Efficiency, safety, and operational ease. Ensuring your building’s bold aesthetic is matched by a thoughtful, sustainable maintenance strategy.

Access Consultancy

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Discipline Access Consultancy

Why Façade Access is Important

The façade of a modern building is one of the most expensive and important elements of building construction and can represent up to 35% of construction costs. Façades represent the manifestation of the architect’s expectation of the external appearance of a building. They are the primary environmental modifier having the greatest effect on carbon use over any other element of the construction and are the element that has the greatest level of historic failure. This asset needs to be maintained and protected.

As such, it is critical that a robust access and maintenance strategy is considered at the early design stages and is implemented to facilitate proper cleaning and maintenance and cleaning of this important asset.

It is counter intuitive to think of proper access systems as being lower cost over the life of a building compared to rope access, but this can be demonstrated and is particularly relevant to clients that retain their buildings after completion.

Related Engineering Projects:

Dollar Bay London, UK →

Merano Residences London, UK →

View All →

Scope of Services

From concept to completion, we develop strategies that will provide safe access to all areas of the building envelope for cleaning, general maintenance, repairs, and glass replacement.

We will provide advice at the early design stages on the relative advantages and disadvantages of each type of system, whilst referring to the hierarchy of risk to inform the client of their duties under the Working at Height Regulations. This will allow the client to make an informed decision on the preferred solution. Our advice will include budget capital costs, cleaning time analysis to inform annual costs as well as parking requirements to inform visual impact.

When identifying a strategy at the early stages, consideration will be also given to the following key pillars of façade access design:

Compliance with relevant regulations and codes of practice
Safety of operatives, surrounding occupants, tenants and general public
Ability to access the entire façade
Aesthetical appearance of the equipment in relation to the building image
Life cycle cleaning costs and maintenance costs
Ease of operation
Interfaces with the building structure and façades

Services:

Permanent Suspended Access Equipment (Collective Protection) Building Maintenance Units (BMUs), Travelling Ladders & Gantries, Davit Arms & Cradles, Monorails & Cradles →

Temporary Access Equipment (Collective Protection) Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWP), Aerial Work Platforms (AWP), Scissor Lifts, Telescopic Lifting Beams (Glass Replacement Rig), Cranes →

Rope Access Systems (Personal Protection) Permanent Anchors and Rails, Temporary Suspension Systems →

Existing Assets

We provide audits and advice on existing façade access assets, which are out of service or are not functioning as intended.

Condition surveys and the assessment of the cause of any deficiencies can be completed, these are then followed up by a photographic record and findings report which will also outline potential solutions to rectify the faults. Our work will include budget costs and recommendations on potential Subcontractors suitable for the works.

Contact our Access Consultancy Team Liam Shepherd
Head of Facade Access →

( ↑ ) BMU Model Concepts

Rope Access Services

Working in collaboration with you, our consultancy provide Rope Access services for your short and long-term projects, allowing workers to access difficult to reach locations, for cleaning, maintenance and surveys, where collective protection systems such as scaffolding, cradles, or aerial work platforms is not feasible.

Services:

Rope access consultancy as a means of access for façade cleaning and maintenance and remaining safe. →

Advice on the maintenance of documentation of equipment. →

Consultancy on relevant statutes, guidelines, and standards. →

Supporting Services

From concept to completion, we develop strategies that will provide safe access to all areas of the building envelope for cleaning, general maintenance, repairs, and glass replacement. Please contact us to discuss our full access service offering.

Services:

Design and Specification As a team, we work at all levels, from single structures to entire cities, partnering with clients on their most complex projects, at every stage of the project lifecycle. →

Subcontractor Selection Our selection process keeps your project on time and in budget, while supporting qualified local contractors and small businesses. →

Design Audits We are well placed to carry out special audits, reviews and surveys to benchmark you against your selected standards or to highlight any shortfalls. →

Our Pioneering Approach

As pioneers, we shape industry standards and best practice. We look to the future: partnering with our clients to achieve Building Safety Act Gateway compliance and support our clients’ project’s transition to Net Zero. We guide our clients throughout the entire building project cycle from concept to completion. At Wintech, we are committed to our clients and project partners to deliver best practice approach and meet government regulations, whilst supporting their project objectives.

Contact our team to find out how we can help deliver your project →

Civil Engineering

Our Civil Engineering specialists have a wealth of experience and extensive in-house expertise built up over 40 years.

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Structural Engineering

We design ingenious, sustainable structures that bring architectural visions to life, enhancing communities and supporting a resilient future.

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Fire Engineering

Wintech can provide expert specialist fire engineering consultancy and advice at every stage of the project whether it is a new build, refurbishment, remediation or existing building.

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Building Services Engineering

Our Building Design (MEP) Consultants bring a depth of operational experience and coordinated expertise to our client’s projects.

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Façade Engineering

With over four decades of experience in façade engineering, we understand the ever-changing landscape of the Built Environment.

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Access Consultancy

From concept to completion, we develop strategies that will provide safe access to all areas of the building envelope for cleaning, general maintenance, repairs, and glass replacement.

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Surveying

We are at the forefront of the profession, embracing the latest technology – 3D laser scanners, robotic total station instrumentation, and dual frequency global positioning systems (GPS)

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