"natural plant based glues and adhesives"

South Lodge is an award-winning luxury hotel in Sussex with breath-taking views of the South Downs. The client intended for the new spa building to blend in with the surrounding parkland. Bauder achieved this by specifying a wildflower, biodiverse roof. This consisted of a substrate-based system with Bauder WB native wildflower blanket. The blanket is a mix of British native plants which mirror the surrounding meadows, providing valuable ecological habitats for a mixture of wildlife.

The Carnaby Street Living Wall, spearheaded by a collaboration between Shaftesbury Capital PLC, Brimelow McSweeney Architects and Terapia Urbana, Scotscape Urban Greening, seamlessly integrated Terapia Urbana's patented Fytotextile® living system into the historical and vibrant landscape. This innovative living wall system is uniquely manufactured to fit perfectly around architectural elements, such as windows, ensuring an aesthetic and functional blend with the building's facade.A key aspect of the project's success was the strategic selection of plants, informed by detailed microclimate and sunlight analyses conducted by Terapia Urbana. This approach ensured the chosen vegetation thrived, enhancing the wall's ecological value and sustainability. Furthermore, the use of large planting cells in the upper sections of the wall allowed for the inclusion of shrubs, increasing soil volume, and thereby supporting a richer biodiversity and healthier plant growth.One of the Fytotextile® system's main advantages is the enhanced aeration it provides to the plant roots. This crucial feature improves the plants' performance and health by ensuring that roots receive the necessary oxygen to support respiration, significantly boosting the plants' overall vitality and resilience. Enhanced root aeration leads to healthier plant growth, reducing the risk of root diseases and ensuring the living wall remains a vibrant and dynamic feature of Carnaby Street.The collaboration between the involved parties resulted in a landmark Living Wall that not only transformed Carnaby Street's visual landscape but also set new benchmarks for integrating green spaces into urban environments. This project exemplifies the potential of combining innovative green technology, such as Terapia Urbana's Fytotextile® system, with meticulous ecological planning to create sustainable, vibrant urban green spaces that harmonize nature with city living, inspiring future sustainable urban developments.Brimelow McSweeney’s quote: ‘Carnaby Street is one of the most iconic fashion streets of London and a desirable address for commercial offices. The project involved substantial extensions and a full refurbishment behind an existing, uninspiring façade. The Fytotextile system is an easy to apply system that allows over-cladding existing and extended structures without over-loading. The expertise on suitable planting provided by the Terapia Urbana/Scotscape team was a fantastic support for developing our artistic vision to include patterns of the fashion industry within the planting schedules.’Photos courtesy of Brimelow McSweeney Architects

US aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, officially opened its first European manufacturing site in Sheffield in 2020. The £40m plant, covers 6,200m² and is responsible for making actuation system components for the 737 and 767 aircraft from raw materials sourced in the UK.The site, designed by D5 architects and installed by the main contractor J F Finnegan, followed the brief of functional adaptability, employee wellbeing and sustainability.Marshalls’ hard landscaping products were used for the forecourt, pathways and surrounding carpark to the building. Modal in Textured Mid Grey Granite paved around the entranceway and paths, while Modal Priora in Anthracite was used in some detailed areas. For the car parking spaces, Keyblok Priora in Natural was used alongside Charcoal to help define parking spaces and illustrate car charging and disabled bays.The use of Priora permeable paving supports the sustainable drainage for this project, the patented nib on the edge of the blocks creates voids through which water falls into a specially prepared sub-base, making this project free of surface water for years to come.

