Keeping the nation on the road is the job of the RAC – keeping their office staff comfortable at work is the job of Maple.
Everyone knows the sun’s glare is a problem for drivers. But what about in the offices of one of the UK’s leading motoring organisations? We’ve recently completed a project to supply and install more than 60 roller blinds at the RAC’s Birmingham HQ.
Existing blinds were more than 20 years old and damaged, and let in distracting sunlight to the office workspaces. They were also electrically controlled and automated, but many failed to work.
We worked with contractors CBRE to find the most effective replacement, demonstrating the benefits of roller blinds over venetian by installing two samples onsite. We also recommended a manually operated crank system, which is more robust than many chain-based alternatives.
Although the fabric’s 1% openness factor blocks out most of the sun, the client had concerns about light spill from the edges. So, we designed an aluminium extrusion (attached to every blind, and powder-coated to match the curtain wall framework) that ‘boxed in’ the system and kept the light out.
The installation was completed in just two days to minimise disruption to office staff.
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