"blocks and bricks"

Leviat’s Ancon MDC Masonry Support and Ancon CombiDeck, along with Ibstock Kevington’s Nexus® Brick-Faced Units have played key roles in constructing a major student accommodation complex in the heart of Lincoln, offering overall efficiency and ease of construction.The complex is spread across ten blocks, ranging from 4 to 10 storeys in height, which have been sub-divided to reduce scale and facilitate a progressive change in character across the development. The first phase included 1,222 bedrooms in apartments, comprising six to 12 en-suite bedrooms. Students will also benefit from associated internal and external amenity space.

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

This set of 12 houses, by Quarry View Developments and Progressive, sits in Llanberis, Wales. Overlooking beautiful lakes, and mountains and nestled at the foot of the Snowdonia National Park. A combination of glazing, timber, render and stone helps to create an incredibly pleasing facade that helps distinguish the project from the scenery without overpowering it.Our Blockley's Synthesis S12 mosaic brick is used in coalition with Blockley's Black Smooth to create a beautiful facade that sits perfectly within the beauty of the valley.

Take one look at our website and customers would be forgiven for thinking our grilles are only available painted in one colour - black. They can of course be supplied bare metal to go rusty in many cases as another option but black is our standard colour. That said we supply vents and air bricks painted in a huge range of RAL colours. These cant be ordered direct from the website and there is an additional cost but they can be turned around in a week or so. Please email for more details

Designed by The Cast Iron Air Brick Company, this stunning grille was transformed from a concept to "a work of art" by North Devon based, pattern maker, Peter Hoole in 2010 and is now cast in West Midlands. With over 2000 sold, its fast becoming "the" conservation vent for listed and period properties and is now available with a 5" diameter(125mm) spigot as well as the original 4" diameter (100mm). Supplied in traditional black or primed for contractors to colour co-ordinate to owners requirements on site.

The Scope of the project was to provide a structural waterproofing solution to a private dwelling with new build extension.The property, situated on a sloping site gave the opportunity for the waterproof design to utilise the properties environment to allow for natural discharge of any potential water ingress.The property was detached and retaining to the front and side elevations where the retaining ground slopes down and away from the property to a garden that continues to slope down to a small stream. The retaining walls on either elevation rise at their highest point to approximately 1500mm above the internal floor level.The internal walls of the property were original brick to the front and new cavity built concrete block. The floor to what was the original house is of solid concrete construction joining on to a newer block and beam floor construction.When designing the most appropriate waterproofing system to any given situation, various design factors require addressing such as (but not limited to), final use of the building, the grade of waterproofing requirement under the British Standard, structural considerations based on the form of construction and in some cases, satisfying the requirements of building warranty providers.

This bowling alley features a large application of LONDON BRICK AGED RED wall panels, providing a great backdrop for the neon-lit writing. Robust and highly realistic, Vtec Texture Panels are an attractive and extremely practical option for the areas with limited access for future maintenance. Another bowling centre in the group used our ROUGH CONCRETE Wall Panels, which also works really well. Installed in many hospitality and retail establishments, Texture Panels help to create a characterful ambiance in a short period of time.

Housing over 360 apartments, the Wembley Park redevelopment was a huge transformation of a long-neglected space around Wembley Stadium and turning it into a fresh, new part of London.By using Michelmersh’s Floren Polaris, the architect, Flanagan Lawrence was able to create eye-catching, monolithic facades that are easy to recognise from a distance. Chris Kallan of Flanagan Lawrence stated ‘This is a beautiful brick which has a hint of whiteness; because of that it changes colour subtly as the daylight changes to give the facades a real dynamism,’.The project was envisioned to be a multi-use area and regenerate the area into a vibrant, residential retail and entertainment area. First-floor podium gardens allow for playing space for children as well as areas designed to create community spaces for areas such as libraries and further gardens.

