"basins"

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

Ecoprod recently undertook a complete refurbishment of the washrooms at Dukes Court – 220,000 sq ft of premium office space in central Woking. The project started in January 2020 and handover was July 2020, somewhat later than expected due to the effect of the Covid 19 lockdown in Spring 2020.This project was delivered in collaboration with Designer Contracts Interiors UK Ltd who managed the flooring, walls, ceilings, doors, lighting, tiling, decorating and mirrors. Ecoprod supplied and managed the installation of the cubicles and IPS systems, all mechanical works, and the sanitaryware schedule and equipment.Cubicle and IPS systems – Petrus range by Formwise and Abet Laminati finish in Grey Zebrano5 WCs – Siamp Samoa Deluxe3 waterless urinals – URIMAT Ceramic Compact C22 URIMAT ESG urinal privacy dividers5 miscea LIGHT taps2 Tristone pure white wash troughs2 URIMAT Favorit hand dryers1 Mitsubishi Smart hand dryer1 Bespoke shower enclosure by Mega Glass1 Triton 80i shower setAccessible toilet – WC and handrail set by Disabled Toilets, basin by Conti +, tap Ultra by Conti+

We were approached by engineering and construction company Planet Construction to help with a project at Windsor Castle.Our experts met the professionals at Planet Construction on-site to gain a deeper understanding of what was required. The toilets located in the St George's area needed upgrading. The facilities needed to be robust yet stylish and in keeping with the fixtures and fittings. It became clear that the cisterns required weren't a standard size so further investigations were needed to ensure the correct products were installed.After discussions, our specifications team suggested the Dudley Electroflo range encompassing infra-red WC flushing and basin taps. This range was specifically developed to save water and maintain hygiene. A trial took place to ensure the bespoke cisterns wouldn't present any problems before the full installation was carried out. The Electroflo products are also easy to service, saving both time and money on-site which was another important factor.Testimonial“We wanted to use a supplier who had a good reputation for providing quality products with great service. The facilities needed to be upgraded and hygiene was an important factor so the touch-free infra-red technology was ideal and the modern design was very complimentary. Installation was simple with no issues at all.”

West End Gate, at 285A Edgware Road, London, is a residential development by Berkeley Group Holdings, designed by Squire & Partners. Comprising four distinct buildings around a landscaped garden square, it offers one to four-bedroom apartments and penthouses with luxurious finishes, including timber floors, custom kitchens, and marble bathrooms.West End Gate’s facade is made of a mix of materials, including brickwork, metal panels, and glazed elements, creating a striking and modern appearance. The brickwork used in the project is a key feature of the development, with a variety of patterns and textures used to create interest and depth in the facade. Michelmersh’s Hampshire Stock Downs Blend is used perfectly throughout the project, with the soft tones homogenise perfectly with Paddington Basins aged red brick while contrasting the leafy greens that surround the project and the project’s pre-existing neighbours. Throughout the day the bricks provide a warm glow to the area as the sun permeates the site, ensuring natural light is capitalised upon.The development includes 128 intermediate and socially rented apartments, with window designs matching local typology. Located near Hyde Park and Paddington Station, it boasts excellent transport links and amenities in a prime London location.

The Canaletto residential tower at 257 City Road in London is located halfway between Old Street and Angel Stations in Islington, alongside the regenerated City Road Basin. It comprises a 31-storey tower with 190 luxury one, two and three bedroom apartments built to the standards of Code 4 Sustainable Homes Level 4.The tower is concrete frame and has a curving facade of metal and glass that breaks the volume into a series of three-to-four storey clusters. In turn, each cluster contains grouped balcony terraces, which are a striking feature of the building. The balconies are of steel construction connected to the concrete frame and as always with cantilever construction elements of this nature, one of the early design considerations had to be the prevention of thermal bridging.For the high specification Canaletto project the Schöck Isokorb® T type SK offers the ideal solution. It is a concrete-to-steel connectivity module that sits between the outer and inner structural connection points and blocks the outflow of heat through the use of high quality polystyrene insulation foam. The Isokorb® T type SK provides a clean and unobtrusive connection detail, minimises on-site assembly time and enables a high level of prefabrication.

