gain, the building has less need for energy sapping air conditioning, which provides huge cost savings and a significantly lower carbon footprint for O2 – one of the key objectives of the project.

Email: chrisp@levoluxltd.co.uk