Brick manufacturer Vandersanden is launching a new texture generator for its facing bricks and brick slips. With the new online tool, architects, property developers and consumers can design a facade by combining, among other things, different types of bricks and brick slips, colours, laying patterns and joint thicknesses.In total, the texture generator allows more than 1.1 million combinations to be created and compared. Thanks to cutting-edge technology, Vandersanden's texture generator displays the most detailed and realistic digital reproduction of a facade texture to date. The generated texture can be easily downloaded, including image folders and technical specifications.Maximising digital opportunitiesVandersanden has been focusing on the digitisation of its offering for some time. For several years, the company has been digitising various services for different customer groups. Knowledge sharing, inspiration and convenience for customers are central to this. The new texture generator is their very latest digital innovation."With the texture generator, we are making the most of the possibilities that the digital world offers, in order to better fulfil the present and future needs of our customers. The texture generator is an endless source of inspiration for both professionals and consumers. Professionals can visualise their projects realistically in a simple way, because the texture can easily be integrated into drawing programmes", says Nathali Donatz, Group Marketing Director at Vandersanden. "With the texture generator, we make it easy for professionals and consumers to design the perfect facade and by doing so, strengthen our role as the partner for creating beautiful facades."Lifelike visualisationsWhereas most texture generators on the market make visualisations based on photography, Vandersanden embraces a new technology, namely photogrammetry. This technology enables a digital 3D image of a brick, and in a later phase also of clay pavers, to be created by means of an extensive set of photos.As a result, products are displayed with a particularly high level of detail and 3D depth. The new technology also allows for greater scalability, which means that recurring patterns are virtually impossible. All this means that textures can be visualised in a particularly realistic and natural way. Vandersanden does not compromise on user-friendliness: the tool is very simple and intuitive to use.Texture generator 2.0With its texture generator, the family business wants to go beyond the existing tools on the market."By using advanced technology, we are addressing gaps in existing texture generators. Current technology allows for less detailing and less flexibility, making textures more repetitive and artificial. With our texture generator, we want to provide customers with the most realistic image possible, so that they can perfectly imagine what their future facade will look like", says Nathali Donatz of Vandersanden.For more information and to try the texture generator visit Lifelike textures with the texture generator | Vandersanden

Leading sustainable timber frame house manufacturer, Scandia-Hus, and brick innovator, Vandersanden, have reached another significant landmark in their decade long partnership with the completion of The Mulberry, a new show home at the company’s HQ in East Grinstead.The Mulberry is a 3-bedroom chalet bungalow that successfully blends the traditional with the contemporary in a bold new design created for the UK self-build market. The rear of The Mulberry features an attractive modern aesthetic with large-glazed spaces in the form of bi-fold doors and a bespoke shaped unit, both edged in grey aluminium frames.The front elevation is more traditional in appearance with a clay tile roof and cream cottage look windows. The entire timber-frame house is clad with the Hailsham Mixture brick from Vandersanden, providing a deep warmth, colour and texture to the design of The Mulberry.Inside the property, Vandersanden’s dark Midnight Blue brick slips have been used to create an attractive, internal feature wall to provide further design inspiration to visitors.The Hailsham Mixture is a multi-coloured facing brick from the extensive Vandersanden range, featuring a combination of brown, black and yellow tones over an orange base colour.These attractive hues are achieved through the use of specific sand types in the surface covering and, together with the sanded texture of this hand-formed brick, create a rich and characterful narrative that perfectly suits The Mulberry.In The Mulberry, the Vandersanden bricks are laid in a stretcher bond, an approach that requires minimal brick cutting to reduce waste and increase material and build efficiency. This pattern is created by stacking bricks with the stretcher side facing out and the vertical joins on each course central to the bricks in the courses above and below.“We are proud to unveil The Mulberry as our latest completed show home at our East Grinstead HQ,” comments Jeannette Cooper, Scandia-Hus’s Product Research & Site Co-ordination Manager:“The Hailsham Mixture brick is a critical element in realising our design vision on this project which is a fitting way to mark our ten-year partnership with Vandersanden. As a brand, Vandersanden provides a wide choice of high-quality innovative and sustainable bricks which is backed by exceptional support in the way that they present their bricks and provide inspiration to our customers. These are the reasons we value our partnership and explains why we have worked so closely with them on so many projects and Scandia-Hus show homes over the years.”She adds:“Ultimately, Scandia-Hus and Vandersanden share the same goals – the creation of enduringly beautiful homes for our customers that are built with superior quality materials and show an exceptional standard of finish.”Renowned for its Scandinavian style energy-saving homes, Scandia-Hus offers a complete, fully flexible bespoke design service to its customers. Designs, such as The Mulberry, can be tailored to suit different tastes, plot and spatial considerations as well as personal lifestyle needs.Many customers begin the process with a Scandia-Hus design and collaborate with the company’s in-house architectural designers to create the property of their dreams.For more information on the Hailsham Mixture, Midnight Blue and the wide range of high-quality bricks available from Vandersanden, visit the Vandersanden website.For more information about Scandia-Hus, please visit their website www.scandia-hus.co.uk, or come along to the Open Day on Saturday 19th March to view the new show home.

