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IssueA dilapidated former care home was being redeveloped into high specification, modern flats and communal spaces. The new flats were to provide bespoke, accessible accommodation for people with autism, learning disabilities and physical disabilities, with an on-site café open to the community. The aim was to create bright, modern, living, and communal spaces, without an institutional feel.ApproachThe flats offer different levels of support for residents. Support provided within people’s own homes is tailored to each person’s needs and supports individuals who are stepping down from secure units and hospitals including those who may have experienced previous placement breakdowns.Interior Designer, Penny Green, having worked with Altro products for many years, liaised with Altro to select a range of floor options to deliver flexible solutions in the different application areas, suitable for resident’s needs.SolutionAltro Ensemble luxury vinyl tiles was specified for The Foundry Café, bringing the benefit of 15dB sound reduction, and added comfort underfoot.In areas with a higher risk of slip, Altro Wood was selected to match the colour scheme, providing a biophilic safe option together with homely aesthetics. Altro Pisces specialist safety flooring, designed for shoe and bare foot use, was specified for all bathrooms and wet rooms.For The Foundry Cafe kitchen, Altro Stronghold 30 was selected to bring safety and comfort underfoot for staff, and Altro Reliance was specified for the back of house and delivery areas bringing a hard-wearing and durable finish.

Crossley Webb Contracts Ltd have specialised in providing exceptional quality interior refurbishments and fit-outs for the past 16 years. They were tasked to fully refurbish 14 hotel rooms and bathrooms located at the Bannatyne Hotel Durham. They required a product that was quick to install but equally had a desirable look.CWC specified Bushboard Nuance wall panels, Bushboard’s Nuance is a unique wall panelling system that is 100% waterproof, extrusion free and can be installed in a matter of hours offering a wide choice of stunning designs and textures to create any bathroom the client wishes.OBSERVATIONS‘Bushboard were recommended to CWC through a regular client and after thoroughly researching the product we decided to use it due to it’s practicality.It is the ideal product for refurbishment and fit-out projects as working to tight deadlines means we need to have the flexibility for quick installation. Nuance meets this requirement perfectly.’Bushboard panels can be tailored and installed in a matter of hours. In Bushboard’s time trials, Nuance was up to six times faster to install than traditional tiles. For a project Nuance is perfect to cut down the disruption.OUTCOMECWC specified Driftwood, this decor is printed in life-like proportion and enhanced by a realistic texture, mirroring the beauty of real wood.‘We loved working with the product and our clients think the overall finish looks outstanding. The product is hard wearing and easy to install, along with a great modern and stylish look.We will definitely use Nuance panels again on future projects.’For more information about the Bushboard products, request a RIBA CPD,

The redevelopment of Thrayle House involves a collection of new builds with heights of up to 20 storeys. Changes to fire legislation placed a ban on using combustible materials on the external walls and specified attachments of new high-rise buildings. Materials used in the construction of relevant residential buildings have therefore been limited to those with a fire-rating of Class A1 or A2 under EN13501-1 standards.Project BreakdownOrientated around quality and high specifications, Thryale House was after a balcony flooring system to support its 170 new homes, accommodating for a variety of resident needs, from the elderly to families and couples.Designed to comply with all current legislation, EnviroBuild’s Luxury Porcelain Tiles were selected to furnish all balconies across the Thrayle House collection.The SolutionThese complete non-combustible balcony systems offer solutions to meet the requirements of any project without compromising on quality or sustainability. Iron, from the Ergo collection, was selected to beautifully accompany the existing shades of the build, supporting the charismatic aesthetic developed through its local connections.Along with its reliable non-combustibility, a variety of impressive benefits include anti-fade technology, scratch resistance and low maintenance requirements for resident security and ease.Project DetailsSize: 460 m²Product: Iron Outdoor Porcelain PavingSubstructure: MESA Paving SupportsClient: Henry Construction & Network HomesArchitect: PRPLocation: London

