"floor beams timber"

New Car Park, Southmead Hospital, Bristol Architect: BDP Completed: Summer 2016 Timber Cladding Species: European Redwood with A Grade 44 x 235mm Fins and A+ Grade 20 x 145mm PSE Cladding. Timber Cladding Treatment: NORclad Brunnea treatment was used on this project, pre-treated before it arrives to site this offer a warranty against Rot & Fungal decay for 30 years.

Access flooring once again was selected for this major £12 million building in Cheltenham. Bathgate Flooring manufactured and installed over 5600m2 of Panels to ensure that this Grade A office space offered the maximum flexibility. Products Used BGM 600 Steel Encapsulated Panels Constructing this Office Development is well recorded with a time lapse video of the entire project available through the Gloucestershire Live news story. Access Flooring is used in buildings like this to ensure that there is easy access to the services if needed. Simply lift up the floor panels and all the cabling is visible beneath.

The brand-new Skills and Innovation Centre at South Staffordshire College takes pride of place on the college’s town centre site. The architects envisaged a facade of long vertical fins giving the appearance of timber. Maple supplied the extensive vertical fin façade and Powdertech Wood Finish (PWF ™) was selected as the most appropriate powder coating. Wood Finish is formulated to match the natural variations in colour, grain density and grain pattern of wood. Importantly, Wood Finish meets fire reaction classification A2-s1, d0. We coated 4000 metres of aluminium, comprising mainly rectangular sections of extruded aluminium, of sizes 200mm and 100mm x 50mm. The stunning facade combines the strength and longevity of metal with the warm, natural appeal of a wood finish.Powder coating satisfies green credentials as it contains no solvents, no VOCs and produces no hazardous waste. Maintenance is simple – just a wash down with water every 6-12 months.

Canadian Western Red Cedar has been suppled in vast volumes for this project in the South East. Untreated Canadian Western Red Cedar cladding from NORclad will weather off to a silver grey appearance over time, and settle into the surrounding area. Canadian Western Red Cedar is a favourite to specify with architects and clients, the high quality of timber both visually with the minimal knot content, along with the natural durability the species make it a popular choice where and untreated softwood timber cladding is required.

NORclad were specified as the timber cladding supplier to this project, working with the Main Contractor on site we were able to work to a length schedule and optimise the lengths supplied with the aim to minimize wastage from offcuts on site. Profiles: Over 9000/LM of 45 x 95mm PAR boards were supplied for this project, pre-treated before it arrives to site, the MicroShades ‘Brunnea’ treatment offers a 30 year warranty against Rot & Fungal decay.

Bakers Timber Buildings specialise in manufacturing high-end, custom-made garden rooms to meet all manner of needs. The buildings can be used all year-round thanks to their insulation and durability – qualities they gain from two MEDITE MDF solutions: MEDITE TRICOYA EXTREME (MTX) and MEDITE MR.

The crown line for the Herringbone E931 has been set out very well, however the floor has not been protected and the equipment has been left on the new floor.The actual floor will easily get damaged and the client will probably end up with a damaged floor and probably expensive repairs because of the lack of care.What should happen is that the floor should be covered at all times, and the site kept clean, with adhesive and other equipment kept off the new floor, that has been fitted

Solid wood floor specialist Junckers worked closely with world-renowned architects BIG (Bjarne Ingles Group), to create a custom finished oak floor for the M/S Maritime Museum in Helsingør, Denmark. The textured floor acts a link within the interior scheme of the award winning building, bringing together elements of concrete, glass and steel, housed in an amazing 150 metre long, old concrete dock. The architects’ brief was for a solid hardwood floor that can withstand the heavy footfall of a national museum, with a rustic quality to soften the raw and patinated concrete and large glass panels featured throughout the building. Junckers created a textured finish solid oak floor, which gives contrasting warmth to the overall impression of the museum. By using a specially developed hard brushing technique, the outer sapwood layer of the timber is removed, leaving a tactile, textured surface to expose the beautiful grain patterns naturally inherent in oak. The floor is finished in Junckers Ultra Matt Lacquer resulting in a matt, very hard-wearing floor. The lively two-strip oak floors really come into their own in the large, open spaces of the museums galleries. When natural light from the floor to ceiling glass wall hits the surface of the floor at an angle, it creates a spectacular effect. Following the immense success of the project, Junckers has added the incredible textured finish to many of its floors, both two-strip and wide board planks.

Soundis supplied 3,265m2 of a shallow floating floor treatment, laid over an existing concrete structural deck, at Channelsea House in Stratford for City Square.The areas included the Ground, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Floors. Channelsea House is a former office block being converted to residential apartments, with a one bedroom flat being valued at the half a million pound mark. Located in Stratford, 1.3 miles away from the Olympic Stadium, Channelsea House is in a prime location for high quality accommodation.Soundis were required to provide a high specification shallow acoustic solution to achieve compliance with ‘Impact’ performance criteria when tested on site. The specification implemented by the Architect was 26mm Timber Floor Overlay Board, which was chosen to minimise construction height and to comply with Approved Document E Building Regulations.

