"general engineering services"

Over 200 Optima windows and doors from Profile 22 were installed in an £11 million community hub in Leeds city centre.Westerton Walk in Leeds city centre is an extra care housing development comprising 63 one- and two-bedroom flats with care services, shared lounges and dining facilities. It has been built on a vacant Leeds City Council-owned site and has createda dynamic community hub.

The Sky View development is a mixed-use twin-tower complex, with a Hotel, residences and serviced apartments, in downtown Dubai. The new landmark will be known as the figurative gateway to Downtown Dubai. The development has an unique view, with the Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest building) on one side, and the Arabian Gulf on the other. The chosen solution for sealing the towers’ facade connections as Effisus Ecofacade, in order to protect the towers against water damage and to improve their energy efficiency.

A complete package was supplied: not only the rainwater outlets and leafguards but all the fasteners required for fixing the roofing system too.For this project, Fixfast helped by providing the necessary rainwater calculations required for completion, ensuring the efficient and reliable drainage expected of the FarBo range once installed."Very friendly and helpful staff, good range of products and very good service overall"Stuart Marris - Contracts Manager at K&S Construction (Sussex) Ltd

Full FF&E fit-out for Balfour Hospital Orkney.Robertson Construction built this £65 million facility for NHS Orkney that is transforming healthcare services on the islands. We delivered the full FF&E fit-out including wall protection, blinds, bedheads and cubicles, as well as all the fitted furniture. Working closely with the Keppie Design team we also provided reception counters plus bespoke seating for the atrium and café.

Regarded as London’s finest riverfront residences; Riverwalk is a unique development on the River Thames at the heart of London. Riverwalk is a collection of highly specified 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom apartments and penthouses with a focus on light, space and service, as well as exceptional views across the capital city. Working closely with the architect, developer and tile contractor throughout the entirety of the project, Wetroom Materials specified and supplied over 300 wetroom systems of the highest quality.

A development which incorporates a collection of projects and one of Central London’s largest ever mixed-use developments creating 3,500 new homes. Wood Wharf has been supplied with over 2,000 Unidrain wet room systems, many projects taking advantage of Unidrain’s bespoke service to achieve specific designs. Wetroom Materials worked closely with the POD Manufacturer to present a wetroom system that would be able to adapt to the demands of the POD construction.

As well as offering our customers a bespoke service in which we can offer any size and any shape access panel, we are now adding Antibacterial Powder Coating as an addition to our extensive range of products. It is available on all our Metal Faced Access Panels and features an effective antibacterial agent which kills fungi and most species of bacteria including the deadly MRSA, Salmonella, E coli and C difficile.

The JR provides acute medical and surgical services including trauma, intensive care and cardiothoracic services. It is situated in Headington, about three miles east of Oxford city centre. It is the largest of the Trust’s hospitals, covering around 66 acres.SDS was pleased to work with Mclaughlin and Harvey Contractors and to have been specified by Lewis Hickey Architects.The new extension to the existing Emergency Department was designed to provide better use of space, more diagnostic equipment and improved dignity and privacy for patients as well as improved turnaround times for ambulances.Facilities include an extra nine bays for the immediate care of seriously ill patients, including a paediatric resuscitation room and an isolation room. An additional CT scanner with control room, as well as a nurses’ bay and improved bereavement and relatives’ rooms, will also be provided in the new area.Dfendoor doors were used throughout this scheme, where impact resistant doors were key to maintaining fire door and infection control compliance throughout the busy area . A wide range of SDS colours were used from midnight blue through to lupin – also our range of wall protection products were used in matching colours to create a very impressive finish throughout.

Contour recently completed a project involving the supply and installation of 350 anti-ligature radiator covers across 15 mental health wards in Southeast England. The existing radiators posed a significant risk of harm to service users due to their outdated design. After inspecting a single ward, it was evident that all wards faced similar risks. Contour was tasked with surveying, supplying, and manufacturing anti-ligature radiator guards for each ward to ensure safety.The challenges faced by the customer included the absence of anti-ligature radiators, sharp corners posing threats, and cleanliness issues with old guards. To address these challenges, Contour installed a comprehensive range of anti-ligature covers designed to enhance safety and hygiene without compromising heating efficiency. The new covers featured small grilles and rounded edges to minimize risks and facilitate easier cleaning.The results were immediate improvements in safety and hygiene within the environments. The installed radiator guards featured IP3x grilles with 2mm holes, preventing ligature creation. Additionally, drop-down front access was incorporated for easier cleaning, and rounded corners provided enhanced protection. Overall, the project successfully mitigated risks and enhanced safety for service users in mental health environments.

