Maple are installing vertical brise soleil fins weighing nearly 100kg each at the University of Leicester’s refurbished Percy Gee Building.
The majority, from our Climate Facade Corona range, are 450mm deep and will protect every side of the four-storey building from glare and solar gain. However, it’s on the front of the building, where we’ve been faced with our biggest challenge.
Twelve massive vertical fins, nine metres high (and weighing in at 85kg) will project a metre from the glass curtain wall that cloaks the building’s three-storey atrium.
“These are among the biggest blades we’ve ever installed,” said Maple’s façade consultant, Robert Beech, “and have given us a unique challenge. Fixing brackets have had to be specially designed and manufactured so the weight of the fins don’t simply pull them off the curtain wall.”
The 72 bespoke brackets have been designed with thermal isolation qualities to prevent the transfer of heat from the outside in.
In addition to the fins ― anodised to create a consistent and sharp finish to the building ― we are also supplying an extruded mesh screen for the rooftop plant room.
When complete, the Percy Gee Building will remain the home of the university’s Students’ Union with new and improved facilities, including learning spaces, retail units, a restaurant and a 2,000 capacity music venue.