"concrete"

To facilitiate their exciting BSc Paramedic Science course, the University of Surrey identified that they needed more practical training space for their students. By working alongside Scott Brownrigg Architects, Newton Specialist Contractor Advanced Basements, and the Newton Technical Team, an extensive existing undercroft was converted into three large, dry rooms that are ideal for the purpose.With an emphasis on practical elements, the exciting BSc Paramedic Science course at the University of Surrey needed a new, well-equipped training facility for its students at the Surrey Research Park, Guildford.Having identified a large existing undercroft for the purpose, the University consulted with Scott Brownrigg Architects, as well as the Newton Technical team and Advanced Basements in order to create a new, dry space.The extensive undercroft area was first separated into three large rooms, based on what each room was going to be used for. These were defined as:A live environment Paramedic Training room, with an existing concrete floor, concrete retaining walls, and blockwork internal wallsA storage area, requiring a new insulated floor, and with concrete retainng walls and blockwork internal wallsA plant room, requiring full internal waterproofing to the walls and floorConsidering that the existing structure was already quite robust, Newton and Advanced recommended an internal Type C Newton CDM System. This method of waterproofing is the most failsafe method, using membranes to capture the water, and sump chambers and pumps to collect and remove it. The pumps are also supported by a battery backup system for total security.Advanced Basements acted as the specialist waterproofing contractor and the waterproofing design specialist on this project, working alongside the architect and client to design the system, before providing a high quality installation.Furthermore, thanks to their early involvement, Advanced also took design liability for the project and guaranteed the installation for the client.

The ancient printing house of “De Vooruit” in the Center of Ghent, was completely stripped to only the ancient concrete supporting structure. From there the renovation to an ultramodern student home was to be made with steel, providing safe stairways, safe and easy to walk on platforms, as well as outside sitting areas for the students. This was all to be made in aesthetical harmony with other products, such as COR-TEN steel that was used in the project. This to create a modern look, aspiring to the students.The project criteriaPcP had to meet the criteria for a sustainable, durable product which was safe and comfortable to walk on. At the same time, the product needed to blend in well with the COR-TEN steel being used for other parts of the project, providing a modern look that would appeal to students. Another challenge was installing the new steel structure onto the existing concrete supporting structure of the original building.The solutionLannoo Konstruktie chose the OPTIMO® O2, Spiral treads – Type K and panels, as these high-quality products met all the stated requirements for the new student accommodation building. In addition, it was a bonus that the OPTIMO® O2 perforation is easy to walk on in all types of shoes, and is even suitable for outdoor furniture, such as tables and lounge chairs.“The strength-to-weight ratio of the PcP solution is very favourable. This was very helpful for us, as we had to mount the new steel structure onto the old concrete supporting beams. It was important to have a light but very strong panel and steps. PcP was ideal for this purpose.”– Christophe Lannoo, CEO, Lannoo KonstruktieThe resultThe ancient printing house of ‘Dagblad Vooruit’ in the centre of Ghent was completely stripped back to its concrete supporting structure. The structure was then developed to create ultramodern student accommodation using steel with safe stairways, safe and comfortable platforms as well as exterior seating areas for students. This work all harmonised aesthetically with the other building materials, such as the COR-TEN steel used in the project. The aim was to create a modern and inspiring student residence.Architectural steel platform and spiral stair treadsThe project lasted a total of five months from first production to final installation of the panels and steps. In total, 150 spiral K treads were used for three spiral stairs on the three-storey building. More than 100 OPTIMO® O2 treads were installed, together with almost 300 square metres of OPTIMO® O2 panels, both standard and customised. For Lannoo Konstruktie, it was a very attractive project to be engaged in, and likewise for PcP, which is used to projects which are more industrial in nature.

