"british gypsum"

Westbury Mayfair is one of London's true icons: it was the first 5-star hotel opened by the US chain Westbury in the British capital, in 1955. Just a 15-minute walk to Buckingham Palace, it is a stone's throw from the stores on Oxford Street, one of the world's most famous shopping streets. After the careful restoration works, renewing the charm of the whole hotel, all the rooms and suites have been fitted with Eikon Evo cover plates and control devices.

The Outdoor Deck Company were specified to supply and install 560m² of FSC Massaranduba timber decking to create a series of pathways that branch out to each entrance. Massaranduba is one of the hardest and most durable timber species in the world making it the perfect timber surface for this busy external space. Rathbone Market has been shortlisted for several awards and is winner of The Sunday Times British Homes Awards – Development of the Year (Schemes of more than 200 homes) 2017.

Marlborough Sports Garden, a long-time community recreation space in London Bridge, has been regenerated and reopened, featuring unique hexagonal planters made from MEDITE® TRICOYA® EXTREME. Transforming the once graffitied concrete space into an urban oasis, the planters were a central feature at the official opening, attended by British Olympian Tom Daley and MP Jo Cox’s sister Kim, alongside her parents Mr and Mrs Leadbeater.

SAS International bespoke metalwork comprising of a striking waveform shaped ceiling was designed by architects Arup Associates to feature in the construction of Ropemaker Place, London EC2 for British Land. Specialist bespoke wave ceilings were installed in the atrium, main reception area, lift lobbies and main external canopy. The waveform panel, although elegant in appearance, had to have the required strength to support the light fitting. Place, is a state of the art commercial development with impressive sustainability credentials.

Saint Hill Manor situated near East Grinstead, Sussex, is the British headquarters of the Church of Scientology. The Saint Hill castle was built in 1968, the refurbishment enhanced the existing beauty of the building by maintaining a consistent design theme throughout. Head of Logistics, Anna Pizevska chose Bushboard’s Paraline Platinum full height cubicle range, with beautifully crafted streamlined pilasters and headrail and Walnut doors. Paraline Platinum was the perfect commercial washroom for the theme of the building.Read the whole case study on our website.

Originally known as Britannic House or Britannic Tower, was the former headquarters of the oil company British Petroleum, with 35 floors and 122m. Its structure began to be “outdated” with the passing of the years, while home prices in the area began a rapid ascent. In the early 90’s the oil moved to its former headquarters in Finsbury Circus. In order to protect the façade elements against moisture, driving rain and wind avoiding corrosion, insulation deterioration and mould growth, Effisus Breather FR System was applied.

Located on the Isle of Dogs peninsula on the Thames in London’s East End, two residential towers of 31 and 45 floors, respectively, are among the tallest buildings in the British capital and the tallest residential buildings in Europe. The clarity of the external appearance, which transmits both its quadratic shape and the uniform facade design with reflected glass, was replicated on the interior by interior designers. Cubic elements, such as the classic Memento wash basin from Villeroy & Boch, pick up on the predominant architectural language.

No timber was allowed as part of the new refurb to conform to FM Global (Airbus Insurers) regarding system fire rating. IKO recommended an overlay on the existing deck, which complied with all the latest British Standards and Regulations. IKO Mach One System was chosen as it provided a flame-free System. Where detailing was difficult IKO Polimar EC/UV System was used. The roof refurbishment also included the installation of smoke vents, associated smoke control panels and accessories.

Lionweld Kennedy provided 'North Pole Depot' with the supply and installation of 2nr maintenance access gantries with integral lifting beams, end stairs, demarcation fences and removeable polyester powder coated lift out handrails.Owned by Hitachi Rail, the North Pole Depot gives direct access to both West London and North London Lines.Utalising our range of safegrids and saferails, we created a accessible and safe platform, which complies with British and European standards.

