"walls"

The ChallengeBowthorpe is a high-quality development of 174 new homes together with landscaped open space, community gardens and a children’s play area on an area of undeveloped land in Norwich.The development was inspired by nearby Bowthorpe Hall and explored the idea of an historic walled garden with homes built within its boundary.As part of the site’s high environmental standards, it was critical that existing features, such as important tree belts and hedges were retained while also accommodating a proposed network of cycle and walking routes.The SolutionForterra’s Breckland Reserve – a red, tumbled, wirecut brick – was used alongside flint on the ground floor of some of the homes to create detailed wall work that echoed Bowthorpe Hall.Traditional red tiled roof pitches sit above the wall and reference Bowthorpe Cottages. On top of the wall sit cedar shingle clad upper floors.Traditional terraces form most of the new homes, with flats provided alongside unique mews-style housing.The BenefitsThe building form, the materials selected, and the use of pattern and decoration, helped to create a visual connection to the local area.

A well-known and commonly used component of external wall coverings has wrongly remained unloved by the architect for almost 20 years since its introduction to the UK market in 1990. Whilst it is widely accepted that external wall insulation (EWI) systems and external render can dramatically improve the U-values of a building, the materials that are used in these systems may not be so popular.

The curved teaching space and the auditorium block are connected by a curved segment known as ‘The Link’ which runs through each floor of the building. This linking component features Schüco FWS 50 curtain walling both in the construction of the walls and horizontally in the roof skylights to let natural light into the centre of the building. The Link also acts as an important device to separate the two geometrically opposed buildings.

The owners of this domestic property in Penn, High Wycombe were looking to decorate their basement garage. They wanted the internal painted in-situ concrete to look like unpainted concrete.Dave Smith, Senior Sales Executive, and Nicola Young, Senior Colourist of KEIM Mineral Paints visited the property in August 2019 to trial samples for the client. It was noted during the visit that the walls were damp and required to be dried out prior to the applying of KEIM Mineral Paints. Pumps and dehumidifiers were installed to help this process.Once the moisture levels in the walls were below 18% by volume, the application of KEIM Design Lasur commenced.A translucent stain was applied to the walls, followed by KEIM Design Lasur sea sponged onto the surface to mimic a concrete appearance.

- Location: The Roof Gardens, Apartments, Manchester - Developer: DeTrafford Estates Group - Challenge: The previous intumescent varnish on external timber panelling on walls and decking broke down after just 12 months. - Solution: Remove existing coating, apply Zeroflame Treatment - Result: Original beauty of the decking and timber paneling on the walls is resorted, the timber is compliant with building regs and the property owner is happy.

A new, three-story extension to the back of the Sheil Hospital in Ballyshannon, and upgrades to the existing building have been completed with Sto external wall insulation and render systems. StoTherm Mineral and StoTherm Classic external wall insulation was applied to some lower sections of the buildings, with the higher areas of the façade completed with the StoRend Cote render system, to provide maximum crack resistance, weatherproofing and fade resistance. 