Crown House, Barking, LondonThis project consisted of over 550,000 brick slips, including bespoke headers, pistols, and reveals. A choice of two brick types was selected for this project, both from our core range of products, the Mystique and the Rustington Antique.Client - Thorp precastBrick Types - Mystique, Rustington AntiqueProject timescale - 6 monthsConstruction Method - Pre Cast Concrete

Buildable"Glass Fibre Concrete (GRC) was identified early on as the ideal material for the project to achieve the desired civic aesthetic but also to avoid adding significant stress to the existing structure." - Nat Keast, Associate, Wilkinson-Eyre.DesignableThe project is an AJ Retrofit Higher Education & Campus Award 2023.The lightweight, three-dimensional GRC cladding panels featuring a stylisation of LSBU’s “sail” emblem give the building a welcoming, civic quality."We worked closely with subcontractor Tellings during the design phase to develop the three-dimensional panels, as well as vertical slats and horizontal bands. Alongside the 100% white bromo brick with white grout used for the existing concrete stair cores and shear walls, GRC helped change the perception of the building."We had to fight hard to keep the GRC through various value engineering exercises, but the university supported us and was able to appreciate the impact of the new facade." - Nat Keast, Associate, Wilkinson-Eyre.SustainableThe building has received a very good BREEAM rating and by retaining the existing structure, total embodied carbon is half of the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge target benchmark.

Outdoor life tends to take place inside the perimeter of block buildings in towns and cities. An inner courtyard becomes the outdoor area of choice, shielded from the noise from the roads that surround the building. The Wright Place project involved the installation of 60 balconies that were also planned as design elements. Schöck Isokorb® type KS was used for both structural stability and thermal insulation.Precast balconies as design elementsA total of 300 Schöck Isokorb® elements – between four and six per balcony, depending on size – were installed in the building structure, with some welded to the reinforcement to prevent tipping during concrete application. The Isokorb® used was type KS from Schöck's standard range, which functions as a load bearing thermal insulation element, eliminating thermal bridges between reinforced concrete and steel structures and thus preventing mould formation at the critical joints. The Schöck Isokorb® allows steel and metalworkers to prefabricate to a large degree, thus reducing installation times to a minimum. Its superb load bearing capacity offers enormous scope for balcony design while ensuring outstanding structural stability.

With London’s new ‘Elizabeth Line’ open, Farringdon had been designed to create accessible, safe and comfortable spaces that people can move through easily and efficiently - with sound absorbing insulation playing a key role in minimising station noise for passengers and staff.The solution was the installation of ROCKWOOL RW3 Slabs 75mm thick incorporated in the perforated glass fibre and reinforced concrete tunnel linings of the platform and access areas.

20,000 sq ft of brand new ‘BREEAM® Excellent’ Class A office space in Union Street, London, offers the character and qualities of Bankside’s industrial past, whilst offering a beautiful environment for modern office life. Open plan interiors featuring exposed concrete soffit and walls, full height ‘factory style’ windows, Maple timber Bathgate raised floor panels, and ‘acoustic’ decorative timber.

This "Mall", the largest in Kuwait, was thought of as a work of art, everything is cared for, and so are the ceilings. If you do not pay attention to details you might think it's concrete, but no, it's indeed Barrisol stretch ceilings that cover most of the center. Barrisol membranes offers as always a lot of advantages: The work time has been reduced The weight of the structure has been lowered Aesthetics is neat A feat only possible thanks to Barrisol.

Granite-look Paving was required for a large city-centre public realm scheme. Braemar, Tobermore’s premium concrete paving with the aesthetic appeal of natural granite provided the perfect solution.The £20m+ public realm regeneration has transformed Leeds City Centre into a World-Class Gateway to the city for bus users, pedestrians and cyclists. The contractor was delighted that Braemar was readily available in large quantities and short lead times.

Specialist lighting design company PSL, were looking for something a little different for their trendy new Bermondsey showroom. Designers, James Plumb obliged with a beautifully crafted and truly unique design that involved much concrete and some special stainless steel kitchen units from GEC Anderson.Drawer cabinets, base cabinets and appliance doors were supplied and installed by GEC Anderson, following the development of the detailed designs.

