"walls"

In this wooden building in the center of Vienna, the walls, ceilings and floors are made from solid wood(CLT). The construction protection covering and sealing for the individual elements were achieved with the SIGA products Wetguard and Rissan.

Major barracks improvements for service personnel at Tidworth, Wiltshire, feature external walls newly rendered with military precision using PVC beading from Renderplas to ensure well-regimented joints, corners and edges.

Product / System:Reflex Sports Wall in Mint Green.Uplift and removal of existing vinyl, floor preparation, DPM, Reflex Gerflor sports vinyl in polished concrete effect finish, linemarking.Size: 1,278m2

Finish: Interpon D2525 Steel Bronze 2 Y2217F Parts Coated: Windows, Curtain Walling, Corrugated Cladding Panels Architect: Squire and Partners Fabricator: CGL Facades (Merson Group) Applicator: Powdermasters

Two variants of the AA®110 curtain walling system, as well as window vents, doors and “roof glazing” feature on the International Convention Centre for Wales at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales.

Opened in 2009, Droylsden Academy in Manchester is a contemporary, open plan teaching environment. The state-of-the-art secondary school serves 1,400 pupils, however since opening it had become apparent that its design and layout had some challenges, in a large part due to the sound pollution associated with the open-plan layout. Contractors Buildmain were briefed to reconfigure a number of areas in order to minimise reverberation and improve the learning environment – and looked to CMS Danskin to identify an appropriate remedial acoustic solution.The ChallengeOne area of the school that needed particular attention was the music room, which was too large to be conducive to effective music practice. Contractors Buildmain were briefed to reconfigure the space into four separate rooms, to provide a soundproof environment for music recital and practice. The new practice rooms were to adjoin an existing classroom and the communal corridor, so controlling reverberation was an integral part of the scheme – the architects had specified the control of sound levels up to 68dB.The SolutionA complete overhaul of the existing music rooms was required – partition walls were removed and a new layout designed to incorporate the four separate practice rooms, an internal corridor and a store room. To achieve the dB rating of 68, Buildmain opted for a combination of acoustic solutions provided by CMS Danskin, including SuperPhon panels in all four rooms.In order to control reverberation in the area, Buildmain constructed the new rooms using a twin-wall method, using 15mm Soundbloc plasterboard with an acoustic matting sandwiched between the layers. The walls were then over-clad using IsoMax Acoustic Insulation Clips. A total of 20 panels were installed by direct fix to the walls of each of the four new music rooms. The 50mm thick panels were supplied in three sizes; 1200x600mm, 1000x500mm and 1000x750mm, and the colour was matched to the school’s existing interior scheme.To offer even higher levels of absorption, CMS Danskin recommended SuperPhon acoustic wall panels to reduce reverberation times and reflected sound. To assist with the correct specification, a CMS Danskin representative visited the site, at short notice, to assess the rooms and subsequently advised on the best options for the SuperPhon panels.The ResultCMS Danskin worked closely with contractors Buildmain in order to meet the very tight time frame of six weeks to install the Superphon wall panels – the project needed to be completed within the school summer holidays, so that the rooms were ready for pupils on their return to school in September 2016.Paul Bryan of Buildmain said: “We had to fit eight weeks’ work into the six-week summer holiday, and CMS Danskin impressed us with their ability to turn around the product so quickly. Not only were they able to deliver to meet our schedule, they were also able to send out an expert to advise on the best options to meet the specification, all within the timeframe.”

Ancillary rooms to a total of seven operating theatres were upgraded with stainless steel worktops, base cabinets and wall cabinets by GEC Anderson.The ancillary rooms included anaesthetic and recovery areas, adjacent to the main theatres within the busy Heartlands Hospital in the Bordesley Green area of Birmingham.Stainless steel worktops with integrated sinks and watersafe edge profiles were specified throughout. Base cabinet and drawer cabinets were included at low level. At high level, stainless steel wall cabinets provided additional storage. Installation was handled by GEC Anderson and was conducted over two phases. An especially condensed installation period was met, to minimise disruption to the heavy workload associated with these vital areas within the hospital.

