Kawneer makes a stand on sustainability

A guide for architects and specifiers on how its products help them meet sustainability criteria has been launched by leading UK architectural aluminium systems supplier Kawneer.

The Cheshire-based manufacturer has unveiled an electronic sustainability brochure which explains over a concise 12 pages how it plays a major part in being one of the world's top sustainable and low-carbon pioneering companies.

The brochure explains how systems supplied by Kawneer in the UK enhance energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and being weather-proof, corrosion-resistant and immune to the effects of UV rays, offer optimum performance over long periods. They also improve comfort levels for the building's occupants, through natural ventilation, direct access to daylight and improved outdoor views.

Examples of such systems range from the AA®3610LS linked sash vertical sliding window for optimum ventilation, and thermally efficient 'A' Rated window systems* like the AA®541 casement and AA®542 pivot windows, through AA®120 sunshades which reduce solar heat gain to the AA®201 unitised (or off-site) curtain wall.

The sustainability brochure also provides information on how such products were used on UK projects to achieve Eco Homes and BREEAM "Very good" or "Excellent" ratings in case studies on City Campus East at Northumbria University, No 4 and The Hub at Piccadilly Place in Manchester, Islington Wharf in Manchester, Headingley Carnegie Pavilion at the Headingley Carnegie cricket ground in Leeds, Cardiff Central Library, and University Place at The University of Manchester.

Kawneer's parent company Alcoa is the first aluminium company to have its primary aluminium Cradle to Cradle® certified in recognition of the sustainability of its product and the practices employed in its manufacture.

Aside from its practical and energy-saving advantages in construction - aluminium's natural strength, lightness and durability makes it the ideal material for meeting architects' glazing requirements - it can be recycled repeatedly without loss of properties using just 5% of the energy originally used to mine, smelt and produce it.

At Kawneer, leading-edge production techniques have been developed to ensure manufacturing efficiency is optimised and environmental impact is minimised to ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 environmental and quality standards respectively.

Environmental responsibilities outlined in the brochure include using recycled aluminium billets 100% of the time and all production waste being recycled back to a smelter to be re-used, and aiming for zero trade effluent discharge by 2020.

Kawneer also puts its green credentials on the line pro-actively and details in the brochure its social responsibilities - how in the UK in the past three years it has, through the Alcoa Foundation run by its parent company, donated over £78,000 to projects in Cheshire. As part of this, every October community projects benefit from the hands-on help of Kawneer UK volunteers.

* The AA®541 casement and AA®542 pivot windows correspond to the BRE Global Green Guide online generic specification for windows and achieve a summary rating of A for non-domestic schemes, (Element Number 831500023).

ENDS