"radiation shielding fire bricks"

Fish Island Village by Haworth Tompkins is a residential development located in the heart of Hackney Wick, London. The development was designed with the intention of preserving the area’s industrial heritage while incorporating modern and sustainable living spaces. The brick-fronted buildings, which are inspired by the local warehouses and factories, give the development a unique character and sense of history.To maintain the authenticity of the area, Fish Island Village made use of clay bricks in the construction of its buildings. The main type of clay brick used was the classic red-brown London Stock Brick. However, in addition to the London Stock Bricks, Fish Island Village also utilized other types of clay bricks, such as Freshfield Lane’s Danehill Yellows, to add texture and depth to the buildings. These different types of clay bricks were carefully selected to complement each other and enhance the overall look and feel of the development.Fish Island Village won the Urban Regeneration category in the 2022 BDA Brick Awards.

Paspoel, a Belgian hamlet, has experienced huge population growth since 1950. Over the past few decades, social housing company, Woonzo, built a number of residential blocks, called Paspoel Anders, which had since become obsolete, so were demolished and replaced with new, modern buildings, featuring brown/black nuanced ‘Flemming’ bricks from Vandersanden. With a clear preference for a textured facing brick with a timeless character, a brick height of 5cm was selected to allow flexibility for interplay, with bricks protruding by a few centimetres on some facades relative to other surfaces. A thin-bed mortar gives the brick a sleeker lookTo find out more about the bricks used in this project or to see the wide range of high-quality bricks available from Vandersanden, click on the View more' link 

As one of the fastest growing towns in Wales, Newport is undergoing a comprehensive programme of regeneration, of which Friars Walk is a central part.Friars Walk has reshaped the landscape of Newport with retail sales expected to double in the city, adding £120 million per annum and the city’s catchment predicted to increase from 211,000 to 367,000 with an estimated footfall of 10-12 million per annum.The 390,000 sq ft centre features a 90,000 sq ft Debenhams Department Store as well as other retail anchors H&M and Next. The leisure offer includes an eight screen Cineworld multiplex cinema, a Superbowl UK with 12 State of the art lanes and numerous riverside restaurants.Shield Membranes supplied the full ShieldTEC hotmelt system to be used on all roof areas, along with our own ShieldBOARD XPS and ShieldDIVERSE living roof build up.

In our first in a series of case studies, we’ve invited FireDNA Alliance Partner, Steve Neilson to share his experiences using the FireDNA system to inspect and catalogue 9422 fire doors in three months, on behalf of Mitie, for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.The Scottish Fire & Rescue Service is the fourth largest in the world and ensures the safety and wellbeing of the people in Scotland. Operating out of 547 buildings across 357 sites, these centres are managed by the UK’s largest ‘Facilities Management’ provider Mitie.Following several months of discussion between Mitie and the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service regarding the status of the fire doors across their property portfolio, a tender was issued for an extensive fire door inspection and evaluation programme to be undertaken.Having secured the works through competitive tender, we further engaged with Mitie and the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service team. Working through their property asset registers in detail we gained a full understanding of the scope and requirements of the project.Following weeks of detailed project planning and final agreement on the timeline, it was evident that we had just over 3 months to inspect and report our findings on 9422 fire doors across the 357 site locations, and this all had to be done during the winter months of late 2021 and early 2022.In order to deliver on such a tight timescale, absolute dedication and collaboration was required from all parties…the project managers, admin staff and fire inspectors as well as the teams at Mitie and Scottish Fire & Rescue Service. To support this challenging task we armed our resources with a new cloud based system called ‘FireDNA’.We had been approached by FireDNA a couple of years earlier to see if we would be interested in helping to beta test their new ‘Fire Door Inspection and Monitoring Software’, to which we agreed, little did we know at the time that this software would prove invaluable to us further down the line!Deploying teams of up to 10 Fire Inspectors at a time, armed with the new and now completed FireDNA Inspection and Monitoring App, we set about working through the phased inspection schedule.Having been involved in the development testing of the FireDNA software, we had no doubt this system would, increase the speed in which the surveys were carried out, and dramatically reduce the time and effort in reporting the findings. Working closely with the FireDNA software support team, who assisted us in the initial software training, our Fire Inspectors were able to work efficiently and effectively ‘at pace’ through the challenge. The FireDNA App also has ‘LiveChat’ built in so any questions or queries by our operatives in the field were easily and quickly dealt with by the FireDNA team, which meant there was very little downtime during the inspection process.One of the great benefits of using the FireDNA App is that everything is ‘real-time’ so our office-based project managers could immediately see how the inspections were progressing. Once the inspection data and supporting photography was in the system report generation was largely automated and nicely formatted into MS Word and Excel documents.These reports could then be initially shared internally with our remedial work/replacement estimators for accurate cost estimates, who in turn could then produce accurate cost estimates and quotes for the works required as each buildings inspection was completed. This created a very fast, efficient and accessible workflow process for the whole team.FireDNA is not only a fantastic fire inspection and reporting tool, but also initiates the ‘golden thread’ of information, allowing building owners and managers like the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and Mitie to take ownership of the ‘live data’ in the system, which can easily be updated and shared as each fire door asset is inspected, monitored and maintained year-on-year, which will soon become the minimum legal requirement.FireDNA also enables building owners and facility managers to create status reports for O&M compliance, which can be shared with insurers and the like, as well as appointing contractors and maintenance teams to carry out and catalogue remedial works and new installations, which are all date-stamped and locked into the system.In our view, anyone involved in fire inspections, installations, planned preventative maintenance and asset recording of passive fire products, such as fire doors, doorsets and fire screens should be using the FireDNA system. For duty holders such as building owners, facility managers, landlords and surveyors to make sure the assets they are responsible for are safe and compliant and the data unambiguous and accessible by all that need it, including residents.We believe FireDNA is the best system on the market and anyone who uses it will appreciate not only the time and money savings but importantly how this centralised system improves work standards across the full lifecycle of passive fire products. Steve Neilson – FireDNA Alliance Partner – Scotland

