"electric fires and room heaters"

In China, on the exclusive island of Hainan, the Sanya Edition Hotel has chosen stone-effect porcelain tiles from Atlas Concorde to furnish its interior spaces.The elegance of stone-effect porcelain flooring gives the hotel spaces a stylish ambiance, offering the guests a luxury hospitality experience. The stone-look tiles illuminate the atmosphere creating a luxurious climate and an idea of elegance with a timeless charm. The inspiration of Luserna stone and quartzite enhances the interior floors of the suites and rooms of the building, translating nature into a material suitable for the design of spaces with an enveloping, suggestive climate. Delicate colours reveal the earthy details typical of stone, adding character and appeal to the places where they are laid.

Premier Loft Ladders has released technical data and a BIM object on NBS Source for the Supreme Vertical loft ladder. This heavy-duty retractable ladder offers safe and easy access to loft spaces and plant rooms that can only be accessed via an elevated wall hatch. As such, it is easier for architects and designers to find and specify a solution for this otherwise challenging access requirement.The heavy-duty concertina ladder offers a load rating of 200 kg per tread, making it suitable for both residential and commercial projects. It also benefits from being very easy to operate.The product data can be found within section L30 (clause 41 and clause 421).

The LAMILUX U.K Ltd installation team recently completed a school refurb project in York, where they installed an incredible 65 meter long X 2.4 meter wide LAMILUX Continuous Barrel Vault Rooflight. Designed with 16 integrated single ventilation flaps, evenly spaced along the rooflight for natural ventilation, the Barrel Vault rooflight, was positioned above classrooms and communal areas to not only enhance natural daylight in the rooms below, but also provide natural aeriation. Results from studies have proven that ventilation coupled with natural daylight will not only enhance the learning of the pupils in the classrooms, but also enhance the pupils health benefits with good indoor air quality. 

Motorised drives from SIEGENIA make opening and closing windows easy, convenient and barrier-free. Whether they operate turn-and-tilt windows or inaccessible skylights, whether they operate via pushbutton, app or via the building control system, they ensure room comfort and well-being. SIEGENIA has now expanded their product range: as a supplement to the tried and tested DRIVE axxent DK, the DRIVE CL is now also available to fabricators and end users. While the DRIVE axxent DK, by reason of its compact dimensions, also enables integration into the wide range of aluminium profiles, the DRIVE CL is a magnificent choice in case of high demands with regard to cost-effectiveness.

Four rooms affected by noise and dust ingress in the Grade II Listed Harris Manchester College, part of Oxford University had thermal secondary glazing installed by Selectaglaze to lower noise breakthrough and to make the buildings more energy efficient. Selectaglaze installed secondary glazing to 28 windows. A number of products were combined for the specification, including Series 20 slimline vertical units. Series 10 horizontal sliding units were used in conjunction with Series 42 fixed lights and Series 42 curved fixed lights for large gothic arched windows. The College has created a more comfortable environment for all users of its spaces.

Washroom designed and installed washrooms and backstage dressing rooms for an iconic Grade II listed West End theatre, using brass effect laminate and marble-effect Corian to create the sumptuous design which mirrors the theatre’s stunning Art Deco style auditorium. The full height Alto toilet cubicles installed were finished with a unique high-sheen brass effect laminate and as a contrast, the Concerto integrated duct panel system was manufactured using black laminate. Completing the washrooms are the Corian solid surface vanities specified in a light grey marble with individual square counter-top ceramic sinks, red splashbacks and brass taps.

Delivering flexible space that can be quickly adapted to encourage collaborative working practices, moveable wall systems are fast becoming the norm for modern UK offices. Having enjoyed the benefits of a moveable wall that Style installed a few years ago, a major global consulting group recently invited them back to their London offices to install two further partitioning solutions, effectively sub-dividing a key meeting area. The Dorma Hüppe Variflex ML100 moveable walls allow the open-plan space to be closed off, creating three separate rooms. An incredible 59dB Rw acoustic integrity allows meetings to run concurrently, entirely undisturbed.