Komatsu is one of the world leading manufacturers of construction, mining and utility equipment.Project/doors:Over 60 doors – Speedor Cleanroom, Speedor Storm, Electric Roller ShuttersThe challenge Safety and reliability are paramount in this highly efficient 200,000 sqm facility, which has produced over 60,000 units. Although only a small part of the building, industrial doors cause the biggest problems if they are not designed with the environment and usage in mind. The solution As a British manufacturer, Hart provides Komatsu with a first-class service, offering support and parts when required and due to the reliability of the doors, maintaining the safe, efficient running of the facility. Each Hart door is made to measure and each safety device and activator is fitted to suit specific areas, giving Komatsu a safe and secure working environment for its employees The success Komatsu and Hart began their relationship in the 80’s with the installation of one of Harts earliest prototype Speedors. Due to the success of the door, 4 Speedors and 4 roller shutters were installed in 1992. Over the years, Hart has installed over 60 doors to the facility, only recently replacing some of the original doors installed in 1992. The Review:“Good customer services and support.” Scott Atkinson, Komatsu, UK

Procter and Gamble is the largest multinational consumer goods company in the world with 65 brands ranging from home care to skin care. Project/doors:Manufacture, install and service over 70 industrial doors across 6 sites. The challengeP&G’s first goal against climate change was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at its facilities. The UK Environmental Agency also regulates the emissions at P&G Thurrock under an Integration Pollution Prevention & Control permit. Another important factor at the facility is efficiency and any works must cause minimal impact on production.The solutionHart has supplied over 70 industrial doors to the site. High-speed doors and insulated fast action roller shutters allow efficient traffic flow while controlling the heat, odours and noise. LPCB approved fire shutters safeguard employees and keep the building compliant with the latest legislation. Regular servicing maintains the reliability of the doors and the efficient running of the facility.The successThe relationship between Hart and Procter and Gamble spans 30 years, with more than 70 installations across six facilities. We have worked together to maintain and upgrade these manufacturing facilities without disrupting production.

Envisioned as the first purpose-built music college in the UK since 1987, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire of Music hosts 5 performance venues that have been created to service an increasingly digital environment.Its public concert hall contains seating for 500 and a full orchestra and is flanked by an organ studio, the Eastside Jazz Club, a 150-seat recital hall and “The Lab” – an experimental music space. It is additionally serviced by 70 practice rooms, a cafe, and a large three-level entrance foyer.Constructed in Birmingham’s Education sector, the project acts as a cultural hub by offering visual and performing arts to the city as well as its students. Special attention was given to creating a building that made access feel as easy as possible.Using our Floren Polaris bricks, and beautifully designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the exterior of the project has been described as an ‘Urban Castle’, with the acoustic benefits of brick being employed to reduce external noise as well as enable the Conservatoire to carry itself visually amongst the surrounding campus.The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire has won the RIBA West Midlands Project of the Year, RICS West Midlands Project of the Year and the RICS West Midlands Design for Innovation Award.

Headquartered in London, vXtream is a leading Private Cloud Managed Service Provider that has 7 global data centre locations. Having built up 2 years’ experience, vXtream services are relied upon by international companies, businesses of all sizes, and creative professionals. In order to protect their vast clientele’s data and hardware, a multi-layered security approach has been put in place featuring 24/7 on-site security, high-definition CCTV cameras, and biometric security approved by the NPSA (National Protective Security Authority). ChallengeDue to the ISO27001 certification that vXtream holds, they are committed to continuous improvement and risk management; therefore, a further layer of security was identified as needed for their data hall. This further layer of security had the challenge of preventing tailgating into the data hall to ensure access could be controlled and monitored. The solution would also need to integrate with vXtream new biometric system to enable fingerprint recognition entry. As well as this, the space within the data hall needed to be preserved so that further expansion could happen in the future with the data centre’s planned growth.  To find out more please follow the link. vXtream Data Centre - Case Studies - Meesons

