Wrightstyle has been appointed to provide advanced fire-safety systems for a prestigious new retail development in Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire.
To protect shoppers, Wrightstyle will be supplying five fire-rated screens and a double door for a new Sainsbury’s store, one of the anchor retailers on the site.
Planning permission for Village Centre North was granted in July 2018. Construction is well underway with the mixed-use phase due to open by this summer.
To secure planning permission, the developers, Dorchester Living, worked with Historic England, Cherwell District Council, Oxfordshire County Council, and other stakeholders.
Village Centre North will form part of Heyford Park, one of Oxfordshire’s leading business parks. It has attracted a broad range of occupiers from both the private and public sectors. The park is already home to over 100 businesses employing over 1,200 people.
SR60
Wrightstyle’s client for the project is Unique Window Systems, and the company will be supplying fire-safety systems from its SR60 series, certified to EI60.
This classification means that the glazing system is certified to 60 minutes against the passage of fire, smoke and toxic gases.
You can read more about recent SR60 projects in London and at Heathrow Airport here.
Developed specifically for fire insulated applications, Wrightstyle’s system is constructed using a unique heat absorbing infill. This is contained completely within the profile.
Underlining the system’s flexibility, multiple configurations of doors, screens and windows can be produced from these profiles.
It is therefore a system that covers many applications, from the protection of escape routes to establishing complex building boundaries.
Another Wrightstyle advantage is that the system has design features that ensure clean internal lines.
Fire protection
Wrightstyle has particular experience in the retail sector, having provided systems for several shopping centres, in the UK, Greece, Lebanon and Hong Kong.
The company has also recently provided similar systems for a number of Lidl stores in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
“Our fire-safety systems are designed to protect life in the event of a blaze. They protect escape routes and contain the fire at source,” said Arran Wright, workshop manager.
“But, importantly, all our systems balance form and function. Not only do they provide protection against fire, smoke and toxic gas, they offer maximum transparency and aesthetic appeal. That’s why they work well in a retail environment,” he said.
The company has also written extensively on fire protection in the retail sector.
Picture: Profiles being inspected before going for powder coating.