The building was constructed using ICF blocks that are to have a rendered finish. Internally the ground floor is a concrete slab and the upper floor has timber posi-joists with the Lewis Deck and resilient strips laid above. 16mm underfloor heating pipes are then clipped into our new clip rail system with a free flowing screed then poured on top, 50mm thick. This then gives 20mm cover to the heating pipes, maximising the efficiency of the whole system.

The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester is a 2400 seat concert hall constructed in close proximity to the cities Metrolink tramway. Ground-borne vibration caused by passing trams was highlighted by Arup as going to cause unwanted structural noise within the performance space. To avoid this the building was constructed off 280 number GERB pre-stressable coil spring bearing assemblies positioned on the concrete column heads and tuned with a vertical natural frequency of 3.5Hz.

The Hepworth Gallery required access to their low pitched roofs to facilitate safe working at height when carrying out external glazing cleaning and general maintenance. The concrete design of the building resulted in a thin roof construction, so The Gallery needed to ensure that any systems installed were fit-for-purpose, fully tested and compatible. With such a prestigious and architecturally prominent building, it was imperative that the chosen system also suited the design of the building.

The customer wanted to find a new tile that had a similar aesthetic look to the original clay tiles but also needed to ensure an economical overall installation cost. James Bros Roofing Contractors, who specialise in the re-roofing of domestic properties using natural slate, clay plain tiles or more modern concrete tiles, selected Wienerberger's 20/20 Antique Slate roof tiles to achieve this brief perfectly.

Sika supplied a single-source warranty as part of a dual waterproof solution for a large, privately-built concrete basement to guarantee its long-term protection against the perils of damp and water ingress.The 153m2 basement was part of a new build house in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. A toilet, cinema room, games room and a plantroom are earmarked for the below-ground structure; therefore its long-term resistance to water ingress was paramount.

The design of the house specified an airtight and thermal efficient solution to meet Building Regulations. The brief for DGTS was to provide a highly insulated (U-Values for walls/0.11 and floors/0.13) envelope to the main steel frame structure and concrete beam and block floors to both ground and first floor level. The dwelling floor area was approx 700m² broken up into twelve rooms including a wet room, gym, media room and library.

Housing corporation De Veste is always looking for the perfect home for their customers. In doing so, one of their main focuses is on the sustainability of homes and also creating awareness in the field of energy consumption, therefore the look and feel of their office mus also radiate this vision. That is why they have opted for sustainable Marmoleum Concrete throughout their canteen, lounge and offices. Using it alongside Flotex Vision Floral ensures the homely feeling of the housing co operation.

Enfield Town Park is a 9.5-hectare green open space in the heart of the Enfield Town, north London. Following a series of consultations with the public and park user groups, works were undertaken in to restore the lake, reinstate public access to it, repair the leaks, and add wildlife friendly features to the area. Furnitubes supplied two types of products to the scheme – concrete Blyth cube seating blocks and Parallel table and bench sets.

DescriptionLocal Smet Supported Partner, a seasoned Lidl Contractor, McCallion Group machine applied the LIDL External Render System onto Poroton blocks externally using as Base Coat: Bauprotec 850 M – Lightweight Lime Cement Render, and as Key Coat: Change of substrate concrete/steel pillar/Poroton block or mass concrete and insulated plinths: Bauprotec RHS Multi-Purpose Render.The internal Render System specification onto Poroton blockwork consists of a base of Coat: Bauprotec 850 M, Lightweight Lime Cement Render, sponge floated in warehouse areas, and skim finished in sales areas. Key Coat: Change of substrate concrete/steel pillar/Poroton block: Bauprotec RHS is used.The Irish LIDL render spec, available from SMET consists of:Bauprotec 850 M is a factory-produced Lightweight Lime Cement Render, specially designed for machine or hand application produced to EN 998-1: 2010 and is CE Marked.Bauprotec RHS is a CE Marked, factory-produced highly polymer-modified render specially designed for hand and machine application produced to EN 998-1: 2010.The special render properties; lightweight, low thermal conductivity, high yield, and the Smet Supported Partner superior technical backup, are key factors in choosing SMET.SMET is committed to delivering consistently superior quality, German-made Render Systems to Lidl Plastering and rendering/plastering contractors across the UK and ROI.  If you’d like to speak to us about your Lidl job – contact SMET.All LIDL spec SMET Render System products are available directly from Smet Building Products Ltd, which ensures the contractor has a superior level of technical backup in the machine application of the LIDL specification.Related DownloadsTDS CASEA Bauprotec 850 M – Lightweight Lime Cement RenderTDS CASEA Bauprotec RHS – Multi-Purpose Render