Vicky and Nick, the owners of Holloway and Holloway, a London based architecture studio, share their story on living and working under the same roof, in a stunning recently extended house where they added an Unlimited Rooflight. Questions to Vicky and Nick:What was the decision-making trigger in choosing daylight from above?To be honest there was no choice here. In a London mid-terraced property, even a semi-detached one, when you do a side infill to increase the rear of the property by filling in the gap between the properties, it creates a dark space in the centre of the property where there is no natural light.So, you generally counter this by adding roof lights in the ceiling over the new extension, and make sure that they are placed fairly close to the back of the room so that you can flood that space with natural light.Vertical windows tend to allow a good level of natural light to penetrate around 6 meters into a building. Not only do roof lights allow a lot more light in a space than a vertical window, but as you can place these in more central areas in the room, they are nearly the only way to get daylight into the centre of your house.We have our office in the central room of the property, so for us, we had to have good natural light levels in this area as we spend the most amount of time here in the whole house.You added a rather large rooflight to your extension - The Unlimited Rooflight. What impact does it have on the space?It is amazing how bright the space is. We get so much light from above that the space always has a wonderful vibrance to it during the daytime.But I think that possibly what’s even more striking than the amount of light itself is the size of the glass, its 5m² total, split into 2 pieces. It makes it feel as though there is more glass than there is solid roof up there, it really is the wow feature of the whole space.Whilst we had expected that when we designed it as it was always meant to be the feature in the room, what we hadn’t realized was how much it would make the space feel bigger. With extensions on a mid-terrace property, you are often limited as to how high you can build so your ceiling height can be capped at a certain level, but having this huge opening in the middle of the room makes the whole space feel like you’ve got this really grand ceiling height, it has such an effect on how the space feels. Tell us what was the timeline from inspiration to finished interiors? I'm sure it's a question you get very often.Indeed. Well we actually only found out about Vario by VELUX as we were on site, they were just about to start the roof construction as we found out about them, so we didn’t have a huge amount of time and had to get things organized very quickly! From finding the products to getting them on site it was only a matter of weeks, once we had chosen a size for the roof lights all we had to do was confirm the opening dimensions to our contractors, and double check with the structural engineer that the roof structure was ok to support the new roof light. Once that was all sorted all we had to do was wait, it was a very easy process. The project took around 4 months on site in total, but the roof lights go in fairly near the end of the project, so once they’re in it’s all very exciting, as you are close to completion.  

Setting an aesthetic benchmark at the heart of the regeneration of London’s Royal Docks, Oasis Academy Silvertown is a new Department for Education school created by architects Rivington Street Studio. The landmark building serves 11-16 year olds and achieves a BREEAM ‘Excellent' rating while its striking appearance owes much to the use of Vandersanden’s Perla bricks.At the heart of an emerging community in West Silvertown, the Oasis Academy is an all-inclusive secondary school for 600 students on a constrained .25-hectare site. Arranged as a multi-storey ‘superblock’, the building incorporates outdoor social space at different levels and a full-sized sports pitch on its roof.The warm white Perla brickwork and large openings relate to the existing and new residential properties and the monumental listed Silo D nearby. The building’s thick external walls are folded to provide a layered façade in response to the elements. A double-height colonnade to the North Woolwich Road acts as a visitor entrance and engenders a civic quality to the building while also allowing for generous pedestrian movement and a deep threshold between the public domain and secure school environment.The site is surrounded by a mix of red brick residential properties, derelict industrial land and vast stretches of master-planned residential and commercial properties. “We wanted the Academy to stand out from this landscape,” explains Éimear Murphy, associate director at Rivington Street Studio. “Vandersanden’s white Perla bricks give the building a monumental quality, highlighting that it’s for the community and is not an apartment block.”Taylor Maxwell, the brick supplier, suggested Vandersanden’s Perla brick for the project. “What we really liked about Perla is that it’s not only a white brick, with no variation in the colour, but it has quite a rustic, handmade texture that gives it a warm feel rather than a shiny and engineered surface finish,” says Murphy. There were various challenges to creating the brickwork details. The sharp angles associated with the brick fins on the side elevations meant there were a lot of brick specials so these were scheduled with plans drawn through the fins at every other course at the different levels. The contractor then cut the bricks to the schedule. This was made possible because the Perla bricks are exactly the same colour all the way through. For the canted reveals of the double-height colonnade to the main elevation, brick slip panels were used. Rivington Street Studio worked with the brick subcontractor to develop a bespoke detail and different mock-ups were trialled. The brick slips are seamless in appearance, matching with the full bricks used elsewhere. The canted reveals to the windows on the south elevation were envisioned through extensive 3D modelling and the Perla bricks again proved highly versatile during construction.To achieve a homogenous feel to the building, the mortar was matched to the brick. From a distance, the structure resembles a white cube but, as you get closer, the surface detail of the mortar joints and brick texture starts appearing. At different times of the day, the building’s appearance changes as patterns of light and shade move across the texture of the bricks. "The Vandersanden bricks are incredibly high quality and the through colour simplified the construction process because the bricks could simply be cut to suit the building’s geometry, enthuses Murphy. “Another important factor was the excellent consistency of the batches as this was essential to achieving the building’s monolithic, one-colour look.” 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' linkProject photography Simon Kennedy & Rachel Ferriman