In the world of education, the physical environment plays a crucial role in shaping the learning experiences of students. To ensure that every child has equal access to education, the Department for Education (DfE) in the United Kingdom has laid down comprehensive guidelines for the design and construction of school buildings. Two key documents, BB103 and BB104, stand at the forefront of this initiative, setting standards to promote inclusivity and accessibility within educational settings.BB103 | Designing Accessible School BuildingsFor mainstream schools, BB103 mandates the inclusion of accessible facilities to accommodate pupils, students, staff, and visitors with disabilities. Crucially, this includes the provision of a specialist hygiene room equipped with either a fixed or mobile hoist, alongside ample space for assistants to facilitate the changing process.In primary schools, the hygiene room must span a minimum of 9m² and feature essentials such as a changing bed and accessible WC.Secondary schools, on the other hand, are required to allocate a minimum of 12m² for their hygiene rooms, which should additionally incorporate an accessible shower, sluice toilet, and changing trolley. These specifications are designed to ensure that hygiene rooms meet the unique needs of students across different age groups and educational settings.According to recent statistics from the DfE, approximately 14.1% of children in the UK have special educational needs, highlighting the critical importance of ensuring that school environments are inclusive and supportive.BB104 | Catering to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)BB104 further refines the standards for hygiene rooms in special schools and alternative provisions (APs). For non-ambulant special schools or units, the guideline stipulates the provision of one hygiene room for every 12 non-ambulant pupil places. These rooms must be equipped with a fixed hoist, a changing bed, a wash hand basin, an accessible WC, and an accessible shower, underscoring the comprehensive support required for students with profound disabilities.In ambulant special schools and APs, one hygiene room per setting is mandated, featuring either a fixed or mobile hoist, a changing bed, a wash hand basin, and an accessible WC.Additionally, all hygiene rooms are required to have facilities for waste disposal, such as a sluice or equivalent, to maintain hygiene standards and ensure the efficient management of waste.Conclusion | Building for a Brighter FutureAs educators and stakeholders in the education sector, it is our collective responsibility to champion inclusivity and accessibility in every aspect of school design and construction. By understanding and implementing the guidelines outlined in BB103 and BB104, we pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive future where every child has the opportunity to thrive and succeed.How can we help? Our skilled team have many years’ experience of planning and installing equipment within public environments such as schools and universities. Please do get in touch if you need help or advice with your project or further support on the Government requirements for equipment that needs to be installed to support SEND students.

The pinnacle of luxury living, 250 City Road in Islington features stunning 1–3-bedroom apartments in one of London’s most sought-after locations. Residents are offered such benefits as exclusive membership to world-class spa facilities, featuring a 20-metre pool, and a perfect environment for rest, inspiration, and productivity, ranging from a luxurious screening room to a reading room and business lounge.Designed by Foster + Partners with the vision of transforming a business park into a distinctive landmark location for Islington, the project is a development by Berkeley Group.In true RYNO fashion, we worked very closely with the team at Berkeley to provide non-combustible paving supports to this very high-end development project. The pedestals used on the balconies are our fully adjustable, self-levelling RPA-FRs with built-in lockable slope-correction, supporting (450x450x40mm) granite pavers.The roof terraces which offer a stunning view of the city and canal basin were supplied with our TerraSmart Rail Paving System supporting granite paving and blending perfectly with the soft landscaping of the entire project.To top it all, 250 City Road is just a short walk from Clerkenwell and our Studio, which is where architects and specifiers can get hand-on with the our systems including the one used in this project.

Cardigan Integrated Care Centre is a brand new healthcare centre in West Wales, housing a GP practice, dental service and pharmacy.Each unit was pre-plumbed and tested at the Venesta factory, reducing installation time by 50% and giving the end user added peace of mind.The aim of the £24m development was to provide safe, sustainable, integrated care for local residents. The anticipated high footfall meant durable and hardwearing solutions were required in all consultation rooms and washroom areas.Hygiene and infection control were of paramount importance, so we worked closely with Accredited Installers, Shire Integrated Systems, to ensure fit for purpose healthcare solutions were selected.Vepps Boxed-Out Units were specified for all the consultation rooms and offered speedy installation, while maintaining the integrity of rear fire walls and acoustic rated walls. The Solid Grade Laminate (SGL) box sides in ‘Shadow’ were rebated into strong extruded aluminium frames that provide flush, easy to clean surfaces.Meanwhile, Vepps Wall System panelling was specified for the toilet areas, which meant the WCs, flushes, basins and taps were pre-plumbed and thoroughly tested before being delivered to the Centre for installation.Read the full case study for full details.

