"gates and barriers"

Creating better education environments Primary School De Verwondering is a fully bio-based school building and the first example of a new generation of bio-based school buildings that recognizes and harnesses nature's powerful effcet on learning.The beautiful wooden building - which runs on circular energy - has a vegetation roof with chickens, green facades and remarkably large windows. The primary school recently won the 2021 Golden Frog award for sustainable construction in the Netherlands.The interior and exterior of the school have a positive influence on the well-being and performance of the pupils. The environment outside blends with the natural elements of the building, such as wood and bamboo, while inside the interior architect chose a CO2 neutral (cradle to gate) Marmoleum floor covering. Marmoleum Cocoa is made of natural and renewable raw materials with the addition of a waste product from the cocoa industry and, in that respect, it fits the building perfectly. Marmoleum is one of the flooring industry's most beautiful and also oldest bio-based products.

It was a partnership that was meant to happen. Premier Inn Hotels meets Premier Security & Fire Ltd.It was our absolute pleasure to assist commissioning company Mulalley by manufacturing and installing the external glass and steel communal entrance doors, industrial louvres and security gates (all to LPS 1175 SR2 standard) at the impressive Ladderswood Estate regeneration project in New Southgate, North London, a development that includes a new 85-bedroom Premier Inn hotel.New Ladderswood LLP is a joint venture between top UK developer Mulalley and housing association ONE HOUSING GROUP LIMITED, working in collaboration with the London Borough of Enfield.This major regeneration development features:93 social housing properties56 shared ownership apartments368 privately owned properties517 properties in total (426 apartments and 81 houses)There will also be:6 commercial unitsAn 85 bedroom hotelA new community centerFor more details, call us on 0208 559 8295.

Care Spaces played a crucial role in enhancing the living conditions of a private client, referred to as Mr B, who had experienced a spinal injury leading to a loss of physical independence. Collaborating with an architect to design a bespoke extension, we focused on the bedroom and bathroom to cater to his specific needs. The centrepiece of the design was an XY ceiling track hoist with a magnetic transition gate system, facilitating safe transfers between the bedroom and bathroom. Care Spaces also recommended bathroom equipment tailored to Mr B's needs, including a washer/dryer toilet, a static-height hand basin, and an Avero care bath with an air spa system for therapeutic benefits. With Mr B's approval, we oversaw the installation of the hoist system and bathroom equipment, provided necessary training, and ensure routine servicing for optimal functionality. Mr B is now delighted with his improved living space, and Care Spaces remains committed to maintaining the excellence of his care equipment.

In 1861 a small group of stonemasons formed the Edinburgh Cooperative Building Company to create affordable homes, by and for workmen, to escape from slum landlords. Typically, the terraced houses were arranged back-to-back with individual gardens: the ground-floor front doors facing one direction and first floor front doors on the opposite side with external staircases.The ‘colonies’ design has been widely replicated and recently resurrected with a contemporary approach in a new Edinburgh development by Glencairn Properties. Bellevue Colonies at McDonald Road recreates the original sense of community and interaction between neighbours with shared footpaths, gates and external stairs.Lang+Fulton supplied Modena railings to delineate each private garden space and provide boundary demarcation to the street. The railings were mounted on dwarf walls and were hot-dip galvanized and polyester powder coated for a durable finish in keeping with the quality materials of brick, zinc and slate that were used throughout the development.Awards: Homes for Scotland - Housing Development of the Year (shortlisted)

Croesyceiliog School is a comprehensive state-funded secondary school in the Croesyceiliog area of Cwmbran. It has over 1,500 pupils, between the ages of 11 to 18. Demolition of school buildings was carried out, followed by the construction of a new three-story school building, two story sixth form, and sports block. This development is part of the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools programme, which has created 1,200 school places. The Considerate Constructors Scheme awarded the project 46/50 and stated that it was “consistently achieving extremely high standards within the industry”.Cellecta’s RUBBERfon Impact 3 was specified in this project due to its effective barrier to impact sound transmission and to ensure compliance with legislative requirements. It is available in various thicknesses ranging from 3mm-8mm and made from high compressive strength and 100% recycled rubber.Kier Group was awarded this 2,805m² contract to construct this redevelopment in South Wales.