Sugar House Island's Cooperage Yard is part of a transformative project just south of Olympic Park intending to create a distinctive urban environment that has been carefully designed to create a balance between work, life and leisure.Set next to the Islands creative quarter, Cooperage Yard covers 8000ft2 over of the area. Its immediately recognisable sawtooth-shaped roof overlooks the river and courtyard. Natural light floods both floors of the building and a south-facing roof terrace offers further space for its inhabitants.Freshfield Lane's Danehill Yellow bricks are immediately recognisable and offer a positive contrast to the tones of other nearby brick buildings. The tones are further complimented by shafts of natural light that penetrate the pathways between buildings. When combined, the colour language and open space create a sense of optimism between the structures.

London Brick Multi and White wall panels were specified in the design for a new café at Battersea. Chosen for their natural textures and features, the panels help create real atmosphere. Produced from original walls, Vtec panels contain in excess of 50% natural pigments, oxides and minerals. They're lightweight enough to be used almost on any type of structure, as well as being strong and highly durable - perfect for high traffic areas. Panels were installed either side of Arches, mounted on false walls. Large panel size achieved wall coverage quickly and easily with concealed joints for a seamless finish.

Ryno Signature Decking in ‘Silver Birch’ takes pride of place in this new Brentwood development. The apartment block has a bold red brick exterior, with simple anthracite windows and detailing.The glass balustrades of the balconies allow the maximum level of light to enter the apartments, while making the paved courtyard feel even larger and more spacious.Products UsedTerraSmart® Composite in Silver Birch was used across the private balconies. Silver Birch, from the Signature Range of premium ‘capped’ decking, has an elegant textured wood-grain finish.The terrace spaces had additional height build-up requirements, so fixed-head adjustable pedestals were used to raise the decking to the door thresholds.

When colour is the primary concern, and the project is happening over 1,000 miles away, Marley had to get creative. 

An award-winning, luxury home in the beautiful Hampshire countryside, 4 Views is designed to make the most of its location, also makes its own bold statement thanks to an imaginative combination of materials, including lass, timber and bricks created by the innovation-led, manufacturer, Vandersanden. A remarkable new build with a distinctive architectural design from Winchester-based firm, AR Design Studio, 4 Views incorporates Dark Vandersanden Morvan brickwork which creates tonal contrast with cedar cladding and floor to ceiling glass doors and windows to set this home apart, giving it a balanced, calm identity, at one with the landscape.To find out more about the bricks used in this project or to see the wide range of high-quality bricks available from Vandersanden, click on the 'View more' link 

Kingston University was created as a way to transform the universities presence within the community and to foster a collaborative spirit between different disciplines with the construction of a modern library and performance space. The building is designed to feel open and calming with the idea of welcoming the community into the area with large, clear spaces allowing for appreciation of the collaborative spirit from the streets that overlook the project.Michelmersh’s Freshfield Lane First Quality Multi Bricks are used in colonnades that beautifully showcase the quality of the product and allow for space to be enforced amongst the 6 stories of the building. The value of social cohesion and the spirit of learning were captured through careful and dynamic design by Grafton architects, who are responsible for creating a space that marries together home, belonging and quiet contemplation.Kinston Universities “Town House” was recently awarded the RIBA Stirling award.

Sirius is an office block converted to apartments in Coventry city centre. The existing building on Ironmonger Row is being transformed into an architectural gem. The project will see two storeys added while the existing brick fins on the mid-century building will be clad in a bronze-coloured metal. There will be 28 one-bedroom apartments and eight two-bedroom duplex apartments on the top two floors, overlooking the adjacent square.Cellecta’s DECKfon Batten 70 was specified by EDG Property. The battens consist of a layer of recycled, low resonance, open cell, flexible polyurethane foam bonded to an FSC/PEFC certified timber batten. These battens have been rigorously tested and are ideal for various sub floors, making DECKfon Batten 70 the best solution for this project.EDG Build was awarded this 1,800m² contract to construct this redevelopment.

A housing development in Southminster has benefitted from having an access road installed with machine lay block paving to deliver a speedy and high quality finish in outstanding time. The access road was only 3m wide and by laying the blocks by hand, there would have been only enough room for two operatives to work side by side. This meant the entire 83m stretch of road would have taken three days to complete and would have delayed follow-on trades so the road surface needed to be completed quickly. To view the whole case study please click the link below.

