Replacing six 100m long rooflights during ongoing business operations
The roof of the 1969 industrial building was getting on in years. The construction was no longer completely waterproof, and the design did not meet the energy or fire protection technical requirements for a modern workplace. A renovation was needed, and this was carried out by the architects at BKW Energie AG.
To preserve the original features of GF Wavin AG, a company making piping systems for gas and water supply, it was decided the roof's original structure should be retained.
However, it was necessary to consider that the new insulated windows with laminated safety glass and thermally insulated cover would weigh many times more than the original fibre-cement cover and simple glazing.
The industrial plant continued to work throughout the six months of roof renovation from October 2019 to March 2020. To protect the employees and the sensitive production robots, a safety net was installed which made it possible to continue working inside the building while work was being done on the roof. Every old window that was removed had to be replaced the same day by a new module.