REQUIREMENT: In order to enhance wheelchair accessibility to the cathedral, it was necessary to install both internal and external ramps to overcome the steps.END RESULT:Great care was exercised when installing the ramps to preserve the cathedral's floors and walls. These ramps do not require any ground or wall attachments; once the components are securely bolted together, their weight ensures stability. Additionally, slip-resistant rubber tiles have been placed beneath each support foot.Should wedding parties wish to take photos at the entrances without the ramps in the frame, these systems can be easily disassembled before the event and reinstalled afterwards. This flexibility is a unique advantage neither wooden nor concrete ramps can offer.FEATURES INCLUDED: Mesh Platform - self-draining mesh allows water to pass through rather than collect on the surface.Trombone Ends - these are added to the ends of a Rapid Ramp to prevent clothes catching.Telescopic Legs - these can be adjusted to accommodate threshold heights.Standard Colour Black - ramps are powder-coated black to create a hard finish that is tougher than conventional paint.EXTRA FEATURES INCLUDED:Infill Handrail - this product prevents children from climbing or falling through gaps.Yellow Tread - this is a safety feature designed to help those with impaired vision identify the nose of the ramp and helps users distinguish any level changes.Standard Step Unit - an ideal addition to any ramp installation, providing the access needed for able-bodied users. They can also be stand-alone units, independent of the Rapid Ramp System.

This showroom is not your average showroom. As well as being a place to showcase their bathroom products, it’s also used as a meeting place for architects and designers alike to come together to share and exchange knowledge and insights. The Roca Gallery, London, also hosts exhibitions and events around a variety of topics including architecture, design, and sustainability.Roca is a bathroom manufacturer and supplier that originally started out selling cast iron radiators in 1917. The first Roca Gallery was opened in 2009 in Barcelona and is what they call their ‘commitment to society’ providing a ‘brand experience’ like no other. Other galleries around the world include Madrid, Lisbon, Shanghai and Beijing – with each one individually designed to suit the cultural and historic surroundings.The Roca London Gallery was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and is full of rich history and innovative culture throughout it’s 1100m2 floor space. A prominent theme of the design is the movement of water with ripples on the façade and a sculpted interior. There’s over 200 unique concrete panels and 1209 bespoke porcelain floor tiles which meant that our access panels also needed to be bespoke to compliment this design.Our concealed frame doors, Arriva & Innova were essential to the design, in order to create a smooth, undisturbed flow throughout the space. The doors also feature bespoke designs, such as curved cut-outs in the doors for the handle, mirroring the curved design that can be seen across the project. The Via access panels were also required to be bespoke, with some needing to be abstract shapes, while others had to fit with the curvature of the wall.

With the help of a dark colour palette and classic features, owner and Senior Designer of Multiform Copenhagen Lene Halse Hornemann has created a wonderfully sophisticated home, full of glamour. Shades of black and dark grey throughout lend an elegance to the newly renovated home, and luxury materials including velvet, leather and brass introduce texture and comfort.A renovation projectLene and her husband restored the early 20thC villa to its former glory, reinstating many original features and filling the house with timeless design pieces and much-loved antiques. The dark colour scheme is enhanced by natural materials, such as the Junckers solid oak herringbone flooring installed throughout the house. The rigorous geometric pattern softened by the structural grain patterns and colourations inherent in the wood provide a warm and elegant backdrop that will last for generations to come. The flooring was fitted over underfloor heating.A stunning centerpieceThe home’s crowning glory is the kitchen by Multiform, an award winning design.  A large island in brass takes centre stage in the space, contrasted with black stained oak cabinetry and glossy black tiles around the perimeter. The state-of-the-art kitchen oozes elegance and at the same time a practical, functional space to cook, eat, entertain and live in.Good Design LastsUnited in the quest for exceptional quality and traditional craftsmanship rooted in Danish design, Multiform and Junckers enjoy a long-standing collaboration. Many of the kitchen company’s showrooms are fitted solid hardwood floors from Junckers – a perfect partner to the elegant kitchens.

TK-Team were asked to help with reverberation issues in a room used for VC. Below are comments made by Kevin Close of Hull University.With more and more meetings being scheduled online since the pandemic, we had a request to enable a meeting room with video conference facilities. One thing that was immediately noticed, post install, was that people at the far end we’re having issues hearing people in the meeting room due to the acoustics in the room. The configuration of the room with flat solid walls, ceiling and whiteboards meant this space had a lot of reverb/echo. After some thought, it was obvious acoustic treatment was required in the space, we consulted with GVAV who offered us some solutions, we then spoke in depth with Lee from TK-Team who visited us and surveyed the room. Lee identified the main issue being reflection from the ceiling and explained that is where we should start. TK-Team worked with us and designed us a tailor-made solution for the room using Hush Acoustic ceiling tiles, all in our choice of colours and shapes, the solution was procured via GVAV and installation was very smooth and finished in a timely manner.The acoustic quality of the room, not just for local meetings but for remote participants was vastly improved. The difference in the room has been described as ‘staggering’. As such, this is now a heavily used meeting space and has highlighted the advantages of looking at and dealing with acoustic issues within meeting spaces on campus going forward.Kev Close