Efficient and safe goods lifts optimize performance for a large online shopping retailer’s warehouseThe top online fashion retailer improves its productivity, efficiency and safety to meeting higher market demandsOnline orders for the fashion industry have significantly peaked over the last few years, making fashion retailers recognise the need to expand their warehouses. The international and rapidly growing fashion brand has opened a new warehouse in Litchfield to supply their multinational customers efficiently and on time. In 2021, Lödige Industries was contracted to design, manufacture, deliver and install one SHERPA and one ESCORTA goods lift for the new facility. Installation work of the goods lifts was accomplished in November 2021, while the rack system will be finished afterwards.Optimizing space and serving each mezzanine floor efficientlyDue to the increasing number of online orders, the international fashion retailer needed an efficient and space-saving lift solution. The client envisioned a multi-level storage solution, to fully utilise the available warehousing space.Lödige Industries in the UK decided to implement large goods lifts as a solution to access each floor. The free-standing SHERPA and ESCORTA goods lifts fully automate the transfer of goods across five and six floors and were easily integrated into the rack system. The two lifts have been configured specially to help the flow of goods in the building. They have been fitted to align with their vast increase in orders, facilitating their constant success globally. Overall, the cabin sizes of the goods lifts allow the customer to fit all their equipment in the shaft without any disturbances between different stops.Safety and security are key priorities for the customerSafety for employees in installation and operation of goods lifts is one of the key priorities for the fashion brand. Therefore, engineers from Lödige Industries installed the goods lifts in line with Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. It contains guidelines to minimise any injury to the user or people close to the machine. It specifies the maximum gap in a guard and directives regarding the lift such as lift speeds for different applications, alongside many other guidelines.For the ESCORTA, Lödige Industries fitted a bumper rail to protect the emergency stop button from being damaged. Additionally, rumble strips were installed to prevent the trolley from moving and maintaining the smooth running of the lift. As a result, this reduces downtime of the goods lifts, the amount of call outs and allows them to be more cost efficient.Consistent site coordination to apply the best lift solution for the customerThe biggest challenge for the customer was the limited space available for the goods lifts. Consequently, the customer required a lift solution to fit between the steel building columns and respecting all other work and storage areas. This made the sizing of the lifts become complex.In close collaboration with the customer, the efficiency of the building was maximised by optimising both, general goods flow and use of space within the goods lifts areas. The constant coordination and communication between the customer and Lödige Industries allowed a precise location for the lifts within the space available.SolutionIn order to save space and meeting the available space restrictions, free standing goods lifts were attached to the rack system.The applied safety measurements reduce downtimes of the goods lifts, the amount of call outs and allows the customer to operate more cost efficient.Close collaboration between the go-to fashion brand and Lödige Industries enabled the customer to optimise goods flow while respecting all site specifications.

