Commercial

Boclair Academy, Bearsden

Client: East Dumbartonshire Council

CMS Enviro Systems has helped East Dunbartonshire Council transform the learning environment in one of its largest secondary schools.

The company has completed a major contract to replace windows and curtain walling at the 1000+ student Boclair Academy in Bearsden. Completed as part of East Dunbartonshire Council's ongoing school refurbishment programme, the project involved around 500 new windows as well as additional curtain walling screens.

CMS Enviro Systems was able to complete the work when the school was occupied and operating as normal, with disruption kept to a minimum throughout the installation. The project was carried out on time and on budget to the delight of the school and East Dunbartonshire Council. This was even more remarkable given that all waste materials including existing steel windows were removed from site and completely recycled.

All windows and curtain walling were fabricated by CMS Enviro Systems using the Sheerframe 7000 system, a multi-chamber co-extruded PVC window system which is widely used in school buildings, colleges and universities across the UK.

CMS Enviro Systems uses Sheerframe to provide a wide range of high performance products including A rated, energy efficient windows to the Energy Saving Trust's 'recommended' status. Additionally, the company offers a specification that includes Secured by Design accredited products which gives it a unique competitive advantage and reiterates its status as a first class product supplier.

Operating out of its 85,000 sq. ft. factory and headquarters in Cumbernauld, the ISO9001 and ISO14001 registered company serves local authorities, RSLs (registered social landlords) and housebuilders across Scotland. Committed to providing a 'closed loop' service, CMS Enviro Systems also remove and safely recycle existing windows and doors, whether they are timber, aluminium, steel or first generation PVC.

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As well as delivering windows with superior thermal performance, Sheerframe has the benefit of being UK-made in ISO14001 registered factories and, importantly, it is calcium organic stabilised which means it is free of lead additives.

Towards the end of last year we were approached by our Education Department who had been allocated additional funding which had to be spent by the end of the financial year, 31 March 2008. Boclair Academy, a large five storey school was in need of new windows, and was due to form part of the Capital Programme for the following financial year. As we needed a quick spend this seemed the ideal project.

The project was initiated in early November and to avoid any unforeseen difficulties with the project and ensure the correct specification, a pilot scheme was carried out in conjunction with CMS Enviro Systems Ltd. This proved to be an invaluable exercise as we were able to settle on the most appropriate method of fixing and also avoid the unnecessary use of curtain walling sections which we originally thought would be required. The knowledge and experience of the CMS team was most helpful in finalising the specification. The pilot also proved useful in that we discovered asbestos panels not shown in the Asbestos Register.

As our in-house contractor had intimated that they would not be able to carry out the work in the limited time available, Contract Documents were prepared and tenders issued to four fabricators who had confirmed that they could return the tenders in the short time provided and complete the work by the end of the financial year. These were issued on 11 December 2007 with a return date of 20 December 2008 We consider environmental issues to be important and the tender document stipulated that all existing materials were to be re-cycled.

The successful tenderer was CMS Enviro Systems Ltd and prior to acceptance of their tender I visited their premises and was impressed by their commitment to environmental issues and the seriousness with which they approached the re-cycling of materials. They had separate skips for different materials e.g. Glass, metal, plastic and aluminium and chipped all wood waste for use in a biomass boiler which heats the factory. Any material not able to be re-cycled was put in a special skip with a compactor therefore reducing the volume of material for landfill.

Meetings were held with the Head Teacher and the Facilities Officer to discuss the programme and a good relationship was established with the contractor. Those areas of the school which could not be disrupted had the windows fitted out of hours, either once the pupils left or at weekends. Work progressed smoothly and efficiently and was completed on time and on budget. Both our Department and the school were pleased with the way the work had been carried out and with the improvement to the building. The client was also delighted to have been able to achieve the agreed spend and to have another school substantially improved.

I have worked successfully with CMS Enviro Systems on several projects, but they really provided a sterling service with this particular contract. I would have no hesitation in recommending this company.

Mike Smith
Senior Architectural Technician / CDM Co-ordinator