This 2018 Brick Awards winning project, the development on Creek Road, comprises of 83 contemporary homes and 1,800 sqm of commercial floor space. The architectural brief called for the brickwork to mirror an existing type and colour dating back to Victorian times. The selection of building materials was pivotal to the realisation of the project, and after careful consideration of the various options a decision was taken to centre the construction around one primary brick type: British manufactured Ibstock’s Funton Old Chelsea Yellow bricks, locally sourced from our Ashdown Factory, East Sussex.

The ChallengeBrick Kiln Lane is a development of seven, four and five-bedroomed, cottage-style units situated at the end of residential road in a quiet, rural area of Leicestershire. There are two different designs: four L-shaped and three rectangular. Each of the seven houses needed unique elements of detailing – including window variations, render and brickwork – to distinguish it from its neighbour.The SolutionHampton Rural Blend brick was chosen to complement the character style of the development. Combined with recessed mortar joints, the brick blend, which is made up of several shades, creates a more aged appearance that helps the houses to sit comfortably within their environment.The BenefitsThe brick detailing on the units includes dentilation around the eaves and gables, and segmental arches over windows, all of which are in keeping with the traditional architectural style of the units and serve to enhance their aesthetic appeal.

Hand-formed Crème bricks from high quality manufacturer, Vandersanden, are core to the design vision behind Westbourne Park Baptist Church, a recently completed mixed-use development in West London, designed by award-winning architects, Allies and Morrison. A Baptist church was first established on this site, close to the Royal Oak Underground station, back in 1875. This original church was damaged beyond repair during the Second World War but its replacement, erected in the 1960's, had become outdated, was poorly configured and expensive to maintain. A community-led project and partnership between social housing provider, Dolphin Living, and Westbourne Park Baptist Church, appointed Allies and Morrison to design a scheme that would include new accommodation for the church, a family centre, and the Paddington Children's Library alongside a community hall and 33 intermediate affordable homes. Winner of a Highly Commended accolade in the Civic Trust Awards 2021, the Allies and Morrison design creates an exemplar in the integration of religious, community and residential uses through a compact mixed-use development. A 'campanile' provides a focal point that announces the presence of the church at the heart of the scheme. The main building itself features large windows which signal the location and provide generous direct daylight into the five upper floors of apartments. As well as reflecting its multi-use character, this scheme also addresses the sensitive heritage of the site and its residential context. Here, the choice of brick as a material was significant. Allies and Morrison selected Vandersanden’s Crème facing brick in a 50mm size for the project. “We went through an extensive design review process in brick selection before settling on Crème from Vandersanden,” says Richard White, Associate at Allies and Morrison. “This hand-formed cream-coloured brick helps elevate the status of the design, forming a consistent and restrained material and colour palette of brick, steel, aluminium and glass that sits harmoniously with the stucco of the adjacent villas. The geometry of the brick modules is important both in expressing the building’s aesthetic and helping to harmonise its scale with its architectural context.” Crème is created from a combination of different clay forms which yield a white base colour, then coated with specific sand types to bring a grained, creased texture and shades of yellow to the overall final appearance. At Westbourne Park Baptist Church brick headers and stretchers are layered alternately in each course with headers centred on the stretchers of the course below in an attractive Flemish bond. At the same time, the 50mm format of the Crème brick, in combination with splayed reveals on the campanile, pulled headers on the building’s uppermost recessed storey and evenly placed vertical break lines help order the building’s massing as it steps down to mediate between the taller mixed-use buildings of Porchester Road and the smaller-scale residential character of the historic Westbourne Park Villas. Approximately, 150,000 bricks were sourced for the project.To find out more about the bricks used in this project or to see the wide range of high-quality bricks available from Vandersanden, click on the 'View more' link 

It is hard to believe that this charming assisted living development for Northampton Partnership Homes is a prefabricated, pre-clad, panelised factory manufactured project.Designed by Maber Architects and manufactured by Accord's LoCal Homes business, this project demonstrates that prefabricated doesn't have to mean that aesthetics are compromised. Utilising both faces of the Wienerberger New Red Multi Gilt Stock brick, FastClad's factory bonded brick cladding system was by far the most natural brick façade without having to resort to a traditional brick skin. 

Chelwood House by Napier Clarke is a clean, modern building in Chesham Bois, Amersham. It was built to replace an existing suburban house and is located within an area of special character meaning it was vital to seamlessly blend into the local area.Napier Clarke elected to use local brick and charred timber to ensure the house’s materials were able to sit visually well within the immediate area. Chelwood’s impressive size (5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, living space, snug, kitchen/ dining, play area, garage, utility room and an attic yoga room) and modern visual leanings were expected to be a challenge for local planning authorities. However, the building’s sympathetic materials and centrepiece vaulted roofs were inspired by the local area and the proposals were accepted.Chelwood introduces a cantilevered brick upper floor to its design which contrasts the simple design of the ground floor. Internally, the same materials used in its external spaces are repeated, creating a series of truly dynamic focal points.Chelwood uses legacy Michelmersh products in its production and recently won the Individual Housing Award in the 2022 BDA Brick Awards.

