Accoya brise-soleil for an office building

A bespoke solar shading system in Accoya wood clothes the office building of Scottish Widows, the long-established mutual insurer, at Exchange Place in the heart of Edinburgh. Built by the specialist Levolux, the scheme combines no fewer than 1,060 Accoya louvres with glass louvres and a Matrix XL brise-soleil, in order to limit excessive solar heat gain in the building and improve comfort for the occupants. Accoya was selected for its structural stability, its high durability and its environmental credentials, all essential qualities for slender louvres permanently exposed to the Scottish climate. Thanks to the performance of the material, Levolux was able to offer a 10-year guarantee on the finish, with an estimated service life of 60 years for the wood. An exemplary application of modified timber in commercial architecture.