Selectaglaze, specialists in bespoke secondary glazing, were chosen to bring their expertise to the former Old War Office, in London, Whitehall. This magnificent Grade II* listed building, now known as The OWO, is London’s new luxury destination. It features Raffles London at the OWO and The OWO Residences by Raffles. Selectaglaze treated a huge number of openings – 609 in total – and created a large piece of secondary glazing history too.
Trusted partners, skilled craftspeople
This tremendous renovation project involved extensive excavations, foundations and remodelling. Then, hundreds of skilled craftspeople undertook a true labour of love, restoring period features. Selectaglaze brief was to design and install sympathetic, unobtrusive secondary glazing. In contrast to all the wonderful, intricate craftsmanship on show, Selectaglaze would be judged on the invisibility of their work.
Selectaglaze collaborated closely with the main contractor Ardmore and EPR Architects, using their long history of working on heritage retrofits to create solutions that reflect classic Edwardian architecture and at the same time transform the space for modern living.
The height of perfection
From an acoustic and thermal point of view, Selectaglaze needed to keep out the sounds of Whitehall hustle and bustle – and keep the warmth in. For unparalleled protection, a number of certified security products were also included.
The sheer size of many of these magnificent floor-to-ceiling windows meant that heavy-duty frames were necessary. The majority of these were finished in bronze metallic for a timeless look. Finally, to ensure unspoilt Whitehall views, and to remain truly unobtrusive, vertical sliding systems meticulously matched the sightlines of the marvellous Edwardian originals.
Secondary glazing firsts
At up to 4.25m high, some of the original windows were too big for any of the existing products, and so Selectaglaze design experts created a brand new addition to the product range – Series 91, with a balance configuration to manage up to 100kg of glazing.
To learn more about this case study and other solutions from Selectaglaze, the only secondary glazing provider with LPCB and Secured by Design certifications, visit www.selectaglaze.co.uk