FORBO’S MODUL’UP VINYL CREATES WELCOMING MATCH-DAY SPACE A unique hospitality space located in Cardiff’s iconic Principality Stadium, the Riverside Terrace is notable for its move away from the traditional match-day hospitality experience. To create a premium experience, Design and Build Specialists Benchmark Designs called upon Forbo’s adhesive-free sheet vinyl floor covering – Modul’up.  Situated on the banks of the River Taff, the Principality Stadium plays host to a range of events and is renowned as the home of Wales’ Rugby Union team. Working with PSE Wales and Levy UK, Benchmark Designs looked to create a distinctive interior space, capable of offering a premium match-day experience for general admission visitors. Combining a variety of furniture and surfaces with a diverse street food menu, the Riverside Terrace was designed with the city high street in mind, as Hannah Glazier, Interior Designer at Benchmark Designs, explains: “The brief we received for the Riverside Terrace was to take this space and transform it from a traditional food service and interior style, to something with a more up-market feel that had a broad appeal to customers.  “Cardiff’s high street has such a wide range of street food eateries and PSE Wales were keen to incorporate this heritage into the Riverside Terrace, with a different vendor selected to cater each match, along with live music. With such a dynamic environment, we needed products that would complement the usage of the space, providing a practical and refined finish. For this, texture was a really important design element and we wanted to make sure the surfaces we specified would complement and contrast with each other.” With this brief in mind, Hannah looked for flooring solutions that would deliver on the desired aesthetic and feel, stating: “The space itself had a very industrial design, with exposed fixings and a metal-studded bar front adding different textural dynamics. With texture and visual quality in mind, we needed a floor covering that came in neutral shades to match the other finishes, but that could also create a warm and welcoming environment. It was for this reason that we specified Forbo’s Modul’up, in its Concrete and Oak colourways combining the texture and tone of concrete with the warmth of timber.  “The realistic timber appearance of the Oak colourway was ideal for the zoned seating area, while we used the Concrete for the circulation areas, as it nicely matched the design scheme for the walls and bar tops. It was important that we used these complementary colours throughout the entire interior, from wall to floors, lighting to surface tops, helping to create a cohesive and well-rounded space, which feels welcoming yet distinctive.” However, it wasn’t just the aesthetic requirements that were key, but the functionality of the flooring too. Hannah explained: “With a capacity of over 74,000, the Principality Stadium is an extremely busy environment. As such, it was essential that the floor coverings used were able to keep up with the high footfall expected at the venue. This was another reason behind our specification of Modul’up. It has excellent indentation resistance, which was perfect for this space, being able withstand intense usage on match-days. It’s also able to be installed adhesive-free, which made it extremely easy to fit, saving valuable time during the installation phase of the refurbishment.”  She concluded: “Our intention was to create a fun and informal space that was suitable for all demographics to use. We feel we achieved this, with our use of versatile and flexible furniture, wall and floor materials contributing to a relaxed and casual hospitality experience.” Having opened in October 2022, the Riverside Terrace has been put to good use over the 2022 Autumn Nations Series, as well as the 2023 Six Nations, with a PSE spokesperson saying of the new space: “Forbo’s flooring has truly transformed the space, with its exceptional quality, versatile design and hard-wearing nature contributing to a modern and trendy atmosphere. The choice of flooring seamlessly merged functionality with style, making it an ideal option for entry-level hospitality settings. Overall, we’re delighted with the finished project and have enjoyed entertaining our customers in the new space.”  Benchmark Designs’ work on the Riverside Terrace saw the project achieve ‘Commended’ in the 2022/23 iteration of the Forbo Escapes competition. Find out more about Forbo’s Modul’up collection, here: https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-uk/commercial-products/modul-up-adhesive-free-sheet-vinyl/cum7pa

SMET supplied SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing Screed for a timber suspended floor, in a self-build set in the idyllic district of Ballymena. Smet LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing Screed is a high-quality, innovative, pumpable factory-produced, CE marked, self-levelling screed based on calcium sulphate. German-made, SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing Screed is unique, in that it’s the first-available, pumpable lightweight flowing screed. Made from specially selected aggregates, which make it 30% lighter than conventional flowing screeds and 70% lighter than Sand & Cement - means less is required per m2. Another plus is that that screed made from Calcium Sulphate has naturally substantially lower embodied carbon emissions than a sand and cement screed.LiteFlo® complies with EN 13813: 2002, is CE-marked, and is available in 27Kg bags or bulk silos.Have a look at the Northern Builder MagazineTop 5 Liquid Screeds Article. Read about SMET LiteFlo® in the Irish Construction News.Innovative SMET LiteFlo® is particularly suitable for use in timber-frame builds, suspended timber floors, tower blocks, apartments, and high-rise buildings. SMET demonstrates best practice in construction partnerships - providing a superior level of customer service to their Smet Supported Partners during the installation process.Whether your job is – self-build, retro-fit, floor renovation or repair, design floor, commercial or shop, sustainable build, historical renovation, ECO build, Lightweight, or an industrial flooring venture – SMET has a flooring compound or ready to use product suitable for your application.www.smetbuildingproducts.com or www.smet.ie

In 2015, Quinn London Ltd started the refurbishment of The Market Building, in Brentford which involved the conversion of Offices to residential dwellings as a ‘Material Change of Use’ project. Soundis provided acoustic solution options for this project, in order to ensure a cost effective Value Engineering Exercise, on behalf of the Main Contractor.As the 1st floor required a deep void system due to new soil pipes and waste pipes having to be installed along the corridor within the building for kitchens and bathrooms, it was agreed to utilise Soundis Cradle & Batten System. This provided a service void for the pipes of 300mm whilst the other areas of the floor were treated with the system at 80mm FFH. The Soundis cradle & batten acoustic floor was then overlaid with a Soundis a high quality, interlocking dry screed system gypsum fibreboard.The Soundis cradle & batten floor system has been installed on the existing concrete and existing timber structural floors to provide a level floor over the un-even sub-deck. The service void provided by Soundis cradle & batten system can be used for other flooring applications, such as underfloor heating.Our Cradle and Risers are manufactured from 100% recycled materials assisting to the sustainability targets of projects.