Part of the Wembley Park masterplan, this mixed-use development designed by GRID Architects delivers 396 Build to Rent dwellings for Quintain Living, together with a large health centre and retail along two streets. The specification of Vandersanden’s Majestic and Luna Taranis bricks responds to the setting of the development and helps visually separate the buildings.Repton Gardens is the next generation of Build to Rent developments at Wembley. The form is two long buildings on either side of a large amenity courtyard, with a smaller block between. The two main buildings are split into two, the southern half is 11 storeys high and the northern half steps up to 21 storeys. These brick-clad forms present a strong architectural statement within the huge regeneration of the area that is seen on arrival at Wembley Park station. From the first drawing, the facade material for the development was conceived as being brickwork. The architecture is simple and elegant but there was the desire to visually separate the elements of the two stepped buildings. To achieve this it was decided to use contrasting bricks with a light, but warm brick for the taller elevations and a dark - but again warm - brick for the lower areas. With this in mind, Vandersanden’s Majestic brick, which is a light grey with a hint of buff, was selected for the upper part while the darker Luna Taranis brick was chosen for the lower. The colour and texture of these bricks also contrast with the greyer, smoother brick of the existing, neighbouring buildings. “The brick choice was crucial,” explains Colin Veitch, director at GRID Architects. “We didn’t want the appearance of a normal mixed brick. The colour variation and texture that the Vandersanden product offers are an essential part of the richness of the overall design; they feel more natural and less engineered.”  GRID Architects had previously used Vandersanden products on Emerald Gardens, part of the same Wembley masterplan. “The bricks have a texture and almost handmade quality that you don’t get with many other brick types. When selecting the bricks for Repton Gardens we were looking at the colour first and foremost but, within that colour, the variation and the mix of slightly different colours within a batch. Another key consideration was the brick’s texture and the variation within that. We were very pleased with all these qualities and how they work together,” notes Veitch. The bricks were laid with a stretcher bond using a mortar as close as possible to the brick colour. Although slightly recessed, the joints are as flush as practicable so it feels like a homogeneous material across the wall. On the courtyard facades of the buildings, panels of corbeling were introduced to provide patterning - where the building cores meet there were no windows. To achieve this, every other course stands out by 20mm, creating light and shade to the facade. Appreciating the colour and texture of the buildings, both from afar and close up was an essential part of the vision. On arrival at Wembley Park station, the visitor looks towards Wembley stadium and sees the light coloured ends of these buildings at a distance and they appear to be smooth. Getting closer, the buildings reveal themselves differently as the texture, colour variations and tactility of the surfaces are perceived. Another goal was to tie together the external and internal visions. ‘Botanical living’ was the concept for both the inside and outside of the development. There is greenery, planting and colour in the corridors; it is about bringing nature inside. With this in mind, it felt right to have a natural feeling material on the outside; rather than a smooth and engineered product. Colin is enthusiastic about the resulting aesthetic. “The bricks have exceeded expectations and everybody is very pleased with the look of the project. Working with Vandersanden has been an incredibly positive experience!”

Compartmentation, Protected Means of Escape and Boundary Protection were all required as part of the fire safety solutions and therefore Coopers FireMaster fire curtains and Coopers FireMaster Plus2 fire curtains were installed to ensure the fire safety requirements were met. In total, 113 fire curtains were installed, 96 with round headboxes and 17 with square headboxes. Round headboxes were engineered for The British Museum as a request from the architects. The headboxes of the fire curtains were going to be seen by the occupants so Coopers engineered a round headbox that looked in keeping with the design of the building.

DRU gas fires and a Spartherm wood fire were specified by Ethos Construction and DRU dealer Grate Expectations for Harford Manor, a country house in Holyport, Windsor. They selected the fires for their ‘A’ energy ratings. This included the DRU PowerVent extended flue system for flexibility of location. In addition, the gas fires can be operated using the DRU Eco Wave app for tablets and smartphones. Ethos project manager Niten Mistry said: ‘The fires were selected for their impressive performance and ease of installation. They also contribute to the high quality of the property.’ www.harfordmanor.com, www.grateexpectations.com,

Designed by architect Karakusevic Carson Architects with Maccreanor Lavington, Dujardin Mews is a multi-award-winning collection of 38 new homes and is the first social housing to be built in Enfield in 40 years.Built to replace nearby high-rise social housing towers, Dujardin Mews is a traditional street of attached houses but with a distinctly unique style. The homes achieve a Code for Sustainable Homes level 5 with reduced running costs thanks to their designs. Freshfield Lanes First Quality Multi bricks help the project blend into the area and allow a soft, traditional red brick glow to palette the area.Dujardin Mews has won a host of awards since 2018 including a Civic Trust Award, A RIBA National and London Award, A Brick Award and more.