Behind the façade of the iconic Grade II Listed Old Chelsea Town Hall, sits Chelsea Sports Centre. As part of a refurbishment of the showers and changing room areas, Washroom installed its flush front glass iLockers, back-painted in dark grey, together with Forte changing cubicles, manufactured from grey solid grade laminate (SGL), complete with unique Perspex integral roof to let in light while providing complete privacy for users and matching Forte toilet and shower cubicles. Washroom also manufactured bespoke ‘Black Quartz’ Corian vanity units and make-up shelves and installed its Legato benching to complete the design.

A 1963 Vanwide railway goods wagon with plans to turn it into a garden room for a family. To get the wagon to a usable state, a full strip out was required, leaving only the metal casing of the original wagon remaining. Once the wagon was stripped back, there wasn’t much metal remaining for the roof, only six thin metal trusses were left. Due to the shape of the wagon, insulation was needed that not only performed well but was fully flexible to fit the arched roof. It was also important that the insulation had a shallow profile to fit into the narrow space. Looking to insulate the 2m x 5m roof, careful consideration had to be given to retaining the original look of the carriage.

Mount Anvil and One Housing Group partnered to build a new luxury development, featuring studio apartments as well as one -, two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments. These living spaces were designed to be surrounded by private gardens and water features in the heart of fashionable Clerkenwell, England.The plans for this new development called for 274 units within 10 stories set atop of 4,500 m2 (48,438 ft2) of commercial space, including room for basements and parking.To provide permanent protection against water for the space surrounding the basements and parking, Mount Anvil and One Housing Group’s construction team were looking for a long-term concrete waterproofing solution.

With the aim of making a somewhat dated house welcoming and comfortable for a young family from Vilnius, the architect Ieva Prunskaitė of the Prusta studio redesigned the interior. The minimal, clean design combines functionality with beauty. Its focus is on simple lines and light spaces, devoid of clutter. Wood, plaster and cement are the three elements that are used throughout the house.The predominantly white walls with ECLISSE Syntesis Flush Hinged white doors contrast beautifully with the wooden flooring. There are also wooden accents across the white kitchen cabinets and wooden panelling defining storage areas and a cloakroom between the main door and the living room.The interior is also interspersed with accents of grey and black in the form of the black marble worktop and black chairs in the kitchen, the minimalist wood burning stove, grey accent wall and grey sofa in the sitting room and a decorative black metal screen with a geometric design separating the master bedroom with the ensuite.The minimalist style of the ECLISSE Syntesis Flush Hinged doors integrate perfectly into this interior being almost invisible, whilst being accented with sleek black handles echoing the colour scheme throughout.The ECLISSE Syntesis® Flush Hinged Door is part of the Syntesis® Flush Collection. This is a range of flush or architrave free products that work in harmony with each other. The collection features a, the concealed hinged door frame (available as a door set or frame only), pocket door system without jambs or architrave and a flush skirting board adapter. The emphasis is on uninterrupted, clean lines for an interior without fuss, where less is more.Architect: Prusta studioProduct: ECLISSE Syntesis® Flush Hinged Door

The Störmede Rittergut, a manorial estate in Geseke, North-Rhine-Westphalia, is a special location for conferences and private events. On its extensive grounds, alongside the listed buildings, a modern hotel has been erected. Behind a wood-clad façade, 55 highly modern and simultaneously very comfortable rooms can be found. Already in the foyer the guest is met by a warm atmosphere, something contributed to not least by the use of great expanses of wood, a friendly colour palette and stylish furniture. The style of the house has been logically extended: high quality and modern, but still inviting feelings of pleasure.A subtle and well-chosen selection of furnishings spreads the harmonious impression throughout the house. In every room, in the semi-public toilet facilities and in the spa area, KEUCO fittings and accessories can be found. They underline the fine, high-quality tone of the interior design. The slender EDITION 400 fittings match the single or double basins harmoniously. IXMO fittings by KEUCO were chosen for the showers because of their minimalist appearance. The special thing about IXMO: the fittings unite several functions in the smallest possible space with a minimalist design. In this way, the Hotel Rittergut Störmede maintains a clear and comprehensible appearance in its showers. IXMO SOLO, a clever combination of single-lever mixer and wall outlet for shower hose in a single unit, is particularly impressive for its ease of use. The consistently modern approach continues in the WC accessories in the bathrooms. Here, the well designed forms and high-quality surfaces of EDITION 400 accessories by KEUCO set a special tone.The Hotel Rittergut Störmede exudes a unique atmosphere with its historical roots and, thanks to its excellent furnishings, offers the guest an extra special stay.