JACKOBOARD® by BEWI offers many benefits for installers of wetrooms and bathrooms. JACKOBOARD® is a waterproof, weight-loading and thermally insulating construction board for use in all types of tiling jobs.Critically, because it is manufactured from 100% waterproof XPS, there is no need to tank wetrooms constructed using JACKOBOARD®, either with a waterproof membrane or a paint-on solution. This saves the installer both time and money, since a separate tanking system is not required and only the joints where the boards meet need to be taped.The NHBC Standard states that “backing surfaces may require protection from a suitable tanking system”.“This guidance is completely correct,” says Martin Harragan from JACKON by BEWI, “but it should not be interpreted to mean that if you are using an XPS backerboard, such as JACKOBOARD®, you have to tank the entire substrate of your wetroom. The closed structure of an XPS board means that it is totally impossible for water to pass through it, in the way that it would through a fibre cement board for instance.”JACKOBOARD® is keen to communicate this message to the many different trades who get involved in the installation of wetroom systems, from the shower tray upwards. Although there are wetroom specialists, this job is often down to plumbers, M&E contractors, tilers, dryliners and flooring contractors. So, as wetrooms continue to increase in popularity, there are different trades who need to be aware of the benefits of XPS backerboards.While offering the benefits of XPS, JACKOBOARD® can also offer a price advantage in the marketplace, due to the fact that the company manufactures its own foam, giving it complete control over cost, product quality and sustainability of manufacturing processes. These factors have enabled JACKOBOARD® to become the UK market leader in XPS construction boards.

Victoria Chambers is nestled in the heart of Westminster, offering a taste of quintessential London Life within a wider neighbourhood of political and royal grandeur characterised by the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. This mainly pedestrianised cobbled street hosts a vibrant weekday market and is home to the newly revitalised Victoria Chambers – previously office suites, now refurbished and returned to their original residential purpose.Step inside and be amazed at the light that permeates through these revitalised spaces. Superb planning has maximised the living areas and ceilings have been enhanced to draw attention to their impressive heights. The feeling is contemporary chic, yet remains a sense of tradition with some fine period detailing. The interiors have been designed with the charm of the building’s street in mind, from making features of the loft like windows, to the chevron patterned tiling mimicking the cobbled street. The overall look and feel has great charisma, in keeping with its environment.Selo played a key part in this development as both Arriva and Enigma doors were installed. Arriva stands out as an exceptionally versatile doorset featuring an outward-opening action. When positioned in front of the concealed flush side, the door gracefully swings open towards you, adding to its user-friendly and adaptable design.Enigma Pocket Doors are recognised space savers and allow the occupiers to use the full footprint of the rooms where they are installed. A conventional door will need a radius of around three feet to open which means around 10 square foot of space needs to be kept free for the door to function. This is all space that could be used for something else.

An intriguing new Milan styled Italian café has opened on Essex Road, Islington designed by well-known Italian studio Vudafieri-Saverino Partners. The 240 sqm ‘Latteria’ is inspired by Milanese culture and style with a warm and informal atmosphere in white and red. This is complemented by Troldtekt wood wool panels on the ceiling painted white to blend in and used to soften the acoustics and reduce background noise. Troldtekt panels are frequently used in this kind of open plan environment to combat noise generated by the kitchen machinery, staff and customers which is exacerbated by bouncing off the hard surfaces. This is particularly true in this project where the design harks back to the 1950’s and features an open-plan kitchen coupled with hard surface lacquers and laminates, polished and satin-finished steel, tiled walls and marble floors. Troldtekt’s acoustic panels absorb both direct and reverberated sound. They help to strike the balance between a lively and welcoming environment and an experience where the venue is uncomfortably loud. This is important because customers’ comfort and a willingness to spend time and money is decreased in a noisy environment. Specified throughout the UK and Europe, the benefits of 100% Troldtekt natural wood wool panels include high sound absorption, high durability, natural breathability, low cost life cycle performance and sustainability. This high performance is recognised by their Cradle to Cradle certification at Silver level. Available in various sizes and in four grades from extreme fine to coarse, the panels can be left untreated or painted in virtually any RAL colour. Samples, case studies and technical information are easily sourced from tel 01978 664255 or visit www.troldtekt.co.uk. 