Armourcoat’s modular panel system ArmourFX has been specified to stunning effect at the new G-Shock store on London’s Carnaby Street by Double Retail. The new flagshop concept store was designed to physically interpret the core values of the brand and clearly segment G-Shock’s extensive product range.Through the careful use of lighting and materials, such as slate flooring, hot rolled steel surfaces and concrete wall panels from ArmourFX,the environment is an embodiment of G-Shock toughness.The store has elevated this premium offering and created a versatile future-proof space adaptable for specific collections and product launches.ArmourFX concrete effect panels are ideal for a deconstructed urban look for contemporary projects. The panels offer a wealth of design options to achieve a distinctive industrial style including distressed effects or recessed ‘shutter’ markings. Off-site construction is fast becoming the method of choice for both contractors and their clients with projects under tight deadlines for completion, or where it is impractical to work with ‘wet’ plastering trades on site. ArmourFX modular solutions can be highly customized to suit the client, sent directly to site and installed in a few hours. Photography: © Max McClure

We have overcome the challenge of installing low channels in an existing reinforced slab at the southern entrance to the French station.We have supplied mini range polymer concrete shallow drainage channels. This range is specially designed for areas with height limitation and load classes up to C250. Since this specific case involved a pedestrian tunnel, channels with heel-proof grates that comply with PMR regulations for people with reduced mobility were installed.

A scheme designed by the award-winning Architects Guy Hollaway, The Urban Sports Park in Folkestone includes the world’s first multi-storey skatepark. The state-of-the-art facility is set on four levels and includes a skating area, climbing wall, new boxing club and café. Cordek were requested to design and supply a bespoke formwork solution to aid the construction of the integral, reinforced concrete slab soffit for the large skating bowls on the first floor.

The Curzon Cinema in Oxford, part of the Westgate Shopping Complex, features a unique Arturo Performace Resin Floor in its bar area. Installed by 3D Royal Floors, the 271 m² floor combines aesthetic appeal with durability, essential for heavy foot traffic and furniture movement. The dark grey 'concrete look' created a unique and attractive floor. The seamless flooring enhances the venue's contemporary atmosphere, providing patrons with a stylish and comfortable environment.

AWARD-WINNING DEVELOPER REAPS BENEFITS OF SPECIFYING MARSHALLS FACING BRICKS FOR WATERSIDE APARTMENTS The use of concrete bricks, supplied by Marshalls Bricks & Masonry, contributed to both cost and schedule control during the construction of a premium waterside apartment development in Birmingham as well as providing sustainability benefits too.Located on a former boat yard site adjacent to the famous Old Birmingham Canal, Ultima at Sherborne Wharf is a premium collection of 87 one and two-bedroom apartments in Birmingham city center.Developed and built by Crest Nicholson, the 10-storey new build was originally specified and approved at the planning stage as clay brick, but looking to meet budgetary and availability requirements, the design team approached Marshalls Bricks & Masonry to seek an alternative solution.With stringent planning guidelines to work to, Marshalls recommended a list of cost effective options closest to those already approved, together with physical sample boards for visual review.The design team selected two facing brick options from the Marshalls Sandstock range. This particular range has the appearance of a waterstruck stock brick but with the benefit of dimensional accuracy to ease construction.The preferred options were the Hampton Stock and Waddon Stock, which were submitted to planning and approved. Requiring a quick turnaround, from initial contact to delivery, 341,000 concrete bricks were delivered within just two months by Marshalls.Most of the apartment block features Hampton Stock, an almost buff red brick, created from using more muted tones of red and orange. This particular brick also features the occasional subtle black brick running sporadically throughout, which helps the brickwork tie-in to the building’s powder-coated balconies, windows and doors.Intermittently, between the storeys, the bricks are stacked vertically, adding subtle design detailing to the building.The scheme also benefits from a sustainability perspective. According to available Environmental Product Declarations, concrete bricks have a lower embodied carbon than clay bricks and are 100% recyclable. Embodied carbon refers to the greenhouse gas emissions arising from the extraction, manufacturing and transportation, installation, maintenance and ultimate disposal of materials. Reducing these emissions will be crucial to mitigate the industry’s impact on climate change.Commenting on Marshalls involvement, Julian Lee, Technical Director at Crest Nicholson said “We initially decided to go with facing bricks from the Marshalls Bricks & Masonry range as they enabled us to come within budget while still allowing us to get the colour we wanted for the site. After working with the concrete bricks, we found they worked really well with the added benefit of the sustainability access that comes with them. The Marshalls Bricks & Masonry team came to site to work with us, and the site bricklayers to overcome any questions or concerns. All in all, the building appearance with these bricks finishes well.”