The ChallengeThe former Gourock Ropeworks building on the banks of the River Clyde had been refurbished back in 2006. As part of a multi-million-pound regeneration from the Scottish government, Forterra supplied 170,000 bricks to the site adjacent to the Ropeworks for 41 new social homes.The design of the four-storey blocks of residential apartments was to tie in with the original design of the former Gourock Ropeworks.The SolutionForterra’s Farmstead Antique brick type was put forward for the build owing to its highly textured face and warm appearance, which sat well with the tone and texture of brickwork in the surrounding properties.The BenefitsSteve Nicolson, Area Sales Manager for Forterra, said, “The Farmstead Antique was a good match to the local vernacular, and is also pretty hard-wearing, which made it very suitable for this location on the banks of one of the longest rivers in Scotland, as it will need to withstand the elements.”Adelle Jess, Project Architect for JM Architecture, said, “Due to the site being located within the historic curtilage of a listed building, the development needed to provide a strong frontage to Bay Street with fenestration, proportion and material finishes relative to the context in which it sits.”“Forterra Farmstead Antique was selected as the main finish to the buildings so as to tie in with the existing surroundings and contribute to the overall design concept of a modern interpretation of the site’s industrial past.”

A unique residential Pocket Living development recently completed in Barking features highly effective thermal performance and an attractive appearance thanks to an integrated package of insulation and exterior façade products provided by Sto. The company’s StoTherm Mineral external wall insulation system, with Sto-Rotofix Plus fixings and StoCleyer B Brick Slip façade finish, have all been installed on this town-centre project at Whiting Avenue.

Dover’s Waterloo Mansions are treated to a Welsh Slate reroof. An unusual double-mansard roof on a Grade II listed seafront mansion block is enjoying a new lease of life, thanks to Welsh Slate. Some 11,000 Penrhyn Heather Blue Capital-grade slates from Welsh Slate now adorn the roof and elevations of Waterloo Mansions, part of a Georgian terrace which overlooks Dover harbour, designed in the 1830s by Philip Hardwick, architect of the Euston Arch. 

Hammerson House is a large, new, innovative care home in the Hampstead Garden Suburb area of London that “will set a new standard of care for the future”, according to its owners, Nightingale Hammerson. The design reflects a luxurious hotel aesthetic rather than that of a traditional care home facility with the development featuring Ledbury hand-formed, facing bricks from Vandersanden. Renowned for their high quality, crafted appearance and texture, these multi-coloured bricks both accentuate the building’s contemporary look and also bring an attractive, natural softness to its facade.Nightingale Hammerson has served the Jewish community for over 180 years as a leading specialist in residential, nursing and palliative care. Located on Bishops Avenue and completed in Spring 2021, the Charity’s Hammerson House development offers 116 bedrooms in a modern, forward-thinking scheme. The building is balanced by two matching wings at its front and rear, with the design centred around the principles of ‘households’. This involves clusters of bedrooms for residents with supporting facilities on a domestic scale, allowing them to socialise in small groups, but then move easily to larger spaces for group activities, if they wish.The setting for Hammerson House is certainly more rural than urban, withdrawn from the avenue, in beautifully landscaped gardens, surrounded by trees. The design takes full advantage of this verdant context with the shape of the building, offering expansive views of the trees and gardens through large, rectangular glazing at multiple points.P+HS Architects developed the design from RIBA Stage 3 and specified the use of Vandersanden’s Ledbury brick, with its varied tones and texture, to ensure that Hammerson House embodies the look and feel of a luxurious hotel that fits naturally within these surroundings.“We developed a series of palette options which reflected a varied response to the client’s vision,” says Cath Lake, Director at P+HS Architects. “The softer, more rustic approach offered by the Ledbury brick, ultimately, became the client’s preferred option. As a practice, we are focused on creating positive environments for long and short-term support and care and Hammerson House will do just that. Vandersanden’s Ledbury brick has enabled us to meet the distinctive, high quality design vision within budget and the client is delighted with the result.”Ledbury is a high quality, multi-coloured brick with a sand-coated and creased structure. The base yellow colour of the brick is augmented by hues of brown, white, blue and anthracite which help to soften the Hammerson House facade as well as the covered accessible walkway at the building’s entrance. The overall effect is to sit the building comfortably, attractively and organically within its environment.To find out more about the bricks used in this project or to see the wide range of high-quality bricks available from Vandersanden, click on the 'View more' link .