A durable, slip resistant solution with minimal disruption for a development kitchen area in a popular Michelin star restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall.Located in a beautiful Georgian townhouse in the heart of bustling Padstow, Paul Ainsworth at No 6 has three dining areas, including private dining for smaller parties as well as a space overlooking the attractive development kitchen.Vebro Polymers has delivered fast-cure vebrospeed Quartz, a high performance yet aesthetically pleasing floor coating system for the development kitchen, an operational space that is also visible to diners. The area had previously been a functioning kitchen with a less-than suitable pre-existing floor finish that required refurbishment.Chosen in the blend Starry Night — an attractive yet functional charcoal grey shade, vebrospeed Quartz has been installed over plyboard designed to level the pre-existing floor finish under a fast turnaround with minimal disruption to the restaurant’s operations.Ideal for areas like kitchens where there is heavy foot traffic and wet spills can easily occur, vebrospeed Quartz is a highly durable and slip resistant, UV-stable quartz flooring system based on fast-cure MMA (methyl methacrylate) technology.Not only is the installation seamless, unlike alternative kitchen floor coverings such as tiles, coving has also been installed to the perimeter of the floor area, in order to ease cleaning regimes and maximise hygiene.In most scenarios, vebrospeed Quartz is ready to walk on in 60 minutes, which is highly advantageous for restaurants like Paul Ainsworth at No 6, where downtime has a direct and immediate impact on turnover.

60-70 St Mary Axe is an office building designed by London-based architectural firm Foggo Associates with retail space on the ground floor. It is located in thearchitecturally ultra-modern financial district of the City of London in close proximity to the iconic 30 St Mary Axe, also known as "The Gherkin," whose facade was realized byLindner. Also, the new building is nicknamed: "The Can of Ham" in its semi-elliptical shape reminiscent of the packaging of English canned ham. The 360° view through the vaulted, all-glass façade offers a great view of the city of London. The BREEAM Excellent building offers 28,000 m² of office space, spread over 21 floors and designedto meet a wide variety of needs.Lindner Interiors contributed to the construction with interior fit-out products. These include the suspended ceilings for the "A" category office rooms on the 3rd, 9th and 12th floors, and the luminous ceilings at the reception and in all elevator anterooms.The Lindner fire grid ceiling system LMD-B 100 with linear grid arrangement was installed on two floors, while on the third floor, light strip modules were chosen instead.These complete the appearance of the iconic building in an impressive way. If required, LMD-B 100 partitions can be attached to the Lindner ceiling system so that the office space can be individually divided. With its radiant fire grids and trapezoidal ceiling tiles, the system is perfect for the sweeping silhouette of the 60-70 St Mary Axe building.Completed Works:F0 Metal ceilingLMD-B - Post cap ceilingsLuminous ceiling/luminous canopyLuminous ceilingsCertification systemBREEAM

High performance resin for mortuary flooring areasAs with many high-care environments, mortuaries and post-mortem rooms require high performance flooring to cope with extremely demanding conditions. Any floor finish must be slip-resistant, hygienic, totally impermeable and incredibly durable.Traditional mortuary flooring specificationTraditionally, mortuaries and post-mortems rooms have utilised vinyl sheet or terrazzo floor tiles. However, both have inherent problems such as failed joints, cracks and poor slip resistance making them less than ideal. The failure of these traditional finishes can allow water and other contaminants to penetrate into the substrate below, which creates significant hygiene challenges.In addition to hygiene challenges, failed floors can create health and safety issues such as trip hazards and any repairs will be time consuming and disruptive.High performance mortuary specificationDegafloor have developed an alternative, high performance flooring specification, ideal for post-mortem and mortuary flooring. The Full Broadcast and QTA systems are ultra durable, seamless and highly slip-resistant finishes that can be easily cleaned.Both offer a profiled surface finish that provides outstanding slip-resistance and durability. Despite the surface texture, Degafloor flooring systems are easy to clean and and the seamless nature of these floors results in outstanding durability, avoiding contamination issues.Degafloor high performance flooring systems can bond to a variety of substrates, and cure both chemically and physically within 2 hours of installation. This ensures that every solution we deliver can be installed extremely quickly and cost effectively, resulting in minimal disruption.Our mortuary flooring projects include; Peterborough City Hospital, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Barnsley General Hospital, Luton and Dunstable Hospital and Basingstoke & North Hampshire hospital.