Efficient Approach Dramatically Reduces Turbine Noise at CCGT Power StationsTen years after it was first used at Uskmouth, this innovative approach to soundproofing that reduces insulation depth by up to 76%, is once again commissioned in France.Dangerous Levels of NoiseModern dry cooling systems offer many benefits over traditional systems in CCGT power stations, but they have the disadvantage of being a complex source of noise transmission. The turbine noise recorded coming from the dry cooling system at the Severn Power CCGT Power Station at Uskmouth was between 130dB(A) and 135dB(A). Exposure to these levels of noise, a full 50dB above The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 “upper action level”, will cause both immediate and permanent damage.When acoustics and soundproofing specialist, CMS Danskin Acoustics, were brought in by SPX Cooling Technologies, designers of Uskmouth’s dry cooling system, they discovered not only high levels of noise but also that the noise generated had a very low-frequency bias, the most difficult noise spectrum to treat.Solutions for low-frequency noise issues typically involve wrapping the problem in significant quantities of acoustic insulation, with many standard solutions being as deep as 500mm to 700mm. The sheer volume of lagging required for an insulation-based approach to a project like Uskmouth, with 8,000m2 of ducting to be covered, would be expensive, time-consuming to install and prohibitively disruptive.The New Approach proven at UskmouthThe challenge of producing a soundproofing system that would be cost effective and efficient to install was taken up by CMS Danskin Acoustic’s Technical Direct Paul Absolon. CMS Danskin has a reputation for effective, high quality acoustic solutions tailored to the specific challenge, and this solution was no different.Exploring the wide range of acoustic materials from the company’s industrial acoustics range, Paul opted for a combination of materials working in concert: the unique CMS HTIB elastomeric isolation pads, constructed from a polyurethane-bound rubber granulate with excellent dampening and isolation characteristics; QuietSlab SVX3, a high-performance, mineral- fibre acoustic lagging; and WBKT Acoustic Barriers, a high-density, barium-sulphate-loaded thermoplastic polymer, which is thin, flexible and easy to work with.By using a bespoke combination of materials which each tackled specific aspects of the problem, CMS Danskin Acoustics were able to create a soundproofing solution with a construction depth of just 170mm, between 66% and 76% thinner than the 500-700mm standard solution. Disruption was minimised and material costs reduced.Once complete, the system was rigorously tested by SPX Cooling Technologies and Uskmouth’s main contractor, Siemen’s Energy. CMS Danskin Acoustics’ solution had reduced the noise generated by 39%, to just 82-83dB(A), under the 85dB “upper action level” listed in The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.Peter Ullrich, project director, Siemens Energy, commented at the time:“Effectively controlling noise and reducing sound emissions was a top priority for us in the Uskmouth project. Not only was it essential that the dry cooling system satisfied all the legal acoustic obligations and regulations but just as important was that neighbouring properties were not disturbed by additional noise levels.”Repeat Success at LandivisiauTen years on, the same successful approach has been applied to the dry cooling system at the new CCGT Power Station at Landivisiau in Brittany, north-western France. Also built by Siemens, the dry cooling system was supplied by SPG Dry Cooling. In the case of Landivisiau, even greater sound reduction was required, from approximately 140dB(A) to below The Control of Noise at Work Regulations limit of 85dB(A).To meet this challenge, SPG and CMS Danskin collaborated on extensive testing at the acoustic testing laboratory of SRL Technical Services. The reductions achieved during testing as part of the specification process were some of the largest reductions in sound ever measured at SRL.Once the specification was confirmed, CMS Danskin worked with SPG to ensure that materials for the multi-layer acoustic solution were prepared and delivered efficiently so that SPG’s installers always had the correct materials on site. The installation of the acoustic soundproofing was completed in October 2021 and the power station entered commission as planned in April 2022.“CMS Danskin Acoustics Limited successfully supplied the acoustic material package for the project which was tested at SRL to give an overall lab test reduction of 68dB Rw.”Robert Hill, Project Manager, SPG Dry Cooling

Mildmay Oaks offers in-patient rehabilitation services for men and women with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). The 39-bed unit has both a low-secure and a high-secure facilities.Operated by The Priory Group, the unit aims to support patients with community-based activities so they can progress through their care pathway towards a community-based placement. Creating a domestic-looking environment was key to this – and the client and designers chose our doorsets throughout.

Terracing at an apartment complex in Birmingham has been restored to its former glory with Sadolin Classic. The elevated deck serves as a community hub and meeting place for residents from surrounding apartments in the Digbeth area. Its location, on the rooftop of a multi-storey carpark, leaves the terrace exposed to varying weather conditions and Optima Community Association - part of WM Housing Group – called on Crown Paints Specification Services to find a solution to preserve and protect the space.

Castlemead is a social housing block in the London Borough of Southwark, located in the busy Camberwell Road area. The vacant building was undergoing an internal refurbishment project, delivered by fit out specialist, Paragon, and as part of these works the main contractor brought in roofing specialist, Hambro Roofing, to carry out some repairs to the existing felt roof. It quickly became apparent that the existing roof surface had reached the end of its service life and actually required a full refurbishment.

When people think of data centres, the first things that come to mind are telecommunication providers and cloud operators such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google, or streaming service suppliers such as Netflix, who rely on large computing capacities. However, data centres are of great importance for the over-all future viability of commercial enterprises and society as a whole, because the digital infrastructure has long since become a central focus and is the starting point for all considerations regarding new company ventures. 

A former HMRC building has been transformed, inside and out, to create Telford’s largest serviced office accommodation with over 52,000 sq.ft of space for 50 offices.As part of the extensive refurbishment programme, the building’s main entrance has also been given a facelift with a new canopy incorporating Radius metal column casings, with a bespoke stepped collar design, as well as bespoke metal bulkheads and fascia's from the Pendock Linea building linings range.

