Metal Technology supplied System 17 Hi+ curtain walling, System 4-35 Hi+ casement windows and System 10-35 Hi+ thermally broken commercial doors for Thames Valley Police’s new Forensic Services Centre in Bicester. Installed by Dudley’s Aluminium for Willmott Dixon, and designed by AtkinsRéalis, the façade package serves a purpose-built, three-storey hub of around 4,700mÇ. The building is the main base for TVP’s Forensic Investigation Unit, bringing laboratories, digital forensics, crime scene investigation and training together on force-owned land near Avonbury Business Park.

TVP needed to replace a facility at the end of its economic life, rationalise its estate and give staff modern accommodation with room to grow. Organised around a full-height atrium, the centre uses floor-to-ceiling glazing to pull daylight deep into the plan and connect workplaces with the Oxfordshire landscape. Roof terraces and landscaped breakout space support wellbeing for the 175-200 people who will work there.

High-performance aluminium systems made that openness possible without sacrificing comfort. System 17 Hi+ and System 4-35 Hi+ deliver the thermal performance and large glazed areas the design required; on elevations at risk of overheating, extended cover caps on selected mullions reduce solar gain while keeping the façade slim and civic. System 10-35 Hi+ commercial doors complete a robust, thermally broken envelope suited to a secure, high-use public building.

The project was TVP’s first chance to get as close as possible to net zero within budget and targeted BREEAM Excellent. When the scheme ran over budget, Metal Technology and Dudley’s Alumninium value engineered the façade so work could continue – protecting daylight, thermal performance and overheating control. Practical completion in summer 2026 hands the force a brighter, more efficient forensic workplace, and shows how certified systems and close fabricator collaboration can keep a complex public project on track.