Product: Canadian Western Red Cedar Over 7000/LM of Canadian Western Red Cedar was provided for this job in London, a workspace environment is suited well to the timber cladding façade. An untreated board, machined to our NWCC1 Chamfered Cladding profile. All associated WRC machined trims, high pressure treated imported battens were also supplied for this project. Being a very high quality of timber both visually the minimal knot content, along with the natural durability the species offers, making Canadian Western Red Cedar a favourite amongst architect and clients alike.

Restoration of the Old Rectory in Clifton Village, Nottinghamshire: A Testament to Exquisite Craftsmanship and Heritage PreservationThe Old Rectory, a remarkable Grade II Listed Georgian-style property dating back to the mid-1700s, has undergone a magnificent restoration, showcasing the timeless beauty of timber sash windows. This noteworthy project, carried out with the assistance of Gowercroft Joinery's exceptional craftsmanship, serves as a testament to the commitment to heritage preservation and attention to detail.Key DetailsThe Old Rectory, a Grade II Listed Georgian-style property in Clifton Village, Nottinghamshire, has undergone a £5 million restoration project.Tomlinson Homes, a division of G F Tomlinson Group, collaborated with architects CBP, Nottinghamshire County Council's conservation team, and the local community to ensure the preservation of the property's heritage assets.The restoration project retained and reinstalled many period features, including the original square stairwell with wooden cantilever stairs and purpose-built rooms.Gowercroft Joinery's Classic Range timber windows and doors were chosen as high-quality fixtures and fittings that respected the property's heritage.Products Used48 traditional Chatsworth sliding sash windows with elegant Georgian glazing bars and durable Accoya® frames.23 Hardwick casement windows.6 Kedleston tilt & turn windows.12 Melbourne doors with traditional styling and performance features.17 sets of internal decorative shutters in various designs, maintaining the period look.OverviewThe restoration of the Old Rectory in Clifton Village, Nottinghamshire, stands as a remarkable example of a meticulously executed heritage restoration project.Tomlinson Homes, a division of G F Tomlinson Group, collaborated closely with architects CBP, Nottinghamshire County Council's conservation team, and the local community to ensure the preservation of the property's historic character.The £5 million development, known as Rectory Gardens, encompasses the conversion of the iconic landmark into luxury homes while respecting and restoring its heritage.Preserving the HeritageThroughout the restoration process, great care was taken to retain and restore the property's distinctive period features, including its original square stairwell with wooden cantilever stairs and spacious purpose-built rooms.The project aimed to honour the heritage assets that had withstood the test of time, ensuring that the finished design harmoniously merged the old and the new.Exquisite Timber Windows and DoorsGowercroft Joinery's Classic Range timber windows and doors were meticulously selected as high-quality fixtures and fittings, perfectly suited for this prestigious restoration project.The Old Rectory's original wooden sash windows were replaced with 48 traditional Chatsworth sliding sash windows. These windows faithfully replicated the elegant Georgian glazing bars, featuring slim and durable Accoya® frames with a stunning maintenance-free white finish.Complementing the sash windows, the restoration included 23 Hardwick casement windows, six Kedleston tilt & turn windows, and 12 Melbourne doors. All these products were carefully chosen from Gowercroft's Classic portfolio, offering a perfect blend of traditional aesthetics and high-performance features.A Thoughtful RestorationAs part of the restoration, Gowercroft Joinery also supplied 17 sets of internal decorative shutters in a range of opening and fixed designs. These shutters beautifully complemented the carefully restored period look of the property, adding a touch of sophistication and functionality.Andrew Madge, Managing Director of Gowercroft Joinery, expressed immense pride in contributing to the conversion of this historic property into a collection of exceptional residential homes. He emphasised how the Classic windows and doors from Gowercroft offer architects and specifiers an ideal solution for upgrading older properties while preserving their traditional appearance, thanks to their well-balanced proportions, exceptional energy efficiency, and remarkable durability.For architects and specifiers involved in large construction firms, the Old Rectory restoration project exemplifies the meticulous attention to detail and commitment to heritage preservation that elevate any development into a truly exceptional masterpiece. The inclusion of Gowercroft Joinery's Classic Range timber windows and doors ensures a seamless blend of timeless aesthetics, superior performance, and enduring quality.

Lomax + Wood provided high performance bespoke timber box sash windows and doors for this stunning country house. Based on classic Georgian window proportions, this new architectural property offers a full range of Lomax + Wood products designed to create an elegant and pleasing look.This stately country house is located in Cambridgeshire and incorporates many historic features to create a traditional country style. Lomax + Wood worked closely with the client to ensure that the client's vision was met, with high performance wood windows and doors creating the right proportions throughout the property.

Siberian Larch with NORclad Lite Presevative Treatment All of the external cladding, and fins for the state-of-the-art facility, along with balustrade and handrail components, the same Siberian Larch then runs into the main reception of the building Utilising an certified NORclad® Siberian Larch, the specification includes our NORclad Lite Preservative treatment applied to the timber. The preservative treatment provides a formal warranty on the product for 30 years against rot and fungal decay (out of ground contact). Products specified, Treatment Services applied under ISO 9001 factory controlled conditions.