Tegola's black asphalt shingles look like slates and a special kiln firing process ensure a fade free appearance. Tegola only weight 10.5 kgs/sq.m., a quarter of the weight of concrete tiles, and this produced economies in the support structure, and their economic price led to significant cost savings. Tegola shingles have an excellent life span as they are stronger than the British Standard requirements, and have a design life of 35 years and have a top fire rating.

Inspired by and integrated within the natural landscape around it, the River Building at Grace Farms, which was designed by SANAA, gently slopes, bends and ‘pools’ with its surroundings.For a place in which people gather to experience nature, encounter the arts, pursue justice, foster community and explore faith, the use of glass, steel, concrete and wood is particularly fitting. In the building’s bathrooms, d line sanitary ware was used for its simple lines and the natural rawness of its material.

Hardanger Bridge is the longest tunnel to tunnel suspension bridge i n the world, connecting the east and west of the main highway in the southern part of Norway without the need for a ferry. The bridge is an impressive 1,380 metres long; the two concrete bridge towers protruding more than 200 metres into the sky. With greatly varying weather conditions and construction environments to consider, Jotun had the properties needed to perform across every aspect of this major infrastructure project.

Marlborough Sports Garden, a long-time community recreation space in London Bridge, has been regenerated and reopened, featuring unique hexagonal planters made from MEDITE® TRICOYA® EXTREME. Transforming the once graffitied concrete space into an urban oasis, the planters were a central feature at the official opening, attended by British Olympian Tom Daley and MP Jo Cox’s sister Kim, alongside her parents Mr and Mrs Leadbeater.

Following the specification process with the London office of Planit-IE Landscape Architects, Artform Urban Furniture were appointed by Vastint UK to provide a considerable number of bespoke concrete benches alongside street furniture elements including litter bins, cycle parking and picnic sets to a newly built neighbourhood in the east of London. At the time one of the largest residential developments in Europe.The bespoke concrete block benches, some of which are clad in hardwood toppers, were designed and manufactured specifically for this project, echoing the light reflective architecture of the newly built studios and apartments. Great lengths were taken to find the perfect mix of aggregates to achieve the specifiers preferred colour mix and match paving being used on site. Sample blocks in the concrete and granite were supplied with & without timber toppers to make sure all stakeholders were happy with the final look/ colour. Stainless steel cycle stands are abundantly scattered around the car-free space, encouraging a peaceful and emission free environment. Likewise the sophisticated minimal design of the Spencer litter bin reflects the surrounding ambiance whilst keeping the area clean and tidy.The 26 acre project to revitalise this once-crumbling industrial site began back in 2013. Garnering widespread attention for its simplistic and sustainable design.The entire neighbourhood is divided into 13 plots, each designed by one of nine different architects.The Dane’s Yard area is the first completed phase of the Vastint UK master plan in bringing a brand new neighbourhood to London. The name of the area, Strand East, was changed to Sugar House Island in 2017 with Vastint looking for a name that has stronger ties to the community and its history. The sentiment is evident throughout the project in the refurbishing of old warehouse buildings, yards, and alleyways.Once completed in 2024 Sugar House Island will feature more than 624,000 square feet of office space, 1,200 homes, and nearly 131,000 square feet of green space. Developers have also made room for new restaurants, cafés, shops, a primary school, and a 350-bed hotel. Developers expect the project to create 2,500 new jobs.