A new crematorium facility for Huntingdon Town Council, Huntingdon Crematorium is a collection of buildings equipped with ceremonial spaces and the appropriate crematory functions. The specification of Vandersanden’s Perla and Morvan bricks has resulted in buildings that have made a striking contribution to the landscape of the greenfield site while also helping to change the accepted perception of crematorium buildings. “We were looking for a way of making the process of going to an end of life ceremony uplifting and hopeful,” explains Mark Doohan, managing director at Benchmark Architects. “We had the idea of creating a curved, white, brick building within which there are beautiful, light filled and airy spaces.” When envisioning the scheme, the team at Benchmark Architects realised that by inserting a black brick wall across the site they could create a ‘canvas’ that provided the separation between the front of house and working areas of the crematorium. Against this, on one side, they packed three curved white brick volumes to create the key spaces, adjusted in height according to the hierarchy of their importance: the entrance lobby, waiting room and chapel. Out of sight, behind the wall, are the cremators, plant rooms, offices and other functional elements. The design focuses on a central drum flooded with natural light. The main building contains the ceremonial hall for 125 people, waiting rooms and crematory with capacity for two cremators. A second building contains a multi-purpose function room - that can be used for wakes - and a café with associated catering facilities and administrative offices. Having created the design vision, the choice of appropriate bricks was crucial. Good white bricks are hard to come by, often they’re tinged with yellow or beige; finding black bricks that are not simply colour coated or are a dark blue is equally hard, says Doohan.“We were delighted when we were able to find the Vandersanden bricks. We genuinely love the texture and through colour quality of Vandersanden’s white Perla and black Morvan bricks. They set off our concept perfectly, with the white brick capturing the light in the way that we envisioned when first sketching out the idea.” A double soldier course heads the windows to form a band around the building and is repeated close to the top of the main drum. There is also a recessed course 500 mm off the ground that creates a scored line at the base, bringing additional balance to the building. This is achieved by setting one course back by some 25 mm. Another advantage of the Vandersanden bricks is that they can be used in the ground below DPC level, visually rooting the building to the landscape. It was essential that the volumes were homogenous in feel so a good mortar match was vital. Lime mortar was selected and was aesthetically important due to its colour, texture and because its flexibility reduced the number of movement joints required. The lime used, NHL 3.5, was naturally white; for the black brickwork it was pigmented. When seen from a distance, only the overall form of the building is perceived but, on getting closer, the brick details start to stand out. Then, when really close, the contribution that the texture, pattern, shape and almost handmade quality of the individual bricks makes to the quality of the building becomes clear. We’re always keen to specify products where we get really good technical support, notes Doohan. “Vandersanden were excellent at providing advice and technical backup whenever we had a question. Since becoming aware of Vandersanden products, they are our go-to source for brick. As architects, we’re image-based creatures so the website is incredibly helpful. It’s an excellent way of being able to see the bricks in loads of different and inspiring building types. Many brick suppliers don’t show that connection. Most importantly, our client for Huntingdon Crematorium is delighted with the brickwork.”To find out more about the bricks used in this project or to see the wide range of high-quality bricks available from Vandersanden, click on the 'View more' link

Yeoman Shield Anti-Ligature handrail system is being utilized in a newly commissioned dementia unit in South Wales.Ysbyty George Thomas, as part of Cwm Taf Health board’s Valley Life Initiative, has recently undergone a refurbishment to become a health and wellbeing centre for people with cognitive and memory problems.Throughout the design process of the new Dementia Unit, comfort and functionality for clients who would be accessing the area was paramount. Not only were aesthetics taken into consideration with a stunning welsh valleys mural wallpaper installed in between bright colourful “front doors” but safety aspects were of a prime concern.For safeguarding measures Yeoman Shield’s Anti- Ligature Guardian Handrail was chosen, as both a supportive and wall protection rail system, along the main corridor of Ysbyty George Thomas as well as through the Dementia Unit.This Anti-Ligature handrail has a continuous fixing block which runs the full length of the back of the rail eliminating any points that can easily have a length of material or cord wound around it, preventing the possibility of harm to patients. To ensure that the terminating ends of the handrail are not used in a similar way, a tightly fitted wall return is added to totally enclose the ends allowing no gaps between the wall and the rail.Supplied in a dark grey colour as a good contrast to the light wall colour scheme, the Guardian Handrail also dovetailed perfectly into the wall paper design by resembling the top of the depicted drystone walling.“We are exceptionally pleased with the new Dementia Unit and the complementing look, quality and functionality of the Yeoman Shield Anti-Ligature Guardian Handrail.” Commented Jeanne Smith, Directorate Support Manager, Mental Health, Cwm Taf University Health Board

The building brings together the Kent Business School and the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science to promote synergies, collaboration and interaction, foster knowledge exchange and enhance the reputation of both schools. The development had a construction cost of approximately £26m and was completed at the end of 2016.The 8,200m2 building for University of Kent’s Business School and School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science is located towards the northern edge of the Canterbury campus. The £26m facility creates a vibrant new campus destination and allows two of the University’s most successful departments to expand and improve their current activities.Designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent a series of interventions integrate the building into the campus and the ecology including new cycle and pedestrian pathways and green roofs that help increase biodiversity. Passive measures of natural ventilation with thermal mass and night time cooling are prioritised over active measures. Extensive roof mounted photovoltaic panels provide in excess of 10% renewable energy.Shield Membranes supplied all waterproofing, insulation and finishes to all roof areas on the Sibson Building.

The existing ornate and decorative features of the hotel, meant that the fire curtains needed to integrate with the existing parts of the building that were remaining. This included a four sided, marble clad atrium in one of the main entrance halls, which covers two floors. There were four fire curtains installed around the first floor of the atrium therefore reinstating fire separation between floors. Fire curtains offering up to 3 hours fire resistance were also installed in the new hotel kitchens, preventing fire from spreading from kitchen areas to the public dining rooms and bar.