Durability, safety and aesthetics needed to work together for the Viking House project. With the refurbishment nestled among conventionally built brick buildings there was a need for a contemporary look that mirrored the local vernacular. Viking House, a managed student accommodation at the University of Lincoln made up of three five-storey buildings and standing 20m tall, was designed to reflect the university’s continuing progress. Mechslip was chosen along with Ibstock’s Leicester Red facing bricks, due to its A1 rated non-combustible to EN13501-1 standards making it the ideal choice for a modern high-rise structure.

Looking down for architectural features in any Georgian town and as well as coal hole covers, manholes and the like you'll see all manner of air bricks and grilles, mostly for sub floor ventilation in property walls. Here is an illustration of a cast iron vent underneath a front door in Regency Bath. Like many it's in a pretty poor state. This one's patched up with steel plate and it's suffocating, what is a key part of the ground floor causing damp. Prevent damp in period property basements and below suspended floors...

Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle quarter, south of the city centre, formerly a major industrial and warehousing site servicing the city’s successful dock economy, is now a well-known and popular venue for work, leisure and accommodation. Since 2007 the area has undergone considerable regeneration, creating a vibrant hub for digital and creative businesses, together with a flourishing night-time economy of night clubs, bars and restaurants. Alongside these developments the Baltic Triangle has doubled its residential population since 2010. A new £24m, 200 apartment building, designed by Tim Groom Architects is currently finishing construction on Blundell Street.‘Maintaining the Vibe’The striking red brick facades of many of the original buildings remain, imparting an energetic atmosphere, and the new apartment block was designed with the same objective. As one commentator put it 'We wanted to maintain the vibe'. For the aluminium feature panels on the façade the designers were looking for a finish with a warm appearance that would reflect and update the industrial heritage. These panels would sit alongside the buff brick colour of the new building. In Powdertech’s Evolution™ and Landscape™ ranges there are many shades with the appearance of rust, red brick and terracotta. The client selected Evolution, ‘Sandstorm’, a rust finish, to coat over 500 sq metres of 2mm folded and castellated aluminium panels.Benefits:The Evolution range has up to a 25-year guarantee for gloss, colour and adhesion.Colour, tone and texture are our passion, and we have the expertise to develop bespoke finishes.Evolution and rust finishes do not stain adjacent brickwork and pavementsPowdertech's rigorous non-chrome pre-treatment system offers the best preparation for architectural aluminium.Powdertech’s flexible plant can coat a wide variety of shapes and sizes of architectural metal work and fabrications.

Rudi Peeters, new CEO of Vandersanden: “Collective Well-being is the reason why I came to Vandersanden”Vandersanden launches its Collective Well-being 2021 report. In this report, Vandersanden provides a transparent annual overview of its efforts and results in terms of sustainability across four areas: the environment, the (construction) industry, its own employees and the community. The past year’s performance shows once again that Vandersanden is on the right track towards CO2-neutrality by 2050.In recent years, Vandersanden has already taken huge strides in the field of sustainability, and time did not stand still in 2021 either. In its new report, Vandersanden provides an overview of its ambitions and concrete achievements of the past year. In 2021, Vandersanden was able to boast its first Great Place to Work certification in four countries, as well as ECO packaging with at least 30% recycled material and 80% less ink, which results in 400,000 kg less CO2 each year. In addition, Vandersanden also took further steps in the development of CO2-neutral bricks, the competence development of its employees was broadened, and the brick manufacturer opened a new showroom in Northern France and in Tolkamer (NL). As a true community builder, in 2021, Vandersanden also invested EUR 500,000 in charities at home and abroad. “Collective Well-being is definitely not window dressing”Whilst it is Vandersanden’s second Collective Well-being report, it is CEO Rudi Peeters’ first time to co-launch the report. For him, Collective Well-being was a deciding factor in joining Vandersanden: “In my first months at Vandersanden, I saw that Collective Well-being is definitely not window dressing. I immediately noticed that Collective Well-being truly is in the company’s DNA. It is present throughout the organisation, at all levels, among all employees,” says Rudi Peeters, CEO of Vandersanden. “Vandersanden has made tremendous efforts to become greener and more sustainable in recent years. I want to continue that approach. This ranges from baking CO2-neutral bricks to a fully electric fleet, including forklifts.”This year, Vandersanden highlights the various aspects of its ‘Collective Well-being’: for the environment, in the industry, at work and for the community. In addition to the initiatives taken and achievements made, special attention is also paid to the history of Collective Well-being, and how the concept itself, as well as the operations, have evolved from a deep-rooted conviction to a strategic priority. In addition, a separate chapter is devoted to training & coaching in the workplace and the report places particular emphasis on collaboration with partners in all areas of Collective Well-being. For example, several pages of the report are devoted to a double interview with NGO Cunina and Vandersanden.   Eddy Deconinck, Collective Well-being Director at Vandersanden comments: “It is thanks to the commitment of all our 800 colleagues and partners that Vandersanden can call itself a leader in Collective Well-being and sustainability. The shared belief in climate improvement and energy efficiency motivates us to keep raising the bar in our industry and, of course, the community to which we belong. Thanks to this broad view, Vandersanden is a leader in Collective Well-being today.”The full sustainability report and more information about Collective Well-being at Vandersanden can be found on the link below: 