Designing, specifying and installing fire rated timber framed butt-jointed glazing is now easier with the assurance of a fully traceable supply chain with the launch of SYSTEMGLAS® Ligna by Promat, one of the country’s leading manufacturers of fire, thermal and acoustic solutions. Ligna gives designers the ideal balance of assured fire protection and maximum light transmission in all kinds of timber framed glazed partitions and screens. Ideal for offices, healthcare, education, retail and public sector applications, it has been tested to provide integrity and insulation (EI) fire protection from 30 minutes up to 60 minutes (EI30 to EI60).

The historic Aberdeen Music Hall has been restored and redeveloped by Architects BDP. The Category A listed concert hall has been completely refurbished and now includes a performance studio, creative learning space and a café/bar. Nearly 1,500m2 of Junckers solid Nordic Beech Classic flooring has been fitted as part of the transformation, including in the impressive 1,300 seat auditorium, which now has step-free access to all levels. Nordic Beech with its white pigmented finish offers a light and bright backdrop to the interior and makes the most of the architects’ new architectural lighting by reflecting an abundance of light. By specifying the same floor for much of the building, the various spaces are seamlessly connected by a unifying element. At 140mm wide, Junckers’ signature wide board, long-length floor boards really come into their own in the open spaces and circulation routes, offering a clean and elegant look. Solid beech is amongst the most hard-wearing timbers used for flooring and Junckers’ pre-finished floors are well-known for their durability. The flooring contractor was West End Flooring. 

Architects: Orme Architects. NORclad supplied two species for this project both treated with NORclad Brunnea. PEFC-certified European Redwood in A Grade for the majority of the internal timber cladding, 7 different sizes of timbers were supplied from an extensive cutting list to minimise wastage on site, and in areas reduce the requirements for joints between boards. PEFC- certified Canadian Western Red Cedar was also supplied, this timber was used externally on the project, in a number of widths as seen within the images.

Private house, Jersey CHALLENGE Glulam beams – or glued laminated timber – are an ideal light weight alternative for steel or reinforced concrete that allow for much longer spans, heavier loads and complex shapes. Over the years timber rot may occur to such a degree that renovation becomes imminent and irreversible. That’s exactly what has happened to the property of a Jersey customer of RENOLIT’s approved contractor Advanced Roofing. A solution was sought to “save” the existing Glulam beam structure without too many structural changes. SOLUTION The RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing contractor solved the problem as follows: For the first stage they removed the failed, rotten areas and treated the remaining areas for insect infestation. Then they covered the glulam beams at each change of direction with RENOLIT ALKORPLAN metal sheet. Over the metal the beams were completely wrapped in reinforced RENOLIT ALKORPLAN membrane. Nicely packed… and completely waterproof. It worked really well and actually quite an ingenious idea! The glulam beams can start a second life resistant to all weather conditions. Once the glulam beams were encased there was still the issue of the solar shading to be re-fitted. Preferably without having to penetrate the newly applied membrane! The brilliant idea of using RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR profiles welded to the top edges of the glulam beams as a safe and solid support for the solar shading evolved. This project is again an excellent proof of the versatility of our RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR mounting system.

Wood finish powder coating to realise vision of a timber facade Overview A brand-new Skills and Innovation Centre has been added to the Earl Street/Broad Street elevation of the South Staffordshire College’s campus, a £28million project. This 7,500 sq metre, 3 storey building will house leading-edge construction, engineering and hybrid vehicle technology workshops, along with innovatively designed social spaces. The building takes pride of place on the college’s town centre site and a suitably striking external envelope has been planned. The architects’ envisaged a facade of long vertical fins giving the appearance of timber. This would also screen a roof-top substation from view. The Project Maple Sunscreening won the contract to supply the extensive vertical fin façade and proposed using lightweight aluminium instead of timber to achieve the of span required. This project is a perfect example of one of the key advantages of PWF on aluminium, over wood, namely the ability to accomplish very long spans with structural integrity. Powdertech Wood Finish (PWF ™) was selected as the most appropriate powder coating since it is formulated to match the natural variations in colour, grain density and grain pattern of wood. Importantly, PWF meets fire reaction classification A2-s1, d0. The client selected the preferred shade from our collection and the aluminium extrusions began to arrive at our plant. We coated 4000 metres of aluminium, comprising mainly rectangular sections of extruded aluminium, of sizes 200mm and 100mm x 50mm. Now installed on the building these look stunning, giving the impression of enormous lengths of wood wrapping around the building. Why PWF?            · The finish combines the strength and longevity of metal with the warm, natural appeal of wood with a high level of colour and gloss retention· Excellent corrosion protection and resistance against abrasion and weather.· Conforms to Fire Reaction classification A2-s1, d0· A high level of sustainability using aluminium, with a coating that can be removed at end of life leaving the underlying metal unaffected· ‘Green’ credentials of PWF – no solvents, no VOCs, no hazardous waste.· Low maintenance - unlike wood.· The PWF range conforms to EN 12206-1 and Qualicoat specifications.· Can be applied to most metallic substrates including aluminium, galvanized steel, cast metals and stainless steel· Powdertech has over 35-years’ experience in professional architectural powder coatings. Colour, tone and texture are our passion and we have the expertise to develop bespoke finishes.  

