The Sky is the Limit for Zinc
At 37 storeys and 104 metres tall, the £80m Sky Plaza’s 349,000 square feet of accommodation for 1,500 students and 4,400 square feet of ancillary retail space is already a focal point of the Leeds skyline.
By far the tallest student accommodation building in the world, it is also thought to be the biggest zinc cladding project in the UK to date. Carey Jones’ design utilised VM ZINC’s rainscreen panel system in ANTHRA-ZINC® for the full extent of the north façade. The zinc complements deeply recessed casement windows which are split into horizontal sections every seven floors and met criteria for materials to have minimum environmental impact.
Robert Cunniff, Director at Leeds-based careyjones, commented: "Sky Plaza represents a massive leap forward in terms of quality of product design and living environment for students in the UK."
Zinc is undoubtedly achieving increasing prominence as a façade and roofing material through such high profile projects. Its sustainability is confirmed by an already thriving recycling market which, in Western Europe, results in around 90% of old rolled zinc being reused. In addition, energy consumption in the manufacturing process from natural ore is the lowest of any metal used in construction today. The lasting and distinctive appearance of pre-weathered panel colours and minimal maintenance requirements enables zinc to be considered truly sustainable.
The diversity of projects throughout the world in which VM ZINC systems are being used highlights the way it can meet aesthetic, performance and sustainability criteria using materials which have their own distinctive identity. Systems complement contemporary and traditional new build or refurbishment designs and a wide variety of building materials. In terms of design scope, the sky really is the limit!
For details of roofing, cladding and rainwater goods from VM ZINC visit http://www.vmzinc.co.uk
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