Vandersanden, Europe's largest brick-producing family business, plans to reduce its ecological impact by 15 percent by 2023[1] and aims to be fully carbon neutral by 2050. To achieve this goal, the family business is making its packaging more sustainable, using recycled material and less ink. In this way, Vandersanden is taking an important step towards circular packaging. In 2022, Vandersanden will only use plastic sleeves and shrink-wrap that consists of at least 30 per cent recycled material. By the end of that year, a large proportion of the packaging will contain 50 per cent recycled material. This is one of the initiatives the family business is embarking on, to reduce its carbon footprint by 15 per cent by 2023, compared to the benchmark in 2019 and to be completely carbon neutral by 2050."By using covers and sleeves that consist of 30 per cent recycled materials, 400,000 kg less CO2 is emitted annually," explains Raf Jansen, Chief Operations Officer at Vandersanden. "That is equivalent to planting 17,000 trees. In time, we want to increase that share to 50 per cent recycled materials, which in environmental terms is the equivalent of 58 hectares of forest or 29,000 trees. These figures clearly show that the environmental benefits of recycling are enormous."Investing in generationsIn addition to increasing the use of recycled materials, Vandersanden is also ensuring that less ink is used for printing on its packaging. The brick manufacturer will introduce eco-printing at all its production sites during 2022, which means that only a maximum of 10 percent of the packaging surface will be printed. This has several advantages for the environment. The smaller print area requires up to 80 percent less ink, and eco-printed sleeves are also easier to recycle into high-quality material."By printing on a maximum of 10 percent of the packaging surface, we save on ink and our packaging becomes easier to recycle. This is an important step towards circular packaging and a contribution to our long-term goal of being completely CO2 neutral by 2050. I am proud of the efforts of all our employees and partners to make our production processes increasingly sustainable. As a family business, we think in terms of generations, not years," adds Raf Jansen.Innovation through repeated testingIn order to guarantee the quality of the new sustainable packaging, Vandersanden conducted several tests during its development in the past year. This is to ensure the strength of the recycled material packaging is guaranteed. These tests were so positive that further tests are currently underway to make the shrink wrap thinner as well, in order to use even less material.Vandersanden is taking action at all levels of its organisation to minimise its environmental impact and achieve the goal of CO2 neutrality by 2050. For instance, Vandersanden is currently examining how it can deal with pallets in a sustainable way and is taking steps to work with return pallets. Another recent example of sustainability initiatives undertaken by Vandersanden, is the introduction of the most energy-efficient brick kiln in Europe at Tolkamer. The family business also published its first sustainability report in 2021, the Collective Wellbeing 2020 report, with a full overview of all its sustainability initiatives and objectives.[1] compared to 2019

Brick manufacturer Vandersanden is expanding its Texture Generator with paver textures for garden and landscape projects. This allows professionals and consumers to render their designs in a detailed and lifelike way. These designs can also be integrated into the CAD programme Vectorworks. Integration with other common software packages for architects is in development. "At Vandersanden, we are constantly pushing for innovation and the digitisation of our offering. This major expansion of the Texture Generator fits in seamlessly with that," said Bart Hesen, Paving Marketing Manager at Vandersanden.Following the launch of the texture generator for facing bricks and brick slips, an online tool to design facades, Vandersanden is now expanding it to include its range of clay pavers for garden and landscape projects. So now the texture generator also visualises paving for gardens and public spaces in a lifelike way and allows users to design and download their own textures. This allows garden and landscape architects, project managers at municipalities, garden contractors and private individuals to imagine the end result in a lifelike way.More than 1.1 million lifelike combinationsAmong other things, users can experiment with formats and laying patterns in the online tool. In addition, they can mix colours themselves to create their own unique colour mix. This possibility is especially valuable for architects.The paver’s textures visualise public spaces or gardens in a lifelike way and help both professionals and consumers make aesthetic choices. After all, there are more than 1.1 million possible combinations at Vandersanden, all of which are available in the texture generator. The texture obtained is also infinitely scalable, with minimal repetition of patterns.Thanks to digital innovation, the brick manufacturer succeeds in making all combinations look lifelike: all pavers are scanned in 3D for this purpose, and lighting is added afterwards.Faster and more efficientThe texture generator works quickly, easily and intuitively. Afterwards, users can also download the creations, including exposure folders (including Albedo, Alpha and Diffuse) and technical specifications, allowing them to integrate the creations into their own design or 3D model."Knowledge sharing, inspiration and convenience for customers are central to us. The digitisation of our offering is indispensable in this respect. With the expansion of our texture generator for the paving of public spaces and gardens, we are taking another step forward on the digital front. We strive for the most realistic representation of our products in 3D visuals," says Bart Hesen, Paving Marketing Manager at Vandersanden.Vandersanden also enables the integration of its texture generator for facades and paving in the most common software packages for architects. This has already been done in the Vectorworks CAD programme; integrations with Archicad and Revit are under development.Try the Vandersanden texture generator here Texture generator | Vandersanden