Location: New Road, Hoxton, London N1 6JAProject Type: Private, Shared Ownership & Social Rent Housing Development Cost: £40mProducts: Aluminium Vertical Solar Shading, SFX Fascia & Soffit Cladding to Terraces & Balconies, Weatherstruck Wall Copings, Curved Weatherstruck Wall Copings, Square Rainwater Pipes, Bespoke Rainwater HoppersFinish: Syntha Pulvin RAL 8080 Matt Metallic BronzeFire rating: A2 s1, d0 Non-combustible (Reaction to Fire EN BS 13501-1:2018). Client: LB of Hackney & Countryside Properties Plc Architect: Child Graddon Lewis LtdMain Contractor: Countryside Properties Plc Sub Contractor: Roweaver Developments Ltd

Roof and facade cover... CHALLENGE For the design of a youth centre a Belgian architect wanted to have a fully homogeneous and waterproof cover for the roof and the facade. This envelope technique needed to be combined with a more ecological and aesthetically pleasing green wall design. SOLUTION For the waterproofing of the roof surface a standard RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing membrane was used. For the facades the architects opted for a RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR fixing system as the base to attach the final greenwall system. As the roof and the wall covering (waterproofing) are the same material there were no jointing issues. The whole building has been covered with RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing membrane. The facade details were similarly accomplished as standard roof details and RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR profiles were used to fix the rain water pipes from the roof.

This unique house was built in Thorpeness, in Suffolk. The whole ground floor walls are made out of glass. This gave Silent Gliss an unique opportunity to help design the new building with its quality blinds and curtain tracks.

This SIPS panel building on the Blackpool promenade was specified in Topseal HD on the roof, external and internal walls. Due to the hard wearing properties of GRP, it was the best solution when dealing with all of the elements experienced on the sea front.

Refurbishment of two former WWII barrage balloon hangars in Pucklechurch, South Gloucestershire into striking new industrial facilities has been completed with the help of Tata Steel’s Trisomet® insulated roof and wall panels.

Knauf Insulation has the specification factorThe Learie Constantine Centre in Willesden, named after the former Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner to the UK, and cricketing legend, Sir Learie Nicholas Constantine Kt MBE, is being redeveloped after 70 years. The new building will deliver 26 one, two and three bedroom apartments as well as a community centre.The project was designed by architects ECE on behalf of Wilmott Dixon, who have a supply chain agreement with Knauf Insulation. There were two factors for the insulation specification – fire safety and thermal performance.Fire safety is determined by the height and use of the building as well as the wall build-up. In this case, the Learie Constantine Centre is a five-storey residential building with an external wall build-up comprising both a brickwork façade and rainscreen cladding. This means the insulation used in the external walls must comply with changes to Approved Document B that ban the use of combustible material in certain types of external walls, such as rainscreen façade systems, of residential buildings between 11m and 18m high unless a full-scale fire test is undertaken.The second part of the insulation brief was thermal performance. To comply with Approved Document L, U-values of 0.13 W/m2K were required for the external walls, 0.13 W/m2K for the balcony and 0.14 W/m2K for the bin store.Meeting the briefWith this in mind, ECE consulted Knauf Insulation’s Project Specification Team, who recommended using 170mm Rocksilk® EWI Slab for the external walls, 270mm of Rocksilk® Soffit Linerboard Extra under the balcony and 200mm of DriTherm® Cavity Slab 32 in the bin store.All three products are non-combustible with the best possible Euroclass A1 reaction to fire classification, so will not contribute to the development or spread of fire, should it occur.Rocksilk® EWI Slab has a thermal conductivity of 0.036 W/mK and is designed to insulate rendered external walls, while Rocksilk® Soffit Linerboard is a specialist product for insulating structural soffits and has a thermal conductivity 0.034 W/mK. DriTherm® Cavity Slab 32 is a full-fill glass mineral wool insulation solution with a thermal conductivity of 0.032 W/mK.SustainabilityAs well as thermal and fire safety performance, Knauf Insulation products also contribute to sustainability. Glass mineral wool is lower in embodied carbon than other mainstream insulants.Both Rocksilk® Soffit Linerboard and DriTherm® Cavity Slab 32 are also manufactured with ECOSE® Technology, Knauf Insulation’s unique bio-based binder that contains no added formaldehyde or phenol. It is made from natural raw materials that are rapidly renewable, and is less energy-intensive to manufacture than traditional binders.Products made with ECOSE® Technology are soft to touch and easy to handle. They generate low levels of dust and VOCs, and have been awarded the Eurofins Gold Certificate for Indoor Air Comfort. This means they are kinder to the installers who use them too.Knauf Insulation’s glass and rock mineral wool insulation solutions had all the right ingredients to meet the brief for the Learie Constantine Centre. They will help to create a safe and comfortable environment for homeowners and leisure centre users alike. 

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.

These bespoke 'top hat' folded panels have been used on the external walls and windows of Aston House, Finchley.Produced in both perforated and plain aluminium, these panels have been finished in a polyester powder coated finish

Situated between Ludgate Circus and St Pauls, this £260 million new build forms a new focal point. With the neighbouring buildings in mind, our Jordans Basebed was selected for the internal wall linings due to its characteristics.

