George Barnsdale & Sons Ltd

When it comes to views from your window, they don’t come much more prestigious than No 1 Palace Street which affords residents stunning views over the gardens of Buckingham Palace from the front of the historic listed building. With this in mind, arguably the fenestration on this project is one of the most important elements of the development as well as one of the more complex when taking into consideration the requirement to retain the facade of the building. Retained facades and the design and installation of the windows for them is not a straightforward mix and each project we come across throws up different challenges. A fusion of styles spanning Italian Renaissance, Beaux Arts, French Renaissance, Queen Anne and today’s 21st century contemporary design and build requirements, the seamless blending of old with new at No 1 Palace Street is something George Barnsdale is increasingly becoming known for.

Having worked with the developer Northacre Plc on one of their other prestigious projects The Lancasters , which is also a listed building with a retained facade, George Barnsdale was delighted to be entrusted with manufacturing and installing the timber windows and doors for this latest exclusive development beside the most famous of Royal palaces. Working directly with the contractor Balfour Beatty Plc, George Barnsdale supplied and installed 282 timber windows and 181 timber doors over a lengthy and complex project which has seen changes in contractor and architect personnel along the way.

Planning
From the early stages of the project, it was evident that it would be complicated with five different buildings on the site and lots of variations in glazing types throughout which tested the depth of the team’s acoustic knowledge to the full. Led by Stephen Wright, the Barnsdale team attended numerous design meetings to overcome the challenges of the project including the design of highly bespoke doors with a high level of tested acoustic, thermal and weather performance. Commenting on the project Stephen said “We are usually able to avoid the need for additional performance testing since we have so much of our own data already, but in the case of the doors on this project we did have to do additional testing to guarantee performance since they are unlike anything else we have manufactured.”

During the planning meetings as the project progressed multiple discussions took place between the architect and the Barnsdale team to agree the best way to deliver the design intent whilst balancing the function and performance of the products. As with any projects, there is often a conflict between the architect’s vision and the practical delivery, but we worked hard to achieve the best of both.




Surveying at No1 Palace Street

Designing
As the plans and technical specifications developed, the surveying team spent a lot of time on site measuring the old openings which were anything but standard and taking this back to the technical team to incorporate into the designs as well as the comprehensive installation details.

Commenting on the project, Vic Polydore, Technical Engineer said: “There are probably only four different item types but the variations in openings meant that, even if the design was agreed and confirmed, the interface details were completely different in most areas. An example of this was the first drawings that were submitted for Buckingham Gate external facade which consisted of four individual drawings. When it came to adding the “real life” wall interfaces, we would have had to increase to about ten drawings and that is for just one facade. Instead, we have a simplified process that includes “type drawing”, interface details and schedule, which, when read together, makes things much more straight forward.”

The windows themselves are a mix of around 270 Historic sliding sash windows, 10 dormer windows (3 of which are curved), 2 pivot windows, 179 inward opening tilt and turn doorsets (9 of which are curved) and two inward opening doorsets. Those windows at the front of the building had to be single glazed in order to meet the requirements of the Conservation Officer, whilst retaining high performance levels.

Production
When it came to the manufacture of the timber windows and doors, due to the size and weight of the products, it was necessary to supply the frames, sashes and weights separately to be installed on-site. When combined together some of the sliding sash windows weighed 350 kilos. The use of 24mm acoustic glazing meant that the production team had to use cranes in the factory to move large pieces of glass around as well as the thick 68mm sashes designed to accommodate such glass. Our most skilled craftsman worked on the intricate curved work on the heads and cills of some of the windows and inward opening tilt and turn doors.

“These are not run of the mill items,” said Darren Templeman, Production Director, “We had to be really creative at times, both

George Barnsdale has been officially named as an Accoya® Approved Manufacturer by Accys Group, having completed a comprehensive wood training programme.

Accoya® is a timber product that is made using Accsys’ proprietary patent protected non toxic process called acetylation which takes radiata pine to create modified wood equal or better than tropical hardwood in terms of its finish, durability and sustainability. Sourced from 100% sustainable forests, Accoya® comes with a 50 year warranty for projects above ground which makes it an ideal choice for our timber windows and doors. Throughout its 135 years, George Barnsdale has always selected the very best materials for its windows and doors and since its development Accoya® has proved to be an excellent fit. The finish of the timber is perfect for the four stage painting process developed at the Lincolnshire joinery company’s factory and the stability eradicates twisting and warping, ensuring product performance is maintained at the highest standards.

