Howe Green

The Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford underwent a £61 million renovation scheme to meet the needs of modern institutions. BAM Construction specified a number of Howe Green’s 7500 Series Medium Floor Access Covers to provide high performance and discrete access to data cabling concealed beneath flooring in the museum. Installed in internal areas, the covers are capable of tolerating heavy pedestrian traffic and were designed to be infilled with a floor finish to match the surrounding area. The covers were manufactured in stainless steel to resist rust and corrosion and double sealed for optimal hygiene.

The Barking Central Development project in the Thames Gateway used Howe Green’s 7500 Series access panels to cover vital building services on a colonnade walkway. The durable 7500 Series covers were used to provide access to building services beneath the walkway. The covers are corrosion and weather resistant, a crucial element given their outdoor location. Specialist contractors DMC Group inlaid the surface of the covers with chequered tiling to follow the pattern of the rest of the walkway and to result in an excellent aesthetic finish.

Howe Green supplied nearly 70 floor access covers to Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield. The £200 million redeveloped hospital is the newest and most digitally advanced hospital in the NHS estate. The Visedge Series Flexible Floor Access Covers and 7500 Series Medium-Duty Aluminium Floor Access Covers were specified for the project by international architects IBI Group. The Visedge floor access covers were infilled with vinyl flooring. The floor finish for the 7500 Series varied depending upon the location of the access cover. The access covers enable safe and easy access to building services concealed under the flooring of the hospital.

Over fifty Howe Green 5000 and 7500 Series Aluminium Floor Access Covers were supplied for the award winning Collaborative Teaching Laboratory (CTL) at the University of Birmingham’s Edgbaston Campus. The 6,700m2 brick structure was designed by architects Sheppard Robson. It has won four awards in the RIBA West Midlands Awards 2019, including RIBA West Midlands Building of the Year. The CTL has also achieved a BREEM Excellent standard and an EPC A Rating for efficiency. The building design was meticulously detailed and the materials used were chosen to minimise maintenance and enhance the life expectancy of the building.

Howe Green manufactured and supplied a number of custom made wall access covers and 1050 Series floor access covers for Crossrail in London. The wall access solutions were custom made from 5mm of stainless steel and lockable for added security. They were required to provide reliable and stylish access to the lighting circuitry. The 1050 Series floor access covers were installed along the walkways of Adams place to give quick and easy access to the water, power and data feeding the station. Each cover had an additional load bearing to accommodate specific requirements.

Over 400 of Howe Green’s Access Covers have been supplied to Tier 1 contractors working on Europe’s largest construction project – Crossrail. Over 60 of Howe Green’s 7500 Series Multipart Floor Access Covers were supplied specifically for Tottenham Court Road Station. The large 4 part units were precision made to order to ensure they would be a perfect fit, avoiding slips and trips in such a highly trafficked and challenging environment. The covers have been infilled with granite to match the surrounding area and supplied with barrel lifting points, with just the securing bolt and barrel edge visible.

Ceramic tiling contractors P.Plunkett recommended Howe Green Medium Duty 7500 Series 316 Grade Stainless Steel Floor Access Covers as a reliable and safe solution for accessing the pool sumps and pool balance tanks located beneath the tiling in the pool areas at East Riding Leisure Centre. Nine 7500 Series access covers were fitted into the ceramic tiled floor around the pool surround and infilled with antislip porcelain floor tiles to provide a flush finish, that is functional and aesthetically pleasing. The 316 grade stainless steel cover is non-corrosive and will not rust, even in a swimming pool environment.

12 of Howe Green’s 7500 Series floor access covers have been fitted internally and externally at the domestic section of Ebbsfleet International Station. A robust access solution was required to provide easy and safe access to vital internal underfloor services in the station building. The access covers were tailor made to the sizes required. Set into the substrate, the access covers sit flush with the flooring and do not present a trip hazard. They can be easily removed with the use of lifting keys or a Howe Green Cover Skate.

Howe Green’s 5000 Series and 7500 Series access covers were specified for the Emirates Air Line, the first urban cable car in the UK. The cable car crosses the Thames from Greenwich Peninsula to the Royal Docks and links two former Olympic sites. The access covers were required to provide easy and reliable access to essential services within the North and South Terminal buildings. A bespoke aluminium bar was also designed and made for the project. The bar comprises a decorative trim featuring a semi-circular section with a 10-metre radius and a 6mm visible edge.