Specific service penetration deflection. High movement requirement due to construction type. Firestopping requirements through flexible walls and concrete floors up to 120 minutes with typical 2mm deflection required for all service penetrations.

GEC Anderson were chosen to supply stainless steel classroom worktops, drinking fountains as well as fabrications for the main school kitchen.Classroom worktops have integrated sink bowls and are mounted on wall hung stainless steel base cabinets, also by GEC Anderson. The cantilever arrangement allows for uninterrupted floor cleaning and easier working and access to the sink units. It also facilitates the ability to mount the worktops at the height appropriate for pupils. GB4000 wall hung drinking fountains were specified in the corridor areas. The units can be mounted at any height to ensure access for the children. Within the main kitchen, sinks and and worktops include leg frames with solid undershelves in order to maximise the limited space available.Brushed satin stainless steel (EN 1.4301 grade) was used throughout.

We recently completed a refurbishment of the washrooms at Fulwell Bus Depot in Twickenham, regularly used by over 300 bus drivers. As part of this project we installed:-4 No. Samoa Deluxe WC packs complete4 No. Urimat Ecoplus urinals with Visutal digital screen upgrades1 No. Tristone wash trough4 No. CONTI+ Ultra GM 20 tapsNew under vanity by Formwise in Grey Zebrano laminateNew WC duct IPS panels by Formwise in Grey Zebrano laminateNew lighting throughout by Ineco EnergyNew hygienic wall cladding throughout by JemicladNew suspended ceiling grid by Gemstone InteriorsNew air extraction system completeNew R12 Safety Vinyl c/w marine style wall upstand by Jemiclad

Installed by Kawneer’s approved specialist subcontractor FK Group, the £25.3 million project, designed by FCB Studios, was the first to use Kawneer’s newly enhanced AA®110 Curtain Wall system that features a bespoke expansion joint, which allows a building movement tolerance of +/- 15 mm. Creating a sense of scale and vibrancy, the white profiled terracotta ceramic façades contrast the earthy tones of the perimeter buildings in a modern interpretation of the grand Victorian warehouses nearby. The high-performance Curtain Wall was accompanied by AA®720 Side Hung Open-In Windows to deliver a high level of thermal performance throughout. Using passive principles, the high insulation building fabric coupled with solar control glazing, address the energy requirements for heating and cooling.

This beautiful new build home, close to the shore on Long Island, was to be the Client’s luxury beach house. UK architect David Russel, designed all windows and doors to be pocket style, disappearing into the walls.Much consideration was given to concealment and where possible the curtains also opened out of sight, into their own wall pockets. All Lutron curtain tracks were flush-mounted using TrackTrim by Blindspace, including a number of curved tracks.In some of the windows, Lutron blinds were concealed within Blindspace boxes behind the curtains, all disappearing when not required. These Blindspace products have the additional benefit of being plastered in during construction for minimal visual impact.The unique ground floor design brings the outdoor indoors, using hidden doors and curtains with amazing results.Transcript

The recently refurbished reception of 25 Copthall Avenue by QOB Interiors and John Robertson Architects for developer Helix, includes new floor to ceiling glass, contemporary signage, virtual daylight luminaries and a stunning 120m2 curved Armourcoat 'KonCrete' polished plaster wall to create a striking entrance.The hand-applied polished plaster wall leads through into the transformed reception area, with a design feature that incorporates a custom stencil of the office address. The full height atrium floods light into the heart of the building creating a bright, spacious environment with a business lounge and in-house café.Armourcoat ‘KonCrete’ is an urban range of polished plaster colours and finishes designed for contemporary projects. The range offers a wealth of design options to achieve a distinctive modern look, including distressed effects or recessed ‘shutter’ markings. Photography: © Photobanks

Located in Brixton, The Department Store Studios is a five-storey contemporary office building, offering flexible co-working space alongside generous amenities including a bike storage, showers, lockers, a screening room and a bar and restaurant. The workspace has been designed and built by renowned architecture firm Squire and Partners, to be used as an addition to its own London office, in a new build property framed by cross-laminated timber. Early involvement with brickwork contractor, Lyons & Annoot, allowed for a seamless, homogenous brick build on this project. Working alongside main contractor Lyons and Annoot, from tender stage to completion, Leviat designed and manufactured a bespoke masonry restraint system which was used in the internal blockwork walls, as well as Ancon Wall Ties, Head Restraints and AMR Masonry Reinforcement in the façade.

