Members of the UK Green
Achilles Building Confidence
British Embassy, Dar es Salaam
Levolux keeps it cool!
Close to the equator, the British Embassy Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is housed in a purpose built seven storey building which is shared with the German, Dutch and EU missions. Levolux was responsible for providing sunshading systems and walkways that not only provide protection from solar heat gain but also integrate with the building’s architecture and are capable of performing in the area’s rigorous climatic conditions.
sun is high in the sky and can hit either side of the building
Due to the building’s geographic position the sun is high in the sky and can hit either side of the building depending on the time of year. At the same time the glazing has a complicated laminated structure and needed protecting from the sun to stop it moving and cracking. Consequently much of the structure was ‘clad’, shaded by brise-soleil.
The bespoke Levolux system comprises horizontal steel brackets cantilevered out from the concrete façade, at their end ‘I’ beams drops vertically. Between these beams are fitted specially extruded 300mm aerofoil fins in anodised aluminium. In addition the brackets carry walkways to allow access for maintenance and cleaning of the glass and louvres.
Levolux personnel attended site
Levolux worked in partnership with Noremco, the Norwegian contractor, shipping the systems to Dar es Salaam and supplying design, project management and, at specific times, labour. At each stage of installation, Levolux personnel attended site and worked alongside the contractor’s labour force to teach them how to install the various elements.
Josh Berry, job architect, The Manser Practice comments: “Levolux was a very good outfit and we enjoyed working with them. Not only were they very helpful but they made good design suggestions and were generally proactive in producing their shop drawings and finding discrepancies in the structural drawings.”
| Architect: | The Manser Practice |
| Products used: | Shading Louvres |
| Aluminium Fins | |
| Walk on Brise Soleil | |
| Bespoke Solution |