DescriptionLocal Smet Supported Partner, master builders NRS Group Construction, machine-applied the LIDL External Render System onto Poroton blocks externally using as Base Coat: Bauprotec 850 M – Lightweight Lime Cement Render, and as Key Coat: Change of substrate concrete/steel pillar/Poroton block or mass concrete and insulated plinths: Bauprotec RHS Multi-Purpose Render.The internal Render System specification onto Poroton blockwork consists of a base of Coat: Bauprotec 850 M, Lightweight Lime Cement Render, sponge floated in warehouse areas, and skim finished in sales areas. Key Coat: Change of substrate concrete/steel pillar/Poroton block: Bauprotec RHS is used.The Irish LIDL render spec, available from SMET consists of:Bauprotec 850 M is a factory-produced Lightweight Lime Cement Render, specially designed for machine or hand application produced to EN 998-1: 2010 and is CE Marked.Bauprotec RHS is a CE Marked, factory-produced highly polymer-modified render specially designed for hand and machine application produced to EN 998-1: 2010.The special render properties; lightweight, low thermal conductivity, high yield, and the Smet Supported Partner’s superior technical backup, are key factors in choosing SMET. SMET is committed to delivering consistently superior quality, German-made Render Systems to Lidl Plastering and rendering/plastering contractors across the UK and ROI.  If you’d like to speak to us about your Lidl job – contact SMET.All LIDL spec SMET Render System products are available directly from Smet Building Products Ltd, who ensures the contractor has a superior level of technical backup in the machine application of the LIDL specification.SMET is committed to delivering consistently superior quality, German-made Render Systems to Lidl Plastering and rendering/plastering contractors across the UK and ROI.  If you’d like to speak to us about your Lidl job – contact SMET.

Client: Cheval ResidencesLocation: Edinburgh, ScotlandSector: Hotel, Leisure & HospitalityYear: 2021Project Size: 150 m²System: vebroscreed Renovatevebroscreed Renovate, from Vebro Polymers, bonded to marine ply and concrete, has been installed across the ground floor reception and concourse leading to the bar area and restaurant.vebroscreed Renovate is a single part, fibre reinforced, cementitious smoothing underlayment screed, incorporating a blend of graded fillers, fine cements, and polymers, with excellent flow properties. The material is mixed with a cold-water addition to deliver a fine flow slurry that can be both pump and pour applied. The material has been used to level the existing concrete surface prior to the installation of terrazzo and ceramic tiles, which have been chosen in keeping with the listed building’s new interior scheme. Incorporating a specially formulated fibre technology, vebroscreed Renovate aids application and strength resulting in a strong, sound and even base that is ready to commence the tiling process after only 8 hours.All screeding on site has now been completed and the site turned over to the tilers, who are on track to complete ahead of building’s opening in a matter of weeks and to coincide with Scotland’s relaxation of international travel restrictions. 

Alicante Port, the well renowned commercial and cruise ship terminal has been upgraded to benefit from a Gatic Slotdrain high-capacity surface water drainage system.Slotdrain UltraSlot was specified during the re-conditioning of Dock 19 to increase capacity from 300,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) to 463,000 TEU.“UltraSlot was chosen by specifier SETI, SA, who are well established within the ports sector and who have worked with Gatic products for many years,” said International Sales Manager – Luis Triguero “The engineer in charge was familiar with the mechanical and hydraulic advantages of UltraSlot and requested a competitive price for the project. As Gatic is so well established in the Spanish market, we could exceed their expectations.”UltraSlot is used in external concrete areas which are subject to constant traffic, such as airports and ports. This high-capacity system is designed to ensure sufficient depth of concrete cover over the main body of the channel to withstand ultra-heavy-duty loads of up to F900 - 90 tonnes.“The biggest challenge we faced was ensuring the system could withstand the consistent, heavy traffic that will always be moving throughout the port,” continues Luis. “However, thanks to its capacity to bear heavy loads, UltraSlot proved to be one of the best drainage options on the market.”