Architect Hawkins\Brown specified Howe Green 7500 Series Medium Duty Stainless Steel Floor Access Covers for one of the office spaces within BT Sport located at Here East, the new digital quarter for East London. The covers were required to address the challenge of easily and safely accessing drainage junctions located beneath a raised floor system in the corridors of the building. The 7500 Series were specified with stainless steel Z profiles to provide additional support to the access cover within the raised floor. The access covers were initially covered with plywood and then infilled with a vinyl flooring finish.

9 of Howe Green’s 5000 Series floor access covers were specified for Hotel Du Vin’s French Bistro in Cambridge, the 9th in its UK chain and the first with an open view style kitchen. The requirement was for an access solution that would ensure that essential services were hidden from public view but that they could be easily and quickly accessed for maintenance or repairs. The 5000 Series blend seamlessly with the flooring and are perfectly flush with their surrounding helping to prevent any slips or trips, ideal for a busy kitchen.

By using a pair of Howe Green Access Cover Skates you will make light work of moving heavy access covers! Health and safety is a major consideration for all building owners, facilities managers and contractors. The Howe Green Access Cover Skate removes the need for operatives to manually move heavy manhole covers and access covers when accessing concealed services. By reducing the requirement to handle heavy objects the risk of injury is greatly diminished. With up to a 300-kilo lift from each Howe Green Access Cover Skate you will benefit from a powerful floor access cover lifter.

The £27 million Art and Design Academy is the first phase of John Moores University campus masterplan. Rick Mather Architects specified 32 Stainless Steel Howe Green access covers, ranging from the 7500 Series to the 1050 Series, to enable easy and safe access to underfloor services in a number of locations. The panels were individually manufactured to match the size of the Charcon Appalachian stone floor slabs and to blend seamlessly with the surroundings. Featuring double seals, the access covers meet the highest standards of hygiene and security as well as being corrosion and maintenance-free.

Figures published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in 2018 indicate that 26% of fatal injuries and 8% of non-fatal injuries are caused by a fall from height. The construction sector accounts for 18% of those accidents! Architects, specifiers and building contractors have a duty of care to ensure that when specifying ladders they give due consideration to a number of factors to help to minimise the risk of falls. Tony Stevens, Technical Estimator at Bilco UK, outlines some of the key factors to be considered when specifying ladders for accessing a roof area.

Over 60 of Howe Green’s 7500 Series floor access covers were chosen for the development of a sizable extension of King’s Cross tube station. An access solution was required to provide access to essential under floor services including ventilation ducting, electrics, communication cables and rail services. The specification required a solution that would prevent the passage of fire through service channels. Howe Green’s 7500 Series access covers met requirements with a three hour fire rating. In addition to single covers, Howe Green’s innovative multi-part covers were also used.

GRAHAM construction specified a number of Howe Green’s 5000 Series Floor Access Covers for the £19 million refurbishment of Lews Castle. The light duty aluminium covers were specified to provide access to underfloor services, located within the corridors on the first floor of the castle. The covers were specified with a brass edge, giving a high level of aesthetic appeal, and then infilled with carpet or ceramic tiles depending on their location. The brass show edge is continuously secured which means there are no fasteners to rust or break.

A Grade II listed Royal George building in Knutsford was sympathetically restored to create a stunning dining venue for the Loch Fyne brand. During the restoration project, contractor A&J Interiors specified 4 of Howe Green’s 5000 Series floor access covers. The covers were required to provide an unobtrusive access solution to cover the kitchen’s essential mains services whilst maintaining fast and easy access for maintenance or emergency repairs. Blending seamlessly with the flooring the covers avoid distortion and prevent the risk of slips and trips – essential within a busy kitchen environment.

AEM Demolition undertook the heavy side building works of the 35,000 square feet M&M World in London. AEM required an access solution to provide reliable, durable and easy access to the building’s underfloor services. Howe Green’s 5000 Series Stainless Steel access covers were selected. The covers were installed in a range of different internal areas as well as with a wide variety of different types of flooring, including bright red resin, painted concrete and carpet. Designed and built to withstand the pressures of high volume pedestrian traffic, the covers have a 1 hour fire rating.