Products from F. Ball and Co. Ltd.’s System LVT range, including the company’s fast-track, fibre-reinforced transitional adhesive, Styccobond F58 PLUS, have been used to install luxury vinyl tiles in an ambitious, modern self-build property in rural Cambridgeshire.Flooring contractors began by thoroughly vacuuming the building’s concrete subfloor to remove dust and debris. F. Ball’s technical service team recommended treating the subfloor as a newly installed screed for the purposes of moisture management, despite being installed months earlier, as it had been left exposed to the elements since. Therefore, Stopgap F77 waterproof surface membrane was used to create a barrier to prevent excess subfloor moisture attacking adhesives and floorcoverings, potentially causing floor failure.Once the waterproof surface membrane had cured, the surface was primed using Stopgap P141. Stopgap 300 HD heavy-duty levelling compound was then applied over the entire ground floor to create a perfectly smooth base for the receipt of floorcoverings. The product’s high compressive strength and excellent self-levelling properties help create a flawless finish when installing LVTs, while ensuring a long-lasting, aesthetically pleasing floor finish even when subject to high levels of wear.The contractors then used Styccobond F58 PLUS and Styccobond F49 Hybrid PS temperature tolerant, moisture resistant, pressure sensitive adhesive to install wood-effect LVTs over the 372m2 area. Styccobond F49 was used where floor-to-ceiling windows were likely to cause temperatures to rise significantly as a result of solar gain.Styccobond F58 PLUS was used to install vinyl tiles everywhere else. The fast-track adhesive enables floorcoverings to be installed from as little as five minutes after application, transitioning from a wet-lay adhesive to become fully pressure sensitive. Reinforcing fibres in the formulation provide resistance to lateral movement, holding tiles firmly in place and reducing the potential for them to slide around when working. The adhesive’s high bond strength and strong initial tack also prevent excess adhesive oozing between joints, facilitating easier application.All of the products used in this installation feature in the F. Ball System LVT range: subfloor preparation products and adhesives which, used in combination, can help achieve optimum results when installing LVTs.Commenting on the project, Richard Argyle of 4 Floor Fittings, said: “It’s the best screed I’ve ever done. The levelling compound had no imperfections whatsoever. Styccobond F58 PLUS allowed floorcoverings to be installed over large areas in one go while helping with the precise alignment of LVTs. The result is a visually striking finish in keeping with the rest of the project.”

Armourplan PVC and Recticel Insulation by SIG Design Technology were selected for a 12,000 m2 roof to a bottling plant in a rural location on the outskirts of an historical Derbyshire spa town, known as Project Merlin. The FMCG company chose to build the new facility away from the site of the natural spring, piping the water some two miles out of town to this green field bottling and distribution site.

Stately Home, Hestercombe House, has unveiled the first milestone in an extensive 18-month project, which will see 15 rooms in the 320-acre estate being redecorated.Thanks to specialist redecoration services and expert colour insights from Crown Paints, the interior of the Portman and Jekyll rooms now reflects the estate’s luscious 50-acre Georgian landscape garden, blending the boundaries between indoors and outdoors.

We were delighted to have succeeded in a competitive tender to carry out the playground refurbishment works at Decoy Park, Newton Abbot, Devon, in the summer of 2021. Decoy Park is a beloved recreational space in the town, with a large lake, woodland trails, and adjacent football pitches complimenting the play equipment at the park. Our design reflected the semi rural nature of the landscape, with a huge Treehouse structure sitting as the centrepiece of the area, standing almost 6m tall with a tube slide coming off the top level.A dynamic area aimed at older children featured two aerial runways, a beautiful glue laminated hardwood robinia climbing frame, and an overhead rotator. A spinning machine, a unique play piece that spins the seated user vertically 360 degrees, added a unique twist to the zone, something not seen in your everyday playground!The toddler zone is a heaven for the smallest children, with tastefully designed animal graphics, a variety of spinning, balancing and rocking activities, and a fun play ship featuring telescopes, play panels and steering wheels.A variety of different safety surfaces were laid at the area, to suit the various requirements of each zone. Wet pour rubber was used for the Toddler area, as its array of colours made designing and creating the animal graphics a possibility. TigerMulch was chosen for the adventure zone, with its natural looks and hard wearing properties ideal for the dynamic activities taking place here.Decoy Park was one of those special, unique projects that don’t come around very often, and we had so much fun designing and building the new playground. Thanks to Teignbridge District Council for commissioning us to do the works, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it!

