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Hudson Yards is the largest private real estate development in the history of the U.S.. Hudson Yards will dramatically transform a vast desolate space into New York’s next great neighborhood. It will include more than 18 million square feet of commercial and residential space, state-of-the-art office towers, more than 100 shops, and a collection of restaurants. Effisus Ecofacade P-Fix, a solution with clip-in gaskets for waterproofing facade connections, is being applied on site, improving the buildings’ envelope efficiency and sustainability.

Fitzroy Place is located right in the heart of London – in the district of Fitzrovia, just a few minutes from Oxford Street, Regent Street and Regent’s Park. This area has always attracted artists and creatives – and was once home to Charles Dickens, Arthur Rimbaud and Virginia Woolf. Fitzroy Place is a unique collection of new buildings, comprising apartments, shops, restaurants, cafés and office space, all organised around a green square. At the centre lies Fitzrovia Chapel, erected at the end of the 19th century.

The new centre, sympathetically designed by the prestigious Glenn Howells Architects, uses Reynaers’ CW 60 modular curtain walling, Vision 50 door system, ES 50 Eco System door, CS 68-HV Hidden Vent window and CS 77 doors. It was built by contractors Stepnell and the consultant was Wintech Ltd. With a large restaurant and shop, separate coffee shop and beautiful cloistered courtyard with garden, it’s hoped that the new centre will attract hundreds of thousands of new visitors to the Arboretum.

London is the UK’s largest student accommodation market, yet the supply of purpose-built student beds continues to lag behind the growth in student numbers. Cole Waterhouse’s First Way Campus aims to plug this gap, providing high-quality accommodation in the heart of the Wembley Park regeneration area in northwest London, close to excellent transport links, shops, restaurants and leisure facilities. Sector: student accommodation , Client: Cole Waterhouse, Partners: Bowmer & Kirkland; Fire Shield Limited

Whatever your catering needs, be it a professional kitchen or a hog roast machine at events, you’ll know that a responsive, reliable energy supply is an essential ingredient. Where mains gas isn't available, Calor LPG can deliver food cooked to perfection and this is why we're the trusted LPG supplier for names like Macdonald Hotels and Greene King.

The Beckett, a new retirement village close to the centre of Royal Tunbridge Wells, in Kent, comprises three luxury apartment buildings of three, four and six storeys. The contemporary design provides 89 quality appointed apartments with a landscaped garden, all arranged around full-height atriums, allowing natural light to reach the centre of the buildings. The upper floors are set back, providing generous terrace areas which include a ‘sky lounge‘. All three buildings are concrete frame and as with any reinforced concrete slab design, The Beckett is at risk of punching shear failure, which traditionally has been resolved by adding further concrete, such as downstand beams, or localised thickened column heads. However these require complex formwork and significantly reduce the benefits offered by the flat slab design. The Schöck Bole shear rail system counters any punching shear risk and is cost-effective and significantly faster than traditional loose links – as much as four times faster in fact. This is because when using traditional links it involves far more ties to the reinforcement matt than when using the Schöck Bole. The ready-to-install reinforcement element consists of double-headed studs with spacing bars to ensure correct positioning. Two spacer bars are welded to the vertical studs, which ensure the correct distance between uprights and the forged stud heads guarantee a perfect finishing bond with the concrete. The dramatically reduced fixing time far outweighs any additional material costs that may be involved with a prefabricated system.  

One of the most iconic buildings in central London.The building has been reborn hotel and residential complex for highflyers in the financial services sector. Woods Bagot’s scheme for 10 Trinity Square, nicknamed ‘the whirlpool’ after the glass canopy at its centre.10 Trinity Square was commissioned by the Port of London Authority in 1911 through an architectural competition won by Edwin Cooper. Completion of Cooper’s Beaux Arts design was delayed by the First World War (it was finished in 1922).Many of the original interior features were conserved while incorporating the servicing requirements of a modern hotel. As such, plaster ceilings, such as those situated in the south wing of the second floor, are being maintained and the original air vents may be used in the new HVAC strategy.For this development, Selo used the Una doors which are the solution for timber leaf risers. Una utilises a timber door leaf with a concealed metal frame. Made to suit custom sizes, provided as a flat-packed kit prepared for all ironmongery.