Hush Acoustics helped the developer of a new build apartment scheme in Surrey to deliver high quality homes which are highly insulated against the risk of flanking noise from the properties below and above.Composition Design, the architects tasked with designing the two, three-storey apartment blocks in Cranleigh, approached Hush to advise on what is a relatively common, but sometimes overlooked, issue in multi-occupancy buildings constructed using brick and block walls with timber joisted floors. In addition to ensuring the separating walls and floors were acoustically insulated to levels compliant with Approved Document E of the Building Regulations, measures were incorporated to prevent the potential for flanking noise to transmit between properties through the continuous blockwork.Flanking can be a major issue in buildings created with masonry walls and timber joisted floors because of the lightweight blocks and large voids which are characteristic of this type of construction method, particularly in walls of continuous brick and blockwork for the full height of the building.This can result in a noise issue so significant that projects of this kind are highly susceptible to sound test failures due to flanking. Hence why the architect sought specialist guidance from Hush Acoustics at an early stage.The Fairhaven development features two apartment blocks, which were constructed by Bohunone Building Contractors. One of the blocks incorporates three 2-bedroom flats, and the other provides four 2-bedroom flats and one 1-bedroom property, all designed and built with a traditional brick and tiled roof exterior to complement other properties in this established residential area.To address the flanking issue, the HD1013: Hush System 2003 acoustic floor system was used for all the separating floors within both blocks, and a wall lining was specified for the inside of any masonry walls that rise up continuously to the full height of the building. The wall lining consisted of the Hush Bar Deep resilient bars, Hush Slab 25 acoustic insulation slabs and a single layer of 15mm SoundBloc acoustic plasterboard. It was applied to all of the separating walls of the first floor properties, mostly single sided but double sided on those that are most susceptible to flanking, as well as the walls between any flats and the communal stairway.The HD1013 acoustic floor system consists of a floating floor created using Hush Panel 28, a 19mm plasterboard plank and Hush Slab 100 absorbers within the voids between the timber joists. Hush Bar resilient bars are then attached to the joists to provide acoustic separation, to which two layers of plasterboard are then screwed to form the ceilings – one being a layer of 15mm Fireline and the other a 12.5mm SoundBloc.Both the wall and floor acoustic systems were sealed at the perimeters to further prevent flanking noise. Once approved by the architect, the systems were installed by the building contractor under supervision from Hush Acoustics to ensure all the components and materials were fitted in accordance with its guidelines. The performance was confirmed by the pre-completion sound test. It recorded airborne sound levels as high as 60 dB DnT,w+Ctr for the party walls, demonstrating far higher acoustic performance than the minimum of 45 dB required under Approved Document E. The party floors were found to perform equally well, recording levels as low as 49 dB DnT,w+Ctr for airborne sound and 51 dB L'nT,w for impact sound. The latter also represents a significant improvement compared to the minimum compliance level of 62dB or lower stipulated by the Building Regulations.As the Fairhaven project demonstrates, early design consultation is key to addressing the potential for flanking noise and reducing the risk of sound test failures further down the line. If flanking is not considered and treated in the floor/ceiling or wall design and the building fails a sound test, the cost and disruption associated with remedial work could be extremely high.

The developer of an apartment conversion scheme in the Pennine hills village of Diggle near Oldham wanted to achieve superior sound reduction standards in the walls and floors and go beyond the minimum requirements set out by the Building Regulations.The Old Mill House project involved transforming a Victorian industrial building into several residential dwellings. The project’s design needed to comply with the requirements of Approved Document E, which sets out minimum standards in England and Wales for airborne and impact sound transmission between dwellings where there is a Material Change of Use.However, to deliver the highest quality living accommodation to potential buyers, the developer insisted that the acoustic specification not only met the minimum standards but went beyond them.To achieve their goals for the floors and walls, they approached Hush Acoustics for assistance in developing the specifications and providing the required products.Given the unique nature of the properties being created, the acoustic design for the flooring had to be compatible with underfloor heating and more unusual floor finishes such as stone tiling.The specification developed by Hush Acoustics for the separating floors beneath the floorcoverings featured a plywood timber deck, below which was the underfloor heating system and 8mm Hush FFR resilient underlay.For the ceiling side, Hush recommended standard acoustic insulation for use within the timber joists, two layers of 15mm Fireline plasterboard attached to the underside of the joists, the Hush MF Ceiling System to allow Hush Slab 100 to be fitted in the void created, finished with a layer of 15mm Soundbloc plasterboard.For the separating walls, two specifications were developed according to the types of walls. In areas where there was an existing masonry wall, a wall lining consisting of independent stud work, Hush Slab insulation and Soundbloc plasterboard was developed. In other areas of the scheme, a twin timber stud wall is recommended, again featuring Hush Slab insulation and Soundbloc plasterboard.As part of the process, the Hush Acoustics team undertook many site visits and guided the design and build process to ensure the correct installation was followed, and pre-completion testing was also arranged.The solutions developed and provided by Hush Acoustics fully met the developer’s goals to go beyond Approved Document E’s compliance standards according to the pre-completion tests.