F. Ball’s Stopgap Fill and Prime thixotropic primer and Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound have delivered a fast-track solution for installing floorcoverings in one of the largest small-animal referral hospitals in Europe.Flooring contractors installed vinyl safety flooring and luxury vinyl tiles throughout a total area of 1100m2 at Southfields Veterinary Centre, in Basildon, Essex.Requiring a timesaving solution for working over chipboard as an alternative to overboarding with plywood, the contractors contacted their regional F. Ball technical representative, who advised preparing subfloors with Stopgap Fill and Prime prior to the application of a suitable levelling compound.Stopgap Fill and Prime is a cement-based primer that is designed for use over raised-access panels and flooring grades of plywood, chipboard, MDF and oriented strand board (OSB 3). It has a thixotropic consistency, meaning that it flows freely when stirred but sets to a gel-like consistency on standing, enabling it to fill gaps between panels to prevent imperfections transferring to the finished installation.Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound was then applied in all areas to create a perfectly smooth base for floorcoverings. The product is fast-setting and fast-drying and can also be applied over old adhesive residues, in which case there is no need to prime subfloors beforehand.Polyflor vinyl safety flooring was installed in the treatment rooms using Styccobond F44 solvent-free acrylic emulsion adhesive, which is designed to give a strong initial tack, high bond strength and a long open time.In the canteen, Forbo Allura Flex Wood luxury vinyl tiles were adhered using Styccobond F46 pressure sensitive adhesive, which provides instant grab, preventing floorcoverings from sliding as tiles or planks are subsequently placed. The adhesive is designed to minimise the incidence of trowel serrations showing through thin vinyl flooring and potentially affecting the finished appearance of the installation. Styccobond F46 was also used to secure Polyflor vinyl safety flooring in the corridors connecting the treatment rooms.Capping and coving were installed in the corridors using Styccobond F60 contact adhesive. The formation of an instant bond makes it suitable for securing floor and wallcoverings on vertical surfaces.Commenting on the project, Ben Montgomery, head of projects at Veatu Flooring, said: “While we use a lot of F. Ball products and they’re our first choice because of their quality and availability, it’s the first time we’ve used the tech rep service. They came out and provided a tailored specification for the project we were working on, which ended up saving us a lot of time and expense.”Before any floor preparation work was carried out a moisture test was conducted, which determined that subfloor moisture levels were low enough that a moisture management solution was not needed.

Project LocationIpswich, SuffolkProduct UsedCemfloor Therm C20 The former Babergh District Council offices are located within the town centre.The area comprises five buildings with listed status, historic maltings, and a former industrial gasworks, as well as a contemporary office block.The plan is to integrate the listed structures into a fresh residential project, achieved through a combination of renovating and constructing new apartments and houses.Cemfloor Therm was chosen for this stage of the project thanks to its many benefits including;Reduced drying time compared to other screedsCement based screed that is compatible with all cement based adhesives; including fast track systemsEasy Installation which reduced time and costsFoot traffic allowed after 24/48 hours which meant other aspects of the project could continue

Project Name:Saxton LaneProject Location:LeedsMain Contractor:Torsion ConstructionCemfloor Installed By:B & K SystemsProduct Used:Cemfloor C25Saxton Lane is made up of two residential tower blocks in the heart of Leeds.The 18 and 22 storey tower blocks contain over 300 apartments on the former Alton Cars Showroom site, in an area that is currently enjoying substantial investment and economic growth.Cemfloor C25 was chosen for this project thanks to its many benefits including;Reduced drying time compared to other screedsCement based screed that is compatible with all cement based adhesives; including fast track systemsEasy Installation which reduced time and costsFoot traffic allowed after 24/48 hours which meant other aspects of the project could continue

Project LocationNorth YorkshireProduct Used:Cemfloor ThermThe Jacobean-style property, built between 1828 and 1831 and designed by renowned architect Anthony Salvin, is being turned into homes set in 10 acres of private parkland overlooking the River Ouse.Originally commissioned for the High Sheriff of Yorkshire, the family still owned the estate into the 20th century.The first completed phase of the stately home's renovation is seven homes and apartments.Cemfloor Therm was the product of choice for this project thanks to its many benefits;Reduced drying time compared to other screedsCement based screed that is compatible with all cement based adhesives; including fast track systemsEasy Installation which reduced time and costsFoot traffic allowed after 24/48 hours which meant other aspects of the project could continue

Cembrit, leading cladding and building board specialist has launched Unipan, a versatile tile backing board which is ideally suited for internal ‘wet’ applications. Unipan is lightweight, tough, and stable, and offers a solid base for tiling through its excellent adhesion properties. The boards are manufactured from a material that is a mix of cement and aggregate, which also contains polystyrene beading to reduce the weight of the board allowing for easy on-site manoeuvrability and quick installation. Unipan features flat, reinforced tapered edges that are specifically designed for a good join, which is critical in wet applications such as bathrooms.