Paradise View is the latest landmark residential development completed by developer Topland and partner CoLico Living.It is a £25 million regeneration project, transforming Birmingham city centre's Beneficial Building which had laid unoccupied for 13 years.Acquired in February 2022, the development plan included 159 build to rent apartments, 24 hour gym, 5,000 sq ft of retail space as well as a rooftop terrace.The main contractor BAM Construction Limited, approached KEIM as they required a paint system that was not only fire resistant, but also anti-carbonation to use on the exterior aspects of the high rise building.Unsurprisingly, the exterior was in a state of disrepair, with rust and rebar showing in some areas. Repairs were carried out to the concrete, with Concretal W specified to protect the old surface, due to its A2-s1, d0 fire resistant capabilities. This system will reduce the spread of flames onto the previously painted sections, but noted that full A2-s1, d0 fire rating couldn't be achieved without the removal of the old masonry paint.Paradise View is one of many recent programmes where KEIM have been involved transforming inner city commercial blocks into alternative use buildings in a bid to re-imagine, rejuvenate and reuse.

It is anticipated that when completed in the next ten years or so, the regeneration of Wembley Park, in North West London, will provide up to 7000 new homes. Schöck is supplying its Isokorb structural thermal break systems across a number of different sites on this vast scheme, but one of the largest is South West Lands. This private rented sector residential-led mixed-use neighbourhood will account for around 12% of the new homes on the entire Wembley Park development, up to 900 in total.South West Lands is spread across four separate blocks, which all share a communal basement car park.The reinforced concrete frame buildings, up to 18 storeys high, are finished using traditional brickwork and standing seam metal cladding. To create valuable amenity space at higher levels, as well as offering far-reaching views across London, there are communal roof terraces and a considerable number of private balconies throughout the development.Schöck Isokorb® T type SK products were used on two of the phases at South West Lands for thermally connecting the cantilevered steel balconies to the reinforced concrete slab. The Isokorb® T type SK units were positioned accurately using re-useable balcony width steel jigs.

Kirstine Roepfstorff, is an internationally renowned Danish artist who has developed the integrated art piece Hydra for Kanalbyen. Hydra uses water, light and plants to give life to the multi-storey car park that will house the residents’ cars. “Art creates value, and what Kanalbyen has done is both brave and forward-thinking,” says Roepfstorff. “Car parks are essential, but they’re usually lacking in life and a place people don’t consider as anything more than convenient, but actually they can be spaces where people meet each other and experience something,” she explains. The roof of the parking lot will have rainwater collectors creating an organic system within the concrete building. The huge facades will be covered in concrete murals, making for an interesting focal point in a building that is otherwise mostly ignored. Kanalbyen in Fredericia, a beautifully located previously industrial city with views over Lillebælt and with fortifications from the 17th century still surrounding the city. Kanalbyen is, and will be, an integrated, modern, inclusive and sustainable part of Hydra Parking House, Fredericia Harbour, Denmark, where locals and newcomers alike will benefit from how well thought-out the planning process has been. It is bound to be one of the most interesting developments to follow over the coming decades. Featuring EQUITONE [lunara] in Pebble

This new-build house was in a remote location and off-grid for mains gas, the house was to be heated by a heat pump and so efficiency was a major consideration for the project. The Lewis Deck system was chosen for the 1st floor of the building to provide the same efficiencies for the underfloor heating as the concrete ground floor as well as providing a high level of acoustic separation for this quality timber frame project. The build-up included the Lewis flanking and resilient strips, Lewis Deck, Anhydrite liquid screed and underfloor heating pipes.