The first Student Hotel in the UK will be in Scotland, in Glasgow’s Candleriggs Square, in the very heart of historic Merchant City, which provides a perfect location. The hotel forms the first development phase of the much-anticipated regeneration of the 3.6-acre Candleriggs Square site. Permavent’s A2 -s1,d0 fire rated membrane Safeshield XT Reflect was chosen by Walsin Construction to make up part of the internal cavity of the walls during construction of The Student Hotel in Glasgow. This new development in Glasgow’s Candleriggs Square will form part of the rejuvenation of a formally derelict site in the heart of the city, with the reflective properties of Safeshield helping to increase the energy efficiency of the structure, alongside class-leading fire performance. Cladding contractor Walsin Construction are installing Permavent Safeshield XT Reflect, a Class A2 -s1,d0 fire safe membrane, as a higher-performance and more robust approach than standard traditional breather membranes. Alongside the highest fire performance from a membrane Safeshield XT Reflect was the product of choice to deliver a sensible and competitively priced method of achieving a high thermal-performance and as built-anticipated level of airtightness.Peter Noon, Walsin Contracts Manager at Candleriggs, commented: “Walsin have worked on a number of projects with Permavent based on their technical support, knowledge of the required construction detail and tool box talks delivered on site. Safeshield XT Reflect is a superior product to other alternative membranes available. The inherent strength of the material provides confidence that the material will maintain the buildings integrity during and after construction. Being Class A2 fire rated provides further confidence in terms of building safety. Safeshield allows us a contractor to deliver an as designed performance to the buildings structure”.

Recognising their long-standing commitment to exceptional customer service and product excellence, partitioning experts Style has been named by Willmott Dixon as both the winner of their National Goods Supply Chain Award, as well as Goods Supply Chain Partner of the Year.  In addition, Style was recently awarded their 12th FIS Gold Contractors’ Award for their creative moveable wall installations at the new Londoner Hotel. “It is fantastic to receive such high acclaim from our partners,” said Julian Sargent, Style’s group managing director. “The awards reflect both the strength of our team and the high quality of the Dorma Hüppe and Skyfold moveable wall systems, for which we are sole UK distributors.”Style has worked with Willmott Dixon for many years, providing innovative moveable wall systems across a wide variety of sectors. “Style sometime go under the radar as they are so effective and efficient when they survey and install that our site teams just don’t have to worry about them,” comments Andy Pritchard, head of supply chain for Willmott Dixon, London and South. “However, their performance scores certainly don’t go unnoticed, with 81% achieved over five projects, they are leading the way. Great effort from all parts of their business and well-deserved winners.” At The Londoner Hotel Style worked with architect Woods Bagot, interior designer Yabu Pushelberg, and contractors Blue Sky Building & EE Smith Contracts, to deliver extensive flexible space in the main ballroom and meeting rooms. The FIS judging panel personally visited and assessed the installation, commenting that ‘the finished product is superbly fixed, of the highest quality and provides the flexibility that perfectly complements this hotel.’

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.