Hoebridge Golf Centre is a busy commercial and leisure facility that has three golf courses, a function facility and a health club. Given the busy nature of the centre, it had become apparent to many golfers and patrons that the acoustic conditions within the bar and restaurant area needed improvement.Hush Acoustics was tasked by the golf centre’s owners to develop a solution to this major acoustic issue as it possible that revenue was being affected in the bar and restaurant because of poor acoustics. Some paying guests did not want to spend their time in these problematic and noisy areas so addressing the issue was crucial to the centre’s long term success. Hush carried out its extensive survey and to fulfil the client’s requirements to make the bar and restaurant areas a far more comfortable place to be. The acoustic problem at Hoebridge Golf Centre was caused by a high level of ambient, reverberation and echo noise within the bar and restaurant areas.The solution proposed by Hush was to install Hush Absorber 50 Sound Absorbing Panels within the bar and restaurant areas. Through a series of calculations based on the site survey data, the amount of absorption needed to treat the issues effectively could be established.Mike O’Connell, General Manager of Hoebridge Golf Centre was delighted with the panels. He mentioned how well they blended in and complemented the look and aesthetics of the room, and appreciated the minimalistic design with bold colours to give the room a sense of vibrancy. The client was particular happy with the quick and efficient installation by the Hush installation team. They arrived on site at 6:05am, discussed the installation with Mike and had completed the installation by 8am, meaning no disruption to customers during busy times.

A new family-run hotel in Iceland’s Haukadalur Valley was designed to sit seamlessly within the extraordinary surrounding landscape. Hotel Geysir operates under carefully considered environmental objectives, including resource management, reduction of waste, increased recycling, and selecting products and services with a low environmental impact. Our popular Twin Herringbone flooring in Black Oak forms the perfect backdrop to the interior, which is as dramatic as the natural landscape surrounding the hotel. All rooms and suites have large windows to make the stunning scenery the main feature throughout the hotel. The building was designed by architect Brynhildur Sólveigardóttir, and interior design by Leifur Welding. Made from Junckers’ classic two-stave flooring, each floorboard consists of two rows of staves, one full-length and one with two half-length staves. This gives Twin Herringbone an authentic pattern and elegant. Delivered with a hardwearing factory finished surface ready to walk on as soon as it is installed, a Twin Herringbone floor has the advantage of saving on costly and time-consuming installation work as the floor does not have to be sanded, filled, and treated after installation. A pre-finished floor is far superior in terms of durability with optimal wear resistance and a uniform appearance. It also has a significantly shorter installation time compared to an unfinished floor, with minimal inconvenience. Each Twin Herringbone stave measures 129mm wide x 516.6mm long x 14 or 22mm thick. II is ideal for use in all rooms of the house except bathrooms and can be used with all major underfloor heating systems. Twin Herringbone feels warm and solid underfoot, the perfect backdrop to a luxurious hotel. 

This brand-new sophisticated working environment in London was designed with best-in-class facilities, so it was an honour for Helmsman to be asked to supply the lockers. With the cycle to work scheme fast becoming more popular amongst workplaces, its no surprise that 72 Welbeck Street provided 114 spaces for bicycles, 9 showers and 138 lockers in their luxurious new commuter facilities.It was great to work with Specialist Joinery Group again on this project. In order to optimise the storage for the lockers, the client chose a variety of locker designs, including Z Lockers and 3 Compartment Laminate Lockers.Z Lockers are a great choice as they allow 2 people to store their items in the footprint of one locker and allow hanging of clothes, perfect for those who have cycled to work and are getting changed. While laminate lockers are perfect for a professional heavy duty finish.Both the Z Lockers and Laminate lockers chosen were manufactured from aluminium and stainless steel with Abet Laminate doors in colour Spring White. These materials are designed to withstand a wet environment and so are perfect for the changing rooms at 72 Welbeck Street. The Z Lockers also featured stands with seats, with slats in matching laminate from Abet.All of the lockers were finished with black circle number plates and Lowe and Fletcher camlocks. The perfect choice to keep the changing rooms looking slick and modern.This was another great project to be a part of in the heart of London, and it’s great to see that our lockers look and feel just like the designer intended.If you need Z lockers, Laminate lockers or want to chat with us about any bespoke locker requirements, give us a call on 01284 530427.