Project: Large scale MicroConcrete installation to the reception walls at HKR Hoxton apartment block in London.Client: Tolent ConstructionMaterials used:  Grey colour MicroConcrete coating was hand trowelled in layers to a final thickness between 2 and 3mm and wax polished to achieve a satin finish.This was a large scale renovation project by Tolent Construction of a brand new residential building located on Hackney Road. The MicroConcrete Grey coating was hand applied to the walls in reception area of approx. 160m2.MicroConcrete is a great alternative to traditional polished concrete, and at a minimal thickness and weight it produces a seamless, continuous finish. Like MicroCement it can be applied to interior and exterior surfaces, without the need for joins. It can also be applied over existing surfaces. MicroConcrete is a smoother finish and is more slip-resistant than MicroCement.

£42m redevelopment of the Vaux Brewery site in Sunderland including an 18,000m2 civic office. Interpon D2525 fine texture metallic was the coating of choice for external mullions, curtain walling and panelwork. Finish: Interpon D2525 Yazd Sable, YW370F

The British interior designer and DIY connoisseur Luke Arthur Wells has styled the Fat lever handle in charcoal to perfection. The deep charcoal hue of the inflated lever handle becomes a sharp, elegant accent against the cream-coloured walls. 

Bespoke Kawneer curtain walling adapted for the 11-storey commercial element of the £200 million Atlas building - at 40 storeys the tallest tower in London’s Tech City area - at 145 City Road, Clerkenwell, at the heart of London’s architectural sector.

For what is one of London’s tallest residential towers, Siderise, leaders in the development of fire, thermal and acoustics insulation solutions, has provided cavity barriers and perimeter fire seals as part of the glazed curtain walling system for the Landmark Pinnacle Tower.

Western Red Cedar Shingles with FRT Exterior® Fire Retardant Treatment (AA Rating) provided the Welsh Primary School in Swansea with feature cladding to the curved external walls, in order to create what the architect described as a ‘cedar shell’.

Palco supplied single & double door Riser Doors for both front and back of house. Front of house are panels that have been specifically designed and tested to accept wall paper whilst still achieving a fire, smoke and acoustic certification.

PROJECT OVERVIEW Jaguar planned a £500m investment for their first in-house engine manufacturing facility. Opened by Her Majesty, it currently produces 400,000 Ingenium petrol and diesel engines a year. Norwood worked with Interserve to deliver this ground-breaking project to the highest standards. The overall project won the Regeneration award at the RICS Awards Grand Final.OUR SCOPE OF WORKThe main challenge was to provide a 120Min fire-rated demountable compartment wall at 11 meters high. Norwood teamed up with Interserve, developing our 200mm Mediline system, which was subjected to excessive laboratory testing to achieve the 120Min Fire Rated certification. In addition to solid partitions, Norwood supplied a 90Min fire-rated 9-meter high glazed partition wall which provided a viewing gallery from the grand reception onto the manufacturing floor.In addition to the fire-rated compartment walls, Norwood provided a self-supporting machine and QC enclosures. The enclosures had to give a clean environment to a GMP standard; therefore, they had their own mechanical equipment, which was all supported by the Norwood enclosure. This was delivered by designing and installing a bespoke PodSolve system which consisted of a hidden ceiling joist system that provided the structural support for the mechanical equipment.Norwood often returns to Jaguar Land Rover providing modifications without business interruption to the build as their product cycle changes.

Today, visual learning has been recognized as the easiest way the human mind can perceive information. The more technology is developing, the more people get drawn towards the screens. While tech devices have a definite advantage in providing a highly interactive way of introducing ideas, there are also some drawbacks that most people are very familiar with. Sometimes it’s just best to use a whiteboard wall instead. When we think of a classroom we usually imagine a narrow space with a teacher podium and a wall-hung writing board. The whole attention is drawn to the front centre of the room towards a confined writing space. The teacher-student conversation is a one-sided one where students often feel pressure and inability to respond when asked to step in front of the whole class. Who likes being tested before the judging eyes of a whole room of people, anyway? Teachers understood this problem and decided to take action. Driven by the idea to bring learning closer to students, teachers from the 125th Middle School in Sofia, Bulgaria have reimagined the typical classroom with the help of a product that ESCREO has developed especially with children in mind. The school added a clear dry-erase writing space to one of the side walls of a classroom. What happened after that turned their whole teaching system upside down.

