REIDglazing:  Ampress Park Office Building

As well as offices for the flight companies this hangar doubles as the departures and arrivals building at a private airport, so both appearance and functionality were absolutely key. To give the extra edge on appearance this project has silicone glazed curtain walling so no external aluminium caps are used – giving a cleaner, more modern and stylish look. In both the hangar doors and the standard walls are long runs of ribbon windows. On the ground floor there are several commercial glazed doors, serving as both entrances and fire exits. This landmark building also features some smaller high level windows where switch-operated electric actuators are used for smoothly opening and closure.

In an environment with potentially high wind loads – combined with large structural openings – we stepped up from our standard 52mm curtain wall system to a stronger 62mm specification. This helped meet design loads and also carry the extra weight of the higher specification glass required for this landmark complex in the Belize capital city. Raked screens created more of an impressive feature for the glazing than standard rectangular screens to match the centre’s prestigious status. Due to the high public capacity of the centre, we provided a vast number of steel fire exit doors as well as glazed entrance doors as part of our project brief.

An important element of this project was providing the best views of the racing action, so we designed and installed floor to ceiling curtain walling to allow great views from inside the hospitality centre.