Gulf Construction Online - Systems give flight to creative designs

Glass & Aluminium

Reynaers used the CW50 and BS100 – for the first time in Bahrain at the Riffa sport club.

Systems give flight to creative designs

01 October 2005

Having already achieved its sales target for this year, Reynaers Middle East is highly confident of penetrating newer markets and consolidating itself further after setting up a base in the region just 15 months ago.

“We have fared much better than we expected and have secured some very good projects in Bahrain as well as in the other GCC states,” says Ali Khalaf, managing director of Reynaers Middle East, the regional office for the European aluminium systems manufacturer.
Among its extensive range of products is Brise Soleil (BS), a sun screening system, which is claimed to offer a total solar shading solution.
“Brise soleil is the generic term for a system of louvers which – when fitted to the external façade of a building – provides protection against solar gain and glare,” explains Khalaf. “Effective solar shading of the glazed areas of a building can spectacularly reduce solar gain. This can result in considerable savings with regard to air-conditioning.”
He continues: “Reynaers’ BS systems are designed to provide an aesthetic and practical shading solution to almost any new and existing building. They comprise a comprehensive and flexible range of fixed and movable products that can be fabricated to meet the requirements of any buildings. The systems, which provide different dimensions and types of blades, are offered as standard or bespoke solutions in a choice of RAL colours as well as anodised metallic finishes.
“In addition, the different BS sun screening systems can be easily combined with the Reynaers curtain walling system. Both systems are integral components in the climate control and comfort of a building and constitute Reynaers’ total façade solutions. Brackets for fixing BS systems to other non-Reynaers curtain-walling systems are also available.”
“Architects in the region appreciate the fact that we are a systems supplier providing all the necessary bracketing that support the BS sun screening on to our curtain-walling system. They can be assured that the system the fabricator produces has come from a total systems supplier. In fact, we are among the few local companies in the region that can offer a complete shading and curtain-walling system,” he claims.
Besides their functional characteristics, the systems are a cost-effective means for architects to add design interest and architectural appeal to buildings.
The BS system is also easy to install: the easy fixing of the louvers to the support arms and the integrated anchoring of the system to the curtain walls simplifies the installation.
To ensure an effective installation, Reynaers also offers BS Control, a software solution specifically designed to enable easy calculations for the BS systems in the various countries. This software helps determine the right size, inclination and the direction of the blades in the louvers so as to provide the best possible shading co-efficient for the location, he adds.
The systems can be motorised with electric linear actuators to provide maximum control over the amount of daylight passing through the system. Group control systems are available to give automatic control over complete facades via sun sensors. The BS systems can also be connected to the building management system (BMS).
While the Reynaers BS system has already been successfully installed at a number of prestigious projects in Europe, among the first applications of the system in Bahrain was at the Riffa Sports Club. A brise soleil was designed into the project by the architect and hence, Reynaers was the natural choice, Khalaf points out.
Reynaers’ conventional curtain walling system CW50 was also used for the project.
“This was a government project and it was a challenge for us to get the approval from the contractor, consultant and the ministry of works to use the Reynaers system,” he comments.
Following the completion of this project, however, the system was quickly stipulated for the Shabab Sports Club, where it is currently being installed.
“We are now receiving a lot of enquiries for the system from Dubai – for example, we have received preliminary enquiries from the Ritz Carlton Hotel in the emirate,” he says.
Reynaers Middle East has also introduced its sliding windows and doors in the region recently and is now launching wood/aluminium windows for casement windows which are targeted at luxury offices in Bahrain and other GCC countries, Khalaf adds.
Given its extensive range of products which includes high-tech systems such as double-skin facades, Reynaers has been able to penetrate markets in other areas of the region including Kuwait, Egypt and Libya where it has supplied unitised curtain-walling. It is now gearing up to supply curtain-walling for Cairo stadium through its fabricator Mobica.
In the Gulf, its systems are currently being installed at five colleges at the Ajman University, as well as a tower in Ajman and another in Sharjah (through its fabricator Becon).
In Kuwait, the system is being used for a National Bank of Kuwait branch, where the challenge was to supply the material profiles and accessories in about two weeks. Impressed with this project, the client has selected the Reynaers’ system for three other branches, says Khalaf.
Other projects include:
Al Ayam publishing headquarters in Bahrain. The structure has been designed by Al Andalus Engineering, while Abdul Aziz Aluminium is the fabricator of the curtain-walling system;
A 16-storey building at Seef, also in Bahrain with Al Andalus Engineering (fabricator – Ashbee Metal Cladding)
SK3 tower at Mahooz with Bahrain Engineering Bureau (fabricator – Ashbee Metal Cladding); and
The 100-m Regency Tower in Qatar (fabricator – Skywall Aluminium Glass).
Al Wazzan headquarters, First Tower, Al Jahra Cooperative Society and Al Noumas Building, all in Kuwait.
Khalaf attributes Reynaers’ remarkable success in such a short time span to the fact that it entered the market at the right time offering an extensive range of high quality products that are suitable for virtually any requirements throughout the region. These products are backed by excellent service and the experience he brought to Reynaers having worked in the aluminium profiles and systems supply market previously.
Since its entry into the region in July 2004, Reynaers has continued to adapt its products to suit the requirements of the market. Citing examples, he says: “We have incorporated external/internal fly screens into our sliding window systems. In addition, we have also developed non-thermal break profiles, in response to demand from the cost-conscious market sector.”
“Our head office also provides support. For example, where projects demand specific profiles, Reynaers Project Research and Development team in Belgium adapts standard profiles to meet the specific requirements of projects or provides bespoke solutions for architects requiring non-standard systems and profiles,” he adds.
Commenting on the company’s plans for the next year, Khalaf says: “We have hitherto focused on large projects. Next year, in addition to these, we will also be targeting the residential villa market.
“We also intend to tap other markets in the region including Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. We have visited Iran recently where the market sets special requirements. Among the projects we are looking at there is the 26-storey Mahestan Tower, to which our affiliate in Germany has already supplied.”
Reynaers Aluminium, which has almost 40 years of experience in the building industry, is one of Europe’s market leaders in the development, marketing and distribution of high-quality aluminium systems for windows, doors, sliding elements, curtain-walls, conservatories and sun screening systems. Reynaers’ systems provide solutions for new-build and renovation on the residential and project markets. The company has offices in almost all European countries, in China and the Middle East.