40 Spring Gardens

Location

Manchester

Main contractor

Forster Tullett

Sub contractor

Precision Facades

Products

Argeton Terracotta Cladding

Overview

40 Spring Gardens in Manchester is a nine-storey commercial office space located in the heart of a conservation area, which has recently been refurbished both externally and internally. Although not a listed building itself, it was important that the refurbishment of this building was sympathetic to the surrounding architecture and local vernacular.

Taylor Maxwell worked with cladding installers Precision Facades to specify and supply Argeton terracotta cladding to the project, which was managed by main contractors Forster Tullett. The terracotta cladding was selected in a dark grey to provide an exact match to the cladding previously used on the building.

Concept to completion

Since being built in 2007, the site had been partially clad in grey terracotta cladding. With the building being refurbished to modernise and refresh the office block, it was decided that the original cladding would be removed and replaced with a cladding system that provided the same look. The Tampa tiles from the Argeton terracotta cladding system therefore provided the perfect solution as the dark grey panels provided an exact visual match. Argeton terracotta cladding is a versatile facade product due to its range of tile height options, from 150-500mm, which allowed for the design team on this project to choose a tile height which exactly matched the previous cladding tiles.

Argeton terracotta cladding is a popular facade choice for both refurbishment and recladding projects, due to its CWCT testing and BBA certification (22/6507). According to its BBA certificate, the terracotta tiles, support rails and fixings are classified as A1 non-combustible and are not subject to any restrictions on height or proximity to boundaries. This was an important factor during this refurbishment project, as the building’s city centre location meant there were other properties within a very close distance. This proximity also meant there were challenges for the contractors during construction, as they had to work within very tight constraints. The easy installation of Argeton tiles meant that Precision Facades were able to install the tiles within the small space, without any logistical issues.

Completed in 2021, this refurbished building offers businesses in Manchester an office space within walking distance of all the main transport links and at the heart of the Central Business District. With a focus on employees being able to walk and cycle to work, the clients were also committed to working with project partners to deliver efficiency and minimise water and energy usage. This has resulted in the building achieving a BREEAM Very Good rating, a testament to their careful consideration of sustainable practices throughout the transformation process.