The landscape at Blenheim Palace has undergone a transformation to include a large state of the art adventure playground for visiting children. ASA Landscape Architects led the project, overseeing the preparation and install. Playground specialists CAP.Co provided the apparatus while we were asked to fabricate the CorTen steel retaining walls and landscape edging. Within the design are various winding, sloping pathways and we were tasked with providing long lasting and durable edges of varying heights. EverEdge Titan heavy duty steel edging was specified for use on the pathways alongside EverEdge Custom 3.0mm thick CorTen steel retaining walls supported by buttresses bolted into a concrete base. The fabrication was especially tricky on this job as the retaining walls required curves, a taper and a 30mm wide flat top edge.We worked closely with Radcot Groundworks to ensure the product met with a demanding set of specifications and, once installed, the steel walls have become a beautiful feature in the design of the play area.The finished product is long lasting, hard wearing and maintenance free making it ideally suited to the site and the CorTen finish sits attractively within the landscape. 

University of the West of Scotland, Lanarkshire CampusArchitect: Graven Architects, Glasgow
Installer: Elmwood Ltd
Product: Gustafs Acoustic Panel and Linear Rib SystemsBoth Gustafs Linear Ribs and a bespoke Gustafs Acoustic Panel system solution were installed to the new £110m Lanarkshire campus of the University of the West of Scotland.The ultra-modern eco-campus is powered using 100% sustainable energy houses facilities for students including the Students Union, library, computer facilities, and exhibition, lecture and meeting spaces which are available for use by local businesses as well as students.
Gustafs Linear Ribs in natural Birch veneer clad 2 facing 12m high feature walls; the co-ordinating seating areas and integrated TV screens help to integrate the acoustic solution with the collaborative social and study space.The main feature wall in the Welcome Hub is a 3 storey high bespoke concertina wall of RAL 6021 painted and PH10 perforated panels; Gustafs, LSA, and the installer worked to create an elegant installation solution using custom panel edges and solid wood elements to create the zig-zag wall. 

Custom 3D Gustafs walls were designed and created especially for the Weir Group HQ at 1 West Regent Street in Glasgow.The two 35m long feature walls on both the 9th and 10th floors of the building are constructed of bespoke 3D facetted panels with integrated doorways, seating, and a reception desk.Gustafs panels were specified for their A2-s1,d0 resistance to fire, retaining their structure and producing minimal smoke and spread of flame. Gustafs' 100 year history of carpentry and working with wood enabled them to create the 3D wall to the exact specifications of the architect to be installed perfectly by Giotto.LSA Projects also supplied standard flat acoustic ceiling panels and linear ribs to the scheme to give acoustic control in the open plan meeting room area.

Park Farm Barns are barn conversions set in the Shropshire countryside. The simple, elegant interiors have been curated by Charters Property, with sustainability at the forefront. Beautiful designs and detailing has been evident, from the original roof boards, gravity arches and beams to the soft lime plastered walls. KEIM Mineral Paints were chosen on these barn conversions due to its breathability and sustainability credentials. The mix of lime plastered walls and gypsum walls were decorated using KEIM Optil in a warm neutral palette. It is a modern mineral paint, ideal for application onto historic and contemporary buildings. KEIM Innostar, which is a one coat paint, was applied onto the gypsum ceilings for a clean healthy living environment. It allowed rooms to be occupied the same day.