The Challenge was To pump screed 47 floors up in a ‘single pump’ operation. And to lay 1800m2 a day for the Shangri La Hotel section of The Shard. 40mm Gyvlon SKY on a resilient layer to part E, pumped internally in the building to allow the glass cladding and other operations to continue. Single pump operation at 14m3 per hour up 200 metres

A former brownfield industrial site alongside the River Roding in Essex is converted into attractive mixed-use community housing. The Met Police custody and patrol base for the borough, industrial businesses, restaurants, river moorings and 1000 homes.The developer wanted to replace old and damaged wooden hoardings around a section of the Fresh Wharf Estate perimeter in Barking and prevent damage to a bus shelter from stone chips thrown up by passing vehicles on the adjacent A406.The SolutionFresh Water Developments approached Zaun to devise a bespoke solution for the site on the banks of the Roding, a Thames tributary. They wanted a sustainable perimeter, deflected flying stone chips, minimised noise and met their aesthetic, design and functional needs.Zaun has integrated a new highly resistant laminate made entirely from mixed waste plastics with its market-leading Duo fencing to produce a system that won’t rust or rot. In addition, it is low maintenance and reusable or recyclable if damaged.The innovative product design named DBS Security boasts great acoustic-loss properties, rated B3 and 36dB loss, and gives protection against damage from flying objects flicked up by passing vehicles.DBS Security protects a bus shelter close to the North Circular that constantly has to undergo repair. A large section of the perimeter to the industrial site and housing is fitted with Zaun’s twin-wire Duo fencing system. Two horizontal wires resist being welded on either side of the vertical wire.Zaun combined both standard and bespoke fencing to tailor the overall solution to the site’s specific requirements.

Chabrat Fish Market in Mina District, Doha is a luxurious seafood destination with stunning architecture and a beautiful interior. The market offers an impressive selection of fresh seafood, including local and imported varieties.Doha Port Mina District is a popular tourist attraction with a harbour for cruise ships, as well as cafes, eateries, retail stores, and hotel apartments. Chabrat Fish Market fits marvellously into the neighbourhood of buildings painted in striking, vibrant colours and surrounded by lovely green gardens. The overhead glazing, made with the laminated coloured/stained glass with evguard®  is exquisitely crafted and absolutely stunning. Beautiful lighting fills the space and it creates a mix of light and shadow and a reflection on the walls in a variety of color tones.Photo: Amazing design and hot climate and extremely high UV exposure application made by MEBG & Spectra Arts/Qatar.Contact Spectra Arts, Qatar for more information on the project:Spectra ArtsTel: +974 44581112email: info@spectraarts.comwww.spectraarts.comevguard® laminating film has many adaptable uses for both laminated safety, security and architectural glass. evguard® is highly adaptable to varying conditions, and undertakes the most stringent tests to mark its quality, durability & safety. Contact MEBG for #evguard® in the Middle East Issa OSMAN issaosman@gmebusiness.com+961 3 145 155Nagham OsmanNagham.osman@gmebusiness.comAline Daheraline.daher@gmebusiness.com+961 1 511081Contact GlassParts for #evguard® in UK & IrelandTony Mallick +44 7392 458390tony@glassparts.co.ukwww.glassparts.co.uk

Over 100,000 Ancon Rebar Couplers were used to support the concrete of one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world. Reinforcing bars which strengthen the concrete deck, towers and end piers had to be reliably, mechanically connected end to end throughout the structure. To perform this hidden, but vital structural task, Bartec Plus Parallel Threaded Couplers were selected from the comprehensive Ancon range. Various types and sizes, to match rebar diameters from 12-40mm, were supplied, with the three largest sizes being used to join reinforcement running the full height of the three 680ft support towers.

Christ Church URC in Chelmsford, Essex provides a hub for the whole community, hosting mother and toddler groups, social meetings and youth based events as well as traditional religious services. The church’s brick-clad structure includes exposed concrete columns which were showing signs of deterioration due to carbonation together with other factors causing the steel reinforcement to corrode and the surface to crack and spall, leaving the reinforcement bar exposed in areas.Sika supplied the long-term concrete repair and protection solution for a church façade which had displayed signs of deterioration due to long-term exposure to air pollutants.