Ibstock Place School opened its newly built refectory in 2021. Designed by Maccreanor Lavington the competition-winning design is a dedicated space for the most communal part of the school. With a high ceiling and intricate woodwork, the open space is functional but uplifting.The high-level roof lanterns form a chimney to pull out hot air during the summer as well as fill the space with soft natural light, which is perfectly accented by acoustic dampening panels of oak.Handmade Bricks from Freshfield Lane were used in the construction of the cloister and work perfectly with the school’s previous uses of brick. Additionally, the choice of bricks helps set the building within its tranquil garden setting. The handmade Freshfield Lane brick helps the building age gracefully into the landscape while retaining a notable elegance. This sophisticated taste is mirrored inside by soft copper notes and long, hanging light fittings.

Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen is located at Herlev Hospital and is specialized in the treatment, research and prevention of diabetes as well as in the training of healthcare personnel in the field of diabetes. The new diabetes centre expects to treat 13,000 diabetes patients per year.The beautiful new diabetes hospital was designed by Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter and Mikkelsen Arkitekter. The architecture supports the vision for Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen as Northern Europe’s largest and most modern diabetes centre, offering world-class patient treatment and research.It has been important that the architecture should be health-promoting, so it feels like stepping into a large and different landscape when you visit the Steno Center. The building and the beautiful architect designed landscape outside are closely woven together and create a stimulating whole that creates cohesion and wholeness that at the same time invites movement. The common area is designed for patients, relatives and staff. The area’s activities are organized around smaller local squares, each of which forms the framework for the centre’s central themes: diet, exercise and new knowledge.Steno Diabetes Center is built with the changing of the seasons in mind, with the large window surfaces that create a fine and beautiful contact with the varying and changing landscape outside as the year progresses. In winter, the snow will create a contrast to the building’s warm interior. And in the summer, the changing colour play of the planting will give the building an experience-rich and diverse interior.The house aims for the hospital feeling to be absent as far as possible, and for natural materials to dominate – wooden floors, wooden ceilings and green courtyards, which almost seep into the building, supporting a well-functioning indoor climate, a material quality, homely texture and Nordic atmosphere. All with the aim of increasing patients’ desire to stay at the Steno Center and learn about possible lifestyle changes, expand their network and continue their treatment.Hudevad has supplied the radiators for the entire building, where one of the purposes has been to prevent cold drafts from the large window surfaces while at the same time maintain a view of nature outside. For this, Integral Lowline without convectors has been used to make cleaning easy, ensure a high level of hygiene and at the same time maintain an unobstructed view. In corridor areas, Integral Horizontal has been used built into niches, painted in the same colour as the walls to create a sense of wholeness, symmetry and spaciousness.

Student Castle aims to create the ultimate university experience for students by providing high quality contemporary accommodation at locations across the UK. In Brighton, East Sussex, international design practice, Hassell, is responsible for designing one of the company’s latest schemes – an impressive, nine-storey mixed use building. With brick as the principal element, the studio worked closely with Vandersanden to achieve the detailing and precise finish required.Located in a prominent location on Lewes Road in the heart of Brighton’s student district, the building includes student accommodation, a new home for the Centre for Inclusive Music and a local community ‘Hub’ space. Although the scale of the building is substantially larger than the buildings previously on the site, its massing was carefully managed by creating a scheme with a stepped and staggered zigzag form. To support and strengthen the architectural composition, the materials were reduced to a simple palette. Vandersanden’s Anicius hand-formed facing brick wraps all sides of the building - a light coloured, slightly indented 10mm mortar joint enlivening the whole - its use and colouration tying the building into the local architectural context. The brick facades are broken and capped by a series of horizontal bands and copings formed from white precast GRC (glass reinforced concrete) sections, setting out the horizontal order and announcing breaks in the building’s geometry. The aesthetic is further enhanced by dark bronze coloured aluminium sections framing the windows. Notably, all window reveals are brick, including the cills; an important feature of the project.“The selection of the brick began with a brainstorming session where we looked at different ranges and options, but knew an engineered brick look wouldn’t be suitable,” says Tiago Arieira, project architect at Hassell. “We chose Vandersanden’s Anicius brick because it was dark, but also had a slight white softness. We liked the idea of a more natural and irregular material with its sand-coated, grained structure.” One of the biggest design challenges with the brickwork was creating the multiple corners that result from the zigzag and stepped detailing that helps break up the mass of the building and allows sea views from the terraces. “Many of the junctions are not at right angles, so conventional brick joints would have been impractical,” explains Arieira. “Vandersanden’s Sales Team were incredibly helpful from the beginning. We talked about the different angles and how we were looking to achieve neat edges. Through this consultation, we were able to identify that the bricks could be cut and the corner bricks formed off-site to achieve a precise finish that would also save time with site installation.” The desired outcome was achieved using Revit digital software to map every angle at every level and to quantify the number of bricks and the exact mitre that had to be formed for each junction. The distances between the windows and the heights of the brick courses were also carefully calculated to ensure a precise aesthetic. “On site, the solution worked well and, because everything to do with the brickwork was carefully pre-planned, there were no issues during construction,” says Arieira.“Although it was the natural look and feel of the Anicius brick that first impressed us, Vandersanden was really helpful throughout the process,” notes Tiago Arieira. “The process worked because of a strong collaboration from the early stages. Vandersanden understood their product and were able to give us the support we needed in achieving our design vision.”To find out more about the bricks used in this project or to see the wide range of high-quality bricks available from Vandersanden, click on the 'View more' link 

The Coopers FireMaster®, closed rectangular Concertina fire curtain is a perfect solution when requiring fire compartmentation around a staircase as it offers a virtual firewall creating a lobby once the curtain has been deployed with more than 2 hours integrity. The innovative Concertina fire curtain installed at Aldgate Tower fully encapsulates the staircase from the 11th to the 12th floor in the event of a fire. The curtain is triggered by either the fire alarm system or a local heat or smoke sensor and is automatically deployed from the ceiling to the floor.

