A new bird viewing hide has been built at the RSPB Freiston Shore reserve, near Boston in Lincolnshire.

The RSPB Freiston shore bird hide project was designed by Norwegian bird hide Specialists Biotope . Biotope provided a finished design for birdwatching, combining architectural design alongside caring for nature. The new hide creates an open and inviting architecture aimed at connecting people with nature. This hide achieves the careful balance between the need for visibility and shelter to attract visitors, whilst blending into the landscape and remaining sympathetic to the sensitivities of the birds and their habitats.

ATL was appointed to the project by principle contractor Walker Construction Ltd. Faced with some of the harshest Lincolnshire ‘Wash’ weather, Walker Construction battled through it all to deliver the building shell.

Construction of the hide was undertaken by Walker Construction in very challenging weather conditions

ATL provided design input and the specification and production of the heat soak toughened and laminated glass viewing panels. As ever our technician team carefully completed the installation and sealing of the viewing panels on site.

The view across the lagoon at low tide

The ATL viewing panel installation at RSPB Fresiton shore

RSPB Freiston Shore is an internationally important saltmarsh lagoon habitat. This new bird hide will provide a unique outlook over the lagoon. The hide will be partially submerged underwater so visitors to the hide will have the opportunity to view through ATL’s viewing panels and be eyelevel with the birds sitting in and around the water.

This is just another example of the breadth of ATL’s project experience. We wish the RSPB Freiston shore project every future success. You can view more details about Freiston shore here

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Our team has recently completed the design, manufacture and installation of a series of large glass flood glazing windows for a project in Wargrave near Reading. We were contacted at the feasibility stage of the project to offer specific design advice for the potential specification of the flood glazing windows. The Thameside site is located on the flood plain with the site and the surrounding area potentially flooding to a depth of 1.2m. The brief was to provide floor to eaves height flood glazing windows without vertical supports so as not to interrupt the views. Therefore the resulting glass specifications were to consider a self supporting vertical installation. With over 38 metres of glass facade on two separate buildings this was a significant project on a very desirable luxury residence location. ATL were tasked with providing a proposal and were very proud to be awarded the design and installation contract. Working with ATL’s nominated structural engineers and the client team building engineers, together we developed a suitable approach using heat soak toughened and laminated glass panels. These panels were assembled using special structural interlayers which assisted in reducing overall panel thicknesses.

Some of the flood glazing windows at ATL

The series of 4.7m x 2.4m glass panels were produced and delivered to ATL as we prepared for the installation. Our team met the delivery on site and set about the task of installing the glasses into the framed rebates.

ATL’s flood glazing arriving on site

Due to the size and considerable weight of each panel, the topography of the site and tight installation tolerances, we worked closely with glass handling experts. They provided us a computer controlled glazing robot capable of lifting, orientating and installing each window at full boom into the apertures with millimeter accuracy.

A tight install!

Under the guidance of our team each window was shuffled across the rebate to provide uniform gaps around each window.

Our windows all safely installed and awaiting sealing

Our team then set about installing the retaining frames and sealing each window. Finally each window was fully inspected and accepted on site before being protected whilst demolition works continued elsewhere.

Nearing completion of the flood window install

This was a technically challenging project in many ways and a departure away from our more ‘normal’ glazing jobs which typically involve us keeping water in rather than water out! It is a fact of life that our services may be required more and more in the future designing and installing flood glazing windows into projects such as this.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for any specific help or assistance with your flood glazing window project.

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