The Lindner Group played an important role in the revitalisation of the fifth, sixth and seventh floor with their divisions ceiling and walls.Focus of the remodelling was the arrangement of various small and mediumsized conference rooms: sound-insulated glass and metal partition walls provide the necessary division and acoustics and form a transparent and open finish to the front towards the hallways.Round glass elements in the partition walls are an additional eye-catcher while elegant wooden and glass doors underline the design.Thanks to the installation canopy and heated and chilled ceilings in slat optics, efficient temperature management inside the building is also ensured.Completed WorksPartitionsPartition Systems GlassLindner Life Freeze 137Partition Systems Full PanelLindner Logic 100 TimberCeilingsPlafotherm L 608Plafotherm DS 320

Helmsman have manufactured and supplied three compartment luxury Glass Lockers that have been installed at Eos Interiors office in Birmingham. The formica storm colour against the white interior walls and Ojmar OCS combination locks give a modern finish. Special numbering plates were used to match the modern style. The Glass Lockers are floating in the middle of the wall thanks to our locker stands and cladding.

On a leafy street with shops and eateries, this modern hotel with a striking facade is a 9-minute walk from West Ealing tube station and 4 miles from events at Wembley Stadium. Incorporating an asymmetrical curtain wall design the Aluprof MB-TT50 curtain wall system provides the design aesthetic and performance required to meet the architectural intent with Aluprof MB-59S windows to the side and rear elevations.

THE PROJECTThe Green Quarter project features a single large bank of H1 type mailboxes that are recessed into the wall maximising the amount of space available in the location. Each row of mailboxes is divided by an oak wood insert, adding visual interest to the bank of mailboxes.PROJECT DETAILSProject Type: Private ResidentialProduct: H1 MailboxInstallation: Wall RecessedAccessories: Numerical engraving. Oak wood inserts. Surround.

Rather than using modern interlocking tiles, Wienerberger’s Alban Sussex Blend tiles were used to create the roof and walls of Kingsdown House. The versatility of the Alban Sussex Blend tile was highlighted: the tiles blend beautiful design with a stunning aesthetic result. The tiles were chosen because they enabled the architect to use a single material for the roof and walls, creating a simple, attractive façade that complements its neighbours .

DAD 009 mailboxes unit - internal use - wall mounted

A cold, solid wall house on coast of Scotland transformed with Ultra

Insulation of internal walls and ceilings for containerised units by NewSpace Containers.

Architect: Beyer Blinder Belle Architects Contractor: Turner Construction The Facility: World Trade Center - Towers 3 & 4 Inpro® Products Used: A total of 365 linear meters of standard Fireline 520® fire blanket in top-mount configuration. Joint widths varied from 76mm-609mm. Water Guard®blankets in bottom-mount and wall-to-wall mounts were also installed. 

Aluminium curtain walling by Kawneer has helped an award-winning and cutting-edge combination of industry and academia achieve a BREEAM “Excellent” rating. The National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC), at the University of Warwick, is one of the largest centres of its kind in Europe, and a partnership between WMG (University of Warwick), Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Motors UK and features Kawneer’s AA®110 mullion-drained curtain wall.

ELASTOSPRAY spray insulation has mastered the ultimate challenge – providing effective insulation to the walls and roof of a house built from shipping containers. And not just any house, but an amazingly beautiful design icon featured on TV’s Grand Designs. Described by presenter Kevin McCloud as both “paranormal goo” and “the right solution”, ELASTOSPRAY was the only practical way to provide insulation to the corrugated metal walls without causing a condensation issue.