A stunning property on the Isle of Wight which was built around 1844 in the Italian style and situated within the Conservation Area of Ventnor. Lomax + Wood provided high performance, double glazed timber French doors and sash windows. The house combines quality wooden double glazed and weather-stripped Lomax + Wood windows and doors. The property was designed to be energy efficient with Celotex fitted in the majority of the house. This is another example of how well designed timber windows and doors can add to and enhance even the most sensitive renovation within a Conservation Area.

Hush Acoustics was tasked with providing an acoustic separating floor solution in an extensive material change of use project in Southall. Phoenix House was being converted by Vascroft Construction from an office building to residential flats, in a project which involved building into the basement, adding two floors and expanding at the rear.The development of 149 flats, each of which comprises 2 bedrooms, 1 ensuite, 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen/living area, required an effective design for the separating floors to ensure they would be effectively soundproofed throughout across multiple different floor finishes.After assessing a number of floor construction materials, Hush Panel 28 floating floor panels were selected to meet the acoustic performance targets. Using this panel meant that throughout the bedrooms and living areas a simple underlay could be laid before the finished carpets or engineered timber floor were installed. Hush Panel 28 was also suitable for the floors in the wet rooms and entrance hallways by applying Detromat on top of the panel to form an anti cracking surface.A team of more than 100 operatives worked on site, with every 1000 sq. m of floor completed per week, which Hush Acoustics supported to ensure Vascroft could meet the project’s strict delivery schedule.

Six Years' GrowthStarting the cladding supply in 2015, our final delivery completed in September 2021. We loved watching each home get its unique skin.Award WinningAwarded the Most Outstanding New Retirement Village Design in the UK (2015), at the UK Over 50s Housing Awards.A colourful village in so many ways - our Cape Cod cladding brings it to life.Warwick Gates is a high-quality family housing village. If you're looking for a thriving community, surrounded by like-minded people, you've come to the right place.Cape Cod Timber Cladding Inspired Villages, part of the Warwick Gates LLP site at Gallagher Way in Heathcote, was a special project for Vincent Timber.Featuring four Cape Cod colours, we supplied a total of 42,665m of cladding to main contractors, Engie, and suppliers, Construction Services and Weatherseal Facades.Using the Rebated Bevel 8 profile, these beautiful homes are coloured in Pilgrim Red, Olympic Taupe, Cape Cod Grey and Olympic Bayberry.All trims, starter boards and fixings are also supplied in the same colours to match and blend in seamlessly. These builds are as unique and interesting as their residents.Life in the Retirement VillageAustin Heath is at the heart of its own micro-community.Located equidistant between Warwick and Royal Leamington Spa, residents can enjoy the two beautiful worlds of the Medieval and Victorian eras right on their doorsteps.The £65 million village offers exclusive one and two bedroom homes as well as apartments for the over 65s. However, this is just the start.Without having to leave the village, residents have access to a range of facilities including a wellness spa and relaxation pool, gym, deli shop, restaurant and community rooms, as well as onsite social and leisure activities.What's more, a range of care services are available, enabling everyone to live their life to the fullest and enjoy their home for as long as they like, no matter how their circumstances may change.“Design is a fundamental part of our new retirement village. It will ensure not only a beautifully landscaped and aesthetically pleasing location, but also practical solutions for the residents who will live here.” Jamie Bunce - Managing Director of Inspired Villages