Building contractor Eversley Building Services Ltd required a roof access ladder for emergency use in the event of a fire. However, the application constraints presented many challenges, in particular the small skylight aperture. As such, a particularly compact loft ladder was needed. Furthermore, because the loft ladder would be used during an emergency, it had to be easy-to-operate and safe for its occupants. Read more about this challenging project and how the Piccolo Premium provided the ideal solution...

Kier Group is a leading property, residential, construction and services group, which invests in, builds, maintains and renews buildings operating across many sectors, including housing, defence, education, power, transport and utilities.Kier handled both the design and delivery process and worked directly with Cottenham-based roofing contractor, Voland Roofing, on this project.Kier wanted the roof to not only insulate against airborne sound, but also to reduce noise from the impact of raindrops on the roof.

Minsthorpe Leisure Centre in Yorkshire is managed by Wakefield Council - offering a 25-metre swimming pool, a gym, and fitness classes including Zumba, Pilates, HIIT workouts, and boxercise.With support from our technical team, JML Building Services were advised to use Fixfast TapFast Stainless HCR fasteners, for use in corrosive environments. The finished effect was a brand-new swimming pool with roofing and cladding fixings that would stay in place despite the risk of corrosion.

Granada’s secondary glazing is contributing to a quieter environment within the new Bradford Coroner’s Court following its move to a newly refurbished separate building in a more built-up and noisier area of the city.Formerly located inside Bradford Magistrates’ Court, the Coroner’s service moved to an independent site in Cater Street, Little Germany in early 2022 following years of concern over “sub-standard” facilities. It serves families in neighbouring Calderdale and Kirklees, as well as Bradford.

The new FIX A320 TACK adhesive was among the Bostik products that – combined with the company’s technical expertise – recently enabled the installation of the flooring on the large site of the new Grange University Hospital in Wales.The state-of-the-art £350m Specialist and Critical Care Centre in Llanfrechfa Grange, Cwmbran is the first major hospital to be built in Wales in more than two decades. It has 2,612 rooms and provides more than 40 specialist services, supported by 3,000 staff.

A bright contemporary hotel with a geometric beam ceiling design was specified for a new hotel in its large open space lobby, providing an embracing and welcoming appeal for business and leisure travellers. With a fun colour scheme, the expansive space was flanked by beautiful MaxiBeam ceiling designs adding to its quirky sculptural look that highlights the relaxing and enjoyable nature of the hotel.Explore how we achieved this free-flowing ceiling design with easy integration for other support services.

A first-time self-builder from Twickenham used his time on furlough to build a two-bedroom home in his back garden with weberwall brick.Around 11,000 self-build homes are built each year, and Sudheer Talluri is one of less than 10% who actually build the house themselves, without the help of experienced builders.Sudheer had already bought his 1950s former council house and had been living in the property for seven years before he applied for planning permission to build another home in the garden. Despite initial difficulties getting planning consent, he finally got the go-ahead in 2020.After being furloughed from his job as a telecoms engineer in June 2020, Sudheer decided to use this as an opportunity to kickstart the project.“I knew I wanted to build an environmentally-friendly home, so I went to the National Self Build and Renovation Centre in Swindon for inspiration,” explains Sudheer. “Having looked at all the options, I decided to use an Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) system. It offers great thermal benefits and can be finished using a brick slip system on the outside which helped me to meet the design requirements outlined in the planning permission.”Sourcing products that could be easily supplied while the country was in lockdown was a challenge in itself. Sudheer needed an external finish that would be in keeping with the existing property on the plot. He contacted Saint-Gobain Weber after learning about how weberwall brick - a brick cladding system which is supplied on mesh sheets - would not only address the planning requirements, but would also help to make the application of the final finish quick and easy.The ICF provided a solid base for weberwall brick, allowing direct application to the substrate using the rapid drying weberwall brick external adhesive, which Sudheer applied by pump to speed-up the installation further.Sudheer’s engineering background, determination, and help from friends, family and neighbours helped him to get the new house built in less than a year. Sudheer and his family have moved into the new house enabling them to rent out their own home. They are so pleased with the final result that they plan to extend into the loft space and add a further single-story extension at the back of the new house in early 2022.