Valette Square is a community of 33 mixed 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms townhouses with private gardens and terraces, built in Salford’s historic centre. Developed by @buttressarchitects , it was designed to introduce new homes to the area, create easy links to nearby areas and for community spaces to exist where possible.The area is named after Pierre Adolphe Valette – a French impressionist who taught the local painter L.S Lowry, and taught at the Manchester Municipal School of Art. The local existing Georgian aesthetics were echoed in the development with Floren’s Brunello bricks being selected for their tones and subtlety, leaning towards nearby red brick buildings.Amongst numerous sustainable efforts, the townhouses’ façade and positioning make the most of natural daylight to reduce the amount of artificial lighting needed, improved insulation and smart heating systems.Valette Square was shortlisted for the Housing Design Award in 2020

The Grid is a four-storey project in Leeds, it consists of 11 apartments housing 38 beds with a cycle store, gym and laundry facilities. Its modern approach to design fits the aesthetic choices of university students while landscaped grounds offer an area of calm with limited parking for each flat.The Grid makes perfect use of Carlton’s Wolds Minster Blend and its internal contemporary leanings. The dark orange, red, purple and brown bricks create a harmonious visual synergy with the ageing brickwork in the surrounding area.

Yeoman Shield HessianEx wall panels at 1250mm high and 50x50mm Corner Protection Angles in Lilac was fitted on the ground & 1st floor corridors and plaza area. HessianEx panels, cut to 300mm wide was fitted as an attractive protection strip in waiting areas, to protect against chairs being pushed up against walls and causing marks and scuffs.

Coopers installed and commissioned two FireMaster® Plus fire curtains, the first to protect the property from fire and smoke migrating from the kitchen whilst the second to protect the internal balcony from smoke and fire travelling between floors. Both fire curtains provide 2 hours fire and insulation zone protection and were installed into the ceiling to remain hidden from view until deployed by a fire alarm.

How to incorporate a fire or stove installation into a self-build project.By Niall Deiraniya, UK general manager, DRU FiresAlways ask for the fireplace specification at the design stage. Modern gas fires and wood stoves require careful planning in order to work as part of the general home heating system.Gas, wood or other fuels?Decide which fuel type best suits your home. Modern gas fires have realistic flame pictures and are much more energy efficient than older models.Wood stoves and fires also have greatly improved energy efficiency due to Ecodesign regulations. The only downside is that there is much more work involved with buying and storing the wood and cleaning the stove after use.Both gas and wood have room sealed options. This means that no air from inside the home is used for combustion and all waste emissions are expelled outside, resulting in clean burning and high efficiency.Finally, sustainable fuels such as Bioethanol produce a very attractive flame picture, burn cleanly with no smell or emissions and are available in a large selection of design formats. Built-in or freestandingIf you are converting a house with an existing chimney, you may wish to retain the chimney, to incorporate a more modern fire. Conventional flue gas fires are designed to fit seamlessly into standard chimneys and require minimal building work. The chimney will almost certainly need sweeping before installation and the fire may require a chimney liner for essential safety.Most wood fires are also designed for chimney installation and make full use of the air circulation properties to provide visually attractive and energy efficient fires. You can either elect for a basic ‘insert’ fire, which matches the dimensions of a Class 1 chimney or a widescreen model, which will require some structural changes.Freestanding stoves are very popular, as they offer greater flexibility of location and provide dramatic room features. They are available in gas, wood or bioethanol and generally need a flue connection to an outside wall or through the roof. No chimney optionsContemporary balanced flue gas fires are designed to be installed without a chimney, so you can incorporate them almost anywhere in a self-build project. However, they still need to be specified at the earliest possible stage. A typical installation will require the fire to be flued through an outside wall, with the flue concealed behind a false chimneybreast. Fires can be located in room-dividing walls and other architectural features so they can be seen from both sides. You can also enjoy fires in kitchens, bedrooms, loft conversions and many other places. These types of installations are made possible by extended, fan-assisted balanced flue systems. They allow for multiple fires to be placed in larger properties, with the flues hidden in crawl spaces and other discreet areas, terminating on the roof.In conclusion, the secret to having attractive and energy efficient fires and stoves in any self-build project is design, plan, cost and implement. And always consult a fully qualified Gas Safe or HETAS engineer.For further information visit www.drufire.com

London Brick wall panels in Sandy Brown were specified for this office redesign for their strength and natural characteristics. Our highly durable Texture panels are ideal for busy areas with high footfall so are perfect for the large wall in the social breakout space. In addition,Texture wall panels can support decoration and integrate features with ease, such as the television screen in this project. London Brick Sandy Brown also provides a perfect backdrop for the orange neon-lit sign. Throughout the design, the execution is impeccable with high quality fixtures and colourful furnishings bringing the office to life.