In 2017 permission was granted for the re-devlopment of an abandoned mill in Holmfirth into a cookery school and restaurant. The design required the car park to look as natural as possible but to withstand the manoeuvring of large delivery vehicles. ABG offered a re-engineered solution showing that a porous type 3 attenuation stone over the whole car park removed the need for expensive attenuation tanks. The main car park was covered in Sudspave interlocking pavers coloured to match the gravel. Truckcell was used for the turning area and filled with the same gravel for a natural finish.

This new store was the first of its kind in the country, tested in the Central Arlington location (612 W. Park Row). With over 3,000 Arlington High School students just across the street and over 34,000 UTA Mavericks under a mile away the store is perfectly situated for big sales. Conceived as a kid-friendly yet upscale environment, the restaurant marries a fast-casual vibe with modern details. Therefore, Accoya was the ideal choice for this exterior application due to its superior aesthetics, sustainability and class 1 durability.

This project includes 50 luxury studios, one, two and three-bedrooms in Poole town Centre. As a resident in this area, you can have access to numerous destination boutiques cafes as well as chains, shops and restaurants, making this location a modern living area. As a project development it is very modern and futurist because it was the first one being designed and constructed in BIM. In order to protect the façade building from moisture, driving rain and wind the solution Effisus A2 Fire Rated Breather FR System was applied.

Leeds City College, the third largest further education college in the UK, has opened a new city-centre campus to offer modern-day vocational study programmes. The campus is a £14 million new build extension and refurbishment of a Grade II listed building into a state-of-the-art specialist vocational centre with training kitchens, a commercial training restaurant, hair and beauty teaching facilities and commercial salons as well as a refectory, library and student services. Being a refurbishment project, the build had a number of challenges.

The £230m Princesshay Shopping Centre, in Exeter, officially opened to the public in September 2007, as part of the city’s biggest ever regeneration project, with over 70 shops, cafés and restaurants. The roof of the centre, installed when the building was constructed, had caused various problems throughout its life. A Sarnabar system in Lead Grey was chosen, with a T fleece between the composite deck and the mechanically fastened Sarnafil S327-18EL membrane. On a smaller roof with a plywood deck, Sarnafil G410-ELF, an adhered system with a fleece backing, was specified.

The McLaren Technology Centre hosts a variety of diverse environments including; manufacturing facilities, a futuristic wind tunnel, restaurant, pool, gymnasium, museum, visitor centre, and exhibition and conference areas. Surespan was chosen to design and engineer the making of a 70m diameter glazed roof structure that would act as the roof for the visitor's centre. The structure has two fire escape hatches which would be used in the case of an emergency. The team at Surespan were proud to have been selected for such a project because of their superior engineering expertise and unique skills.

BackgroundThe owner and operator of a luxury retirement village in Warwickshire approached Hush Acoustics to improve the acoustic comfort in its main social area after feedback from residents raised concerns about excessive background noise.Lime Tree Village at Dunchurch features a superbly equipped bar and sun room as part of its extensive range of facilities, where residents can relax and socialise. Despite it being a relatively new development, the managers of the complex were receiving feedback from residents that the quality and useability of these rooms was being seriously affected by excessive background noise and sound echoing.Tackling the issue Keen to resolve the situation, the site’s managers approached Hush Acoustics for assistance. Step one was for Hush to visit the site and undertake an extensive survey of Lime Tree Village’s affected spaces – the sun room and the adjoining bar. The acoustic survey carried out by Hush at Lime Tree Village quickly revealed the cause of the background noise issue – common types of reflective, hard surfaces such as plastered walls and wooden furniture were indeed responsible for reverberating sound back into the room. And it was immediately evident that users of the spaces were having to do what most people do in rooms affected in this way – increase their level of speech to try and be heard, which means the issue spirals as everyone attempts to speak over the growing background noise.The solutionThe reverberation solution provided by Hush centres on its Hush Absorber 50 sound absorber panels, which are designed to be strategically mounted on walls or ceilings inside rooms affected by excess background noise. The absorber panels are Class A for the highest sound absorption performance, formed of a 50mm thick acoustic foam which is hand finished in a high quality fabric applied on the face, edges and back.After the site visit, the Hush team were able to calculate how many panels were needed to control the issue and where they would be mounted. A report was prepared for the retirement village managers with a quotation for the supply and installation of the panels recommended and Hush was commissioned to deliver the solution in November 2022. Installation of the Hush Absorber panels was completed in just one day which meant very minimal disruption to the facilities and the improvements were noticed immediately.Client feedbackA representative from Lime Tree Village said:“We always aim to create the best quality environment for our residents, so we are delighted that Hush Acoustics has been able to respond quickly to deliver an effective solution for our sun room and bar. From the initial enquiry to their recommendations and installation service, the process has been professionally managed throughout, and our staff and residents are delighted with the results.”

