In May 2009, Blackmores, Australia’s leading natural heath care solutions provider, moved into a new purpose-built facility in Warriewood, on Sydney’s northern beaches. The Blackmores Campus has many environmentally sustainable features incorporated into its design, resulting in a carbon footprint one-eighth that of comparable developments in the area.
One of the most striking elements of the design is the reception area. As visitors walk over the timber bridge spanning a calming water feature, they are greeted by a virtual forest of timber lattice, which frames a two-storey glass atrium housing the reception area for the campus.
The design of this atrium called for a highly innovative solar management solution. With a height of almost seven metres and no horizontal mullions, a completely unique solution was required. Due to the specific nature of this site, with the blinds being well protected from the prevailing winds in a courtyard, a series of Helioscreen external sunscreen blinds powered by Somfy motors was installed. The Helioscreen blinds are further protected from strong winds by the Somfy Eolis sensor that retracts the blinds once the wind speed reaches a pre-determined level.
The manufacture and installation of such large blinds called for specialist expertise. Using its knowledge of working with very large blinds, Helioscreen sourced 130 mm tubes and had high-load brackets fabricated specifically for the project.
“Initially we were a little hesitant to use such large blinds externally,” says David Thomas, general manager of Helioscreen. “The secret to this installation has been the attention to detail, from Helioscreen at the design stage, and project managers Flexitrack, who undertook the sale and installation of the blinds, as well as the willingness of the client to work with us given the complexity of the job.”
Helioscreen external sunscreens are available with a number of different size and profile head boxes. They can be supplied with either stainless steel wire guides or aluminium tracks and can be powder coated to suit any facade. Maximum sizes depend on the fabric chosen, but generally sizes are up to 3.8 metres in width and 3.5 metres in drop. Automation systems available through Somfy cater for everything from a single RTS remote-controlled motor, right through to a complete facade management system controlling literally thousands of motors.
Helioscreen and Somfy, as industry-leading partners, can tailor the perfect solution to meet an architect’s design requirements. Whether it is to design a six-star green building with a bioclimatic facade or to simply add a unique stylistic touch, an automated Helioscreen sun control system powered by Somfy is an ideal sun control solution. Helioscreen Australia offers a three-year warranty for all hardware with a five-year warranty on fabrics, while Somfy provides a five-year warranty for all motors and automation systems.