Upper Longcross is a development project by Crest Nicholson. The project involved the construction of new homes in Surrey. The development was designed to provide a mix of affordable and luxury housing, with a focus on sustainability and green spaces.Crest Nicholson’s commitment to sustainability was evident in the design of the Upper Longcross development. The homes were built to a high standard of energy efficiency, with features such as solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems. The development also featured extensive green spaces, including a central park and a network of footpaths and cycle routes. The Upper Longcross development has been widely praised for its innovative approach to sustainability and for providing high-quality homes in desirable locations.Michelmersh’s Hampshire Stock Dark and Light Multi bricks are instantly recognisable and assist the houses to stand out from their leafy scenery and help harmonise modern and more traditional facades. Freshfield Lane Lindfield Yellow bricks are also seen within the development.

Yeoman Shield’s new Guardian Twin Handrail was installed as part of the ward refurbishment project recently undertaken at Barnsley Hospital, South Yorkshire.A 350+ bed hospital built in the 1970’s and serving a quarter of a million people in the Barnsley area, the hospital demands a constant regime of maintenance throughout its premises.Maintaining its high standards, Barnsley Hospital have improved the surroundings and facilities in 6 of the hospital wards, including the discharge unit, female trauma and elective orthopaedic unit.As part of the refurbishment project Yeoman Shield were employed to remove the old bump rail and handrails and replace them with the dual purpose Guardian Twin Handrail to corridors and waiting areas throughout the 6 wards.The twin handrail was supplied with a 50mm dia. PVCu upper handrail for support to those who need it and a lower 125mm deep protection rail which, standing slightly forward of the handrail, offers protection to both the wall décor and the handrail itself, minimising on repair and replacement.Supplied in a Pastel Blue colour with contrasting accessories in Pebble Grey the Guardian Twin Handrail from Yeoman Shield was complemented with matching 200mm protection strip and corner protection angles.A member of the nursing staff on the discharge unit commented: “Previously down the corridors in this ward we just had a protection rail but now it has been replaced with a system that offers a handrail as well and we have found it a great help to our clients who attend the unit.”Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust commented that they have worked with Yeoman Shield previously and have always found their products and workmanship to be of a high standard.For further details and options on the Yeoman Shield Guardian Twin handrail and the new Guardian 50mm dia. Handrail range go to www.yeomanshield.com/handrails or call 0113 279 5854.

Brick manufacturer Vandersanden presents an enhanced series of seven engaging and informative CPD webinars including their newest CPD ‘Brick: circularity, sustainability and innovation’. The sessions are part of Vandersanden’s portfolio of learning and development tools, aimed at architects and specifiers, to help build their knowledge base and keep them updated on new techniques and innovations in brick manufacturing.Vandersanden’s informative CPD webinar series is designed to be concise yet packed with useful information to inspire architects to learn more about the creative design potential of bricks.Mathew Davies, National Specification Manager for Vandersanden comments:“Vandersanden is one of Europe’s most innovative producers of bricks and our CPD modules, many of which are RIBA approved, have already had great feedback from our partners at architectural practices. Following their response, we’ve extended our CPD programme, based on requests for more diverse and in-depth brick topics, and our new CPD on sustainability is proving particularly popular. We aim to make the sessions as interactive as possible, with plenty of time for live Q&A with team members during, and at the end of each session.”The webinar series consists of seven CPD sessions, which take place on the first Wednesday of every month. The CPD series includes the following:RIBA Certified CPD #1– Brick basicsThis CPD explores the origins and anatomy of brick, as well as covering the main brick types and commonly used configurations and bonding patterns. The CPD also discusses the influence of joints and mortar, accommodating building movement and important considerations when specifying brick.RIBA Certified CPD #2 – How to avoid brick stains and efflorescenceThis CPD explains about the discolouration issues commonly experienced with brickwork facades and the reasons behind the different types of staining that occur. The course then covers the preventative methods that can help avoid this efflorescence and the protective role that innovative coated bricks can play.CPD #3 The brick - From the fundamentals to inspired designAn introduction to the different types of clay brick and the range of sizes, colours, textures and finishes available to help create inspired building design. This CPD reveals some of the key technical considerations and will help attendees learn more about brick as a sustainable building product.CPD #4 The brick - Special techniques & innovationsThis CPD explores some of Vandersanden’s new brick innovations and how different manufacturing techniques are used to deliver their unique range of bricks. The webinar then looks at a number of project examples that demonstrate how these can be applied to create beautifully inspired building designs.RIBA Certified CPD #5 – Textured brickworkThis CPD demonstrates the texture effects that can be achieved when specifying and designing clay brick facades. The webinar explores how texture can be used to enhance building aesthetics and then looks at the main brick types, relevant bonding patterns and technical considerations.RIBA Certified CPD #6 – Movement in brickworkThis CPD shows how to accommodate movement in brickwork, and the possible causes and types of movement. It looks at where to position vertical and horizontal movement joints and discusses the technical considerations for cavity wall construction in relation to movement joints.RIBA Certified CPD #7 - Brick: circularity, sustainability and innovationThis CPD looks at how bricks are manufactured sustainably, the important role innovation plays in reducing the use of clay through the manufacture of thin bricks and manufactured brick slips, brick and the circular economy and innovations in brick sustainability including carbon negative bricks.Mathew Davies, National Specification Manager for Vandersanden concludes:“Vandersanden is committed to sharing our expertise and providing inspiration that supports our collaboration with architects and specifiers, this CPD series continues to help build our professional partnership community.”To register to attend and to find out more click on the 'View more' link

The cast iron flyscreen air brick has the advantage of protecting the property from insect and rodent ingress but can help stop flooding with this innovative and simple barrier. The flood screen is a cork gasket for our single and double flyscreen air bricks and is simply inserted in the air brick when flooding is likely or imminent in place of the fly mesh. Once the danger has passed the copper fly mesh is replaced and the cork flood screen stored away safely until require again. It is available with our 9x3 and 9x6 cast iron air bricks here

This is a very exciting time for residents of South Shields as the first of its kind is being constructed - a million pound penthouse apartment spanning the entire top floor of the apartment block.Genesis products have been used throughout this project to create stunning finishes.Every bathroom in the executive apartment block features ESA100.94 to create stylish niches and tile edges. The brushed effect surface beautifully compliments the tiling around many of the baths.MHS100.35 movement joints and TDP100.91 have been used to create subtle transitions between doorways where discretion is key and a traditional transition strip is not requested.