The fourth and final phase of a major regeneration project in central Manchester’s Piccadilly Basin, Islington Wharf Phase 4 is an iconic residential development comprising two visually striking 11 and 16 storey buildings. Delivered by Waterside Places for developer, Latimer, they provide 106 contemporary one- and two-bedroom apartments, of which 54 are available on a shared ownership basis, providing much needed affordable homes in the heart of the city’s vibrant waterfront area.Leviat’s expertise in providing solutions for similar buildings in the past, coupled with their previous working relationships with the project engineers and architects, and with brickwork contractor Cara Brickwork, meant they were chosen by stockist, SIG, to provide a complete package of support solutions to meet the special requirements of the project.Lengths of Leviat’s Ancon MDC masonry support system were then fabricated to suit the specific requirements, loadings and PT pocket implications of each individual location and supplied to SIG for just-in-time site delivery against the contractor’s predetermined build programme.The design of the MDC units offered a 20mm fixing tolerance, enabling contractors on site to accommodate most of the variances in PT pocket locations and unexpected rebar density. Leviat’s technical and sales specialists provided support throughout the project, however, and where problems were encountered, were able to supply replacement MDC sections quickly, to enable the project to progress without delays.

The 'HOOLA' in Tidal Basin Road in East London, gateway to the soon-to-be regenerated Royal Victoria Docks area, has transformed a brownfield site into two rippling 23 and 24 storey glass towers, that offer 360 apartments with a mix of studios, along with one, two and three-bedroom units.The buildings are super-insulated and the concrete frame will act as a heat sink – absorbing heat on warm days and releasing it back into apartments when it cools. An innovative link-up with the neighbouring ExCel Exhibition Centre will also see excess heat piped directly into the two towers. This will provide all the necessary heating and hot water requirements and significantly reduce maintenance costs by doing away with the need for individual boilers. A critical design requirement for such a super-insulated building was the avoidance of any risk of thermal bridging at the many concrete-to-concrete balcony connectivity points – so highly efficient structural thermal breaks were required throughout. The preferred solution was the Schöck Isokorb® T type K for cantilever balconies.Luke Smerdon-White, Technical Director at Thorp, takes up the story: "We had to design, manufacture and deliver 1410 precast concrete balcony sections that had to then be cast integrally with the in situ concrete structure." "The exposed front-face is curved, with almost 50 different dimensional configurations, while the internal face has a facetted line that had to correlate with the glazing line and opening doors."

The Wren Academy sponsored by the Diocese of London and situated in Friern Barnet North London, recently underwent large-scale regeneration.What started out as a refurbishment project, with some new build, soon became a new build academy, with some refurbishment. A total budget of 23 million was used to turn the Academy into a fine example of a 21st century school.Architects Penoyre & Prasad, already praised for their education projects with two RIBA awards, created a unique learning environment for the pupils, who are actively encourage to take ownership of the school. The new building section of the site includes a new entrance, teaching blocks, library and toilet facilities, for which GEC Anderson supplied three special feature wash troughs within the uni-sex toilets.The facilities area has kept with the open air feel in line with the rest of the new build. The anti-bullying concept of a light and airy space, without a door to main washroom area, also promotes maturity and responsibility.The wash troughs in the toilet area created a slight industrial, but professional and clean look. There also offer water saving advantages over a standard sink or basin configuration.Martin Tye, managing director of GEC, said “The academy is a great example of modern design and architecture and for our products to be specified is a great honour and achievement.”“The wash troughs were of particular significance, architecturally, as they were seen to provide the flow and contemporary design that is simply not available with alternative materials” added Martin.

ObjectiveDurkan was established in 1970, the company has grown from a small, family contractor to become a leading construction and development company in London and the Home Counties.Durkan were contracted to construct 55 new build apartments on Amelia Street, London. They required a bathroom product that was easy to install and simple to clean but without comproming on decor choice, Nuance ticked all the boxes.Bushboard have been developing kitchen and bathroom surfaces in the UK since 1935, with the idea that everyone deserves a great design whatever their budget.ObservationThe Nuance product was recommended to Durkan Ltd and once they had researched it themselves they were pleased with the variety available.‘Nuance provided a solution in a variety of colours and finishes which were attractive to our clients.’Nuance is all about great design with a flexible and integrated approach for all bathroom layouts.Whether your design calls for wall hung, semi-recessed or the latest sit-on basins, the range offers co-ordinated or matching surfaces in laminate or luxurious solid surface.OutcomeDurkan specified ‘Ice’ surfaces creating a stylish, sleek finish to their bathrooms.A laminate worksurface gives a smart and integrate design look with little maintenance required.‘No challenges occured during the installation process, it was straightforward.’The Nuance worksurfaces give a real flexibility to shape the perfect bathroom along with peace mind of with a three year joint guarantee when installed with Bushboard’s BB Complete adhesive and sealant.For more information about the Bushboard products, request a RIBA CPD, download an NBS specification or order samples visit www.bushboard.co.uk