We are the only UK architectural ironmonger with our own, exclusive British manufacturing operation. Our site in Birmingham makes 25% of what we sell, routinely producing over 100,000 products a year including all the tactile ironmongery from our principal ranges. As champions of British manufacturing, over 75% of our supply chain (by spend) is within 20 miles of our factory and logistics hub.With a 25-year manufacturing warranty on all principal ranges, we have always believed in products that are engineered to perform over the lifetime of any building without failure. Our designs are beautifully simple, easy to install and maintain, and complement any project, sector, or trend timelessly.We offer our clients a single source for all their architectural ironmongery and access control requirements – one specification, a single schedule, and an individual contact for delivery. We certify all our products ourselves to make things even easier.We also have our own technical experts who can visit on site to resolve any installation issues, thereby removing the need for replacement products to be sent.We are proud to have held ISO 14001 certification since 2009 and work continuously to reduce our operational and embodied carbon impact

The design and engineering of British Airways i360 is as impressive as it is innovative. Such an innovative attraction needs to stay attractive whilst maintaining safety of its tourists. Did you know that 90% of slip accidents occur on wet or contaminated floors? By not effectively trapping dirt, cleaning costs can skyrocket to £600-£1000 per kg of soil removed. This can often lead to a reception that is unattractive. At INTRAsystems we have always believed that Entrance Matting is the first line of defence in preventing the ingress of dirt and moisture into the building.

Arlo & Jacob is a contemporary furniture brand steeped in a history of British craftsmanship. When the team at Path Design were designing the new Bristol showroom, it was important that the flooring complemented the bright modern feel of the store and reflected the innovative nature and premium quality of Arlo & Jacob’s soft furnishings. For a retail setting that needs to stand up to a high number of visitors each week, Karndean Designflooring was the preferred choice, bringing both authentic style and a hard-wearing surface that is easy to maintain and will look great for years to come.

Global luxury hospitality brand Jumeriah Group, best known for the iconic sail-shaped Burj Al Arab in Dubai, has spent £100 million renovating the renowned Carlton Tower Hotel in Knightsbridge, London. Located on the private Cadogan Square in the heart of Knightsbridge, the five-star luxury hotel and Jumeriah's European flagship location is finally open after an 18-month extensive refurbishment. When you walk through the revolving glass doors into the lobby, the design is stylish and sophisticated, echoing a classical British grand hall.

The Alder Hey Children’s Hospital won the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building award at the 2016 British Construction Awards. This building was designed to provide the best quality of healthcare possible in an environment that will develop the recovery process of patients. Costing over £250 million and named the ‘hospital under the hill’, it is designed to blend into the current environment and landscape incorporating grass from Springfield park in Liverpool curving up and over the building. This project was a connection of architecture and engineering to produce a natural and calming environment for the children and families.

When it comes to freedom of movement for people of all mobilities, a Stannah Piccolo was the passenger lift of choice in RIBA North, the Royal Institute of British Architects’ new national architecture centre on the Liverpool Waterfront. Dark, sleek, dramatic – a ship’s prow slicing through the skies, the new building is housed in the Broadway Malyan-designed Mann Island, a RIBA award-winning, mixed-use development which reconnects Liverpool’s city centre to its historic waterfront. The centre is an inspirational resource for RIBA members and public alike.

Stonehenge New Visitor Centre Air-Dried British Sweet Chestnut The requirement was to meet the specification of BS1186-3 Class 2 and better. Due to the nature or Sweet Chestnut having large knots, it was opted to supply the product Finger Jointed, in turn created an almost entirely clear product as can be seen in the images below. Over time the tannins will begin to exude from the Sweet Chestnut, allowing the timber to weather down to a silver / grey and allowing the building to be more visually in keeping with English Heritage’s other buildings on-site.

British Land commissioned Adam Richards Architects to design a custom-built barge for a new London restaurant, The Cheese Barge. The floating restaurant creates a distinctive focal point and destination for Paddington Central and the wider area. The boat’s curving, sloping roof is clad externally in Traditional Textures Copper Patina Precoated Aluminium metal to replicate aged copper. On the underside of this roof, a copper colour is visible from inside the boat, creating a warm and convivial interior as it gathers the light reflected off the surface of the water.

Our client was a major nursery stock grower in British Columbia with a very large sedum green roof project in Vancouver. The architect was concerned about future-proofing the green roof and wanted to ensure that, if ever they had issues with their waterproofing seal or any other aspect of the structure, the green roof could be taken up without too much disruption. It was decided that a modular solution would be the best route. M-Tray® was included in a worldwide competition to find the most suitable modular design and was judged as the best product available.