As part of the regeneration programme within the bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, the Olympic Village (now known as the multiple award-winning East Village) was designed to house the athletes based on reusing the buildings after the games as a new residential district for Stratford.The 67 acres site, provided for 11 residential plots, each made up of 5 to 7 blocks, built around communal squares and courtyards, with water features accentuating the proximity of the River Lea.Radmat Building Products provided the waterproofing system and the MedO Extensive living green roofs on much of the apartments, to provide a low maintenance and self-sustaining plant community. Working with expert horticulturalists, Radmat Building Products have developed the MedO range of living green roofing systems. All systems are suitable for both new and refurbishment projects and are constructed using the appropriate drainage board, filter fleece and growing medium for the planting required.

Completely restructured, the building is BREEAM Good, certified by BBC Effinergie Rénovation and HQE Rénovation Très Bien. With its partners, was chose a bold architecture that meets the challenges of the future, anticipates future developments, considering all its dimensions. Several Effisus solutions were used in this project: Effisus Ecofacade, to ensure water and air tightness of all facade elements connections, the waterproofing adhesive Effisus Bonding KF, the facade joint sealing solution for rainwater with pressures up to 600Pa Effisus Sealexpand XTRA 600 and also the multifunction double-sided butyl-based sealing tape Effisus 2Bond GO.

‘Flooring by Henton’ opted for F. Ball products to achieve a high quality LVT floor finish in the company’s own showroom. Firstly, contractors removed old carpet, LVT and wood floorcoverings from the 90m2 floor of the showroom. Contractors next applied Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound over the entire subfloor to create a perfectly smooth base for the receipt of floorcoverings. The showroom has a large glass front, therefore, Styccobond F48 PLUS high temperature grade vinyl adhesive was selected to install wood-effect vinyl planks to ensure the floorcoverings would hold firmly in place when exposed to extreme temperatures.

The Pavilions comprise of seven residential buildings alongside the railway, providing a mix of 156 one, two and three bedroom sustainable homes with 35% affordable housing. As a site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), this 'Development of the Year’ maximises the residential capacity without compromising the nature conservation designation. This is achieved by incorporating an educational nature trail and bird hide, with generous open spaces planted with trees, green roofs to encourage biodiversity, and solar panels. Cellecta’s ScreedBoard 20 was specified by Jestico + Whiles as it is a dry light weight Robust Detail solution compatible with Metec System LGS system, and the ideal overlay floorboard for acoustic application incorporating underfloor heating applications due to its high thermal conductivity. This enables the system to run more efficiently, saving on running costs and improving reaction times.Telford Homes was awarded this 14,350m² contract for this development at Caledonian Road in Islington.

A house dating back to around 1910 was dismantled in the St. Johann district of Basel to make way for a new building on the narrow plot. The construction company was forced to allow car, bicycle and pedestrian traffic to continue and had to make do with a building site that was severely restricted.The ten staircase elements were precast in architectural concrete at the factory, treated with Schöck Tronsole® products and shipped to the site where a crane lowered them individually into their exact position in the stairwell through an opening on the top floor. All of which took place without any standard fastening the elements – each weighing two tons – at the sides or on supports. After all, the challenge was to minimise the transmission of impact sound.Installation was performed by the on-site construction manager in Davidsbodenstrasse. It did not take long to win foreman Paul Willig over to the product: "The self-adhesive technology of Tronsole® makes it quick to install, without the need for tools.” Depending on the construction workflow, the impact sound insulation can also be easily applied at the prefabricating plant.

