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Sophos Headquarters
Solar Shading System Protects Protection Leaders
A £32million state-of-art global headquarters for Sophos, world leader in the business of protecting companies from computer viruses, has incorporated an innovative louvre system from Levolux, designed to provide organisations with a different type of protection – protection from the elements.
The headquarters in Abingdon, Oxfordshire was designed by Bennetts Associates and officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen. Covering an area of 145,000 sq ft, the three-storey building is finished externally in steel, aluminium, brick and vast expanses of glass, providing employees with uninterrupted views and creating a modern, airy working environment.
environmental best practice
To control the light, glare and solar heat gain within the building, Bennetts Associates, who designed the building to combine environmental best practice with the requirements of a highly serviced, IT-intensive organisation,
specified a horizontal projecting canopy of 400mm fixed aerofoil fins.
Developed by Levolux, market leaders in the design, manufacture and installation of solar shading solutions, the fins, effectively helps control solar heat gain without reducing the view from inside the building and whilst enhancing the architectural aesthetics of the building.
uninterrupted, clean lines
To create uninterrupted, clean lines around the building, Levolux, working closely with Bennetts Associates, created bespoke fixing within the aluminium supporting frame. These allowed the fins, fabricated as one piece extruded aluminium sections, to be fixed with the minimum of effort adding to the overall impressive appearance of the building.
Virtually maintenance free, the aerofoil fin system can be used on both new and existing developments, adding a fresh dimension to the building’s character and providing vital control of light, glare and solar heat gain. As well as single piece fins, they are available as multiple parts and can be mounted at a fixed angle adjustable by means of motors or be fully automated with solar controls.
Like all systems from Levolux, the aerofoil fins system is backed with the company’s design, manufacture and installation package and can be produced in a variety of materials and finishes to co-ordinate with the overall architectural design of any building.
| Architect: | Bennetts Associates |
| Products used: | Aluminium Fins |
| Fabricated Fins |