Polytan will be in on the action when the world’s top athletes pit their strengths against each other at international level this summer. The turf used for the hockey matches in Rio comes from Polytan, as was the case in London and Beijing too. Blue and green versions of the new Poligras Platinum CoolPlus synthetic turf system are being installed. The very same hockey pitch has also been available to the British hockey squads at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre since last October. The pitch comes in an eye-catching colour combination: a blue playing field with a light green border. A higher stitch density and special texturing technology mean that even more accurate moves are possible when playing on Poligras Platinum CoolPlus. Sally Munday, Chief Executive of England Hockey: “We have enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Polytan for a number of years. The quality of their product is outstanding, the installation work went without a hitch and the feedback from the players has been excellent.” Kevin Burton, Head of National Centres, Sport England: “In order to ensure our Great British hockey players had the best possible chance of success in future sports competitions, Sport England took the decision to replace the hockey surface at Bisham Abbey with the exact same surface that will be installed for the international sports competition in summer 2016. We are delighted with the surface as well as Polytan’s first-class service.”

The British museum has seen a number of additions over the years,most recently the £135 million world conservation and exhibitionscentre which was completed in 2014. The brief required a particularfocus on creating an environmentally sustainable building with amodern interior that could hold exhibitions, as the museum did nothave enough space for them.The British Museum was conceived in 1753 after Sir Hans Sloaneexchanged his vast collection of artefacts with King George III for£20,000 to ensure that he left an inheritance for his children. Itopened it’s doors to the public in 1759 and has remained in thesame location in Bloomsbury ever since.The main building exhibits landmark architecture inspired by theGreek Revival. To fit the 19th and 20th century design of the site,the architects Rogers Stirk Harbour worked with Mace group tobuild the new conservation centre using steel frames and Portlandglass and stone, easing the transition between the exterior of themuseum and the new development.With a public building of this magnitude, there is a high amount oftraffic around the building so it was imperative that the ironmongeryperformed to the highest level. For this reason, Allgood suppliedthe highest quality hardware including: triple knuckle hinges, floorspring units and mortice locks. We specified the hinges as they aremade from 316 stainless steel and come with a 25 year guaranteewhilst the other hardware items have a ten year guarantee. We alsosupplied our Modric lever handles on mostof the doors as they aretested to grade 4 against BS EN 1906 and would provide the doorswith the highest quality and most durable handles.As science and research are at the core of the new development,the building needed to be modern, functional and sustainable.We were able to meet the sustainability expectations as all of ourstainless steel door fittings are made from 62% recycled materialsof which 95% can be recycled at the end of the product’s life.Additionally, our packaging is also made from recycled material andcan be recycled once it has been used.The World Conservation and Exhibitions centre has now been openfor 6 months and has further enhanced the British Museum’s statusas a world class institute.

The British museum has seen a number of additions over the years,most recently the £135 million world conservation and exhibitionscentre which was completed in 2014. The brief required a particularfocus on creating an environmentally sustainable building with amodern interior that could hold exhibitions, as the museum did nothave enough space for them.The British Museum was conceived in 1753 after Sir Hans Sloaneexchanged his vast collection of artefacts with King George III for£20,000 to ensure that he left an inheritance for his children. Itopened it’s doors to the public in 1759 and has remained in thesame location in Bloomsbury ever since.The main building exhibits landmark architecture inspired by theGreek Revival. To fit the 19th and 20th century design of the site,the architects Rogers Stirk Harbour worked with Mace group tobuild the new conservation centre using steel frames and Portlandglass and stone, easing the transition between the exterior of themuseum and the new development.With a public building of this magnitude, there is a high amount oftraffic around the building so it was imperative that the ironmongeryperformed to the highest level. For this reason, Allgood suppliedthe highest quality hardware including: triple knuckle hinges, floorspring units and mortice locks. We specified the hinges as they aremade from 316 stainless steel and come with a 25 year guaranteewhilst the other hardware items have a ten year guarantee. We alsosupplied our Modric lever handles on mostof the doors as they aretested to grade 4 against BS EN 1906 and would provide the doorswith the highest quality and most durable handles.As science and research are at the core of the new development,the building needed to be modern, functional and sustainable.We were able to meet the sustainability expectations as all of ourstainless steel door fittings are made from 62% recycled materialsof which 95% can be recycled at the end of the product’s life.Additionally, our packaging is also made from recycled material andcan be recycled once it has been used.The World Conservation and Exhibitions centre has now been openfor 6 months and has further enhanced the British Museum’s statusas a world class institute.