THE PROJECTThe East Village which was originally built for the 2012 Olympics athletes and visitors has become one of the highly sought-after locations in London. It is known for having many significant properties with floor to ceiling windows offering maximum light, improving the feeling of wellbeing and open space.Victoria Plaza is the latest addition to the East Village and the only accommodation built since the village was built back in 2012, with a beautiful view overlooking Victoria Park.THE PRODUCTThe Safety Letterbox Company Ltd (part of the Renz Group) already had the pleasure of working with Get Living on Manchester’s Middlewood Locks in Salford, and were therefore delighted to produce both mailboxes and parcel boxes for this exciting development in London.The myRENZbox intelligent parcel system has been a unique addition to the buildings with three variants of the system servicing three lobbies. A 23-box modula system within the Asteria House lobby. A 70-box system at Insignia point and an 83-box system at Laurel point.All systems are fitted with wi-fi connection and bar code scanners and polyester powder coated RAL 9005 jet black.As the East Village continues to develop, additional added extras such as Hyperoptic Hyperfast Broadband which is readily available is satisfying the growing demand for living within a future-proofed environment, and Intelligent parcel boxes such as myRENZbox do just that.myRENZbox brings peace of mind to those living on the developments by knowing they no longer need to wait at home for a delivery, and that they have a 24/7 facility to inform them that their parcel is safely stored. Read our wellness in the workplace blog here for the benefits of myRENZbox.If you’re looking to future-proof your development by offering a first time, last-mile delivery solution then myRENZbox can provide you with an efficient, traceable solution open to all carriers.

This group of seafront apartments on the site of the former Bournemouth International Hotel is perched right on the cliff side. The modern aesthetic of white render and glazed balconies is offset with crisp elZinc zinc cladding supplied by SIG Zinc & Copper and installed by the specialist cladding team at ICEE. The project for Taylor Wimpey Southern Counties was designed post-planning and managed on site by architects WADP.

How do you replace the water distribution system in a 100-year-old prominent building? That was the challenge for contractors Capri Mechanical Services who took on replacing and updating the domestic services at the prestigious Strand Palace. Their solution was simple: replace all pipework and utilise Viega press technology to install the systems in a way which protected the hotel and met building requirements.

Helmsman two compartment heavy-duty lockers were supplied, delivered and installed by Helmsman professionals in Trowse Primary School corridors. Bespoke specification of 1600mm height and a range of different door colours were chosen to brighten up this primary school. Each compartment door was fitted with an oval laminated number plate, from 1 to 60 twice. Blue and grey themed lockers were fitted on the first floor, while green and grey themed lockers were fitted on the second floor to split the floors. Diamond swivel locks were fitted on the lockers for an easy use and the pleasing aesthetics.

Gradus has supplied and fitted a range of wall protection solutions as part of the £16m newly built Bitterne Park School in Southampton. The new school includes 80 new teaching classrooms, a purpose-built assembly hall/theatre, a new dining space with a fully fitted kitchen and purpose built fully fitted classrooms to house the students as part of their Food and Nutrition studies.

