New energy-efficient Crittall windows have been installed in a late 1960s tower block at one of north Londons major hospitals for main contractor Kier Construction (London).

The £1.5 million contract saw more than 300 windows replaced in the eight-storey tower and two-to-four storey podium building at North Middlesex University Hospital, and was carried out in a manner designed to reduce noise and disturbance for patients and staff in the hospital buildings.

Situated in Edmonton, the hospital has undergone a multi-million rebuild and upgrading in recent years. Crittall has been involved in the refurbishment of windows in the nearby stroke and cardiology departments.

For the eight-storey tower block, built in 1968, 322 C2000 composite windows were installed. The elevations have differing glass specifications with variations in the thickness of sound control laminators. Various windows also had Solarshield film applied where showers or toilets are being fitted internally.

Some 95% of the window replacement was undertaken using Camac Mast Climbers, seen as a far more efficient external access solution than scaffolding. New materials were loaded by Telehandler into the goods hoist through a larger side door, taken to the desired floor and pallet trucked to the work area.

The old windows, which were also Crittall units, were removed by levering out the vents, splitting the couplings, taking the frame out in sections and passing all parts to the inside of the building. They were then placed on trollies, brought down in the hoist and disposed of in skips to be recycled. No grinders are used and no glass was broken during window removals. This helped to keep noise and dust disturbance to a minimum which was particularly important as two floors were occupied by patients and staff.