Commercial Heritage - Colston Street, Bristol

Originally built in the 1930s, 33 Colston Street had been home to Bristol’s YMCA hostel until the freehold was bought by the University of Bristol in 2009. The university then carried out a £6 million refurbishment programme to provide 121 study bedrooms and communal areas for students, undergoing a complete refurbishment prior to accepting students for the first time in 2011.

Smart Alitherm Heritage windows were specified for the project, the lines exactly matching the original steel windows that had been a feature of the building’s design. The upper floor casement windows were installed in a white polyester powder coated finish, and incorporated acoustic night vents to help maintain air flow while keeping external noise out of the building. Smart also supplied its Smart Wall framing system and entrance doors for the ground floor (in a brown finish) with the glazed panels featuring a unique selection of ‘etched’ drawings depicting various local scenes. The whole glazing scheme helped contribute to the achievement of a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’.