As part of Soundis’ ongoing work supplying high-quality acoustic flooring at various Premier Inn’s around the UK, we were brought on to provide acoustic flooring to their Penrith site, one of Premier Inn’s many new sites across the UK.Due to it’s service and close proximity to the Lake District, this hotel has become extremely popular in just a short period of time.Just like a number of our other Premier Inn projects, we supplied an acoustic flooring system to the 1st and 2nd floors. This superb system provides excellent levels of soundproofing while being used in a shallow floor build up.We also supplied XPS Insulation on the ground floor with a 22mm T&G chipboard overlay, maximising durability for the increased footfall.The system we supplied reduced the overall noise within the hotel, allowing Premier Inn to fulfill it’s promise of a good night’s sleep. This installation carried out by UK Acoustic Systems proved to be a great success, reducing the noise levels within the building and helped ensure the most comfortable stay possible for guests.

When the owner of an office building on the Isle of Man took the decision to redevelop the property into four apartments, he partnered with chartered architect Andrew Bentley to arrive at a design. The building had previously been converted from a bar to offices in the 1990s, but the approach adopted to the soundproofing as part of this conversion project would need to be fully assessed and tested for compliance with today’s domestic dwelling standards. STEPPING UP TO HIGHER ACOUSTIC STANDARDSUnder the building regulations covering the Isle of Man, which are consistent with Approved Document E in England & Wales, the separating floors needed to achieve an airborne sound transmission level greater or equal to 43db and, for impact sound transmission, no higher than 64db. Following a comprehensive consultation period by Hush Acoustics soundproofing experts, it was apparent that the existing acoustic flooring design fitted during the original conversion was inadequate. This meant a complete redesign of the floors was required to bring them up to an acceptable residential standard.A SOLUTION THAT EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS The solution came with the Hush MF Ceiling System. This creates a suspended ceiling, separated from the existing structure using the Hush Acoustic Hangers, allowing for Hush-Slab 100 sound absorber slabs to be fitted into the void created. Two layers of 15mm Soundbloc plasterboard were then installed onto the suspended ceiling’s metal frame.Key to the success of the new acoustic system was the quality of the installation, which the Hush Acoustics team – as with all projects – offered guidance on to the installation contractor. This was important from a fire safety perspective too, with a fire specialist also engaged to ensure all gaps, junction details and products were installed and sealed correctly. ‘BEST EVER’ ACOUSTIC RESULTS As a result of this new acoustic flooring, the flats benefit from soundproofing levels not normally seen in conversion projects of this kind. The airborne sound insulation levels for the floors tested in various rooms ranged from 50db to 67db (minimum level to pass test is 43db) and for impact sound it was between 38db and 50db (must be below 64db).Project architect Andrew Bentley commented:“The test results were so good that the acoustician who carried out the testing of the completed installation said it was the best results he had ever seen. In the lounge of one of the flats, there was virtually no background noise detected despite sound of 107db being generated in the lounge of the flat directly above – that’s a noise level almost as loud as you would experience at a rock concert.”