Pure luxury in the newly constructed building between the terminals  The 5-star Hilton Munich Airport hotel is situated like an oasis of tranquillity between terminal 1 and 2 at Munich Airport.The hotel enjoys a high occupancy rate and had an annex constructed to increase the number of exclusive rooms. Completed in 2016, only the finest of materials and finishes were used in the new building, to establish a very special atmosphere. With the abstract silhouette of the Alps and the wooden furniture, for example, the charm of the state capital of Bavaria is reflected in the premium interior furnishings. Select designer creations can be found in the sleeping areas, and naturally also the bathrooms. The interior architects JOI-Design, with proprietors Peter Joehnk and Corinna Kretschmar-Joehnk, were responsible for the concept design for the hotel rooms. Entering the bathrooms, the brilliant chrome finishes of the KEUCO accessories and the iLook_move cosmetic mirror immediately catch the eye. Gleaming luxuriously, the KEUCO products jump out at you from among the more unobtrusive colour schemes of the tiles and interiors. Designed by the renowned Tesseraux+Partner design agency in Potsdam, the iLook_move cosmetic mirror shines particularly with its extraordinarily clever and durable hinge design.The mirror can be arranged optimally vertically, horizontally and in angle of inclination. The rugged wall mounting and the premium quality and workmanship will make it an indispensable companion in the hotel bathroom for many years to come.Individually adapted PLAN grab bars from KEUCO grace the glass doors of the shower partition and the drawer of the washbasin cabinet and can also be used as a towel holder. Another PLAN grab bar in the shower provides guests with a sense of security. With its strong design, KEUCO's EDITION 11 shower basket hangs beside it in harmonious combination. Its striking yet discreet language of form lends the shower basket a unique aesthetic.

When the Coleg y Cymoedd (translated meaning is the College of the valleys) in Wales needed to totally refurbish the flooring element of their campus in Ystrad Mynach (near the town of Caerphilly), they turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to supply over 1000m2 of flooring for numerous areas and spaces throughout the campus. It was a project that provided Gerflor with the perfect platform to showcase a raft of high-quality flooring solutions ideal for the concerned demanding education environment.Tony Thorne, Gerflor Sales and Specification Manager - South Wales commented, “This project started at the specification stage with the Architects Austin-Smith: Lord. Over several meetings, we looked at a number of products to be used in various areas of the building scheme. The installation at the Ystrad Mynach campus is an outstanding example of how a mix of Gerflor innovations can achieve world class results. Mixing gym tiles with sheet vinyl, safety flooring and LVT, yielded incredible results for this college refurbishment project.”Kate Thomas, Director Austin-Smith: Lord commented, “The refurbishment project, part-funded by the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme, formed part of the college’s plans to continually invest in new facilities and equipment that will allow learners across its catchment area to have access to the latest training opportunities and career paths.”Mark Bond, Estimator and H&S Manager at Floor Furnishings commented, “The client is extremely impressed with the end results. We regularly work with Gerflor products and recommend Gerflor where suitable, in line with our client’s requirements and expectations. Gerflor’s staff are particularly skilled in being able to work in collaboration and alongside both the end user clients, as well as contractors in achieving an excellent final result that is pleasing to the client and meets the complicated design brief.”

Castlethorpe Homes is a renowned house builder serving some of the most attractive and historically rich villages, towns, and cities across Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds, and their surrounding areas. The Paddocks, an exclusive development by Castlethorpe Homes, features substantial detached houses nestled in the semi-rural location of Bramley. This distinctive project reflects their commitment to environmental sustainability. Beyond the construction phase, they have actively incorporated Bio-Diversity Net Gain initiatives, contributing ‘green elements’ to counterbalance the impact of their building works. As well as an additional 10-meter wild meadow buffer, the development boasts over 250 meters of native hedging, bee bricks, bat tiles and specially designed hibernacula providing shelter for slowworms and newts, Castlethorpe Homes also installed Hedgehog Highways. “Hundreds and thousands of homes are built in the UK every year, but how many prioritize environmental and social impacts? At Castlethorpe Homes, sustainability is not an afterthought; it is ingrained in our design. We collaborate with suppliers who share our commitment to the bigger picture. The Hedgehog Highway by Timloc is the perfect fit, allowing hedgehogs to roam freely in our green spaces.” Chris Warner, Founder & Managing Director of Castlethorpe Homes The Hedgehog Highway by Timloc has been designed to connect gardens, enabling hedgehogs to roam freely and forage for food, water and shelter without restriction. It perfectly frames highway holes to help state the purpose of the hole and avoid accidental obstruction whilst being a great garden feature. With every purchase of a Hedgehog Highway by Timloc a donation is made to hedgehog charities to aid their efforts in rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing sick or injured hedgehogs back in to the wild. To learn more about Hedgehog Highway by Timloc visit: www.timloc.co.uk For further information on Castlethorpe Homes go to www.castlethorpehomes.co.uk Photo: Hedgehog Highway by Timloc in situ at The Paddocks, Bramley, kindly provided by Castlethorpe Homes.