Metic has completed two international contracts worth EUR 3 million for large-scale glass wall and skylight projects in Britain and Barbados, secured by Metic Glass, the building products group“s rec…
Metic has completed two international contracts worth EUR 3 million for large-scale glass wall and skylight projects in Britain and Barbados, secured by Metic Glass, the building products group“s recently launched glazing division. The first contract regards Queen Mary and Westfield College University in London, which has appointed the firm to design and install glazing for a new humanities building with a 300-seat auditorium. Meanwhile, Metic is also working on a second glazing contract for Windsor Plaza, the developer behind the Lanterns Shopping Centre development in Christ Church, Barbados, worth a EUR 1.5 million. Awarded at the beginning of April 2009, the Queen Mary and Westfield contract regards a glazed curtain window running the length of the new 37,136-sq.ft. humanities building, which also incorporates a glass-clad film and drama facility. Paul Williams, chief executive of Metic Group, said the deal reflected a wider trend in the market towards sustainable building practices. The building will use ground source heat pumps to generate renewable energy on site. ““The timber curtain walling we are using in the development is environmentally friendly, using timber from environmental sources, Williams said. ““Timber curtain walling and high performance glass lower energy requirements and, in some instances, bring energy into buildings. ““We plan to diversify our products further over the coming months to look particularly at products that bring energy into buildings, such as photovoltaic, natural ventilation and solar shading. The Barbados project involves the design of a large skylight for the 4,571-sq.m. Lanterns Shopping Centre in Christ Church. ““Lanterns Shopping Centre is designed within an L-shaped configuration over two floors flanked by an open air colonnade, said Williams. ““The two arms of the L-shape converge on an atrium with retail units on both levels. The overhead skylight is a unique and pivotal feature in the atrium section of the development. Metic Group plc was established in January 2007 and is based in Dublin. The building systems and products group has operations in Britain and overseas, employs 103 full-time staff, and has annual revenues of EUR 23 million. Williams said Metic planned to become a leading international building systems and products group. ““We are diversifying, like many other companies, to keep up with our clients“ requirements, he said. ““We are concentrating on international opportunities. In the Middle East, we have two projects in negotiation at the moment. We have two in the West Indies and more in negotiation in Romania and Bulgaria. The firm paid EUR 10 million over two months in 2008 to acquire three British companies operating in the specialist glazing market. In March 2008, it bought Melayway Glass Assembles and SpaceDeck Systems for a combined EUR 8 million, followed by EUR 2 million in May 2008 for glazing technology specialist Portal. Melayway specializes in glass, aluminium and timber curtain wall faades while Space Decks focuses on the design and installation of sophisticated glass and steel skylights. The division, which has three production facilities in Britain, has since completed a EUR 3.9 million contract with the Grand Arcade Shopping Centre in Cambridge to design glass roofing and faade glazing. A further EUR 4.4 million deal involves the design and installation of a glazed dome and two large mall-glazed roof structures for Victoria Square Shopping Centre in Belfast.