The Pioneer Point Project
Background
To help create an architectural beacon in the East End of London.
The Building
Pioneer Point is a residential development of two prestigious towers providing more than 250 serviced apartments in the heart of Ilford, with extraordinary views of the City of London skyline.
The Brief in Brief
The new residential blocks deliver state-of-the-art design combined with modern urban living within an up and coming suburb of the city. However, with so many residential units across the towers, fire and evacuation safety was paramount. With very specific requirements, the specialist Internal Glass Division of Komfort was brought in to deliver the solution to help Pioneer Point maintain a safe but stylish answer to an age-old.
Komfort’s Solution
Komfort’s initial contract was for the design, manufacture and installation of 50 fully glazed 60/60 fire rated screens with single doors installed in the stairwells of the 25 storey South and 33 storey North Towers. The Komfort 5000 series thermally broken steel framed system was fitted with 29mm thick fire insulation glass throughout. The glass has a layer of gel between the double-glazing that provides 60 minutes of structural integrity and 60 minutes of insulation, which effectively keeps the glass cool and the structure in place to make sure that, in the event of an evacuation, residents can exit safely. White diffusa laminate was also incorporated within the glass to give it a translucent effect, and create a defined space between the stairwell and residential areas of the building.
Due to the success of this installation, Komfort obtained a further contract variation to install additional screens and doors providing the same level of fire protection performance to the lower level common use floors, in particular the Concierge area, which provides 24-hour assistance and security to residents.
The end result
“Komfort was able to provide a safe, modern solution for the client. This is certainly an outstanding project achievement, given the site access restrictions and the large glass panels to be lifted, making this Komfort installation unique.”
Aside from being an architectural beacon of the East London skyline, the towers have provided re-development to the area by creating jobs and by providing a landmark to put Ilford on the map. Built on the site of an old market, the towers and future retail areas helped regenerate the Ilford area following the 2012 games.