Reducing pavement clutter in Hackney.Dockless hire bikes are a great way to get around, but they can lead to inconsiderate parking and increased pavement clutter.To encourage responsible parking, Hackney opted to create designated parking areas for both the end-user and the scheme operator. They selected 71 locations and Cyclehoop installed their newly launched Mobility Corral, which offers clear advantages over simple road-marked boundaries and built-out parking options. When installed on the carriageway, it creates a physical barrier to separate dockless bikes from other road users, helping prevent damage from falls or vehicle strikes. The enclosure encourages neat, ordered parking for a tidy streetscape. High level signage makes the corrals visible to users from a distance. Signage can also be customised with branding and instructions. The modular construction and minimal ground fixings allow corrals to be relocated, expanded or reconfigured to meet changes in demand.

Over the Summer of 2018, Cyclehoop installed first batch of Bikehangars in Salford, Greater Manchester.Transport for Greater Manchester’s  overall aim is for the proportion of journeys made by bike to increase from 2 per cent today to 10% by 2025. This target has been broken down in to a package of proposed improvements for the region, partly funded by two Cycle City Ambition grants, awarded by the government and the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.Lack of secure cycle storage provision has been a barrier in realising this goal. At Cyclehoop, our commitment is to break down barriers that prevent people from cycling.In June this year, we installed 11 of our award-winning Bikehangars in June on residential streets in Salford. This will run for a test period of approximately 12 months. Cyclehoop’s team installed these 6-space units over the course of a week, primarily to provide cycle parking for residents with little or no internal space to store bikes.The Bikehangar has a galvanised sheet steel body that protects up to 6 bikes from the elements and vandalism. Along with a lockable, gas-sprung door which can only be accessed by registered members. Crucially, all of this is achieved in just half a car parking bay.If the Salford pilot is successful, Salford City Council and Transport for Greater Manchester plan to roll out the scheme to other areas. To find out more on the current Bikehangar locations, pricing and how to apply, please click here.Cyclehoop were praised for their delivery of the project and the fledgling pilot scheme has been received extremely well across the board.Councillor Antrobus, Lead Member for Planning and Sustainable Regeneration said:“Many people say they would like to cycle but have no space to store a bike at home. These new Bikehangers solve that problem and are already proving extremely popular. It’s all part of our commitment to encourage more people to cycle in Salford – either for commuting to reduce congestion on the roads or for pleasure and health benefits”While Infrastructure Manager for Cycling and Walking, Catriona Swanson commented:“The bikehangars look great and have generated a lot of interest from cyclists. We’ve had a lot of positive comments from cyclists and cycling campaigners for piloting the scheme in Greater Manchester.”

The London Borough of Waltham Forest jumped onto the Bikehangar Rentals Scheme in 2015 as part of the council’s Mini Holland programme. The borough is set to become one of the most cycle-friendly boroughs in London.In March 2017, we celebrated the installation of the 100th Bikehangar with a special photoshoot with the residents and the local cycling officer.Waltham Forest’s special 100th Bikehangar resident, Yvonne says;“The Bikehangar is going to benefit me hugely, I have arthritis and am unable to carry my bike up the stairs to my flat on the first floor. Now I don’t need to worry about it.”After a busy year of installations, we reached the 250th Bikehangar in the borough by July 2018. To mark this milestone, our designers at Cyclehoop have customised a very special Bikehangar with an image of the reservoir in the Walthamstow Wetlands. Residents of this very special Bikehangar will be able to enjoy this special design, while having the piece of mind that their bikes are safe and dry.Find out more here: Waltham Forest celebrates their 250th Bikehangar in the borough!To date, we have installed 250 Bikehangars in the borough providing 1,500 cycle parking spaces. Reaching this milestone is a great reflection of London’s growing cycling culture. The capital has made leaps and bounds in the development of its cycle infrastructure over the past few years, going beyond simply painting blue cycle lanes on busy roads and actually creating fully segregated cycle superhighways. Our Bikehangars dotted around the city are just one example of this hard work.Waltham Forest’s Cycling Officer, Eric Duval said:“Finding somewhere to leave your cycle at home can be difficult and a barrier to cycling before you even start. We want everybody to have somewhere to park by 2020 and Bikehangars are the perfect way to remove this barrier. The demand for secure residential cycle parking has grown from 100 requests in 2015 to over 2000 and we are currently working on rolling out a further 30 in the coming months. As a result of Cyclehoop delivering our project, we have been able to complement the Mini Holland programme by providing over 700 cycle parking spaces in 2.5 years.”