The Darwin Centre cocoon creates a new architectural icon for the capital, ground-breaking in scale and breath-taking in its originality and creative brilliance.The design features a vast free-standing structure taking the form of an enormous cocoon within a glass atrium. The eight storey high cocoon houses a unique collection of 17 million insects and 3 million plants collected over the last 300 years by scientists including Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace and Sir Hans Sloane. The building completes the Museum’s life science complex, the Darwin Centre, following the first phase opened in 2002.Design TeamThe response of the architectural design team at C.F. Møller, lead by partner Anna Maria Indrio, was to create an engaging image reminiscent of an essentially organic form. The surface and texture also needed to reflect this, so the subtle sheen of the ivory coloured Armourcoat plaster was chosen. With an intersecting network of ‘silk threads’ that criss-cross the cocoon, the surface allows for movement and provides a visual framework for openings and niches. Armourcoat was specified to devise a unique creative solution combining both the insulation and the final decorative layers. The cocoon performs a genuinely protective job providing thermal mass to inhibit any fluctuations to the internal temperature – essential for the museum’s treasured specimens. The structure also houses state-of-the-art laboratories for 250 international scientists and an interactive visitor exhibition.ConstructionA sixty-five metre long skeletal structure was built by sprayed concrete specialist Shotcrete – the first above ground sprayed concrete structural element in the world. Expanded metal mesh was fitted to the steel re-bar framework and a 250mm thick layer of concrete was spray applied to create a 3,500 m2 raw concrete surface. Armourcoat then applied a resin modified render to the structure to minimize localized variations to the surface, before the polystyrene insulation layer was fixed. Using Dryvit Genesis adhesive and over 16,000 Hilti insulation fasteners, a 50mm polystyrene layer was fitted to the entire surface of the cocoon then covered with a layer of reinforcing mesh bedded into Dryvit Genesis basecoat. To create the silk threads wrapping the structure, a special cutting machine was devised which could cut an accurate slot and create the individual 340 panels which make up the cocoon surface. A total of 5.6km of edge bead was then fitted before Armourcoat’s unique AntiCrack substrate preparation system was applied. AntiCrack is a polymer and fibre modified gypsum skim-coat plaster which creates a first class substrate, keeping the Armourcoat plaster layer in peak condition. Two layers of Armourcoat keycoat were applied prior to the application of the final finish. The finished effect of a giant silk cocoon was achieved using ivory coloured Armourcoat Armuralia polished plaster - an exquisite, smooth finish with subtle tonal variations.The cocoon is a milestone achievement, a unique design and technical solution befitting the historic and social reference of the Natural History Museum. This also is a stunning example of the type of commercial projects now undertaken by Armourcoat, celebrating twenty-five years of creative excellence in 2009.Client: Natural History MuseumArchitect: C. F. MøllerMain Contractor: HBG Construction

The new Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre will provide four times the exhibition space as the current AECC and increase the maximum capacity to 12,500 visitors in the arena. It is the 2nd largest construction site in Scotland. We have now supplied 198 units to site to date (131 for the hotel and 67 for the conference centre) direct from our factory in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire to AECC Aberdeen.

Princes Street, formerly a retail space, was refurbished into ahigh-end new addition to Edinburgh city centre. The refurbishment would see the building repurposed into a mixed offering of a hotel, office and retail space.Originally built in the 1960’s, the existing structure had someobstacles to overcome. The refurbishment also added an additional storey to the existing structure creating additional loading challenges on the existing foundations.

Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall enjoys a stunning position right on the beach. It’s so close, in fact, that you can watch the surfers from the comfort of the rooms. When their existing sliding door handles quickly deteriorated and corroded they decided to upgrade to our BLU solid 316 Marine Grade Stainless Steel Patio Slide Handles. And since they have, the feedback has been incredible.

Koster Flooring systems were used in the refurbishment of a hotel in London as a part of a complete basement waterproofing solution.Due to height restrictions, a waterproofing system and functioning vapour barrier with self leveled finish were required within a 10mm build up. We achieved this using the Koster VAP Lite System.For more information or for a for assistance with a full specification, please contact technical@kosteruk.com.

Forming part of a £400m Birmingham City Centre scheme the new 17 storey, 250 bedroom Holiday Inn Express forms part of the 2.3m square foot Arena Central mixed-use development. RCM supplied approx. 5,000m2 of ACM rainscreen cladding from Vitrabond, Trespa Meteon panels, the aluminium facade support framing system and fixings to this newly built hotel.

Helo completed a custom designed steam room and sauna for Stafford training college. The health suite is part of the training facilities which include spa therapies. Both rooms feature unique Helo equipment and design systems to provide an environment which is attractive and comfortable.The final health suite finishes have the look of a luxury hotel but have been delivered within a strict budget and timeframe.