Park Central and Quay Central are part of the £5 billion redevelopment Liverpool Waters project to transform 150 acres of historic docklands, the single biggest regeneration project in the history of Liverpool. The Central Docks neighbourhood will be a world class business and leisure district with over 2,000,000 square feet of mixed use floor space, including 710,000 square feet of office space and over 1,000 new waterfront apartments in buildings up to 44 storeys high. PROJECT INFOPark Central is the second phase of the Central Docks residential development. It offers 129 one and two-bedroomed apartments over 14 storeys.Quay Central comprises two blocks offering 96 one-bedroomed and 141 two-bedroomed apartments alongside 5,000 square feet of commercial space and undercroft parking for 50 cars.Elevation design is driven by the historic context of the site, being situated near the Waterloo Warehouse within the wider Waterloo Docks. The site is bound by two contrasting edge conditions. To the south are buildings with a strong industrial character and to the north is a soft landscaped park. The development presents two different external characters depending on the elevation: the south, facing Waterloo Warehouse, features regular punctuated openings with formal recesses while the north pushes out with the use of piers and louvres, expressive depth and verticality towards the green public space.The brick selected for the projects is Woodside Mixture from Forterra’s Butterley range. Made at the company’s Accrington factory, it is a wirecut red clay brick with a printed texture that complements the site’s historic context

The ChallengeThe redevelopment of Clyde Campus is part of the fifth stage of a larger programme initiated by Glasgow City Council to re-build and modernise its pre-12 and special education estate. At the heart of the project is the Council’s desire to create an effective educational environment which takes a holistic approach to the design process by combining social, economic and environmental goals, resulting in a sustainable architecture, culture and landscape.The SolutionThe architectural response to the site has a central assembly hall and four radiating wings. This radial plan divides the site and avoids large elevations to the street edge, which is surrounded by low-density, two-storey housing. The design aims to create a new, accessible, attractive, welcoming and sustainable campus with shared community amenities with clear public frontage to the building.The facades have been composed to reflect the differing functions in each wing through choice of material and scale.The majority of the building is clad in a bespoke blend of Forterra’s Dark Tame Valley and County Multi Dragfaced Blend bricks, which evokes a sense of solidity and robustness. Lightweight metal cladding breaks up the brick expanse, helping to identify the campus’s different functions.The BenefitsThe new campus has successfully brought together nursery and primary age schooling under one roof with a range of enhanced facilities for pupils and for the wider community. The choice of building materials is an integral part of defining the different areas on site, from gym halls, to Early Years and classroom blocks.

Profile 22’s award winning optima suite of casement and Tilt and Turn Windows along with matching PVCU doors were specified in the refurbishment of two tower blocks in Walsall, West Midlands. The windows are designed to deliver increased insulation and weather protection, which makes them the perfect choice for high-rise, exposed locations. Increasing energy efficiency was one of the key drivers of the refurbishment. They are capable of achieving WER of A++ and U-values of 0.8 W/m2K. Indicative performance measures are 600Pa for air permeability, 600Pa for water tightness and 2400Pa for wind resistance.

