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Overview
The National Archives is the official archive of the UK government and one of the most important information repositories in the country. Located in Kew, London, the facility houses millions of historical documents and records, requiring a highly controlled internal environment and reliable building envelope performance.
One of the buildings within the site, known as Building Q2, required significant refurbishment work to address ongoing issues with roof leaks, ageing glazing systems, and rising energy consumption. The building covers approximately 13,500 square metres and supports daily operations for over 500 staff members, in addition to hundreds of visiting researchers and members of the public.
Structura was appointed to carry out the refurbishment of the building’s roof glazing and curtain wall systems, with the primary objectives of eliminating persistent water ingress, improving energy efficiency, enhancing building safety, and reducing long-term maintenance requirements.
The completed project delivered a fully refurbished glazing system, improved environmental performance, and a 12-year warranty against roof leaks, ensuring the long-term reliability of this critical national facility.
Details
Client:
The National Archives Estate Team
Location:
Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond
Architect:
HTP Architecture
Principle Contractor:
ETDE FM. (Now Bouygues Energies & Services)
Project Metrics
Key performance and project metrics include:
Building: The National Archives – Building Q2
Building Size: Approximately 13,500 square metres
Primary Works: Roof glazing refurbishment and curtain wall upgrades
Energy Performance Improvement: Approximately 50 percent reduction in energy consumption over four years
Warranty: 12-year guarantee against roof leaks
Occupancy: Over 500 staff members plus hundreds of daily visitors
Operational Status During Works: Building remained fully accessible throughout the project
The Challenge
Refurbishing the glazing and curtain wall systems of a major public building presents several technical and operational challenges. The National Archives project required careful planning and engineering to resolve multiple issues simultaneously while maintaining continuous building operations.
Persistent Roof Leaks
One of the primary issues affecting Building Q2 was repeated water ingress through the roof glazing and curtain walling systems. Over time, ageing components and deteriorating seals had resulted in leaks that required frequent patch repairs. These temporary fixes were not sustainable long term. Continued water ingress risked damaging interior finishes, increasing maintenance costs, and potentially affecting the controlled environments required for archive storage. A permanent solution was needed to replace and improve the existing glazing systems to ensure the building envelope remained watertight.
Energy Performance & Environmental Efficiency
Another major objective of the project was to reduce the building’s energy consumption. Older glazing systems often perform poorly in terms of thermal efficiency, allowing heat loss in winter and excessive solar gain during warmer months. This places greater demand on mechanical heating and cooling systems. Improving the building envelope through modern glazing technologies offered the opportunity to significantly reduce energy consumption while improving indoor comfort for building occupants.
Safety and Compliance Requirements
Because the building is a public facility used daily by staff and visitors, improving fire safety systems was also a key requirement. The refurbishment therefore included the installation of electrically operated smoke vents, designed to integrate with the building’s fire alarm system. These systems allow smoke to be vented from the building during an emergency, improving safety for occupants and assisting emergency response teams. Integrating new safety systems within the existing building structure required careful engineering and coordination.
Minimising Disruption to Building Operations
The National Archives is a continuously active facility. Building Q2 remained in use throughout the refurbishment works, accommodating over 500 employees and hundreds of daily visitors. This meant construction activities had to be planned carefully to ensure that the building remained fully accessible and operational during the project. Maintaining normal building operations while undertaking major façade refurbishment required detailed coordination between project teams and building management.
Environmental Conditions & External Noise
The site sits directly under the Heathrow Airport flight path, meaning that acoustic performance within the building is particularly important. Existing glazing systems were not providing optimal sound insulation or glare control. Improving these conditions would help create a better working environment for staff and visitors.
Structura’s Solution
Structura delivered a comprehensive refurbishment programme focusing on the building’s roof glazing and curtain wall systems. The solution addressed water ingress, improved thermal performance, enhanced safety features, and reduced ongoing maintenance requirements.
Roof Glazing Refurbishment
The primary technical component of the project involved the replacement and improvement of the roof glazing systems. The new glazing systems were designed to provide improved weather resistance, increased durability, better thermal performance, and enhanced long-term reliability.
Careful attention was given to the design of seals, joints, and drainage systems to ensure the refurbished glazing eliminated the sources of previous water ingress. The result was a fully watertight glazing installation designed to perform reliably for many years.
Curtain Wall System Improvements
Alongside the roof glazing works, Structura also refurbished elements of the curtain walling systems within Building Q2. Curtain wall systems form a critical part of the building envelope and must integrate correctly with the glazing and roof systems to prevent water penetration. The refurbishment ensured that the curtain walling performed effectively alongside the upgraded glazing installations, creating a continuous and durable façade system.
Energy Performance Improvements
One of the key outcomes of the glazing upgrade was a significant improvement in the building’s thermal performance. Modern glazing technologies were used to improve insulation and reduce heat transfer through the building envelope.
Over a four-year period following the refurbishment, the improved glazing contributed to a reduction in energy consumption of approximately 50 percent. This substantial improvement demonstrates the important role that building envelope upgrades can play in reducing energy usage and improving environmental performance.
Installation of Electrically Operated Smoke Vents
As part of the refurbishment programme, Structura installed new electrically operated smoke vents within the roof glazing system. These smoke vents are integrated directly with the building’s fire alarm system. In the event of a fire, the vents automatically open to allow smoke to escape from the building.
This system improves occupant safety by allowing faster smoke extraction, improving visibility during evacuation, and supporting emergency response operations. The integration of these systems within the glazing structure required careful design and installation.
Reducing Long-Term Maintenance Requirements
Before the refurbishment, the building required ongoing patch repairs to address recurring leaks. These reactive repairs were both costly and inefficient. By replacing and upgrading the glazing and curtain wall systems, Structura delivered a permanent solution that significantly reduced the need for ongoing maintenance. The improved systems now provide reliable performance without the repeated repairs that were previously required.
Maintaining Full Building Access
Throughout the refurbishment works, the building remained fully operational. Structura coordinated construction activities to ensure that staff, researchers, and visitors could continue using the building without interruption. Maintaining full accessibility during construction required careful scheduling and site management, particularly in areas with high foot traffic.
Project Results
The National Archives refurbishment project delivered significant improvements to the building envelope, operational efficiency, and long-term building performance.
Leak-Free Roof with Long-Term Warranty
One of the most important outcomes of the project was the elimination of persistent roof leaks. The refurbished glazing and curtain wall systems now provide a fully watertight building envelope, backed by a 12-year warranty against roof leaks. This provides building operators with long-term confidence in the performance of the refurbished systems.
Significant Energy Reduction
The improved glazing systems contributed to a reduction in energy consumption of approximately 50 percent over four years. This improvement demonstrates the impact that modern glazing technologies can have on building efficiency. Lower energy consumption not only reduces operational costs but also contributes to broader sustainability goals.
Improved Safety Systems
The installation of electrically operated smoke vents significantly improved the building’s fire safety infrastructure. These systems allow smoke to be vented quickly in the event of a fire, helping to protect occupants and supporting emergency evacuation procedures.
Enhanced Working Environment
The new glazing systems also improved the internal environment for building occupants. Key improvements included reduced glare levels, improved sound insulation, and greater indoor comfort. Because the building sits beneath the Heathrow flight path, improved acoustic insulation was particularly beneficial for staff working within the facility.
Lower Maintenance Requirements
By eliminating the need for ongoing patch repairs, the refurbishment significantly reduced maintenance costs associated with the building envelope. Building operators now benefit from a more reliable glazing system that requires less reactive maintenance.