Elhance was appointed to deliver a complex façade remediation project across two adjacent, occupied buildings: a residential block and a neighbouring office building. The works involved the removal and replacement of combustible materials on the residential façade, alongside targeted fire performance upgrades to the office building façade and associated internal elements.
At tender, no drawings were available to support pricing or design development. To manage this uncertainty, we carried out a detailed pre-tender survey to establish how the buildings had been constructed, identify potential constraints, and develop a solution that would meet current fire safety Regulations.
The project demanded careful coordination across two buildings with different construction types, operational needs, and stakeholder expectations. Throughout, we maintained a strong focus on safety, quality, and programme certainty, while minimising disruption to occupants.
Residential building
Works to the residential block centred on the safe removal of combustible façade components, while retaining and reusing existing architectural finishes wherever possible to preserve the building’s appearance.
Terracotta tiles, combustible insulation, aluminium subframe elements, and spandrel panels containing bonded insulation were carefully removed. Existing hanging rails and tiles were systematically labelled, catalogued, and stored for reinstallation later in the project.
Fully compliant materials were then installed. These incorporated helping hand brackets, L-rails and T-rails, non-combustible insulation, and fire barriers. Once complete, the original hanging rails and terracotta tiles were reinstalled to clearly defined set out points, ensuring consistent finish. New spandrel panels with appropriate insulation were also installed.
Office building
The office building required a more bespoke solution, with the objective of improving fire safety, while avoiding unnecessary removal of key structural elements.
Externally, the terracotta tiles and a bespoke aluminium subframe were removed and retained. Siniat Weather Defence board was installed to the face of the structural insulated panel system (SIPS), providing the required fire protection. A new bespoke subframe system and fire barriers were then installed, followed by the reinstatement of the original hanging rails and terracotta tiles.
Additional work was required internally to complete the fire protection strategy. Siniat board was installed to the internal face of the SIPS panels above the plaster line, which necessitated the temporary removal and reinstatement of ceiling panels. This work was carefully coordinated with tenants to allow access while keeping disruption to a minimum.
Finally, existing spandrel panels were removed and replaced with suitable fire-rated sandwich panels to complete the office building works.
Design development and engineering
For the residential building, the design integrated a compliant fire break system using helping hand brackets and terracotta tile rails. Reusing the existing tiles meant that the overall look of the building was maintained.
We also increased the depth of non-combustible insulation within the permitted cavity, allowing the original thermal performance (U-value) of the building to be matched, while significantly improving fire safety.
We carried out pull-out tests to confirm the condition and strength of the existing blockwork, and its suitability to support the new gridwork. All results were reviewed and verified by our structural engineer to ensure compliance and long-term performance.
For the office building, the design approach was shaped by the need to retain the SIPS panels. Rather than removing them, we developed a solution to encapsulate and protect the combustible elements. This was achieved through a combination of external protection using Siniat Weather Defence Board, internal plasterboard below ceiling level, and additional Siniat board installed in the ceiling void.
We then engineered the gridwork to work with the existing SIPS construction, recognising that fixings were restricted to galvanised sections of the panels. A large proportion of the elevation also consisted of glazed curtain walling with aluminium and glass spandrel panels. We replaced the combustible insulation that was bonded to these panels, and increased the thickness of the new Fabrock insulation to maintain the original thermal performance (U-value).
Delivering the project within fully-occupied buildings required detailed planning, clear communication, and flexibility.
Regular engagement with occupants helped manage expectations during the project. In the office building, internal access was essential, and we worked closely with tenants to programme works around their operational needs, in order to minimise disruption.
During façade removal, a temporary gap appeared between the scaffold lifts and the workface. To address this, we designed and installed a bespoke protection system to maintain safe working conditions at all times. We also commissioned structural reports to ensure the safe loading of the scaffolding.
The lack of comprehensive ‘as-built’ information added a further layer of complexity. This was particularly true in the case of the office building, where gridwork design was constrained by the SIPS structure and limited fixing zones. These challenges were managed through detailed surveys, close collaboration between engineering and site teams, and ongoing design refinement.
We implemented a Site Quality Management Plan throughout the project, ensuring full traceability and transparency at every stage. This included construction issue drawings, engineering calculations, and supporting technical documentation, alongside defined inspection and sampling regimes supported by progress photography.
Hold point inspections were carried out for critical installation stages, with formal sign-off recorded. Programmes for imagery capture, reporting, and quality reviews were agreed and maintained throughout the works.
All project information was collated and issued to the we team responsible for producing the Operations and Maintenance manual, which was provided to the Employer at Practical Completion. In parallel, a dedicated Dropbox was established to allow stakeholders easy access to progress imagery, organised by elevation and inspection stage
This project demonstrates Elhance’s ability to deliver complex façade remediation works across multiple occupied buildings, where fire safety, occupant management, and technical constraints must be carefully balanced. Via thorough surveying, considered design, robust engineering, and rigorous quality control, we delivered compliant, durable, and visually-consistent façades, while maintaining the ongoing use of both buildings.