This 2018 Brick Awards winning project, the development on Creek Road, comprises of 83 contemporary homes and 1,800 sqm of commercial floor space. The architectural brief called for the brickwork to mirror an existing type and colour dating back to Victorian times. The selection of building materials was pivotal to the realisation of the project, and after careful consideration of the various options a decision was taken to centre the construction around one primary brick type: British manufactured Ibstock’s Funton Old Chelsea Yellow bricks, locally sourced from our Ashdown Factory, East Sussex.

Victoria Residences is a bespoke collection 11 luxurious apartments and penthouses with elements of traditional British heritage blended with a contemporary and timeless design. Replicating powerful Georgian features with modern thermal efficient technology was a primary driver for the architect selecting Licata Building Systems as the facade provider. Specifying Licata Therm Eco, the installing partner used ashlar plus other decorative profiles to ensure the properties regal vision was achieved. The system was finished with a 1.5mm self-cleaning Silicone render to ensure the building retained that “just-applied” look for the longest possible period.

A stunning ‘roundhouse’ curved garage door, built as part of a project to renovate and extend a Grade II listed property, provides a new perspective on the design, purpose and visual appeal of an exceptional British garage. The project at the large family home in Surrey encompassed internal alterations, restoration of a five metre high bay window to the main house and the creation of a four bay garage. The garage’s purpose, usage and desired appearance meant fusing traditional design with contemporary solutions, with Rundum Meir tailor-made garage doors being key to delivering on the architects’ vision.

We zone in on the complete wetroom solution provided for the Lalit Hotel one of Schlüter-Systems’ grandest projects of 2016/17 and finalist in the ‘Listed Building (Over £5 million)’ category of the AJ Retrofit Awards 2017. The conversion project took the historic Grade II listed building previously known as St Olave’s Grammar School, located at Bankside in London, and transformed it into a luxury 70-room boutique hotel that fuses the best of Indian and British culture. Lalit London is the 13th hotel of the Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, and the first based outside of India.

Burberry has opened a new flagship store in Shanghai, China. Its eighth location in the city and the largest so far.The new store was inspired by 121 Regent Street, the brand’s global flagship store and is all about bringing London to Shanghai. That means driving home the brand's heritage through British-made décor, craftsmanship and materials while matching the Regent Street location.The space reflects the architectural design concept developed by Burberry’s Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey.Albion Stone supplied Basebed blocks to EDM for the internal and external clad

Bioethanol fires require no chimney or flue, give off no harmful emissions and are 95% energy efficient. They are available in a large selection of designs for living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and gardens. A good example is the home of Bury resident Anthony Norman, who chose an Italian kitchen and a British made bedroom from local dealer Icon, both featuring table-top bioethanol fires. Anthony and his family were convinced that they would make exciting additions to their new kitchen and master bedroom. Ebios bioethanol fires are made in Germany and distributed by DRU in the UK.

Armourcoat's 3D Sculptural wall has been specified for innovative healthcare practitioners One Stop Doctors clinic in Hemel Hempsted by luxury interiors specialists Goddard Littlefair.The client design brief was to create a high-end service environment that communicated the calm, soothing and welcoming feel of a patient-centric experience. Bespoke furniture,a Goddard Littlefair design signature element, is used throughout in a range of high-end materials, including velvet, leather and suede in a spectrum of browns, slates, taupes, blues, purples and greys. To complement this, a feature wall of Armourcoat's Sculptural 'Flow Wave' provides the backdrop to the clinic's stunning reception space. Lighting was an important part of the mix, creating features with natural and artificial light. Reflected and diffuse light create moments of drama and art throughout the interior.Armourcoat Sculptural creates seamless wall surfaces with impactful designs and cast relief. Each design is created from cast GRG (Glass-fibre reinforced gypsum) panels, CAD generated to enable a continuous pattern of unique decorative effect.The state-of-the-art centre is the first of eight planned clinics to be located around the M25 corridor area. "We are not looking for the usual clinical healthcare design", One Stop Doctors CEO Ella Tracey commented, "but wanted a designer who could share our vision for creating an ambience that was relaxed, reassuring and tranquil, very comfortable and also aesthetically beautiful. Staff, visitors and patients alike are so impressed with the elegance of the design and the attention to detail, but also appreciate the feeling of warmth and comfort that it creates" Photography © Gareth Gardner

The design of the new University of Gibraltar building emphasises transparency and openness while retaining the integrity of the historic structure. Glazed facades and glass balustrades are positioned in striking contrast with original structures such as brick vaults. Fusing a historic fabric with modern design elements presented numerous challenges. It required close cooperation between Q-railing and the architect. In all the glass balustrade systems, they needed to achieve a demanding resistance parameter, in accordance with British Standards. Q-railing provided the Easy Glass Pro structural glass railing and constructed and tested the balustrade, certifying values required by Building Control.