Creating better education environments Primary School De Verwondering is a fully bio-based school building and the first example of a new generation of bio-based school buildings that recognizes and harnesses nature's powerful effcet on learning.The beautiful wooden building - which runs on circular energy - has a vegetation roof with chickens, green facades and remarkably large windows. The primary school recently won the 2021 Golden Frog award for sustainable construction in the Netherlands.The interior and exterior of the school have a positive influence on the well-being and performance of the pupils. The environment outside blends with the natural elements of the building, such as wood and bamboo, while inside the interior architect chose a CO2 neutral (cradle to gate) Marmoleum floor covering. Marmoleum Cocoa is made of natural and renewable raw materials with the addition of a waste product from the cocoa industry and, in that respect, it fits the building perfectly. Marmoleum is one of the flooring industry's most beautiful and also oldest bio-based products.

Artform suggested a mixture of sleek reconstituted granite and simple natural granite benches. Anastasio-Makatite benches were chosen to face out to sea and to partially form planting beds with a variety of local flowers. This helped to improve the appearance of the promenade as well as providing a wonderful vantage point for people to sit and take in the sea views. Local points of reference and historical facts were also included on floor plaques directly in front of the benches so that they could be viewed and enjoyed whilst sitting on the seats.

The Challenge Oc’Via Construction, the partnership building the £2bn TGV Fast Rail line to Montpellier in France, entrusted the treatment of its wastewater to BioKlar Ltd, part of the Marsh Industries Group, commencing in January 2013 with the supply, installation and maintenance of a 340pe wastewater treatment plant at the Central Administrative Centre near Nîmes. The variable nature of the load, combined with stringent French and local Authority requirements in this environmentally sensitive area, were a particular challenge. See the link to our website for more details

Delivering ‘the perfect flooring installation’ for luxury Crystal cruise ship, the Crystal Endeavour, has been achieved by flooring contractors.To guarantee the highest levels of aesthetics and durability, flooring contractors used Styccobond flooring adhesives and Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound.To install carpets, contractors opted for a dual bond system comprising Styccobond F40 and F3 adhesives. Styccobond F1 rubber latex adhesive was used to seal carpet edges to reduce the risk of fraying and fibre loss, maximising the longevity of the installation.Luxury vinyl tiles were installed using Styccobond F46 pressure sensitive adhesive, which provides instant grab to prevent tiles and planks from sliding as adjacent tiles/planks are laid into the adhesive. Prior to installing the LVT, flooring contractors used Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound to create a perfectly smooth and level subfloor surface.

Furnitubes designed, engineered, manufactured and installed 35 planters and 8 seating units. The planters were supplied in corten steel and aluminium trusses up to 6m high were bolted into the base of the planters for climbing plants to grow up. The seating is from Furnitubes’ new Elements XL range, designed to be sufficiently stable to not require fixing down, with 4 units including bespoke backrests. All products are heavy enough to not be easily moved by the public, but can be readily moved by pallet truck if the spaces in the Lower Mall need to be rearranged in future.

Imperial Central is a collection of fifty five 1 and 2 bedroom apartments based in the heart of Slough. Designed around a private residential courtyard with ecofriendly planting, Building and cladding materials certified to A Grade EWS1 Fire safety standards, each apartment has its own balcony or terrace.Delivered via our project partners Architectural Facades | Cladding Supplier (brickability.co.uk) Pro brick slip panels were used for this project to meet both the fire performance and U values required but also the rapid fit benefits of the system.

F. Ball products including Styccobond F48 PLUS fibre-reinforced high temperature grade vinyl adhesive, have helped transform a disused agricultural building into a new state-of-the-art distillery and visitor centre at Treggudick Manor, Cornwall.Flooring contractors installed a variety of floorcoverings, including vinyl sheet and tiles, wood and carpet tiles, throughout the 620m2 space at the English Spirit Distillery.The installation began by mechanically grinding the building’s recently installed power floated concrete screed to create a ‘key’ for subsequently applied subfloor preparation products. Stopgap F77 waterproof surface membrane was then applied to create a barrier to prevent excess subfloor moisture attacking adhesives and floorcoverings, potentially leading to floor failure.Following this, contractors primed the surface using Stopgap P141 primer, and once dry Stopgap 300 HD levelling compound was applied in the kitchen that serves the café. Elsewhere, Stopgap 1200 Pro high performance levelling compound was used to create a perfectly smooth base for floorcoverings.Styccobond F48 PLUS was chosen to install Altro Ensemble wood-effect Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVTs) in the restaurant and shop, each comprising an area of approximately 100m2.In the kitchen, Altro Stronghold ‘Dolphin’ grey vinyl safety flooring was adhered with Styccobond F73 PLUS one-part, moisture-curing heavy-duty adhesive and in the offices, Styccobond F41 carpet tile tackifier created a permanently tacky film to hold Heckmondwike flint grey carpet tiles firmly in place when subject to normal foot traffic but enable them to be lifted and replaced should they become worn or damaged.

