UV protection for workers is a critical issue for employers and building owners who need to meet stringent health and safety regulations. A new office block in Melbourne had almost floor to ceiling windows on every façade. With little natural shade protection, heat built up during the day, which made working conditions unbearable.
A creative shade sail solution was required to provide maximum shade cover and complement the building’s colour tones. mulders were selected as the shade supplier and proposed a series of large span shade screens. The building had a series of external structural posts. By using these as load bearing fixing points, a repeating series of screen could be used to cover virtually all of the upper windows.
Each screen’s footprint was minimal and when pulled taut, maximum shade cover was achieved. A special cobalt blue shade material was selected as it allowed filtered light in but kept heat and glare out. The glare reduction is important for staff who use computers. Correctly positioned shade screens can block maximum suns rays and cut heat levels down. The end result was a modern, light and airy looking shade structure.