An innovative and adaptable solution makes it possible to retrofit and refurbish building facades cost-effectively and with minimal disruption to occupants.
In response to changes in regulations instituted to ensure better building safety, and specifically fire safety, a vast number of existing buildings need to be retrofitted with cladding that complies with these new standards.
Hycgan, a boutique property development and management company based in London, developed a unique offering to façade remediate existing problematic external walls. Khoshal Azeemi, Managing Director of Hycgan explains, “Our innovation makes it possible to install new cladding and retrofit cladding on the exterior of new and existing buildings, with minimum disruption to the occupants. Costs are kept low and our installation requires a shorter timeline than traditional methods.
“We understand the objectives of the new legislation and work with the owner to take what is in place and produce a solution for the façade enhancement. If a build has no combustible elements in its cladding, an industry platinum rating of A1 is achieved. Most remediations are executed to B1 rating, meaning there is still combustible material in the facade, but it is secured. At Hycgan we strive to achieve an A1 rating for our remediation projects. To achieve this, we remove all combustible and flammable material from the external skin of a building and replace it with non-combustible material.”
What makes Hycgan’s method of exterior wall remediation so attractive is that it requires minimal to no scaffolding and can operate on buildings with curved exteriors. This method causes minimal disruption to tenants, keeps costs low, and operates on a shorter timeline than traditional methods.
Hycgan offers a one-stop shop for building owners with problematic facades. The team manages all elements of the retrofit from understanding the specific problems, finding ways to remediate with the least disruption and managing the entire process.
Khosal concludes, “All projects are managed by Hycgans’ small core team of experts. The team is involved in every aspect of the project, and this ensures that the initial vision is understood and carried out throughout the project. All decisions during the process are taken with the initial vision in mind. Creating safe, quality, and affordable living spaces is at the heart of every Hycgan project.