Structura

Structura are proud to have just completed our Inclusion Training delivered by the fantastic Neuro Inclusion UK Melissa Leggett and team. It seems contrived that we are posting about this on Neurodiversity Celebration Week but truly, it’s just a case of fated timings! Gareth and Mel from the Neuro Inclusion UK team have been delivering our training to educate and prepare our 4no. Neuro Ambassadors for their new responsibilities at Structura. Our final session planned for next week will conclude our programme and will help us; - create a neuroinclusive policy for the business - establish what changes we can scale across the business (known as Universal Offer to those in the know) and how to offer workplace adjustment for any neurodivergent team member - champion the strengths of a neurodiverse workforce - launch our ambassador support for the business as a whole Our Neuro Ambassadors and Directors have left these sessions frankly (positively!) overwhelmed with the wealth of information and examples of what living with neurodiversity looks like. It’s given us perspective to hold space for everyone, diagnosed or otherwise, and to re-approach working practices in our office, factory and across our sites. We are striving for equality, diversity and inclusion for all within our business, and that can’t be achieved without embracing the strengths that neurodivergent team members bring to a business, as well as acknowledging and supporting the challenges they experience. If everybody thought the same, nothing truly unique or innovative would ever be created. We’re excited about the changes we have planned for our business, including numerous conscientious changes to our working environment, Communication Passports to support individual preferred methods of communication if desired and, quite simply, having fidget tools available for all in meeting rooms. We look forward to posting in a years' time, if not much before, to share where our journey takes us. Ps - the last photo looks very much like an average meeting but after closer inspection it might look a little different… #neurodiversityinclusivityweek #neurodiversityintheworkplace #DEI #structura #mentalhealthmatters #neurodiversity

Repost from the archives: Curved Kalwall Kalwall Corporation was selected at this private residence to enhance the thermal performance of this impressive new spiral staircase for The Manser Practice Architects + Designers. The team navigated a compact site at this steep hill-side property, manoeuvring around the scaffolding across multiple floors. The task was made more challenging due to the cold snap in weather in November, meaning the final silicone pointing was rescheduled to a ‘warmer’ date! The completed installation has been incredibly well received by the owner. Well done to the team for their careful handling of the curved panels around a restricted access site. A true example of how aesthetics and practicalities can entwine for a commending outcome. #kalwall #construction #buildingfacade #curvedglazing #structura

We’ve recently received our Carbon Reduction Certification from Achilles Information Limited and Toitū Envirocare for a third consecutive year, reducing our category 1 C02 emissions by a considerable 56% verses baseline year and continuing our ISO 14601-1 commitment. It’s an incredible achievement for us to know we are well on our way to our Net Zero, but we know there are still significant strides to be made, and we are facing challenges to reduce our emissions fast enough. We’ve made significant improvements this year but this area of sustainable growth requires buy-in and investment from our partners and clients. If you are truly keen to engage with maintaining a more circular economy for our construction materials, and investing in lower carbon products for your projects, we have the expertise to help you navigate this. We estimate the embodied carbon in our works and can demonstrate the real-world sustainability benefits for alternative materials or specifications.   We’ve offset any remaining carbon to achieve our Carbon Neutral status again for 2025, with thanks to Carbon Neutral Britain™ for this.    Here’s to an even greener 2025/26!    #carbonreduction #carbonneautral #sustainableconstruction #greenbusiness #lowcarbon #structura    