VIEGA’S VISIGN RANGE AND PRE-WALL SYSTEMS SPECIFIED FOR THE LONDONER HOTEL

The Project New building built under the Governments flagship Priority School Building Plan.Demolition of KS1 accommodation and construction of replacement building.Dudley council received a grant of more than £2.5 million from the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for the work.  The Challenge All works to being undertaken in a live working educational environment, which places additional demands on the need for the highest health and safety standards on site. Modify vanity units to include for wall panelling to protect the painted walls from splashes from the sinks.  The SolutionEnsure Excelsior fitting teams have all necessary checks in place such a DBS for site works.Soldi Grade Laminate used through the scheme. Harlequin cubicles with profiled doors and partitions are an industry favourite for KS1 student.Wall panelling used above the wash basins to aid cleaning and maintenance and prolong the life of the wall finishings.SpecificationProduct Range: Harlequin Mariner SGLDoors: 12mm Solid Grade Laminate, Polyrey, Pomme Verte, P092Pilaster: 1960mm Overall Height including 150mm Floor ClearancePartition: 12mm Solid Grade Laminate, Polyrey, Pomme Verte, P092Ironmongery: SBAA

Given the setting of Millmount the choice of external building materials was very important. Lagan Homes wanted to use products and finishes that were aesthetically pleasing, in keeping with the developments surroundings, that were also high quality, durable, maintenance free and cost effective. For those reasons, Lagan Homes chose to use Colinwell Martello Stone Walling on facades and Colinwell’s Allan Block Retaining Wall System for house construction, earth retention andlandscaping purposes.

Christ The King College required a dining furniture solution that would enhance their multi-use hall and make the most of the space they had.Once again our popular Versa Wall Pocket folding dining tables proved to be the best option to provide a space-efficient dining furniture solution.The college can now store all their dining furniture on the wall meaning the hall has been freed up for other activities throughout the day.

This ground floor extension to a Georgian farmhouse in the Gloucestershire village of Shurdington, features two glazed walls which unite the property’s outdoor and indoor space and which frame the magnificent views beyond.With Smart Slide 2000 sliding doors and Alitherm 300 windows and doors, the systems fit perfectly with the elegant design and style of this stunning contemporary project, complementing the new limestone block work and paving as well as the existing building’s traditional stone walls.

Kingspan cavity wall insulation is helping to insulate a rural development of affordable homes.

Using Solo Onecoat Lime Plaster to restore walls in a fire damaged home

A classic Parisian apartment is benefitting from the thermal effectiveness of the introduction of the innovative ultra-thin Spacetherm® WL insulation.Located in the 11th arrondissement in the heart of Paris on Boulevard Voltaire and overlooking the Place de la Republique, the two-bedroom, 135sqm apartment was built in the Hausmann style. Hausmann’s renovation of Paris was part of a major programme commissioned by Emperor Napoléon III in the late 19th century, resulting in the distinctive appearance of the wide avenues, parks and squares which have become associated with this beautiful city.Property owner Keirnan Murphy has made a significant investment in the renovation of the apartment to improve overall comfort, energy efficiency and to reduce heating costs.Keirnan explains, “The solid stone walls, whilst adding to the building’s charm, result in heating inefficiencies and higher heating costs. During summer the stone walls warm during the day, retaining and radiating heat throughout the night. In winter, the solid walls cool down leading to a huge increase in heating costs.We undertook lots of research on solutions for green and energy-efficient renovations. In the research, we considered products available within France and as well as those available internationally. The Spacetherm WL aerogel insulation from the A. Proctor Group was a perfect choice for the apartment. At just 13mm thickness, the Spacetherm WL fits inside the lip of our cornices, which average about 20mm. Typically the walls of these older properties are not completely flat and so the option of an ultra-thin insulation was critical. Most alternatives were thicker and would not have worked.We are very pleased with the results and we noticed that when leaning up against the Spacetherm WL you can feel your back warm against the insulation. The A. Proctor Group were extremely helpful in addressing all the questions from the architect and ourselves. They also provided comprehensive support and guidance to our builder on the installation.”Spacetherm WL is a high-performance laminate specifically designed to be fixed to the internal surfaces of existing solid walls without the need for mechanical fixings. Spacetherm WL consists of Spacetherm aerogel insulation blanket bonded to 3mm Magnesium Board (MgO), for use in applications where improved thermal performance is required with limited space.Typically, a solid wall will have a U value of around 2.1 W/m2K. Following the application of Spacetherm WL, this can be reduced to around 0.8 W/m2K, dependent on the wall structure.

