The former Stokes House, in central Belfast, has been comprehensively modernised as The Kelvin, a five storey CAT A office building featuring full refurbishment of office spaces on the five existing floors and rear yard.

The conversion works involved upgrading the building envelope and making improvements to bring it up to modern office standards for thermal performance, comfort, natural light, and services. The façades were replaced with light masonry while retaining the characteristic features of the existing building such as the tall column plinths along the principal façade. All windows within the building were also replaced plus floor to ceiling glazing on the ground and first floors to better connect the building activities to the street.

The project incorporated the use of 2M+ tilt & turn windows for office ventilation. For the curtain walling, RMI Architects specified a Syntha Pulvin Pearl Gold paint finish, with a combination of face caps and silicone pointing. To achieve a thermal performance of u-value 1.6w/m2k across the built glazed façade in conjunction with solar control glass, fabricator Bann Architectural Systems Ltd working to main contractor MSM Contracts Ltd used Metal Technology Ltd systems.

Systems used were: System 17 Capped Curtain Walling and from our Thermal ranges, System 5-35Hi+ Casement Windows, System 5-20Hi+ Heavy-Duty Doors, System 10-35Hi+ Automatic Sliding & Bi-Parting Commercial Doors and System 23 Glazed-In Louvres.