It’s Women In Construction Week, created by National Association of Women in Construction, culminating in International Women's Day 2025 on March 8th. In reality, every week at Structura recognises the women in UK construction. We fully embrace diversity in the workplace and the women who contribute to our business, which is reflected throughout all levels of the company, accounting for 23% of our employee base (up from 16% in 2023, and above the national average of 15%). Sarah, who you may recognise by now on our LinkedIn feed, has been with our team for over 20 years, and her expertise and thorough attention to detail continues to contribute to the success of our fabrication facility (alongside her colleagues of course). This contract for 4x angular Schüco International KG ADS 75 fixed light and vents provided us with the opportunity to capture the use of bespoke angle cleats. The adjustable cleats are measured (twice) and cut to the exact size for the project and are then angled accordingly during fabrication. The process starts with the central Schüco UK Limited mullion which has been notched to accommodate the base transom, to which silicone is added and the two are connected. The angled cleats are added to the sloped top profile and slotted into the central profile, creating the striking 70-degree top edge. The process is repeated for the left exterior mullion with a combination of fixed and angled cleats. Pins are added and clean-up is done along the way. Then we observe the learned experience of our fabricators in action as Sarah uses a cut-off of waste material to create a template for the central horizontal transom. Instead of awkwardly manoeuvring the full length, this small section helps to place the t-cleats exactly where they need to be (so no profile edges clash but no gap is left). Then the transom can be added and it fits perfectly. The final small top horizontal profile is added and then all three transoms are slotted into the tallest exterior mullion – we think the finished look is really rather eye-catching! We continue to build our workforce (currently looking for an estimator if that’s of interest to any UK residents reading this!) and welcome candidates from any walk of life with the right attitude and desire to work in a progressive construction business. We hope by showing our women in construction often here on this platform, we’re contributing to tipping the balance of the historic but outdated gender divide in our sector. #womeninconstruction #internationalwomensday #IWD2025 #structura #schuco #fabrication #bespokeglazing #architectutalglazing #windows #aluminium #talent #skills #construction #ukconstruction #factory #NAWIC #AccelerateAction

The fabrication team have just started on a contract using Reynaers Aluminium UK curtain walling system. These RAL 7021 - black grey 7m long profiles, longer than our average 6m lengths, can first be seen undergoing our quality control checks where we inspect the material and paint finish ahead of applying low tack protective tape. This helps to maintain the profiles throughout the fabrication and installation process. The prepped and check profiles are then stored safely ahead of fabrication, safe in the knowledge that we can trust the quality of the material beneath the tape! (if anyone has a sustainable alternative for the low tack tape – please let us know, we’ve been searching for years!) Faye begins on the Schüco UK Limited double mitre saw creating the length for a mullion. The remaining profile will be re-measured and used for the transoms (creating minimal waste materials). Once both sections are checked for accuracy and stored safely, Faye moves on to programme the Schüco International KG CNC machine to create a variety of bespoke and precise holes in the profiles, which will eventually move on to the workbenches to be fabricated. Using machinery like this hugely increases accuracy, minimises human error, increasing our efficiency of production, which is particularly pertinent on large projects. Of course, we still need our experienced and highly trained teams to utilise all this mechanical and tech support, and we are fortunate enough to have some of the most skilled craftspeople out there. #reynaers #schuco #structura #fabrication #cnc #dualsaw #machines #ukfactory

In a prominent London location, our Major Projects team are presently supporting our client Overbury at this Arup designed property. Sustainability is the key project focus here, and as such we are delivering all works with a materials passport (a digital tool that logs all items used in a building’s construction or renovation). This system enables simple future maintenance and increases the potential for recycling of materials as they depreciate, which in turn can help reduce emissions, minimise waste, and encourage circularity across the built environment. The nature of this project supports our commitment to low carbon alternative products which is a key commitment within our Sustainability roadmap to Net Zero at Structura. The building is one of the lowest carbon HQs in the UK, so the option for timber frame RAICO Bautechnik GmbH stick curtain wall system for the internal atrium was obvious. While we have previous experience in timber curtain walling, this multimillion-pound contract is our largest to date. We sourced and are installing the Glulam Timber Spruce (Grade GL30h) profiles and Glulam Timber Oak (Grade GL30h) face caps. The timber curtain walling is not only aesthetically on point, but also boasts practical sustainable properties including higher thermal insulation levels, increasing energy efficiency and lowering carbon emissions. As a natural material, it also generates less carbon through its production and is essentially biodegradable and fully recyclable when it reaches the end of life. Our team begin the process of installation with the bespoke brackets and then move on to constructing a section of the timer curtain walling, using ratchet straps to carefully position and keep the system in place whilst it is permanently fixed. The framework is heavier and a bigger section than an average aluminium frame and so it requires more people power and patience to position the frame in to place, taking particular care not to damage the finished surface, which is not so easy to repair in the way aluminium or steel can be. Next, the team fix the framework to the brackets before moving on to adding the joining top and bottom transoms to complete this small section of the façade. Wood screws are carefully lubricated and tapped into place before mechanically fastened with plenty of measurements for accuracy in-between. These steps make sure the timber does not split through this process. Once complete, the system is ready for us to install the Saint-Gobain 10mm HST Planiclear laminate supplied by eckelt - a vandaglas company most of which weighs over 180kgs. The glazing is being installed one floor at a time, and soon we will also be installing timber acoustic louvres; we hope to share some of those works in the coming weeks as we think it’s very impressive! #timber #curtainwall #ukconstruction #sustainableconstruction #carbonzero #façades #londonproperty #retrofit #greenproperty #closeconstructionloop