OverviewCryfield Village, Warwick University, is a state-of-the-art student accommodation development, replacing outdated residences. Built as a series of townhouse-style apartments and studios, the village will eventually house around 830 residents. The new residences are fitted with photovoltaic panels that convert the sun's energy to electricity, supporting the University's aim to reach net zero carbon by 2030. The designers were keen to make a statement with the village properties and to impart a warm and welcoming feeling for the first year students.The SolutionWithin our “Collections” we have a number of terracotta-coloured finishes. The client particularly liked the tones and texture of ‘Cracked Clay’ from our Evolution range, and the 25 year guarantee for gloss, colour and adhesion was an important consideration. As do all our powders, Cracked Clay meets the Reaction to Fire Standards for fire classification A2-s1,d0, suitable for use on multi-storey residential buildings.We coated 900 m2 of aluminium cassette panels for the façade and roof of the phase 1 property which will house around 383 first year students. .The appealing, warm and eye-catching finish is (we think) a marked improvement on the existing building as one of these images shows.Benefits of Using PowdertechPowdertech has over 30 years’ experience in professional architectural powder coatingColour, tone and texture are our passion and we have the expertise to develop bespoke finishes.The Evolution range has a 25 year guarantee for gloss, colour and adhesion.Powdertech's rigorous pre-treatment system will help to keep the panelling free from corrosion for up to 40-years.Powdertech’s flexible plant can coat a wide variety of shapes and sizes of architectural metal work and fabrications.

F. Ball and Co. Ltd.’s newest high-performance water-mix smoothing underlayment, Stopgap 1500 AquaPro, has been used alongside the company’s Styccobond F46 pressure sensitive vinyl adhesive to provide a time-saving solution for installing floorcoverings in Derbyshire’s largest hospital.Derbyshire Flooring Contractors installed an eye-catching bespoke vinyl flooring design in the waiting area and connecting corridors of the children’s outpatient ward at Royal Derby Hospital, a total area of 800m2.The floors in the ward required refurbishing as the old floorcoverings had become worn. Work needed to be carried out in the evening, in stages, so that it would not interfere with the day-to-day running of the ward. Requiring a time-saving solution, contractors opted to use Stopgap 1500 AquaPro water-mix smoothing underlayment, avoiding the need to remove old adhesive residues.Stopgap 1500 AquaPro uses the latest technology to offer a water-mix smoothing underlayment that can be applied over old adhesive residues, including bitumen, carpet tile tackifiers and ceramic tile adhesives. In such applications, there is no need to prime beforehand, saving further time and expense. Fast-setting and fast-drying, it is walk-on hard in as little as 60 minutes after application and ready to receive floorcoverings from just four hours.Work began with the labour-intensive task of uplifting old floorcoverings. Stopgap 1500 AquaPro was then applied at a thickness of 3mm over the subfloors to create a perfectly smooth base for new floorcoverings.A bespoke two-tone design, resembling a river running through the children’s ward with ‘islands’ of colour either side, was created by cutting shapes from two different colours of Polyflor Classic Mystique PUR vinyl sheet flooring, with the pieces adhered using Styccobond F46 pressure sensitive adhesive.Styccobond F46 provides instant grab, preventing floorcoverings from sliding when placed, helping with the creation of designs and patterns. The adhesive is also formulated to minimise the incidence of trowel serrations showing through thin vinyl flooring potentially affecting the finished appearance of installations.Commenting on the project, Mark Grant, Managing Director at Derbyshire Flooring Contractors, said: “We like using F. Ball products – they’re really good quality and reliable. Also, their tech reps are always available, if needed, to provide advice on products to use and procedures to follow throughout a project, from start to finish, including keeping us up-to-date with the latest technology that can help us achieve optimum results efficiently. That’s how I found out about Stopgap 1500 AquaPro, which saved us a lot of time outside of normal working hours and enabled us to complete the work while the ward wasn’t in use, minimising disruption to services.”