Some 92,000 Cwt Y Bugail slates feature on a ground-breaking new/old roof. Formerly a seedy area worth avoiding, London’s Kings Cross has now been transformed into a go-to destination for office workers, students and tourists. Developer Argent’s regeneration of the area has sensitively re-purposed the early Victorian railway buildings into variously, a college campus, supermarket and offices, in which the interior changes are radical but the exteriors have been left largely unaltered. Not so for Coal Drops Yard, a pair of elongated Victorian coal warehouses originally built to distribute coal from the North of England across London. Here, the pitched roofs of two almost-parallel buildings, 150m and 100m in length and 39m apart, have been reconfigured to curve up at their northern ends and gently kiss each other. Designed by Heatherwick Studio, the roofs peel upwards and extend into the middle of the space between the two buildings. A new floorplate sits below the roof structure, with glazing filling the gap between the two, creating a third level of retail. The new roofs of the ornate cast-iron and brick structures have been slated with 92,000 new versions of the original Welsh Slates – 500mm x 250mm Cwt Y Bugails from the manufacturer’s Llan Ffestiniog quarry in North Wales – by Banbury-based specialist sub-contractor Attleys Roofing. Attleys already had some Kings Cross experience, using 6,400 500mm x 300mm Heather Blues from Welsh Slate’s main Penrhyn quarry for the re-roof of the nearby German Gymnasium - the first purpose-built gym in England - which is now enjoying a new lease of life as a designer restaurant. Coal Drops Yard was a whole new ball game, testing Attleys to the limit, but the result is an extraordinary reinterpretation of the canal-side site. Main contractor BAM Construction was responsible for the structure of the new roofline. More than 50 new steel columns were carefully threaded through the existing structure to support the roof independently of the building, a point cloud survey being carried out to help calculate where to put the columns without clashing with the existing building fabric. Primary support is provided by a set of large cranked beams supported on cores in each building which join in the middle over the yard. There are four primary beams, two on each building. These dip down towards the centre to create the valley between the two roof structures and have been nicknamed “giraffe beams” in reference to their angled neck and head - the structure looks like two giraffes rubbing noses together. Tie beams at floor level take the tensile loads generated by the weight of the roof. The giraffe beams support two ribbon trusses that define the upper and lower edge of each roof structure and connect in the middle over the yard at the lower edge. These are 7m deep in the middle and taper to 5m at the ends where these join the existing roof. Tubular steel sections were used to create the trusses because of the complex geometry. The new floorplate below the roof is suspended from above using macalloy bars and is tapered towards the perimeter to minimise the impact on the view. More than 60 panels of full-height structural glazing between the floor and new roof are stepped rather than curved or faceted for aesthetic reasons and has the added benefit of hiding the macalloy bars. Temporary trusses were erected to support the giraffe beam assembly and ribbon trusses during construction. The giraffe beam assembly was erected first. The ribbon trusses were brought to site as components, bolted together on the ground into fully-assembled sections complete with rafters, craned into position and bolted together where they meet in the middle. The whole roof structure was then de-propped. Visually, it was important to maintain a seamless transition from the existing roof to the new section so the original timber roof trusses were retained where possible, with some localised strengthening required where the timber had been damaged. The gap between the existing and new roof structure was then boarded over ready for the new Welsh slates.The two roofs are bolted together where they meet in the middle. Heatherwick Studio chose to position the new roof element at the northern ends of the two buildings as the eastern building had been devastated by a fire in 1985. Used more recently for warehousing and nightclubs, they were largely abandoned in the 1990s. Group leader Lisa Finlay said: “Our challenge was to radically remodel this Victorian infrastructure to meet the needs of a modern urban development without losing what made them special. To do this, we focused on understanding their original function and how they were adapted over time so we could appreciate how best to preserve and reuse the existing fabric, whilst also introducing new elements. One of which is an entirely free-standing new structure threaded through the historic buildings, from which a spectacular new third level is suspended.”  Attleys were on site for a total of almost 18 months. The roof pitch of the original sections of roof was 28° but as the curves swept around and met in the middle this changed to 47°. Thereafter the length also decreased from 8.4m to 6.9m at the kissing point where the two curved roofs met but the same number of courses of slates (44) had to be maintained. This meant Attleys had to decrease the gauges and not only cut the sides of the slates to take them around the curve but also the tops of the slates to maintain the same number of courses. No clever nailing or hidden bibbing was required to stop rainwater flowing diagonally at this point as the pitch was so steep. Attleys’ managing director Shaun Attley met with Heatherwick Studio and BAM’s design team up to two years prior to commencement on site to discuss the design issues and how to achieve the aesthetics requested while using the products selected.  Shaun advised the project team that the Cwt Y Bugail slates could not be used for their initial roof design which exceeded a 90° pitch so it was re-designed to ensure that where the eaves met it was at a pitch commensurate with Welsh Slate’s fixing recommendations and warranties. Due to space being at a premium, all the Cwt Y Bugail slates were cut off-site at Attleys’ depot in Banbury. To do this, Attleys had to calculate how much of the slates needed cutting off. This was done by taking measurements from the steel work underneath - from steel to steel at the eaves and steel to steel at the ridge which was generally over 10-15m depending where you were on the curve (on the internal curve or external curve). The kissing point determined how the slates were cut to ensure the perp lines and side laps were maintained.  And because the roof pitch was increasing while the rafter length was decreasing, Attleys also had to cut the tops of the slates down so they suited the decreasing gauges. A total of 32,000 of the 90,000 slates used on the project had to be cut with hand guillotines so the dressed edge could be maintained around the curve which comprised 1,600m2 of the total 4,600m2. Shaun Attley said: “Our timescale for the sections of roof was provided to BAM Construction and this was put into their overall programme with all other sub-contractors but unfortunately our commencement on site was delayed due to previous issues in the construction of the steel frame prior to us starting.  “This meant we were up against the clock in trying to pull back time to ensure the overall programme was still met and we were asked by BAM to find ways of doing as much as possible off-site and increasing labour and production on-site to pull back the time lost. By working together with other sub-contractors and the main contractor we managed to finish a week earlier than our anticipated 43-week overall programme.” He added: “The project was challenging at the beginning to ensure we set the roof out properly but as the contract progressed it became easier. Welsh slates are easy to work, and we work with them all the time, but in this case it was challenging getting the slates to course all the way round. Attleys’ SMSTS-trained supervisor ran the day-to-day safety, conducting Toolbox talks every morning and attending daily safety briefings by BAM Construction staff and supervisors from all trades on site to brief each other of any risks and ensure trades were not disrupting one another.  The team of 10 Attleys operatives, which included two NVQ Level 2 apprentices, carried out daily visual inspections of tools and all power tools were PAT tested every three months. Shaun Attley visited weekly to inspect the job for workmanship and production and also to gather feedback on any safety issues or to see if any safety measures could be instigated to improve the overall safety for their and other operatives on site. “We found some of these measures not only improved safety but also helped improve production,” said Shaun. Attleys also had an independent safety inspector (from The Health & Safety People) visit site monthly to see if there were any safety improvements they could recommend. Far from handling eight million tonnes of coal a year, Coal Drops Yard is now forecast to pull in 12 million visitors a year.