IDPartnership Specifies Tobermore Paving at £20m Student Village in NewcastleArchitect, IDPartnership, was seeking a hard landscaping solution for Portland Green, a new £20 million student village in Shieldfield, Newcastle upon Tyne, that would be attractive yet functional. Tobermore provided the architect with the perfect solution with the supply of striking Sienna, modern Fusion and smooth Shannon block paving products.The project was managed by Metnor Group and is hoped to breathe new life into the area and boost trade for local restaurants, bars and retail outlets.The first phase, consisting of a 274 bedroom luxury student accommodation building and 2 retail units, was completed in 2013 and the second phase, consisting of a 338 bedroom accommodation building and 4,500 sq. ft. of retail space, was completed in late 2015.David Moore, Senior Associate at IDPartnership, explained that the objective for the outdoor space at the student accommodation complex was to “provide quality hard landscaping around the building and in the centrally located courtyard at a reasonable cost.“We decided that block paving was the most suitable solution as it was in fitting with other paved projects we had designed nearby.“The landscape design concept was to define different areas and routes on campus that could also provide a colourful contrast to the dark brick apartment buildings.”David Moore, Senior Associate at IDPartnershipThe architect liaised with Tobermore’s North East Sales team in a bid to achieve a landscape with aesthetic appeal and sustainability. David said:“What impressed us most about Tobermore was the range of products, the beautiful colours available, and the cost-effectiveness.”A selection of Tobermore’s Sienna block paving in the colours of Graphite and Silver, and Fusion block paving in the colours of Cream, Silver and Graphite was specified for the area surrounding the project.Sienna and Fusion are manufactured with a granite aggregate surface layer that produces a sparkling, modern look, similar to natural granite. Sienna is available in single sizes and duo sizes while Fusion is a modular sized product.IDPartnership also selected Tobermore’s smooth Shannon block paving in the vibrant, blended colour of Heather. Shannon was installed within the courtyard area and has enhanced the beauty of the complex and provided a stylish outdoor space for residents to unwind in.Fusion Kerb in a striking granite aggregate finish was chosen as the appropriate kerbing solution to complement the paving products used across the site.On reflection of the completion of phase two of this project, David Moore said, “I’m very happy with the products supplied by Tobermore, so much so, that we are already using more products on the next two phases.“We would recommend Tobermore for any type of project.”

In 2016 award-winning landscape designers, The Edible Bus Stop, were commissioned by the Brixton BID to deliver a legacy installation for the Brixton Design Trail as part of the London Design Festival.Their brief was to create a parklet at the entrance to this famously foreboding building. The space had been habitually populated by street drinkers and labelled an anti-social environment by the residents and neighbouring businesses. The brief was to challenge the notion that the addition of seating and creating a space to dwell would increase anti-social behaviour and, on the contrary, that good design could improve perceptions of safety and empower a sense of wellbeing in a community.During the summer, planting beds were refurbished and many edibles and herbs, including fruit trees, were planted. Several Vestre Stripes elements were installed to punctuate the space with communal seating. The parklet was an instant success and quickly populated by residents of all ages, passers-by and visitors to local businesses. As a result, the ‘test-bed’ has now become a permanent legacy; an exemplar of how local stakeholder commissioning and intelligent socially minded design can be an agent of social change to create spaces of genuine community value.Client: Brixton BIDLandscape Design: The Edible Bus StopAddress: Southwyck HouseColdharbour LaneBrixtonLondonSW9 8TX

The legacy PVC-U windows, doors and curtain walling at 15 high and low-rise blocks owned by Bristol City Council at Eastville, Easton, Clifton, Redcliffe, Shirehampton and Ashton Gate needed to be replaced to improve thermal efficiency, security and aesthetics. An experienced company was required to carry out the complex, high profile, multi-phase works required. The contract was awarded to longstanding Profile 22 Approved Window Manufacturer Emplas. The Optima 70mm fully reversible window system provides high security locking, child resistant safety catches and achieves a weather performance of 2400pa for wind, 1500pa for water and 600pa for air.

Sevenoaks School’s Science & Technology Centre, designed by Tim Ronalds Architects, brings together a diverse set of disciplines and “puts learning, education and experimentation on display”. Daylit and naturally ventilated throughout, the £23m development has a robust interior of expressive structure, evident construction and natural materials, yet feels highly transparent, with views to the landscape and beyond.

School hygiene roomThe height adjustment of the basin, toilet and shower seat is all electrically powered making it quick, easy & effortless.The room can be configured to suit multiple and individual childrens' height requirements, which will inevitably change as they grow.Working heights for different carers can be optimised.The powered toilet and shower seat also act as ‘motorised lifting aids’ helping to protect carers' backs during assisted transfers, whilst enabling the more independent children to self-transfer independently.