"brick"

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.

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.

Manthorpe Building Products have been making subtle but effective modifications to their pioneering Swift Brick designed in conjunction with the RSPB and Barratt Developments Plc.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 

Project OverviewMount Earl Gardens is a new residential development in Streatham, South London, built on a site formerly occupied by old garages. Modular construction has been used to create a building of one, two and three storeys, creating as little impact as possible on the views from existing houses. Walkways have been designed within the block, with 'modernist' screening which allows light and fresh air into these areas whilst still keeping them safe and secure for residents. The aluminium screening runs along the length of the buildings and is also utilised in sections, including garden division screens, throughout the entire block of thirty-two apartments. To achieve the design vision, the building needed an homogeneous appearance to blend with the external red brick facade.Off-site build and finishThe client selected the perfect shade from our Landscape™ Terrain range of powder coatings - 'Original Terracotta'. All of our architectural powder coating have excellent durability, requiring minimal maintenance. Powder coating as a process brings further benefits, particularly to a modular build. The apartments were entirely built in a factory, leading to a faster installation time, less time spent on site and a 90% reduction in on-site waste. Powder coating is also a factory controlled process, thereby reducing time spent, and waste generated on site, and not dependent on weather conditions as is the case with air drying wet paint.Powdertech Corby coated nearly 3000 linear metres of aluminium which was fabricated into screens off-site and delivered to site just in time for installation.BenefitsPowder coating is an offsite process. It is factory controlled leading to improved consistency, less wastage and reduced environmental impact.The powders have excellent weather resistance and colour stability.Powdertech's rigorous pre-treatment system will help to keep the facade elements free from corrosion for up to 40-years.Powdertech plant and the operational team have the capacity to process large quantities of material within a short time frame, with no compromise on quality.

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...

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

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: 

Two new apartment buildings in Kent have been given a thermally-efficient and visually-striking façade thanks to the use of an external wall insulation system from Sto. The two new blocks in Ashford - Stour Heights and Somerset Heights – have a single-skin construction, comprising a reinforced concrete frame with concrete block infill, and they benefit from the installation of StoTherm Mineral external wall insulation, with a StoCleyer B mineral brick slip and StoSilco render façade finish.“An alternative insulation system was originally proposed for these buildings,” says John Mahoney of Sheffield-based J Mahoney Architects. “As things progressed a different solution was required to meet the demands of the various parties involved in the project. Sto pretty much leads the pack in terms of quality, and the StoTherm Mineral system was able to satisfy everyone’s requirements, so it became the obvious choice. The fact that Sto could work with us and provide technical support was also extremely helpful.”The BBA-certified StoTherm Mineral external wall insulation system uses mineral-fibre boards to provide outstanding thermal performance, combined with reliable fire protection and effective sound insulation. Its efficient single-leaf construction and external installation do not compromise the building’s interior space, and it can be installed without the need for additional expansion joints.For the new buildings, it was installed using Sto’s unique Sto-Rotofix plus mechanical fixing system. The helical Rotofix fixings create a cavity behind the insulation board, which can be easily adjusted after installation to ensure a level outer surface is created. This system combines the ease-of-use of ETICS anchors with the flexibility of a mechanical rail system, but without the material and labour cost of installing the rails.“The StoCleyer B brick slips were specified to meet certain planning requirements,” adds John Mahoney. “An alternative brick solution was originally considered, but Sto was able to manufacture slips which were a perfect match for the proposed original. The fact that they were also fully compatible with the Sto insulation system was another significant point in their favour.”The new buildings have added 109 one- and two-bedroomed flats which are spread across the five floors of Stour Heights, and the three floors of Somerset Heights.

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.

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 .

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

Abingdon School, located in Oxfordshire, commissioned Hopkins Architects to design a new science building in 2008. The building was to replace the outdated facilities and provide modern teaching and research spaces for the school’s science departments. The resulting design is a striking and dynamic building with a distinctive form created by a series of angled, sloping roofs that follow the natural contours of the site.Hopkins Architects chose to clad the building in Michelmersh’s Hampshire Stock Downs blend. Its soft red tones ingratiate itself with the local vernacular while also being easy to maintain and ensuring long-term durability.The Abingdon School Science Building by Hopkins Architects has been a great success, providing modern and flexible teaching and research spaces that are highly valued by students and staff. The building’s innovative design and sustainable features have won numerous awards, including a RIBA Award and a BREEAM Excellent rating. The building seamlessly integrates into its historic surroundings, enhancing the school’s facilities and reducing its environmental impact.

Walton Court Gardens by BroadwayMalyan and Gillespies for Crest Nicholson is a substantial project offering 375 new homes in Walton-on-Thames on the site of the former Birds Eye headquarters. Walton Court pays homage to the site’s original building by echoing the prior site half hexagonal aluminium facade in its full-height angled facade, evoking the original pattern. The central “jewel” building is sat amongst the surrounding buildings clad in Freshfield Lane’s Danehill Yellows. Sunlight bounces from the centre building offering an ever-changing facade through shadow and light. Streets built for the project will be planted alongside new and existing trees to create harmony between the landscape and architectural vernacular. The project draws on influences from the Birds Eye master plan and retains its strong sense of geometry while ensuring that the site is pedestrian friendly and easy to navigate for its new residential community.