This redesigned facade showcases bespoke aluminium skylights, column casings, radius coping, and soffits. These elements flawlessly enhance the contemporary design of the Blind Veterans UK Centre in Rustington, West Sussex.The new centre is an example of the effectiveness of using aluminium as a building material. Its strength, durability, and low maintenance needs make it ideal for projects such as this one, where quality and longevity are essential.Spearheaded by Fowler Building Contractors and carried out by the specialist aluminium guttering and roofline team at County Gutters, the Rustington project prominently features bespoke aluminium column casings, soffits, radius coping, and skylights from Aluminium Roofline Products (ARP).This case study explores how expert installation, durable aluminium fabrications, and innovative design have revitalised this centre. The transformation has resulted in an accessible facility that promotes confidence, independence, and the well-being of its residents.County Gutters surveyed the former home of the RAF Benevolent Fund before sending measurements and drawings to our CAD team.Joe Wheatley of County Gutters worked closely with CAD Design Engineer Reece Mooney to ensure the designs were feasible and achievable. Their combined expertise successfully brought the architects' vision to life.Using high-quality marine-grade powder coating in colours such as Chartwell green, traffic white, and mid-grey, the finished product is visually striking and highly durable.The aluminium fabrications are strong and non-corrosive and require minimal maintenance, making them an ideal choice for a busy facility like the Blind Veterans UK Centre.The ARP team designed, manufactured and finished production in just a few weeks, with installation starting four weeks after receiving the order from County Gutters. This quick turnaround allowed the project to be completed on time and within budget, ensuring minimal disruption for Blind Veterans UK.In addition to the practical benefits, using aluminium in this project also aligns with the centre's commitment to sustainability. Aluminium is highly recyclable, making it a sustainable choice for construction projects.The Blind Veterans UK Centre continues to provide much-needed support and services to veterans with visual impairments. The innovative design and use of durable aluminium fabrications have revitalised the facility and contributed to its mission of promoting independence and a high quality of life for its residents.The final result is a stunning new centre that provides crucial services to blind veterans in need. The open floor plan, made possible by removing walls and pillars, promotes accessibility for all residents. The modern design also features impressive aluminium fabrications that enhance the overall aesthetic of the building.The circular column casings had to be custom-made to fit the curved design of the concrete pillars, showcasing aluminium's versatility and bespoke capabilities as a building material.The Trueline Z plank soffit and radius coping add unique architectural details while providing long-lasting protection against weather elements.ARP takes great pride in being involved in this project, designing and manufacturing custom-made aluminium fabrications that proudly adorn the façade of this magnificent beachfront building.The Rustington Centre was recently featured on BBC's The One Show. Presenter Amar Latif had the opportunity to visit the centre and meet two remarkable veterans, 100-year-old Ken and 100-year-old Nancy. They discussed the move from their former home to the new purpose-built centre and how it has positively impacted their lives.The Blind Veterans UK Rustington Centre is a truly invaluable resource for blind veterans, and we are honoured to have contributed to its new home in West Sussex.If you're considering aluminium for your next building project, ARP can provide bespoke fabrications to enhance any design. Contact us today to discuss your requirements and see how we can help make your vision a reality.

IntroductionSurespan design and manufactured two sets of bespoke double leaf hatch doors for the Kielder Observatory located in England’s largest forest in Northumberland. Products suppliedWe supplied;Surespan designed and manufactured two sets of bespoke double leaf hatch doors for the roof and the front of the Observatory’s two rotating turrets – one to house a 20” Pulsar manual telescope and the other for a small Mead 14” telescope. Features:These hatches are electrically operated and have been specially designed to open in a specific sequence using remote control via 24v dc actuators.The projectAs part of the Kielder Art and Architecture program, Charles Barclay Architects designed Kielder Observatory for the Forestry Commission.The all-timber observatory was constructed from Douglas fir with larch cladding, the pier-like building has rotating turrets that house two permanent telescopes and an observation deck. The turrets can be rotated through 360 degrees.The observatory generates its energy using a wind turbine and photovoltaic panels and includes a composting toilet.The observatory has received 2009 awards from the RIBA and The Civic Trust and featured in the inaugural World Architecture Festival.