The Protec System was used to waterproof the domed green roof areas of this striking, sustainable house development which was featured on Chanel 4’s Grand Designs. With an ambitious vision and a tight budget, Robert and Milla Gaukroger set about transforming a dated 1980’s house overlooking Lake Windermere into a state-of-the-art, eco-conscious home. Since the house lay in beautiful hillside surroundings, in order to blend into this setting, the domed roofs of the house were to be covered with a wildflower meadow mix to provide a green roof construction.The SolutionThe Protec System was chosen as a waterproofing membrane for the roofs as it is ideally suited for green roof applications. Lightweight, flexible and highly durable, the system can easily accommodate structural expansion movements and is tough enough to resist root penetration. The Protec system was applied to over 350m2 of domed roof to provide a long-lasting waterproofing membrane.The key reasons why Eastleigh chose Protec are the same reasons that has seen it become one of the fastest growing cold-applied liquid roofing systems in both the new build and refurbishment markets. Combined with the timber cladding to the verticals of the building, the finished aesthetics of the development blended seamlessly with the surrounding areas.A warm roof build-up that can be made waterproof at multiple stages:For larger projects the Protec system can be made temporarily waterproof at two stages prior to the application of the full waterproofing system. The first stage is upon installation of the sealed, aluminium-faced vapour barrier.The second phase follows the reinforcing of the foil-faced insulation board joints with Protec resin and taping mat. This enables a much more controlled approach to the installation with a greatly reduced chance of rain causing disruption and damage during the works.Highly flexible membrane:Regardless of the size of the roof, Protec forms a homegenous membrane, without a single joint or seam and without the need for any expansion joints.RapidCure technology for quick installation:The application of Protec as a liquid, through to the curing process where a solid, tough membrane that can be walked over, takes only 30 – 60 minutes. This enables large sections of the roof to be fully completed in a short space of time.Installing the Roofing SystemsThe Protec System provided waterproofing to all flat roof areas as well as the extensive parapet wall sections. The roof areas were made up of two designs: the Protec Warm Roof System (approx 7,500m2) and Protec applied to concrete as part of an inverted roof design (approx 1,000m2).The roof installation was carried out with a planned, phased approach that was synchronised to the wider construction schedule. For the warm roof areas, the first stage was to fill the troughs of the structural metal roof deck with acoustic insulation infills that will dampen external noise within the leisure centre. Next, the crowns of the deck were primed ready to receive the self-adhesive vapour barrier.The use of a high-performance aluminium vapour barrier not only eliminates the risk of condensation within the roof, but also provides temporary waterproofing protection, which is extremely useful on larger works such as this.The Polyroof RES Insulation boards, which comprised of a two layer system totalling 170mm to achieve a U-Value of 0.14 W/m2K, were bonded using high-performance PU adhesive to the vapour barrier. Following the wind uplift calculations it was determined that mechanical fixings were not required for this application – making for an extremely rapid installation. As you can probably imagine, fixing through 170mm of insulation into the crowns of the metal deck can be a tricky and time-consuming task.A key advantage of using a tongue and groove insulation system is that the finished surface of the roof is smooth and level without any unsightly board steps that can also lead to standing water issues. The insulation board joints were sealed using Protec resin with Polymat Taping Mat 450 which, in addition to providing additional strength to the joints, also creates a temporarily waterproof layer.For the inverted roof sections, Protec was applied directly to the primed concrete/screed surface. The membrane was inspected by Polyroof Technical Services, signed off and then covered with inverted roof components. An interesting fact when using Protec in inverted roof situations is its incredible durability performance – as tested by the BBA, Protec “can provide an effective barrier to the transmission of liquid water and water vapour for the design life of the roof in which it is incorporated”.Monitoring and CompletionThroughout the duration of the contract, Polyroof Technical Services carried out regular site visits that were reported back to Interserve as part of Polyroof’s free-of-charge contract monitoring service. This enabled the client to keep up-to-date with the progress of the roof installation in detail and also provided peace of mind that the original specification was being closely followed and implemented.Polyroof worked closely with the Roofline Group during the installation, enabling the challenges were identified and solved in an efficient and coordinated manner – saving the client time and money.

