Façade Condition Survey – Police Headquarters, Kent

Project Details

Barry Jubb Associates was appointed to carry out a comprehensive façade condition survey of the Police Headquarters building in Kent.

Background and brief

The building was completed in 2008 and serves as the headquarters for Kent Police, providing specialist, administrative and operational accommodation. The four-storey commercial building features full-height curtain wall glazing, prominent external precast concrete columns and beams and brise soleil to the south elevation.

With the original façade warranties expired, the brief was to assess the condition and performance of the curtain walling and associated façade elements, and to provide a full façade condition survey report to identify current risks, compliance obligations, and future maintenance priorities.

 

Work undertaken

Scope of the façade condition survey

Barry Jubb Associates was appointed to carry out a 100% condition survey of the curtain walling façade, covering the entire building envelope. The scope included the inspection of curtain walling, louvres, doors and smoke vents across all elevations, as well as the internal atrium glazing.

The survey was visual and non-intrusive, designed to assess condition and performance without disrupting the building’s operation or requiring invasive opening-up works.

Access strategy and site constraints

The works were carefully planned to reflect the site’s operational and physical constraints, and maintain progress while minimising disruption. Narrow hardstanding areas adjacent to the elevations required the use of suitably selected MEWPs, with access strategies adapted to suit each elevation.

Inspections had to be coordinated with other contractors on site, resulting in a short 4-day timescale for the works to be completed, while strict security requirements also influenced how inspections and photographic records could be undertaken, both internally and externally.

Inspection methodology and coverage

Inspections were undertaken internally from ground to fourth floor level, externally using MEWPs and cherry pickers, and via the internal BMU to access the atrium curtain walling. This combined approach ensured full coverage of the façade, despite access restrictions and programme constraints.

All observations on façade condition and defects were recorded using the digital data capture system, Next Field. This allowed each observation to be accurately logged, referenced to specific façade elevations and supported by photographic records.

The system provides detailed positional information for each defect or observation, allowing images to be enlarged for closer inspection. This approach ensured that findings were not only recorded clearly but could also be interrogated and reviewed in detail by the client as required.

 

Outcomes and value delivered

Clear baseline understanding of façade condition

The resulting façade condition survey report provided the client with a structured assessment of the building façade, looking at how it is performing as a system and giving recommendations for next steps to prevent any issues from developing into more serious problems.

Recommendations and proactive maintenance planning

The report reinforced the importance of planned, preventative maintenance rather than reactive repair. This included ongoing maintenance to membranes, gaskets and sealants to maintain the watertightness and airtightness performance of the curtain walling, as well as the continued safety of its elements.

Recommendations were also made to review and improve the existing cleaning regime to reduce future long-term staining or degradation of façade components and to support the overall durability and appearance of the building.

In areas where heavier water staining was observed, water testing was recommended to help replicate potential leaks and establish their root cause, while other areas were identified as suitable for monitoring as part of a longer-term maintenance strategy.

Further targeted investigations were recommended to support compliance with current safety standards. This included a glass survey and investigation, followed by a risk assessment, as well as a recommendation for a separate 100% condition survey and report of the external precast concrete columns and beams.

Informed decision-making and risk management

By providing a clear condition report, prioritised recommendations and a structured framework for future action, the survey enabled the client to plan maintenance, manage risk and take a long-term, informed approach to the care of a complex glazed façade.

 

To discuss your needs or book a façade condition survey, contact us today.