Soaring 75 floors above the city, the breath-taking Sky Terrace spans the top floor of the Landmark Pinnacle building.Chalegrove Properties, the developer of Landmark Pinnacle, working with Squire and Partners and Farrer Huxley Landscape Architects had a collective vision to create a unique space befitting of the exceptional views which surround the roof garden. The space has been designed as a pair of landscaped external terraces providing spectacular panoramic views over London, while offering a healthy environment embracing biophilia to ensure residents can connect with nature in an otherwise urban setting.Biotecture’s living walls create lush green backdrops for both the east and west terraces. The green walls are constructed using Biotecture’s patented hydroponic living wall system, which was developed by the founders of the company in 2007 and remains the most flexible, resilient, and low water use of any fully comprehensive living wall system anywhere in the world.Living walls are a space efficient way to bring more plants into urban areas where space is literally and financially at a premium. Bringing more greenery into urban spaces can help reduce stress and anxiety, and together with the wider planting scheme, the living walls form the backdrop for a tranquil and relaxing place for residents and their guests to unwind. Living walls have also been proven to improve air quality, cool urban areas, and increase biodiversity.The lighting scheme was designed by Hoare Lee to bring the wall to life in the evening.Design and Project ManagementBiotecture were first approached by Charlgrove Properties in 2020. Squire and Partners and Farrer Huxley Landscape Architects had a clear vision for what they wanted. Our design and project management team were able to take the project forward, advising on technical requirements and producing drawings.Selection of Plant PalletteAll plants used in Biotecture’s living walls are selected from Biotecture’s plant database to suit the local climatic conditions, including aspect, wind conditions and shade. Level 75 is the UK’s highest living wall, and the roof terrace is open to the elements. The plants were selected to withstand high exposure to sunlight and wind.The plant selection is mainly hardy and robust evergreen plants with dashes of colour creating a naturalistic background overlaid with bursts of seasonal interest.HorticultureOur BioPanel system incorporates Grodan as a growing medium. It is dimensionally stable, chemically inert, and supremely water efficient making it ideal for living walls. The living walls were planted up in our West Sussex Nursery and allowed to mature for 12 weeks before being installed on site. This ensured the living walls looked fantastic from day one. The living walls include an integrated irrigation system which is being remotely monitored from Biotecture’s head office.InstallationThe fully planted up BioPanels were fixed to aluminum cladding rails mounted onto a waterproof backing board. The team worked closely with Chalegrove to ensure the living walls were delivered to the required schedule.MaintenanceOur living wall system gives the plants the best opportunity to flourish, and our maintenance operatives know how to keep them that way. Our team will carry out regular horticultural visits to keep the walls looking their best.Photos by Oliver Dixon, courtesy of Chalegrove Properties

Stopgap 800 wearcoat has been used to create a visually striking floor finish at a new organic meat restaurant in South London. First, contractors lifted the old wood floorcoverings to ensure it was suitably sound, smooth, and dry. To guard against excess subfloor moisture, contractors applied Stopgap F77 waterproof surface membrane to isolate excess subfloor moisture. Stopgap 800 Wearcoat was then applied over the entire subfloor. Stopgap 800 was selected due to its capabilities when it comes to upgrading and renovating new and existing internal floors, where floorcoverings are not required to be installed, making it perfect for this project.

The Green Roofs Consultancy report looked to the provision of Green Bio diverse roof to address the need to encourage additional species. The ABG Green Bio diverse Roof System includes a mixture of plug planted sedum, cuttings and seeded annual and perennial wildflowers. ABG Roofdrain was used as a reservoir and drainage base layer to optimise water retention and prevent ponding. Special provisions were made to create hibernicula for local endangered species. The roof will benefit the building by providing additional insulation and reducing noise pollution.The roofs substrate filters out dust and pollutants helping improve the environment nearby

Riversfield is a large detached Grade B listed town house. This property had severe contamination of moss and algae. We recommended that the climbing plants and wall shrubs to be moved away from the surfaces prior to the decoration of KEIM. We then advised that any existing fungal growth must be thoroughly removed using wire brushes to remove all growths and then all areas were to be treated with KEIM Algicid. Onto the cement based, roughcast surfaces, a three coat KEIM Royalan system was used to provide a colourfast, longlife, breathable, protective and decorative mineral matt finish.