Project briefTarmac Building Products were asked to supply Queen Mary’s development (a historic London hospital converted into apartments) with Limelite Heritage Hydraulic Lime Mortars.The ProjectThe project ‘s aim is to convert Grade I Baroque stately home Roehampton House into residential use with a mix of old and modern construction materials. Roehampton House is a Grade I Baroque Stately Home built by Thomas Archer over the years 1710-12 and later enlarged by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1910. The house is being carefully restored, maintaining its original features both internally and externally, with Doric columns and wrought iron railings giving way to panelled walls, ornate painted ceilings and black and white marble.Help from Tarmac Building Products – Limelite Heritage Lime MortarsWe supplied Limelite Heritage Hydraulic Lime Mortars in mobile dry silos to the large-scale heritage site in Roehampton, south-west London. The product is predominantly a bedding masonry mortar but due to its versatility, can be used in other areas and is ideal for projects such as this one because it is a cement-free traditional product and so recreates an appearance in keeping with the history of the building. It is being supplied alongside natural and Y101 white mortar in dry silos.Our Heritage Hydraulic Lime Mortar is ideal for projects such as this one because it is a cement-free traditional product and so recreates an appearance, maintaining the history of the building.Problems facedThe former hospital developed into a stately home is a Grade I listed building, meaning that any new building work needs to blend in well with the existing building work. Grade I buildings are of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important; only 2.5% of listed buildings are Grade I.The project site is located within Flood Zone 1 and so a Flood Risk Assessment is required as the site is over 1 hectare. OutcomesRoehampton House, its two gate houses and the remainder of the Roehampton Estate are being redeveloped to provide luxury new housing. The development is called Queen Mary’s Place. Of the original 30 acres, only 14 remained following the building of the new hospital, but the developer, St. James has preserved 30% of the land for pleasure gardens for the new residents.The Grade II listed sunken and rose gardens have also been lovingly restored to provide the perfect setting for the newly created 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and two 2 bedroom gate houses.·      Contractor: St James Development·      Location: Roehampton, London ·  Product: Limelite Heritage Lime Mortar

CUPA 9 slates have been specified as part of a modern luxury housing development in Yorkshire. The company’s natural Spanish slates were chosen on account of their aesthetic value, long-term durability and competitive pricing.  Set amongst the foothills of the Yorkshire Wolds and with panoramic views of the Humber Estuary, ‘The View’ in Swanland is a luxury 14 house development, which has been led by main developer, Church Gate Homes. The high-end collection of properties has been delivered using premium building solutions, including CUPA PIZARRAS H9, with each property featuring around 10,000 individual slates. Excelling in terms of aesthetics and long-lasting performance, natural roofing slates are capable of enduring extreme temperatures, are fire-resistant and unaffected by UV light. Incredibly durable, solutions manufactured from slate can offer a lifecycle of over 100 years. Additionally, the natural make up of the material ensures that it is also the most sustainable roofing option on the market. Specifically, CUPA 9 is a grey slate with a very smooth surface and is taken from one of CUPA PIZARRAS’ own quarries in Riofrío de Aliste in Northern Spain. With its traditional beauty, the natural slate is ideal for use across heritage projects. However, the stylish aesthetic of the material also lends itself equally well to modern developments, such as ‘The View’ where it can be used to create sleek roof designs. Speaking on the project, Calum Cowham, Marketing Manager at Burton Roofing Merchants Ltd commented: “The project team needed a roofing solution that both looked and performed perfectly. With the CUPA 9 slates that’s exactly what they got. What’s more, the company’s natural slate product range is available at a highly competitive price point, which owes a lot to CUPA PIZARRAS’ efficient and effective production methods.” Martin Sutton, Operations Manager at Church Gate Homes commented: “When working on high-value properties, it is important to offer customers products, which combine durability and aesthetic value. This is exactly what CUPA PIZARRAS slates allowed us to do at ‘The View’. The company’s natural products perfectly suited the prestigious nature of the site.” As well as offering quality slate solutions, the CUPA PIZARRAS specialists were also on hand to assist the installation team at Church Gate Homes with specific advice on how to fit the slates in line with all relevant standards and requirements. Similarly, the installation team benefitted from the onsite support of leading roofing merchant, Burton Roofing Merchants Ltd. Burton Roofing’s team helped to ensure products were safely delivered to site when required and provided further technical assistance where necessary. “The roofing installation at ‘The View’ was very straightforward and the finished results look great,” commented Martin. “The CUPA PIZARRAS slates have provided a clean and tidy appearance, which fits well across all of the properties. What’s more, we were able to carry out the installation with very little waste, which further bolstered the product’s cost-effective and environmental credentials.” To this end, natural slate solutions also have the added benefit of requiring no chemical or heat treatments that need gas during their production. To ensure even greater environmental performance, CUPA PIZARRAS also endeavours to recycle all of its processing water via a closed circuit, and works to restore exhausted quarries by hydroseeding native plants and ensuring the natural recovery of the local flora and fauna. CUPA PIZARRAS has also been recognised and certified by the Carbon Trust as a carbon neutral company. This recognition highlights the company’s comprehensive effort in sustainability and makes it the first slate production company to achieve carbon neutrality within its operations. All properties at ‘The View’ were sold prior to the commencement of the development. Work at the site continues to progress with the project team working to complete the bespoke designs of its individual customers.  