A high specification sound absorption solution...GRAHAM Construction were appointed to lead the refurbishment of Senate House, part of the University of London which is to house the School of Oriental & African Studies. SOAS is the world’s leading institution for languages, cultures and societies of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.The plan is to improve the student experience significantly by offering state-of-the-art facilities, with a high specification sound absorption solution for reverberation control in the Teaching Rooms, Seminar Rooms, Meeting Halls, Study Units and Lecture Theatres.Increased sound absorption helps to improve speech transmission quality, sometimes as much as 35%, control echo as well as background noise and reduce reverberation times in teaching areas.The SOAS project will accommodate a 25% planned increase of the cosmopolitan student numbers, with staff and students together on one centrally located campus, so reverberation control is paramount in this instance.We have undertaken the supply & installation of 2,650 sq metres of the Absorb-R GypLine αw Acoustic Plaster along site our installation partner UK Acoustics. The Absorb-R GypLine αw system includes 25mm and 39mm Acoustical Absorption Boards which can be fitted direct to soffit, to a shallow narrow void track-line carrier ceiling or a deep void MF Ceiling Grid. The boards are then sanded and treated with a 3mm acoustic spray plaster with a choice of finishes. The Absorb-R GypLine αw System finishes can then be colour coated to any RAL top coat colour and provides a virtually seamless monolithic ceiling with high and exceptional sound absorption levels that meet or exceed typical reverberation criteria.

Continuity between indoor spaces and outdoor floors, a balanced interaction that increases aesthetic potential: Atlas Concorde sets the tone in an elegant Belgian residence.Refined, unique, chic: the metropolitan style of Atlas Concorde concrete-effect porcelain tiles decorates the interior and exterior floors of a large, charming private residence in the town of Maasmechelen, Belgium, giving them a strong, unmistakable personality. Furnished in an urban chic style, the residence uses concrete-effect tiles to boost its modern, extremely refined look, which plays on volumes and alternating light and dark tones. Laid both on the floor in the open space living room/kitchen area and outside, the concrete-effect tiles create a visual and functional continuity between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Thanks to a subtle texture on shades of grey, where the warm hues of oxidation and the cooler tones typical of the original material coexist, the concrete-effect porcelain tiles become a decisive element in the interior and exterior designs of the residence. Able to embellish rooms thanks to their versatility, which makes them easy to mix and match with other furnishings, the tile surfaces also project their own style in safety and continuity, extending the design possibilities. Premium large-format 120x120 cm tiles boost the aesthetic and functional potential of spaces, amplifying volumes and giving them the characteristics of safety and reliability, especially critical when designing outdoor solutions. With a variety of effects and nuances, the large format is also able to satisfy the broadest array of stylistic inclinations: its task is to reinterpret all the expressiveness of the original material and transform it into a real living experience.

Facade systems from Technal helped the University of Leeds to set a new benchmark for student accommodation in the city. More than 3,00sqm of Technal glazing systems for the Charles Morris Halls were fabricated and installed, and the £21m student halls of residence comprises of two half-hexagon buildings sited around a central landscaped courtyard, providing 457 hotel-style study bedrooms.The challenging glazing specification involved the construction of large oriel glazing bays that project 300mm in front of the cladding, and contrasting projecting bays to the corners of the two buildings. The oriel bays provide a different architectural feature and an alternative to more conventional recessed panels of glazing. The floor to ceiling glazed units, which maximise natural light were constructed using aluminium curtain walling inset with top-hung casement windows. These were fabricated and installed into the bays in more than 30 different sizes to create a less regimented appearance for the building envelope. Laminated glass with coloured interlayers adds further interest to each facade - in panels of green where the glazing is set into red brickwork on the external elevations and orange for the courtyard elevations to complement the cream-coloured brick cladding. Long runs of curtain walling using 1500mm modules enclose the common room and the link bridge between the two accommodation blocks. The window units in the common room are linked to the air conditioning system, which allows them to open automatically according to CO2 levels. All other opening units on this scheme are operated by low-level levers to allow anyone, regardless of any disability to open the windows.