Find out more about our work at Grantley Hall in North Yorkshire, which used the ROOFTRAK™ IFP as the base for some stunning natural stone cladding.

Products donated by F. Ball and Co. Ltd., including the company’s Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound, have been used to prepare subfloors as part of the renovation of the Coventry Caribbean Community Centre prior to its reopening to coincide with Coventry’s UK City of Culture status last year. Firstly, they removed old floorcoverings, revealing a rough screed. A moisture test also indicated that subfloor relative humidity levels were above the 75% maximum threshold for installing floorcoverings. Installers therefore opted to use Stopgap 1200 Pro to smooth subfloors.Stopgap F77 one-part waterproof surface membrane was then applied to prevent excess subfloor moisture attacking floorcoverings and adhesives, potentially causing complete floor failure.Once dry, the surface was primed using Stopgap P141, which is designed especially to promote the adhesion of levelling compounds to non-absorbent surfaces, including waterproof surface membranes. Another layer of Stopgap 1200 Pro was then used to create a perfectly smooth base for the receipt of new floorcoverings.Once the levelling compound had cured, Amtico Spacia stone-effect LVTs were installed in the majority of the floor area, with cream-coloured hexagon tiles positioned around the bar area for visual interest.

Read how IOBAC adhesive-free flooring withstood the demanding environment of a Formula One hospitality motorhome over 4 years and why IOBAC MagTabs are being re-specified for adhesive-free installation of Forbo Luxury Vinyl Tiles.

The Blackheath Hospital, a private hospital made up of Victorian houses that from the classical façade of the building required a new waterproofing membrane to the plant room roof, after reports of water ingress to the building below. The leaks were caused by the existing box gutter around the slate pitched roof which was found to be an aged timber deck with a broken down felt membrane. The client requested a high performance, cold applied system, therefore Proteus Pro-Cold® was specified.High Performance WaterproofingDue to the nature of the building, a noise free, low odour, cost effective solution was required. A recovery board, bonded in Pro-Bond Foaming Adhesive was first installed, followed by the application of Proteus Pro-Cold® in a two coat fully reinforced process providing a guaranteed 15- year system. Proteus Waterproofing worked closely with the Proteus Approved Contractor to ensure the project was completed to a high standard. Health & SafetyAs the hospital building was constantly operating, the system needed to be installed with minimum noise and disruptions, ensuring the hospital could still operate and patients were not disturbed. As Proteus Pro-Cold® is cold applied it met all the health and safety criteria, as well as keeping disruptions to a minimum. Proteus Pro-Cold® is also certified with the highest European Fire Rating BROOF(t4). Long Term PerformanceProteus Pro-Cold® offers a low maintenance, durable waterproofing and protection solution for a range of new build and refurbishment applications. It is cold applied, eliminating the risk of fire and once cured, provides a completely seamless waterproof protection and has excellent UV stability, making it suitable to use in all climates. Proteus Pro-Cold® forms a seamless, fully adhered membrane and has BROOF(t4) certification.

Silverlakes eco village in Dorset is a new build venture where the client wanted to achieve maximum sustainability.The houses, boat houses, garages and also communal areas such as the leisure centre required green roofs and M-Tray® was chosen due to its ease of transport and installation, and its square modular nature. Pre-grown, healthy sedum plants inside the plastic trays were laid onto the flat roofs across the village, providing an attractive dressing and improving storm water attenuation, thermal insulation and a magnet for wildlife.

The Met Office’s new state of the art building in Exeter Science Park features a large IT hall, along with a striking two-story ‘collaboration’ building, which will be a home for world-class research into climate change. In order to create a contemporary design which blended in with the natural landscape, Marshalls’ assisted the landscape design team in selecting the Prospero, Thalassa and Tritanial granites due to their complimentary tones and textures which matched the contemporary architectural design which juxtaposed with seminaturalised areas of sweeping soft landscaping and semi-mature native tree planting.