61 St Aldates, Oxford

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 61 St Aldates, a fully occupied student boarding house, recently underwent a comprehensive facade upgrade after a 2022 investigation identified issues with the cladded North elevation.

The project required careful coordination and agreement with the adjacent Oxford Combined County Court (OCCC) to set up scaffolding and allow access. Once established, the façade was stripped back to the internal plasterboard and Metsec structure.

New structural framing members, including hot-rolled steel, were installed to support the construction of an A1-rated rainscreen cavity system using Valcan’s VirtoDual A1-rated aluminium-coated panels. Fire-rated windows were also installed along this elevation, and all internal works adhered to the school’s safeguarding procedures. 

Completion: July 2024