Howe Green’s 7500 Series Medium Duty Access Covers have been installed in Manchester Cathedral as part of extensive reordering works. The 7500 Series Access Covers were chosen to provide reliable yet virtually invisible access to new mechanical and electrical chambers across the entire body of the building. Over 70 covers were made, each to a bespoke size to fit precisely with the new Burlington Stone slabs being installed. Howe Green also designed a special cover grating to allow air supply to the blower working the bellows of the Cathedral’s remarkable organ.

Howe Green has supplied around 400 bespoke access covers to the £150 million National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC) being built on the University of Warwick campus. The floor access covers were required to provide safe and easy access to building services concealed under the raised flooring. The bespoke 7500 Series Medium Duty Stainless Steel covers were specified by award-winning architects Cullinan Studio. A reduced depth was required to enable the access covers to be infilled with the same flooring used elsewhere in the raised floor system - calcium sulphate floor panels, with the stone pre-bonded

The award winning National Waterfront Museum required an access solution to provide quick, easy and safe access to concealed under floor mechanical and electrical equipment. Howe Green’s 7500 Series floor access covers were purpose designed for installation throughout the museum. They run across the reception areas, displays and exhibits. Slim line aluminium show edges present clean and crisp geometry within the many different types of floor covering used throughout the building. The access covers provide a heavy duty and tamper resistant, aesthetically pleasing access solution for the highly trafficked pedestrian area.

Howe Green’s 7500 Series Medium Duty Aluminium Floor Access Covers were supplied for the Nationalmuseum of Art in Stockholm, which is currently undergoing an extensive restoration programme. The premier tourist attraction required an access solution that was visually appealing, secure and of superior quality. The 7500 Series Floor Access Covers were fitted as duct runs in the museum. The majority of covers were infilled with limestone floor tiles while the remaining units have a visible concrete finish. The covers offer safe and easy access to cabling and other services located beneath the flooring.

Howe Green Ltd supplied a number of HSE75 Series Hinged Aluminium Floor Access Covers for a new £1.5 billion hospital facility in Stockholm. The requirement was for a solution that would enable regular access to the underground power stations and escape routes located underneath the hospital. The gas assisted hinged HSE75 floor hatches provide easy and safe access ensuring that maintenance can be carried out with the minimum of disruption. The floor hatches have been installed in various areas of the hospital and infilled with both concrete and tiled flooring to provide a seamless, flush floor finish.

Over 40 of Howe Green’s 7500 Series Medium Duty Stainless Steel Access Covers were installed at The Nottingham Hub as part of the station's comprehensive enhancement project. Flooring specialists DMC Contracts Ltd required a network of access points within the station. They wanted to ensure that essential underfloor drainage, mechanical and electrical services could be reached quickly and easily. The 7500 Series specially designed recessed lids enabled the panels to be tiled with Quiligotti Terrazzo floor tiles. The result - an uninterrupted and continuous surface in the station's south concourse and Grade II listed porte-cochère.

Howe Green’s Visedge Series Flexible Floor Access covers have removed the hassle involved in maintaining building services located under the flooring at a hospital in East Anglia. Howe Green supplied seven Visedge Series covers to provide safe and easy access to underfloor building services in corridors throughout the busy hospital. Maintenance of essential building services had become problematic as the original floor access covers, fitted over four decades ago, had broken. The covers could no longer be removed, making access for planned and emergency maintenance virtually impossible

The UK’s first Palm Restaurant opened in Belgravia, London. Specialists in interior refurbishment, Fileturn Contractors fitted 5 of Howe Green’s 5000 Series floor access covers and one of its Visedge covers. The covers were selected to provide easy access to essential building services including plumbing and electrics. The 5000 Series covers were used in the restaurant’s signature hardwood floor of the lower level private dining area while the Visedge was perfect for the flexible flooring in the basement. Excelling in cleanliness, hygiene and durability, the covers are perfect for commercial applications.

Howe Green manufactured over 100 Visedge Floor Access Covers for Bristol’s £430million state-of-the-art Southmead Hospital. A heavy duty and tamper-resistant solution was required to provide access to underfloor drainage systems. Developed for use within flexible sheet flooring systems and supplied with a double seal Howe Green’s Visedge Covers offered the highest standards of hygiene and security, ideal for a hospital environment. A number of 7500 Series Stainless Steel Access Covers were also required for installation in the grounds, where a heavier loading was required.