Developed by Willmott Dixon and designed by Corstorphine & Wright as part of Devon & Cornwall’s Police and Crime transformation plan, this state-of-the-art police centre and operational hub is the base for up to 450 officers across the area. The project was developed with the intent to improve custody areas for detainees and provide a comfortable, modern working facility for its staff. During the development of the project, suggestions were taken from custody sergeants to help create a better space for staff and detainees.To provide the facilities necessary for 21st-century policing, attention was paid to integrating assets such as a virtual court system, and technology to monitor the health of vulnerable detainees and allow for crisp, modern meeting spaces that cater for a multitude of police functions.Local suppliers were engaged with the project and through training schemes, the project has been able to offer valuable experience to apprentices. Utilising 314sqm of Solar panels also means this build generates a substantial amount of green energy.Blockleys Synthesis S14 was used to create a strong, dark belt around the building which then blends smoothly into vertical strips of glass and contrasting white facades.

London Brick White was recently installed in this bright and welcoming Bubble Tea Café in Newcastle. Its natural texture, high quality finish and durable nature made it the ideal choice. Having seen the sample, the designers knew this was a lightweight, durable panel solution with the right finish for the client. Our technical team produced panel layouts and communicated the most efficient layout to reduce waste and ensure the design was as cost-effective as possible. The panels were installed rapidly, resulting in a bright and welcoming space that's ready for business.

Newton-trained contractor Structural Repairs are leading national specialists in renovating, strengthening and repairing commercial and domestic buildings. However, in 2020 it was their own requirements that were the focus of their efforts, as they sought to renovate a historic railway arch in Windsor in order to create a new head office for the business.

As the oldest building on Newcastle University's campus, The Armstrong Building has an iconic status. Grade II listed and steeped in history. A setting perfect for the Westfield Yorkstone, which was supplied to this project in the form of both paving and setts, in a multitude of plan sizes.

The Hive is a new creativity & innovation hub, built alongside the existing structures of Headington School and designed to ensure that creative thinking is established as the heart of a Headington Students education.Designed by LSH Architects, the 23,000 sq. ft building consists of sculpture studios, kiln room, photographic facilities, textile studios and 3 artist studios, with media editing suites and a Cinemax screening room also being included. Other facilities specifically suited to a range of creative outputs have been carefully and cleverly built into the project. To enable a sense of openness, high ceilings are used throughout the buildings and the gallery space is further enhanced to allow vast columns of light to permeate the area.Michelmersh’s Hampshire Red Stock Multi ATR was supplied via EH Smith and helped settle the building into the verdant, green backdrop and give the building a warm, comforting feel, as well as allowing the building to fit snugly within the landscape created by the surrounding buildings.

The Pears Building by Hopkins Architects is a world-class immunology research and treatment centre built for University College London. With only 5 similar specialist immunology centres in the world (and the only one outside of the US), the Pears Building offers world-class expertise to patients. The Pears Building provides offices, multiple research wings to house over 200 researchers and a 35-bed patient hospital for outpatients or visiting academics.At the centre of the building is a large atrium with joins the wider building and its office space to the public-facing café and entrance area. Vast, open windows flood interiors with huge amounts of natural light creating a soothing, and uncluttered feeling. Materials selected for the building were done for their sustainable credentials, ease of maintenance, durability, and cost.The Pears Building was designed to avoid becoming a “monolithic” structure and sits well within the local area. During its construction efforts were made to retain as many existing trees on the site as possible to ensure the village-esque feeling of Hampstead is uninterrupted. As expected with forward-thinking institutions, the architects endeavoured to achieve a BREEAM excellent rating, which it easily achieved with its holistic approach to sustainability.The Pears building uses Freshfield Lanes First Quality Multi in its construction and has been commended for numerous awards and won the Public Buildings award at the Construction News Awards.

Vandersanden has installed their first wind turbine at their Lanklaar site in Belgium. The wind turbine will supply 10,000 MWh of green energy annually, equivalent to the energy consumption of 2,000 families. With this new sustainable milestone, Vandersanden aims to make their production processes and sector more sustainable. The family business continues to build a green future. In recent years, Vandersanden has invested in solar panels and the use of geothermal power to generate heat and electricity.  "At Vandersanden, we don't think in years, but in generations. That is why we find it extremely important to manufacture as sustainably as possible, for people and the environment, for now and later", says Raf Jansen, COO at Vandersanden. "Alternative green energy sources are the future. With our wind turbine, we are helping to build that greener future."Production of enough energy to power 2,000 householdsIn November 2021, Vandersanden started with the preparatory works on its premises for the installation of the wind turbine. All construction elements, such as the mast sections and rotor blades, were delivered in April and the assembly was completed in early May. Currently, the electrical works are in progress and the connection of the wind turbine to the electricity grid is being prepared... The wind turbine has a full height of 200 metres and will supply 10,000 MWh of energy annually. That is equivalent to the energy consumption of approximately 2,000 families. More than 50% of the energy generated will be used for Vandersanden's activities at its site in Lanklaar. Remaining energy will be offered to the grid as green electricity. "Not only do we want to make our own production process and our own sector greener, we also like giving something back to the community," Raf Jansen explains. "This is part of what we call Collective Well-being, offering our surplus production of green energy to the grid and where local residents can also enjoy clean energy."  For the full story, and to watch the video, here Renewable energy | Vandersanden