Monsoon Accessorize is a privately owned British company with two internationally renowned clothing brands: Monsoon and Accessorize. HMM Architects asked Planet to provide a specification for all the internal glazing and partitioning for the client’s striking new head quarters, known as the Yellow Building. On the lower ground floor, Planet Partitioning’s demountable p100DG double glazing provides frontage to all executive offices and meeting rooms. At the centre of the building, Planet AG installed full-height atrium glazing to the working areas looking directly into the atrium. On the top floor, Planet AG installed six-metre high glass partitioning.

Delta Registered Installers, Oaks Damp Proofing having previously undertaken work for the client were commissioned to design and install a Cavity Drain Waterproofing system that would meet BS8102:2009 the British Standard for the protection of structures against water from the ground, Grade 3 (no dampness or water penetration acceptable) to the cellar area of The Blonde Hedgehog. The Cellar having been used historically to store beer was not waterproofed historically. Beer cellars are notable for being very cold and wet. For hundreds of years beer cellars were always underground – because underground rooms are generally quite cool.

The M Bar and Grill Restaurant in Twickenham is the newest London location for entrepreneurial restaurateur Martin Williams and his rapidly-expanding M Restaurant group. Amtico provided the perfect choice to create a bespoke floor. With a key emphasis on maintaining the elements of a traditional British pub, interior designer René Dekker was keen to replicate the style of an oak parquet style timber floor, while bringing it up-to-date with 21st Century technology. To achieve the required look, he chose four types of timber finish from Amtico’s Signature collection in an intricate Basket Weave design.

Gracing the banks of the River Thames in the heart of historic Westminster, 9 Millbank is a landmark residential address that captures the very essence of British Luxury and style, developed by Eric Parry Architects. Effisus solutions were used in order to protect the façade building from environmental factors. Breather FR Class A1 membrane was used to protect the façade elements against moisture, driving rain and wind avoiding corrosion, insulation deterioration and mould growth. Vapour FR Class A1 membrane was used to prevent the condensation risk, improving the airtightness and consequently the energy efficiency of the building.

The building features nearly 2,000 m2 of bespoke gravity lay raised floor panels. These are manufactured by Bathgate Flooring in our UK manufacturing facility. They supplied panels with a real maple lacquered finish. The complete development sees 4 floors of fully accessible maple finished raised floors manufactured to the PSA MOB PF2 PS/SPU British Standard Bathgate Flooring under the Permaflor brand. The complete installation included a full aluminum entrance mat bought and installed by Paragon Mat–Works and the complete raised floor was installed to an extremely high standard by SJ Durman Flooring.

Koster Aquatecnic were approached by the project architect to assist in a specification to renew the waterproofing to the roof of the large visitor cottages at the base of Ardnamurchan Lighthouse.This lighthouse is situated at the most westerly point in the British Isles and as such is extremely exposed to the elements. A robust material and system had to be produced. This was a very challenging project and a great deal of assistance was provided including bespoke drawings, office and site meetings followed by leak testing services to ensure fully watertight.Please read through the case study and if you have any questions or would like advice on a similar project, please contact technical@kosteruk.com.

British clothing company, Boden, found the perfect location in Leicester, to expand their warehouse and contact centre.With a fashionable interior at the forefront of architect, Spacelab’s, mind, LOFT20 provided the ideal solution. A fantastic alternative to slim framed office partitioning, LOFT20 was used throughout the interior, from meeting rooms, to the break-out spaces.Where fire rated partitioning screens and doors were needed, FireClear was the obvious solution, being fully compatible with LOFT20. Achieving E30 fire rating, FireClear had mullions and transoms applied, in the same width and colour as LOFT20, to provide seamless integration throughout the design.