Aperam stainless steel in dramatic church transformation

For the £5m restoration of Grade II-listed St Barnabas Church in Erdington architects Brownhill Hayward Brown specified a standing seam system across the entire roof span using Aperam UGINOX Top stainless steel. This takes on the matt grey appearance and traditional aesthetic of aged lead sheet through natural patination and is approved by English Heritage for use where there is a continuing risk of metal theft.

The church had been destroyed by fire in late 2007 as a result of an arson attack, with only the tower and perimeter walls left standing. The award winning design provides a sweeping stainless steel roof which ‘fuses’ a modern glass-fronted extension with the extensively restored Victorian structure. This provides a modern twist in the creation of a place of worship fit for the 21st century and a prime example of how modern architecture and good conservation practice can be integrated into a historically important ecclesiastical setting.

Architects Cooper Cromar specified stainless steel shingles for the 80,000 sq. ft. façade of Glasgow Fort retail park’s £45m Marks and Spencer store. Described by the architects as ‘an elegant stainless steel-clad box’, the store is located to the south of the park, its frontage forming a distinctive new entrance feature when approached from the motorway. The stainless steel is 0.6mm thick and is estimated as having saved around 18 tonnes in façade weight over an equivalent in zinc or copper.

The project brief was to closely match the existing building dating from 2006 so a 2K finish, one of the smoothest polished finishes, was selected. Its low surface roughness prevents accumulation of fine contaminants and formation of organic growth while providing a standard of corrosion resistance which is ideal for aggressive environments.

A traditional standing seam system using Aperam UGINOX Patina K44 stainless steel was specified for the £7 million Fort William Gaelic medium primary school in Caol. A £36 million building programme saw three new primary schools built in the area.

Metal roofing and cladding specialist HL Metals undertook the stainless steel installation which extends from the roof into walls on buildings with both gabled and hipped roofs.

UGINOX Patina K44 is a ‘terne-coated’ bistabilized ferritic stainless steel with an electro-tinned coating on both sides. Ferritic grades offer greater price stability than austenitic grades through the absence of nickel but without compromising the metal’s high corrosion resistance. The inclusion of molybdenum also makes it ideal for coastal and aggressive environments and specifications without underside ventilation. The ‘terne-coated’ finish weathers to adopt a matt grey appearance which is reminiscent of lead but a low coefficient of expansion (half that of zinc) enables it to be used in long tray lengths.

Stunning stainless steel shingles for Borders transport interchange

Aperam UGINOX® TOP has been installed as shingles to provide a double-sided, durable matt façade on the £5.2m Galashiels Transport Interchange. The vertical cladding changes into a sloping mansard on a statement building for the tourism entry point to the Scottish Borders by bus, rail and road. With over 30 miles of track re-laid, the link between Edinburgh and Tweedbank reversed the closure which had been part of the Beeching plan. Stainless steel was specified in preference to aluminium for its lasting appearance, corrosion resistance, dimensional stability, sustainability and lower installed cost. Specialist contractor Longworth Metal Roofing fabricated the shingles off-site to minimise waste and ensure the highest standard of consistency. All off-cuts were recycled for fabrication into flashings and clips.