Canadian Western Red Cedar Timber Cladding with NORclad Brunnea treatment Approximately 7.5km of Canadian Western Red Cedar has been suppled for this project in Wednesbury, machined to our face fix NWC2 T&G profile. Brunnea treated Canadian Western Red Cedar cladding from NORclad offers a formal 30 year warranty against rot and fungal decay. The NORclad Brunnea treatment is a popular choice, containing a pigment and UV inhibitors – there is a good level of colour stability VS uncoated timbers. Being a preservative treatment rather than a coating, there is less involved in terms of maintaining the product.

For the beautiful penthouse atop one of the buildings in South Bank Place, located next to the London Eye, the designers wanted a feature floor with a bespoke colour finish. We worked with the designers at Goddard Littlefair and decided on the timeless design of the Versailles parquet pattern. The designers wanted a show-stopping colour for this floor. We created the Belvedere colour finish; using a mixture of fumed, European Oak and pigmented hard wax oils to create a dark colour tone with red and golden highlights.To ensure a uniform and quick installation on site; we creating metre square panels with the Solid Oak Versailles pattern positioned by hand onto Birch plywood backing. Having discussed the fit-out process in detail with the fit-out team from SJ Eastern Joinery, we grooved all four sides of the panel and supplied the tongues loose. This gave the fitters flexibility to lay the boards as they saw fit on site. Once we had assembled the panels, the bespoke colour finish was applied; after completing multiple coats the panels were stored to fully cure and harden.Once the team from SJ Eastern had fitted the flooring on site, they protected it with a soft breathable cover and topped that with hardboard and taped the edges. This allowed the other trades to snag without damaging the floor. Once snagging was complete, the floor protection was removed. As anyone who has been on a building site knows, dust and debris are everywhere and sure enough the flooring needed a final clean and buff with oil to increase the lustre and make it perfect for the wow factor needed in such a stunning project.The expert team lead by Bardhyl Miskiqi of BRB Flooring came in and cleaned the floor thoroughly, removing plaster dust and other debris by vacuum and cleaning the floor down using a solution of Blanchon Natural Soap and hot water. Once the floor was suitably clean, they applied Blanchon Hard Wax Oil Satin on to the floor and buffed a coat into the floor using a buffing machine equipped with a white buffing pad. This fed the Oak another coat of oil which bolsters the protection against every day use and increased the lustre of the wood highlighting all the colours from that bespoke colour that had been applied at the factory.Once the oil was properly buffed in, the penthouse door was closed and the floor left to dry and cure. Once curing had completed the furniture was placed in the room and made ready for viewing by the client and new owner and a lifetime of happy memories.Please call 01666 504015 for more information.

The Carnegie Library & Galleries in Dunfermline designed by Richard Murphy Architects features over 700m2 of Junckers solid oak flooring. The original library building and an adjacent former bank, both grade B listed, have been extended and integrated to form a spectacular, award-winning space. A new museum, gallery space, café, shop and reading rooms are linked to the original library building by an ‘internal street’ connecting new and existing spaces. To provide a continuous backdrop as well as visually and aesthetically link the old and new parts, Junckers 15mm Wide Board Oak finished in Ultramatt lacquer was specified throughout the building. The attractive grain pattern of the timber adds a natural element to the interior, which is flooded with natural light. Junckers’ solid wood flooring offers a durable surface even for high traffic areas. Pre-finished in a choice of hard-wearing, long-lasting lacquers and oils from Junckers’ own professional range of finishing products, a Junckers floor is easy to install and maintain and it will last a lifetime with the right care. Particularly popular with architects and designers, Junckers’ long-length plank flooring really comes into its own in a large open space. The flooring contractor was GL Floors. 

Jo Richardson Community SchoolProduct: Tarnhow Dome Free Standing Timber CanopyTimber Stain Colour: Antique PineCanopy Size: 35m x 11mEstimated Value: £90,000Installation Date: August 2017Contractor: KCH Contractors Ltd.The BriefJo Richardson Community School is a large school in east London. The School has around 1400 pupils between 11 – 19 years of age.In one part of the School there is a generous sized space that is enclosed on three sides by school buildings. The School has many courtyard spaces like this but this one is the busiest because it is next to the canteen and on the most direct route to the separate sports hall. As the space is uncovered it offers little shelter to pupils and staff. To transform this area, so that it could be protected and safe to use for dining, break times and other activities, the school wanted to cover it with a canopy.Initially they requested a steel framed canopy with no central posts. This would allow maximum use of the space (with no posts to restrict the flow of people or potential uses). There were two major drawbacks to this approach. The first was cost. A steel structure large enough to cover the space and work without central posts would not be cheap. The second was that using a steel structure, that was big enough to fit the space, had the potential to not be sympathetic to the surrounding buildings and environment.As this was such an important project it was essential that any solution satisfied both practical and aesthetic requirements. This can be seen in the rendered image below which shows how the all steel structure would have looked.A second, more cost-effective option was then proposed. This still used steel but included posts that would support from the centre. This gives more flexibility to the installation process and reduces costs, but does place limitations on the use of the space and flow of pupils under the canopy.In both cases a steel canopy was proving not to be the ideal option.The SolutionTo overcome the issues of using steel we suggested to the School that they consider our Tarnhow Dome Free Standing Timber Canopy. This would allow them to maximise the space, work within a manageable budget and use a material that would complement the existing buildings and make a strong and appealing visual statement.The final size was a canopy that measured 35 metres in length, by 11metres wide, with a height of 5 metres. This could be installed without central posts, thereby ensuring the space could be maximised and used for different activities and occasions.While timber was not the first thought for the customer it proved to be the perfect choice. With its good looks, provision of effective weather protection and value for money price, it ensured the school achieved their project goal of a transformed space that would provide value for them well into the future.InstallationThe final installation not only gave the school everything they needed in terms of weather protection but it also looked extremely impressive with the dramatic lines of the wooden Tarnhow frame drawing the eye through the structure to the end wall. The substantial height of the canopy added to the feel of space and depth that will mean the school can use it for all sorts of activities and events and not just as a seating area.It also allows large number of pupils to move around the space safely with plenty of room for seating and other equipment, such as a hot snack trolley, to be used.The installation itself was a textbook process with the frame going up quickly and then the roof panels being added to the structure. Our pre-installation visits and accurate measurements allowed us to have all the elements in place before the agreed installation date, meaning we could finish on time and on budget. We were even able to design and construct a neat bespoke solution where the canopy had to fit with the existing building – see image to the right.This meant that the protection from rain and snow was complete wherever you were under the canopy and would allow the school to get the most from their new space all year round.