A folly; an ornamental building with no practical purpose built in a large garden. Whilst aspects of this definition can be applied to describe Wolverton Hall Folly, it certainly contradicts the ‘practical purpose’ element with the most appealing of purposes. Wolverton Hall Folly is a retreat for contemplation, an office away from home, a place to entertain and somewhere to enjoy the views, sun and a good book. Can we therefore call this beautiful building a folly?

Architects at the Rathbone Partnership in South Devon contacted us in 2011 about a new feature in the garden of Buckfast Abbey. They had a creative and inventive plan to transform a section of the garden into a tranquil retreat for both the visitors and the monks. What a transformation! Our grilles are used to make stunning architectural features such as this bridge over the waterway channel and blend perfectly complimenting stone and water in a way that only cast iron can. Why not create your own lasting legacy in the grounds of a period or contemporary property ?

Introducing the first new design, cast iron, coal hole cover made in the UK for more than 50 years . Based on 4 segmented circles traditionally used during the Victorian period, this design is right up to date and proudly displays our company name. Particularly important in todays modern society is the deep rebate that allows the design to "pop out" and help generate grip for pedestrians. The circumference has cutaways to prevent water pooling. Available in a bare metal finish to rust naturally and improve grip or painted black . Weighing in at over 5KG this cover will last a lifetime and be a feature within the paving for the public today and for future generations.

Originally used during Victorian and Edwardian period as sewer vents or "stench flaps", these cast iron vents with 100mm round spigots are making a bit of a come back. We've replaced the flaps (that used to allow air in but not out) with mesh so air flows freely in both directions and they've become quite a hit with specifiers ventilating basements and cellars and new builds. As well as sending a shipment to Abu Dhabi we've also had orders from closer to home - Travis Perkins, Midas, Bryen & Langley and 800 Group

Coventry is a city of movements; for struggling workers, for women, for political reformers, for ravers, for refugees. The UK's motor city. The UK's bicycle city. A center of the UK's watchmaking trade. A City of Culture that uses its past to forge its future. Coventry Moves! Its Upper Precinct was a very concrete heavy city center, partly because of the style at the time, and partly out of necessity to ensure it could be re-built as quickly as possible after the Blitz damage. The project had access to a partial fund of £7.75 million from the Government’s Local Growth Fund through Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) as part of the overall £11.8 million scheme. The package of works included; the installation of enhanced paving, street furniture, lighting, water features, planting, and the restoration of the historical Levelling Stone monument that was originally placed to commemorate the re-build of Coventry after the 1940-1942 enemy attacks. With the initial removal of the 'big green elevator' and huge concrete, once considered an eyesore, a clear view of the cathedral can now be seen, a view that has not been enjoyed since the 1970s. Almost every design element of this project included natural stone of some sort, making the relationship between the contractor Eurovia, the City Council, and BBS as the supplier, vital to complete each task on time and on budget. The circular shaped 'show stopping' water features created in a combination of both Italian Porphyry and Portuguese buff granite - a place where many people are often seen enjoying the weather. The benches and planters created in Portuguese buff granite, none of which barely had the same two pieces throughout, putting the pressure on BBS to individually CAD each and every one. The project covering the entirety of the Upper Precinct and continuing on Market Way, and Smithfield way, saw the complete removal of everything in situ and replaced with an unrecognizable scenery. All in time for Coventry Moves the City of Culture event.

Almost ten years since introducing the CON4 100mm conservation we are now adding to our collection of conservation vents with the CON6 which is our biggest yet. With a massive 150mm diameter spigot and a free area that is 50% larger than the next size down, it's sure to be a hit with many property restorers looking to add plenty of ventilation with a stunning looking vent that will last a lifetime.

Before there was an open, 4" (100mm) diameter pipe that drained water from the back of this Devon farm house into the yard. Apart from an open pipe, which never looks good on a listed building, when it rained heavily there was water gushing out across the road causing havoc to any cars parked nearby. With the installation of the cast iron cowled conservation vent now the water is deflected downwards and the opening is no longer open to the elements and in eye line. With a choice of 100mm or 125mm spigots this cowled vent has many uses

Here is an email we received after a client installed the conservation cowled cast iron air vents to a London property in September 2022)...We recently did a project on an old coach house in a listed building. They wanted a/c but we couldn’t route water for the h2o unit and couldn’t have two big white plastic vents on the outside of the building.The solution was to combine your products, a pair of CON6 cast iron conservation vents. The clients are ecstatic. I thought I’d share as I’m sure a lot more people in old houses will be looking for a/c going forward.Sally Estad, Elstad Interiors, Chicago USA ( working on a property in Wimbledon, UK)