February 2025 marks our third year as a London Living Wage Foundation accredited employer. Structura is one 15,000 employers on the scheme contributing to £3.5 Billion going back into the pockets of 475,000 employees working across the UK.    The cost-of-living crisis is something we have all grown accustomed to hearing and the phrase itself seems to have less impact than it did back in 2020, but with inflation so damaging, and no sign of living costs decreasing, it is still an essential marker for employers to communicate their dedication to paying a fair and decent wage. We pay this as a minimum to all of our employees, nationwide. The cost of the accreditation, and shortly, the wage itself is set to rise quite considerably. But our business is made up of people, not numbers, who all have bills to pay and financial commitments to fulfil. We are proud to support our team through the scheme and to demonstrate to each of them that we reward them all fairly. We want to express our continual gratitude for their ongoing commitment and contribution to the growth and success of our business.    #livingwage #livingwageemployer #fairpay #structura #team  

A couple of weeks ago we had the fantastic Ronnie's Black Cab visit our HQ for our monthly Food truck Friday. Even though it’s more a taxi than a truck... it definitely hit the spot! The founder of the business, Jamie Mitchell, comes from a family who have always worked in Taxi restoration, which began with his Grandfather, Ronnie. Jamie spotted an opportunity to combine his heritage with the most iconic London food type there is; pie and mash. The results are a cleverly converted taxi-come-food –truck and some tasty warm meals. As an ever-growing family ourselves at Structura, it was a fitting opportunity for us to have our All-Staff lunch with Jamie. The food was delicious, and the staff took a well-earned hour to share it together. The main topic of conversation? Liquor or Gravy.... #team #foodtruck #londontaxi #lunchbreak #structura #Ronniesblackcab

Fabrication at its finest with expert craftspeople and RAICO Bautechnik GmbH products. Sarah has constructed the framework of this double door and is working on the finishing touches. She starts by adding the bottom sill and drilling into position. The corner gasket is then added using adhesive and some very close attention to detail to fully engage the corner unit to the rest of the gaskets. The remaining external gaskets are fitted and then the door socket adaptor is added. The next step is to add the vulcanised corner gasket. After a quick rotation, gaskets are added in the internal edging of the frame before the beading is manually adjusted to the perfect size on our Addison Saws Ltd mitre saw. Then the final step (and a fairly vital one!) is to add the double-sided handle. These doors were wrapped in protective materials before being transported to their site of installation. We hope to deliver some footage of them at their destination in the coming weeks. #ukfabrication #doors #raico #structura #aluminium #factory

Repost from the archives: Bespoke glazing Shackleton House is situation in London Bridge overlooking the River Thames and forms part of the breath-taking Hays Galleria, a listed building with a rich and varied history. Over the years we have been fortunate enough to deliver multiple projects on this fabulous architectural space in London and are shortly due to return back to site for a further contract this month. The video is from our previous contract, the reglazing of 1st and 2nd floors as part of a major renovation for Savills. In total we replaced 470 units double glazing and fitted all new concealed window restrictors. Due to the age of the property no two windows are exactly the same size, therefore the project required a RED LASER survey to capture all data for our drawing office to schedule the exact size of each unit. In addition, Hays Galleria is in a busy pedestrian area, especially during the festive season for the cafes, bars and restaurants below in the atrium and along the riverside. Numerous exclusion zones were required during all working hours. The team worked on a daily basis alongside Armetis and Savills security team to construct and later remove all exclusion zones so our works didn’t interfere with trade. We also required scaffolding protection decks for health and safety when working and Heras fencing. The team are looking forward to returning to the site which has become so familiar over the years.  #gradelisted #listedbuilding #logistics #londonarchitecture #glazing #retrofit #ukconstruction