We adapted our aluminium window specification to meet the narrower than normal vent dimensions at the best-in-class £52 million student village in Coventry, balancing requirements for daylighting, ventilation, student safety and aesthetics. A total of 3,500 sqm of aluminium windows together with aluminium curtain walling and aluminium high-traffic doors were fitted at the 893 home development. The installation not only contributed to the creation of an uninterrupted, zero combustible facade, but also provided maintenance solution for the building owner. Paradise Street has been architecturally inspired by the originally medieval city of Coventry. The scheme's homes are arranged in a wall, and three towers to address the busy ring road, with a gatehouse opening into a 2,000 sqm piazza. Balancing the ventilation and necessary daylighting requirements led to the introduction of a fixed and opening vent to each room. This presented a whole new design challenge when it came to the window detailing, hailing a true example of design and technical collaboration between the architect, contractor, fabricator and TECHNAL. Complementing the subtle textures used for the facade's anodised aluminium panelling as well as the interior colour scheme, the TECHNAL systems are dual colour. Externally they are finished in pearl beige and white, internally. Other TECHNAL systems used for this project include the visible grid curtain walling. This is installed into an angled brickwork detail, creating an interesting wedge shape design to the common room space. To the main entrance, TECHNAL high traffic aluminium doors have been installed and tested to Secured by Design standards. These feature maglocks and automatic gearing that are tied into the building management system, ensuring all doors open in the event of an evacuation.

Tolson's Mill, Tamworth is a new £16 million development consisting of 51 canal side apartments and 10 town houses. Set within a five-storey textile factory, each apartment and house is set to retain the industrial character of the grade 2 listed Mill building. Leading the project development was Brookland Group with subcontractors V&D Interiors fitting out each of the living spaces. In designing the building, Crosby Granger Architects placed safety and comfort as the main priorities for product specification.Given the listed nature of the building, ensuring the materials used met and exceeded safety needs was critical. Likewise, ensuring acoustic performance would be key given the luxurious nature of the apartments and town houses.    For Calvin Challis, Commercial Manager at V&D Interiors, using Knauf products was the sensible thing to do. “The goals of the architect were to ensure a quality, soundproof interior which meant that the product specification met and exceeded this expectation. That’s where Knauf came in. Not only were they always there to help and ready to listen if we had any questions, but their product were also the right choice to achieve the goals specified by the architect.” Attaining this level of performance would be achieved using Knauf performance systems products including metal partitions, which not only offer speed advantages on site, but enhance fire protection as well.Meeting the acoustic needs of the brief, standard 12.5mm and 15mm Knauf Soundshield Plus were used on the walls and ceilings. Soundshield Plus provided enhanced acoustic performance and excellent fire resistance. Importantly, Soundshield Plus can give up to 54Db acoustic sound reduction when used as part of a Knauf system. Getting the perfect finish throughout was achieving by using a mixture of Knauf finishing products. This included jointing tape, intumescent and acoustic mastic for their fire and acoustic performance attributes, and Knauf Fill and Finish. The result was a high-quality finish on partition walls with necessary performance built in.Ensuring consistency throughout the interior, Knauf Ceilings were specified for their acoustic performance and peace of mind both ceiling and wall systems would complement each other. “From a specification point of view, it was critical we knew that all products used would achieve the performance required. This was the main point for the architects but for us on site, having all the product come from a single supplier made it easier to source the right materials and know they’d install and work together easily” Calvin recalls. While efficiencies were gained on site by using Knauf systems, one of the biggest advantages this approach offered was the peace of mind through warranties. Calvin explained why this was so important: “The Knauf System Performance Warranty meant everyone knew the products would perform as intended for the lifetime of the system, with guarantees in place in the unlikely event of something going wrong.” “Having that security in place was vital for all involved, it meant we could get the support we need for installation and the main contractors and client would be protected going forwards. Especially on a listed building project, you need to have that peace of mind in place.”For added reassurance, Calvin recalls how Knauf would provide onsite support in the form of inspections “Knauf were brilliant, if we needed any help or assistance, they were more than happy to help. They came to the site a few times, to inspect the installation and provide some guidance if we were unsure of something. This was particularly helpful when it came to checking the acoustic ratings. They were able to check the acoustic ratings and ensure that they met the requirements, and that the client was satisfied.” The apartments that form part of the luxury residential development at Tolson's Mills and Tamworth were completed in November of 2022, with the houses scheduled to be finished in June 2023.