Quartermile 4

Waverley were specified by architects tp bennett to provide a solar shading solution for state-of-the-art office space in Edinburgh’s prestigious Quartermile 4 development, occupied by BMO Bank of Montreal.

Background

The award winning Quartermile development in Edinburgh was designed by world renowned architects Foster + Partners, providing Grade A office space with excellent staff facilities and including a rooftop terrace offering panoramic vistas.

Floor to ceiling glazing on all sides floods the 6th floor with natural light, providing views across the city with Edinburgh Castle in the background.

Specification, Challenges & Solutions

tp bennett had originally specified an alternative American-designed heavy duty commercial roller blinds system.

Working with tp bennett on the specification, it became a ‘no-brainer’ to switch to using Draper roller blinds, given the cost savings and the improved smoother operation of the side chain control.

The bank’s boardrooms also required a dual blind system providing both room darkening and sun screening fabrics.  Once again, Draper’s one-piece dual roller blind system looked better and worked better than the alternative supplier’s two-part, bolt-together dual brackets.

Floor to ceiling glass is increasingly incorporated into office design to provide maximum levels of natural light and make the most of inspiring city centre skylines. Architects are then faced with the challenge to provide window blinds that will control heat and glare whilst being easy to use.

With the panoramic views on offer from the 6th floor, it was important that any window blind would provide through-vision to the outside world, whilst providing adequate glare and heat protection.  tp bennett specified our Betascreen 90 fabric with a 3% openness factor.

The Installation & Benefits

Waverley’s Draper Flexshade manual and electric commercial roller blinds were installed on the 6th floor of ‘Quartermile 4’.

Commercial roller blinds covering a window height of 3m can be heavy to operate. Draper roller blinds have a unique ball bearing clutch mechanism which allows heavy blinds to be roller up and down with ease. This mechanism is housed inside the bracket so that the control chain hangs directly below the bracket making the blind more stable.

The blinds are all mounted inside a recessed ceiling pocket and Draper’s slim 119mm wide bracket was easily accommodated. The dual roller blind system locates one blind above the other so that it benefits from the same width bracket as a single system.  Draper also offer a 25 year “lifetime” guarantee, providing quality assurance.

BetaScreen 90 3% in the neutral grey colour chosen not only compliments the modern interior but also allows good through vision.  It maintains an excellent degree of natural light whilst removing glare from computer screens, creating a comfortable environment for office users.

The dual blinds in the boardrooms allow occupants to darken the room sufficiently for AV equipment using the blind with DeltaBlock 70 blackout fabric, or simply to reduce glare and heat by using the blinds with Betascreen 90 fabric. These dual blinds are electrically operated and can be controlled via the central AV system.

The Outcome

The end result is a solar shading solution covered by Draper’s 25 year warranty that is easy to use, effectively reduces heat and glare, ensuring the comfort of the bank’s employees, and providing optimum views of the famous Edinburgh skyline.