Every piece of Accoya® has been modified to its core providing the same performance and protection no matter how the wood is cut, planed, drilled or shaped offering infinite opportunities for a bespoke manufacturer such as George Barnsdale. To find out more about Accoya® read our blog here.

George Barnsdale is delighted to announce that a recent after sales survey show that customers continue to rate the company as “World class”. The average net promoter score was 92 (anything above 70 is considered world class). This measure is seen as putting the customer at the centre of everything and providing exceptional customer service.

Based in Donington, we manufacture bespoke timber windows and doors throughout the UK for domestic and commercial customers. Established in 1884, our commitment to customers has always been at the fore.

When it comes to the main reasons our customers buy from George Barnsdale, almost half said it was due to the company’s excellent reputation whilst the remainder said the high quality of the products.

Two thirds of respondents stated that the price quoted by the joinery company was either lower or about the same as other similar quotations they received. One homeowner said: “I was pleasantly surprised that windows of such high quality were so reasonable.”

George Barnsdale has been selected by developers GPF Lewis (Contractors) Ltd to manufacture and install the timber windows for a luxury apartment block at one of London’s most prestigious locations – the Bishops Avenue. A selection of bespoke Grandis Hardwood box sash windows and flush doorsets will be manufactured in Lincolnshire factory and installed in line with the client’s project of works.

In order to give the discerning residents the peace and quiet they crave, acoustic laminated glass will be incorporated into the design throughout the range of products. George Barnsdale has a large number of acoustic test data which enables them to specify the optimal solution to the client’s noise reduction requirements.

The box sash window also incorporates the patented sash seal which prevents draughts and provides optimal performance on a par with the best casement windows. Painted in an elegant white using George Barnsdale’s unique four stage paint process which ensures products won’t need repainting for at least 10 years with minimal maintenance. They will also outlast uPVC windows and are far more environmentally friendly!

Commenting on the development, Steve Dixon, Sales Director at George Barnsdale said “This is not the first development that George Barnsdale has been involved in at The Bishop’s Avenue, we supplied the windows for a large property on the same road about 20 years ago and they still look as good as the day they went in! We are really happy to be supplying and installing the windows for this project and look forward to working with the team at GPF Lewis to deliver a really stunning project”

George Barnsdale is delighted to announce it has been chosen to manufacture and install the timber windows for a renowned Grade II listed former workhouse building in Fitzrovia, London. Part of the Bedford Passage Development, the project is being undertaken by University College London Hospitals Charity to provide mixed residential and commercial accommodation. The Strand Union Workhouse is said to have been used by Charles Dickens as inspiration for his 1837 novel Oliver Twist and was listed Grade II in 2011.



A total of 119 timber box sliding sash single and double glazed windows will be designed and manufactured by George Barnsdale in the company’s Lincolnshire factory alongside some timber flush casement windows and doorsets. The company’s installation team will fit them this autumn/winter. Commenting on the project, Steve Dixon, Sales Director said “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work on this exciting development. We have delivered timber windows and doors on numerous projects throughout London but this has very special provenance with its links to Dickens and Florence Nightingale. We really do pride ourselves on the part we play in bringing these historical buildings back to life with our bespoke products.”



George Barnsdale’s experience with such commercial projects is extensive and a vast amount of thermal and acoustic data is held by the company from the research it has conducted on behalf of clients. As a result, the team is able to offer the optimum solution in terms of performance whilst retaining the original aesthetic of the building.

George Barnsdale has been selected to manufacture bespoke timber windows and doors for the Kampus project in Manchester. The canalside former cotton mill, which is listed, is undergoing a complete renovation by developers Capital and Centric and Henry Boot as part of a large programme of works to create luxury apartments and commercial retail space. George Barnsdale is providing a full service from survey to design, production and installation. A mix of timber flush casement windows, rectangular pivot windows and timber doorsets are currently working their way through the company’s Lincolnshire based factory. All George Barnsdale products are made in the UK where our dedicated commercial team are based and able to keep an eye on progress on behalf of clients like Mount Anvil, Balfour Beatty and Mace. For more information on our approach to commercial projects download our latest brochure.