AG was delighted to continue our partnership with Braidwater Homes at one of the house builder’s most prestigious private housing development, Castlehill, located just off the Ballygowan Road in Belfast.Braidwater Group’s Chief Operating Officer, Ryan Boyle said:“AG’s paving and walling products which are aesthetically pleasing, tie in totally with Braidwater’s ‘living the dream’ aspirations. For the Castlehill development we had a number of requirements, which included ensuring that the landscaping tied in with the modern feel of this high-end development.” To this end, we utilised AG’s Vertica® and Diamond® retaining walls, where appropriate, together with AG’s River Stone 3’s set pavers in contrasting tones.”AG’s Regional Sales Manager, Barry Scott commented:“We have a really good relationship with the Braidwater Group and are currently involved in a number of their sites across Northern Ireland. The Castlehill contract was an important one for us and we have worked hard to ensure we live up to their high standards. As part of our commitment to Braidwater I personally make visits to their sites to ensure their team always have the products they need. Our personal service supported by speed and ease of delivery is something they appreciate. They also like the fact that by utilising our Anchor® Diamond® mortarless/pin-less segmental retaining wall system their team can work on in wet weather with no breaks in construction.”

Architectural glazing systems by Kawneer were specified for their “robustness and quality” for two linked 16-storey apartment blocks on the last plot to be developed in one of Britain’s fastest-growing property hot spots - the £37 million BTR (Build To Rent) towers at Erie Basin in Salford Quays, Manchester, a stone’s throw from MediaCityUK.Kawneer’s AA®100 curtain walling features as strip curtain wall to copper-coloured rainscreen areas of the towers at Erie Basin. In addition, AA®110 curtain walling features on link bridges and as floor-to-ceiling screens facing the water. While the AA®100 system uses 50mm sightlines, the AA®110 system uses 65mm but both in this case were zone-drained. They are complemented by AA®541 open-out casement window inserts and AA®720 ultra thermally-efficient entrance doors.The Kawneer systems were installed over eight months by a team of up to 35 from approved specialist sub-contractor FK Group for main contractor GRAHAM and client Glenbrook, the privately-owned property development and investment company, who acquired the site from the Peel Group.The prominent dockside development is GRAHAM’s second project with Glenbrook, with work also underway on another £27 million BTR project in Ellesmere Street, Castlefield, Manchester, which also features Kawneer systems.

The construction of Lidl's largest Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) in both Great Britain and globally has brought 125,000m2 of class B8 storage to the new 58 acre facility - located just outside London on the M1. A new distribution hub servicing more than 150 Lidl stores in London and the surrounding counties, this RDC is the first to feature automation, bringing over 1,200 jobs to the Luton and Dunstable area. ChallengeFull envelope construction provider FK Construction were contracted to construct the building envelope, cladding the building with Kingspan KS1000MR composite wall panels, fixed back to ultra heavy steel. SolutionBeing a secret fix panel, the fasteners needed to fasten through 100mm of insulated panel to fix back securely to the framing. Fixfast supplied in the region of 500,000 DF25-SSA4-HT fasteners for the construction of the external walls and internal coldstore applications, being able to self--drill through steel up to 25mm thick. Hex headed, available with washers for roof, rooflight or wall applications - and in A4/316 grade stainless steel for maximum corrosion resistance: these fasteners are the solution for fixing into ultra heavy steel.(images courtesy of FK Group)"FK have forged a close working relationship with Fixfast over many years and in partnership successfully delivered a number of high-profile schemes"Alistair Bolton - Construction Procurement Director at FK Group

IssueA rental property in Stourport-on-Severn needed a quick refurbishment, allowing the landlord to turn the property around for tenants who were keen to move in. The main areas to be refurbished were the kitchen and bathroom, both of which needed to be fully re-fitted, providing a fresh, clean home for the new residents. ApproachThe landlord had previously worked with Altro products and needed quick to install products, which would provide ease of installation, durability, and ease of cleaning. “We had received information about a new product, Altro Walls ShowerKit, and were keen to try it out. The house needed a quick turnaround as our tenants were waiting to move in. The installer was also keen to have products that were easy to manoeuvre, carry up and down stairs, and resulted in less waste” said S.Birch, Landlord.SolutionAltro Ensemble luxury vinyl tile in colour Pewter Concrete was selected for the kitchen, providing a luxury feel together with comfort underfoot and impact sound reduction.Altro Walls ShowerKit in colour Cool Mineral and Stacked Metro design was selected for the bathroom, partnered with Altro Wood adhesive-free in colour Post Oak. The combination of an Altro floor and wall results in an easy-to-maintain and safe space, giving the bathroom a homely aesthetic, with ease of cleaning and our Altro one in a million slip-resistance reassurance.