A contractor client was working on a retro-fit balcony and flat roof project in Brighton. The waterproofing membrane had tapered insulation placed on top and the contractor discovered ballasting the insulation was needed, only once on the roof. The door thresholds were too tight for a traditional decking system with joists. Wallbarn advised for paving slabs on 9mm rubber pads; then 30mm thick ipe timber tiles mounted onto Adjustable Pedestals. The buildup was under 100mm and the overall finish of the tropical hardwood was glorious. The architect was relieved that we could produce a solution, the client was delighted.

Junckers solid oak Herringbone flooring has been installed at the National Gallery of Ireland as part of extensive refurbishment works. Architects Henegan Peng’s brief to provide a more accessible route through the collections has resulted in an elegant and historically sensitive upgrade for the Gallery. The solid wood parquet floor in the Dargan and Milltown Wings was installed by DJ Kelly & Co Ltd. The new floor in the Milltown Wing replaced an original timber floor and in the Dargan Wing, Junckers created a bespoke wood block to replicate the pattern of the original tiled floor. Herringbone parquet floors, historically found in country estates, castles and mansion houses, have become one of Junckers’ most popular floors. The elegant aesthetic of the geometric pattern coupled with the naturally occurring structural grain pattern found in solid oak has made parquet the flooring of choice for anything from public buildings and offices to homes and apartments. A solid oak floor by Junckers is very durable and can be sanded and refinished several times, ensuring the floor will last a lifetime. 

This is the perfect example of future proofing a traditional building, bringing it’s thermalperformance up to a modern standard, whilst conserving the historic timber frame and thevisual beauty of five centuries of gentle settlement and movement.

All acoustic products which were installed on this project by UK Acoustic Systems were manufactured by Soundis, specifically their Soundis Absorb-R WoodTec range, which the client and architect approved due to their versatility, and the fact they were able to manufacture the products exactly to the project specific specification.The Micro Perforated Timber panels were located and installed on the curved rear wall of the auditorium. The timber core panels were faced with Micro Perforated Formica and the client decided upon the colour red which contrasted the other products within the auditorium tremendously.

Nike has transformed The Regal basketball court at the Black Prince Community Hub in South London, using Junckers Beech SylvaSport floor pre-finished with black oil over a New Era fully sprung sub-floor system.

Made-to-order timber windows and doors from the Kensington & Chelsea range by Lomax + Wood have been specified for a high specification new build Georgian-style villa in fashionable Lancaster Gardens, Wimbledon, London SW19.

The Hilda Besse building at St Antony’s College, Oxford, one of the country’s best examples of Post-War architecture, has been refurbished by award-winning architectural and heritage consultancy practice Purcell. As part of a sensitive renovation to enhance the original architecture and ensure the building’s sustainable future, Junckers solid wood flooring was fitted throughout the common rooms, kitchens and the dining hall. Informed by historic drawings and photographs, Purcell specified a dark wooden floor, reverting to the original finish found in the building. Junckers Black Oak plank flooring was fitted in a bespoke geometric pattern designed by the architect, complementing the elaborate ceiling features. Junckers’ Approved Flooring Contractor V. A. Hutchison Flooring sampled the bespoke pattern on site and created all the joints and cuts with their own bespoke methods, specially adapted for such intricate work. The result is an elegant floor fit for purpose, offering both a grand impression and a durable floor surface. Junckers Black Oak is made by mimicking the natural process known as ‘bog oak’ where timber left submerged in bog conditions takes on a rich, dark colour. The colour is drawn deep into the wood, unlike a surface stain. This unique method enables sanding and refinishing of the floor without loss of colour. Specifying a solid hardwood floor for the Grade II listed building ensures longevity of both design and use. A Junckers floor has a long lifespan and will last for generations. Part of the refurbishment and conservation work included improving the building’s sustainable performance as well as the wellbeing of staff and students. A solid hardwood floor from Junckers is one of the most sustainable flooring surfaces available. Junckers has completed EPDs for its wooden floors to ensure all elements of the supply chain, from raw material sourcing to production and distribution, adhere to strict sustainability standards. Wood is naturally low in embodied carbon and can easily be recycled at the end of its long life. Wooden floors contribute to a healthy indoor environment by maintaining an even temperature and counter-acting static from electrical appliances. All Junckers wood floors carry the Danish Indoor Climate Label, ensuring there are no chemical substances in the flooring which adversely affect the air quality in a room. The main contractor for the project was CBRE.