79 of Howe Green’s 7500 Series aluminium access covers were specified for Eco-Friendly primary school, St Bernadette’s in Antonshill. Council architects required a solution to access essential services housed in raised flooring including the school’s sprinkler network, hot and cold water supplies and electric and data cabling. The covers were installed by A. Andrews and Sons to cover a continuous run of 75 metres of floor space with additional multipart units also fitted onto adjoining legs. The access covers were designed to be in-filled with industrial grade carpet to match the surrounding area.

The multi-million pound transformation of London Stansted Airport required a floor access solution that could accommodate very specific site conditions and meet the required loading. In two separate phases of work Howe Green supplied over 250 bespoke floor access panels and frames for the Satellite One and Departure Hall refurbishment. Howe Green adapted the 2500 Series and 5000 Series Stainless Steel Floor Access Covers to custom depths and incorporated an additional base plate reinforcement to meet the clients exact requirements. Single floor access covers and multi-part covers were supplied to provide safe and easy access to service utilities.

The largest free standing structure in the UK, Terminal 5, has a vast amount of essential building services that are concealed under the flooring. An access solution was required that would enable maintenance of services, including water and waste; electrical, communications, heating, cooling and lighting, without having to remove the flooring as this would be costly, time consuming and disruptive in such a busy environment. A number of Howe Green’s 1050 Series and 7500 Series access covers were specified to provide easy, safe and hassle free access to the vital services.

The Custard Factory, built around a century ago to manufacture Sir Alfred Bird’s famous dessert, has recently been revamped into an arts and media quarter for Birmingham. Specialist subcontractors DSM Flooring were looking for a quality floor access solution to install in the highly trafficked entrance atrium in the development. Howe Green supplied the 5000 Series Light Duty Floor Access Cover to provide easy and safe access to the essential building services concealed under the flooring within the atrium. The 5000 Series cover lay flush with the flooring to prevent any slips or trips.

Over 50 Howe Green 7500 Series access covers were made to order for one of London’s popular tourist attractions - The Cutty Sark, as part of an extensive refurbishment project. The aluminium covers were manufactured with bespoke Z-section supports to provide a safe, reliable route to essential ventilation ducting used to keep air circulating in what is effectively a large void under the historic clipper. The covers were fitted into raised flooring within the new museum facility. The 7500 Series are designed to withstand high levels of pedestrian traffic.

A Howe Green 5000 Series Aluminium Access Cover was supplied to The Fish & Chip Shop in Islington. An unobtrusive access solution was required to cover the kitchen’s essential mains drainage services and provide fast access to them for easy maintenance. The access cover was fitted into quarry-tiled steps leading to the kitchen. It was designed to be virtually invisible to prevent any slips or trips – essential within a busy restaurant environment. The cover is double-sealed which means water or bacteria ingress is preventable ensuring that the highest hygiene standards can be maintained.

Howe Green access covers were selected for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s studio theatre renovation project ‘The Other Place’, in Stratford-Upon-Avon. The covers were required to provide routine and emergency access to underfloor ducting services throughout the building. Howe Green supplied a number of 7500 Series Medium Duty Floor Access Covers. The access covers are ideal for areas that require heavy loading as they are highly durable. Main contractor, BAM Construction, fitted the panels on a suspended concrete slab. Once installed, they were infilled with K-screed followed by a resin finish.

To operate at optimum capacity, the Ricoh Arena required a floor access solution to reach under floor services carrying water, drainage, electricity and data to internal and external leisure amenities. Staff at the arena also needed to carry out regular checks on under soil heating, sprinkler systems and floodlighting. Howe Green’s 7500 Series floor access covers were selected to provide safe and easy access to the concealed services. Fitted quickly and unobtrusively with the Terrazzo flooring used throughout the stadium complex, the covers are double-sealed to meet the highest standards of hygiene and security.

Architect Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners specified Howe Green when they required a unique, reliable access solution for the WCEC. Howe Green designed and manufactured a circular access cover in 316-grade stainless steel. The bespoke cover offered a stylish and discreet solution, capable of withstanding 40kn load and meeting the specification for aesthetics and performance. Each box section of the cover had built-in cable access and voice/data plug-in points. Slotted steel lids were made for when services were in use. The access covers also accept coloured polished concrete inserts made to match the surrounding Ed Lazenby floor.