Merchant Square was the largest Grade A office development ever to be undertaken in Belfast at the time of completion. Aluprof systems were used to help transform an existing office block with a completely new building envelope. The building has been entirely let to PwC and is their biggest office space outside of London with 3,000 employees.The external envelope was completed using Aluprof's MB-SE75 unitised curtain wall facade system and was then specified in an anodised finish, which then contrasts with the external Corten steel used in a vertical column emphasis to meet the architects design. With the rise in use of unitised curtain wall systems for medium sized projects, this option is becoming a real alternative to a traditional curtain wall solution, especially as costs are becoming more competitive. Unitised systems can also offer up to a 50% reduction in installation periods which can offer significant savings on the project programme.

Renovation stripping out the building completely and rebuilding the walls, Passive Purple® was applied in between the connections of the internal side of the external walls which were a combination of masonry, timber, and steel frame. The ground floor ceiling was removed exposing the warped old timber joists with cracks in the surrounding brickwork and mortar. This was given attention to detail using Passive Purple® Brush to seal above an airtight foam to guarantee the airtightness of this major air leak zone before the final spray coat of Passive Purple® airtight membrane was applied. Passive Purple® was also used to seal window and door linings, ready for the new triple glazed windows to go in. Passive Purple® was sprayed on all the walls and ceiling. This is an ongoing project that still is awaiting an air test, the client is looking to hit 2.5 ach and installing MVHR.

182m2 of custom Oranit panels were supplied to the West of Scotland Radiotherapy facility in Lanarkshire in 2015. Panels were installed to the walls and ceilings of the public area at the hospital including a wrap-over feature wall and ceiling behind the main reception desk with integrated lighting and concealed cupboard doors. The American Red Oak panels were built in a custom module format with 48mm wide and 20mm deep horizontal blades at 75mm centres for optimised acoustic performance and minimal overall panel depth. The wall panels were made in custom sizes to suit the installation and require minimal tooling on site.   Oranit panels are suitable for non-clinical healthcare environments; when finished using the standard clear lacquer panels can be reliably cleaned using Actichlor Plus cleaning solutions as approved by NHS Scotland in addition to conventional cleaning products.

A recent project of the Berkeley Group, the Kingston Gas Works with 240 apartments called for a special solution due to the maximum construction height available for the shower being only 100mm including tray and drainage. All showers were constructed with XPS integrated shower elements (wedi Fundo Integro), which are only 90mm thick including the integrated DN50 drainage. Despite the low construction height, the specified solution offers no compromise on the flow rate of the drainage. Complete waterproof bathrooms - walk-in shower with a niche, building boards on walls & floors with sound insulation. Products:wedi Fundo Integro shower element with integrated drainage (1800x900x90mm) wedi building boards 10mm & 12.5mm - for walls and floorswedi prefabricated niche wall element wedi Non-step sound insulation composite panel (reduction by 16db)

The unique character of the atrium is highlighted by 58,000 linear metres of RIBline wall and ceiling cladding in the public areas, which Lindner IPC realised for the project. The slats in real wood veneer are particularly convincing due to their sustainable gypsum core, which makes the system fire-resistant according to EN 13501. This feature also minimises smoke development and prevents dripping, facilitating the evacuation of the building. The FGD gypsum used in the cladding is also made from waste paper and is 100% recyclable.Additionally, Lindner cooling ceilings over an area of 16,000 m ensure a consistently pleasant indoor climate in the office and rental spaces.Completed WorksPartitionsWall and ceiling panels RIBline Timber Slats Wall RIBline Timber Slats Ceiling Ceilings Heated and Chilled Post Cap Ceilings Plafotherm B 100 ® Luminaires System luminaires for metal ceilings