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From Inspiration to Installation: The Realisation of Themed Facade Designs.

Telehouse   Platinum Modular 10 Banner

Design inspiration can come in many forms. Jørn Utzon’s vision for Sydney Opera House of a sculptured, curved building was at odds with architectural trends of the time but was inspired by nature in the form of bird wings, clouds, and shells. Today, the external façade of a building can play a seminal role in realising an architectural vision, particularly where space and function may place limitations on a building’s form. Bailey Total Building Envelope has helped to achieve facades that not only look good but resonate with the vision for the building. 

The Dyson Institute for Engineering and Technology in Malmesbury is a new standard for learning that combines higher education with commercial research and development. With the ambition to become the best engineering university in the world, the student accommodation needed to reflect this aspiration, while complementing the Institute’s groundbreaking approach to education. Dyson’s vision, which was developed by Wilkinson Eyre architects, was to bring together innovative visual, structural, and material solutions which would ensure students are immersed in a progressive and dynamic living environment.

The solution was a series of residential pods, finished with Bailey’s anodised aluminium rainscreen panels. Bailey helped to achieve Dyson’s vision by manufacturing façade panels to the highest standards, which delivered the clean, modular façade aesthetic. The anodised aluminium material combines durability and colour stability with low maintenance, and is a popular choice for modern facades, featuring a range of gloss levels and metallic finishes. 

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Another impressive Bailey-manufactured façade that features a thematic design is that of the Telehouse North Two datacentre in London’s Docklands area. A £135 million 11-floor facility, the building’s exterior has been designed to imitate a printed circuit board. The vision of Nicholas Webb Architects, a UK practice specialising in datacentre construction, the building is Illuminated at night, and has become a modern landmark in London’s financial district. 

Working closely with the architect and façade contractor Prater, a dedicated project management team at Bailey provided technical advice from the early stages of the project. Bailey assisted in creating workable drawings of the intricately perforated panel design using the latest 3D software. These drawings were integral to the precise manufacturing process and the correct installation of the complex circuitry pattern. 

Bailey also supplied the expanded mesh panels to the rear of the building. Again, these were modelled in three dimensions to ensure that they fitted into the grid system and allowed for the projection of the steel supports between panels.

A façade design that pays homage to historical local buildings is featured on the new Tottenham Court Road Station. Hawkins Brown were appointed to prepare proposals for and deliver the over site development above the Western Ticket Hall, where Retail and residential space integrates with the new ticket hall, as part of the wider Tottenham Court Road Crossrail station project. 

Elements of the two buildings retain a memory of the buildings that were taken down to make way for the new railway. Ornamented panels in the Oxford Street block are based on the etched glass windows of the Bath House pub that once stood on the corner of Fareham Street. Bailey manufactured and supplied these intricately designed and manufactured panels, which use perforations to provide a flattering imitation of the Victorian pub windows. 

For more information and technical support, Contact us on 01403 261844 or at ask@builtwithbailey.com