When a high-end development of a new residential student accommodation building in Gloucester city centre required over 3800m2 of high-quality flooring, they turned to Gerflor for a complete solution. The world class flooring installed would include Gerflor’s Tarasafe Impression and Tarasafe Standard vinyl safety flooring, Taralay Impression Comfort heterogenous flooring, together with their stunning Creation 55 LVT and Gradus Boulevard 5000 high performance Secondary Barrier Matting Tiles.Cityheart Living’s accommodation in Cityheart’s Blackfriars Residence is brand new and offers high specification and secure student accommodation to the University of Gloucestershire.Midas Group, a multimillion-pound construction group with seven offices around the southwest and Wales, had been appointed by the developers Cityheart Living as main contractors but went into administration in 2022. Vitruvius who are a team of project and construction management consultants swiftly proposed a Construction Management approach to restart the project and were appointed to take over the project.

A 200 sqm, highly energy-efficient new build project in a remote location in the Highlands of Scotland. Built using sustainable materials, and with the timber frame sourced locally and wood fibre insulation used alongside SuperFOIL Insulation throughout. Powered throughout the year using solar PV and battery storage.Looking to increase the thermal resistance of the building envelope in order to reduce energy usage. With the building using an air source heat pump and underfloor heating, they wanted to make sure that any heat loss was minimised and it was vital that they chose the correct insulation for the walls and roof.Solution: SuperFOIL SF19+ is a multifoil product with a total of 11 layers, made of wadding, aluminium coated PET layers and Foil Laminated Outer Layers. At only 40mm thick and providing an R-value of 2.14 when used in a roof, SF19 can be used on its own or in combination with other types of insulation. A fully flexible product that provides a vapour control layer as well as acting as a radiant barrier.

Lochrin Bain were appointed manufacturer of choice for the 2020 perimeter security requirements on Braithwaite Groups latest Mega Shed project for Farmfoods Ltd. Founded over 60 years ago from a butcher shop in Aberdeen, Farmfoods today Employs close to 4000 staff with over 300 shop locations across the UK, from its new Cumbernauld HQ. The projected consisted of a new 240,000 sq ft warehouse, to house one of the largest freezers in the country along with ambient storage facility of over 130,000 sq ft and new Grade A office space for headquarter staff. From the outset of the 52-week build, Lochrin Bain worked with Braithwaite to ensure a specification that offered their client a peace of mind 25 year guarantee while keeping to the original budget. During initial conversations, it was identified that the new LPS1175 Issue 8: A1 certified Combi SL1 Palisade system would be the perfect choice. Alter Landscapes based at Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire were awarded the supply and installation of the fencing package with several hundred metres of fencing and various gates supplied and installed.

University Coventry Hospital is situated in the Walsgrave on Sowe area of Coventry and is part of the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. The hospital opened in 2006, replacing Walsgrave Hospital the original hospital at the site.Twinfix was approached by Principal Contractors William Gough to design, manufacture and install a walkway from the helipad on the first-floor deck to the hospital’s Accident and Emergency department. The requirement was for a robust walkway that was structurally sufficient to withstand the usual weather forces and the down draught from a helicopter in close proximity.Liaising closely with William Gough and designer Pinnegar Hayward Design, the expert team at Twinfix designed, manufactured and installed a 240 sqm free-standing mono-pitch canopy with vertical perforated side panels. This impressive canopy design included lockable double leaf gates to secure the area.The roof comprises of our Multi-Link-Panel Non-Fragile (NF) system powder coated to RAL 5010 – gentian blue and glazed with 16mm multiwall polycarbonate, and the vertical panels were powder-coated to RAL 7037 – dusty grey. As this metal does not rust in use, the walkway will keep its good looks throughout its long life.

Ashton Old Baths is a Grade II listed building which Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has transformed into a business hub and data centre; an idea for heritage sites which could be transferred to many other ‘at risk’ buildings.The primary concern for the project was to create a sympathetic dialogue between the historic and the modern.Lang+Fulton were approached by the architect to provide an appropriate solution for a compound to surround and screen the unsightly sub-station, data centre generators, and cooling plant that were required to service the new complex. Their Corten louvre, made from weathering steel was selected to match the tonal qualities of the original red brick façade of the Victorian bath house and preserve the sensitive context of the site. The Italia-Corten panels sit between an expressed steel framework, which was hot-dip galvanized before polyester powder coating in a dark grey to reference the regeneration of the site to the area’s industrial past. The continuous structure creates 80% visual screening and the robust steel louvres provide excellent security.The compound was supplied with double-leaf and tri-fold gates to provide the required access.