Award-winning global practice, WilkinsonEyre, specified bricks and brick slips from innovation-led manufacturer, Vandersanden, to emphasise the horizontal volumes and architectural context of the contemporary, new Graduate Centre at Queen Mary University in London. Zero®, a new brick system from Vandersanden, offers a contemporary joint-free appearance and was WilkinsonEyre’s material of choice for the external walls of this 80m-long, seven-storey ground-scraper. Instead of being pointed up to the face of the bricks, the mortar is set well back, with rainwater draining behind. The use of brick draws attention to the horizontality of the building’s volumes and blends with neighbouring buildings...To find out more about the bricks used in this project or to see the wide range of high-quality bricks available from Vandersanden, click on the 'View more' link

Our newest designed cast iron 225x225 air brick allows for an unprecedented free area of 28,000mm2. It is known as the MAX9 air brick and has recently been cast in Oxfordshire, near Cotswolds and is ideally suited to period properties looking for enhanced ventilation. Existing customers include Prime Minister Cameron for installation in Chequers as well as Jesus College Cambridge

Poundbury is an urban extension to the town of Dorchester. Developed over a period of nearly 30 years, and designed to a masterplan by Leon Krier, Poundbury has been an extraordinarily influential demonstration of the Prince of Wales’s vision for new mixed-use development. The development started in 1993 and is expected to complete in 2025.The development is notable for its use of traditional materials such as clay brick, distinctive architecture, and its mix of residential and commercial uses. It also includes a number of affordable housing developments, which is one of the key aims of the project; 35% of homes being built in Poundbury are affordable housing for rent, shared ownership or discounted sales.Since 2009 much of the development has been the responsibility of Ben Pentreath Ltd who has created a variety of architectural styles throughout the development which is based on what local housebuilders are able to do best. A high level of detail is notable throughout and will continue into future phases of the development, including the Urban Quarter, which will be more representative of London’s built aesthetic.Freshfield Lane’s ever-popular Lindfield Yellow, First Quality Multi’s and Selected Darks are in frequent use throughout Poundbury, where their combined characteristics help to reaffirm the grandeur of the project, while also providing a comforting, familiar sense of style. The lighter tones of the bricks help to add to the already noticeable sense of space created by the architects and help to settle the extremities of the expansion into the picturesque, surrounding Dorset scenery.Special thanks to Taylor Maxwell

Fire extinguishers are a vital piece of the Active Fire Protection puzzle; often the first line of defence they are integral to preventing costly fire damage and ultimately, loss of life.The importance of fire extinguishers is highlighted in Chapter 4 of the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice: “Portable Fire Extinguishers are the best available first response to table the fire at its incipient stage.”The Code of Practice adds that to ensure this first aid response, fire extinguishers shall be “kept in their designated places at all times when they are not being used” and “conspicuously located where they will be readily accessible and immediately available in the event of fire.”However, the misuse and neglect of fire extinguishers and their accessories in Dubai’s buildings is not uncommon, rendering them inaccessible or ineffective in a real emergency.As part of the Office of the UAE Attorney General’s ongoing campaign to increase the public’s level of awareness of the law, it was announced that fines and even jail sentences would be handed down for fire extinguisher misuse.The office states in Article 311 of the Federal Penal code, that: “Any person who removes a fire extinguisher or changes its location or renders it unfit for use shall be punished by a jail sentence for no less than one year or a fine of not less than 50,000 AED.”With requirements for extinguishers to be installed near doors or exits, it is all too tempting for fire extinguishers to be used as temporary doorstops.Seeking to improve airflow, the removal of fire extinguishers to wedge open doors threatens to undermine fire safety, making the extinguisher difficult to locate in an emergency.Safety Technology International’s Extinguisher Stopper® is a sturdy, tamperproof, standalone alarm that prevents the misuse or unwanted removal of fire extinguishers. Strong PVC coated metal rope wraps around the neck of the extinguisher and when removed from the unit will activate a piercing 95/106 dB alarm to alert you to any misuse or removal.Acting as a physical safety seal and audible tamper indicator, the Extinguisher Stopper® helps the person responsible for the inspection and maintenance of extinguishers avoid fines or a jail sentence for failing to keep them fit for use.The self-contained unit will leave the extinguisher accessible for emergencies and will not interfere in the event of a real fire; the alarm is also useful in the case of an actual emergency acting as a pre-alarm, helping to alert people in the surrounding areas to the fire before an official alarm has sounded.The compact design of the UV-stabilised polycarbonate unit means it mounts easily next to a vulnerable fire extinguisher, the alarm is easy to install and a deactivation cable is supplied for ease of servicing the protected extinguisher – a requirement of the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice.Recent updates to the unit include universal sound symbols for global recognition and space for a choice of 21 different language labels that are provided, including Arabic. Wireless options allowing for remote monitoring are also available using STI protocol.