Kielder Observatory Surespan designed and manufactured two sets of bespoke double leaf hatch doors for the Kielder Observatory located in England’s largest forest in Northumberland.  The ProjectAs part of the Kielder Art and Architecture program, Charles Barclay Architects designed Kielder Observatory for the Forestry Commission. The all-timber observatory was constructed from Douglas fir with larch cladding, the pier-like building has rotating turrets that house two permanent telescopes and an observation deck. The turrets can be rotated through 360 degrees.The observatory generates its energy using a wind turbine and photovoltaic panels and includes a composting toilet. The observatory has received 2009 awards from the RIBA and The Civic Trust and featured in the inaugural World Architecture Festival.  The ProductSurespan design and manufactured two sets of bespoke double leaf hatch doors for the roof and the front of the Observatory’s two rotating turrets – one to house a 20” Pulsar manual telescope and the other for a small Mead 14” telescope.  FeaturesThese hatches are electrically operated and have been specially designed to open in a specific sequence using remote control via 24v dc actuators.      

Located in the heart of the vast new Wembley Park regeneration project, the two residential buildings that make up the Landsby East and Landsby West development (Danish for village) are contemporary in design, with apartment interiors that continue the Scandinavian theme. Externally there are roof terraces and first floor level podium gardens, along with 280 generous balconies that add a stylish and aesthetic feel to the exterior finish of the building.A key element of the balconies was the installation of Isokorb® T structural break units from Schöck. The Schöck Isokorb® T units are structural, but their other long-term purpose is to minimise the risk of thermal bridging. Ineffective insulation at the connection points means local heat loss, resulting in more energy being required to maintain the internal temperature of the building. This is a major consequence of thermal bridging, but there are other issues too. Low internal surface temperatures in the area of the thermal bridge can cause condensation, which leads not only to structural integrity problems with absorbent materials such as insulation products or plasterboard, but the potentially serious occurrence of mould growth. So for any project involving balcony connectivity the prevention of thermal bridging is a critical issue.

Brett Landscaping, leading provider of high-quality hard landscape materials, has partnered with O’Brien Contractors, to supply block paving for the development of a new sports facility for the Old Saltleians Rugby Football Club in Warwickshire. The club, which was formed 95 years ago has been a fixture of West Midlands amateur rugby was required to relocate due to their original home obstructing the route of the HS2 development. With a sizeable budget at hand due to generous compensation from HS2, there were high expectations for top specification materials and an impressive finish at the new Water Orton site. O’Brien Contractors were appointed in 2021 to transform 17 acres of farmland into a state-ofthe-art sporting facility. The aim was to create a modern facility for sport and events, with the inspiration for the project being the surrounding natural environment. For Old Saltleians, this meant four high-standard grass pitches featuring advanced trench and pipe drainage (adhering to Sports England Standards), with irrigation ensuring year-round playability. The relocation included the addition of an ultra-modern clubhouse offering social spaces for the club and community to host events. This meant including extensive parking for the site was required on the site.

Orbis OS200 Vertical Bar Infill Side FixOrbis OS211 Glass Infill Top FixProviding more than 120,000 sq ft, of innovation space for high growth enterprises, this project is situated within Imperial College London’s White City campus. Built by a market leader with specialist expertise in modular buildings, this project demanded a high level of innovation, and a balustrade supplier that delivered on cost, quality, and timescales. The main reception area is dominated by a large feature stair providing access to all floors, and the Orbis balustrades with glass infill achieve a stunning first impression and allow maximum light through the space from the vast glazed roof lights above. Throughout the three core stairs, which are used for general circulation and escape routes, the vertical bar infill panels within the Orbis balustrade was used. This robust modular panel solution is pre-manufactured to speed up installation on site, which was extremely important to the main contractor. Individual stair cores were not closed for extended periods of time, which means greater productivity, less management time, and reduced risk for the main contractor.

SubFloor flooring was used to help renovate, raise and ventilate a 700 m² floor into a Nursery near Gothenburg, Sweden.The Subfloor ventilation system was ideal for this nursery, as it allowed for multiple floor height adjustments and for ventilation installations under the floor. Associated floor ventilation material such as ducts, air distribution strips, fans, etc. was also provided. The negative pressure the ventilation generates under the floor creates a fresh and healthy indoor environment.This simple and elegant solution raised and levelled the floor to allow for installations and insulation. The joist and screw system allows for quick and easy assembly so that the floor can reach the desired height.Products:Steel Joist 45x30x3800 mmSubFloor Screw 100 mmInsulation Bearer 45 mmHeight Variation: 46 - 100 mmJoist separation: c/c 600 mmSystem Weight - c/c 600 mm: 2.06 kg/m²Materials:Steel, Z100 GalvFibre-reinforced polypropylenePoint Load Limit (50 x 50 mm): Between screws over joist - 7.08 kNOver screws over joist - 8.78 kN