"controls for services energy recovery"

Project: 1 Aylesbury Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1R 0DRClient: MeritcapeArchitect: Atum Design LabM&E consultant: EngDesignProtecting Cities Against Fire with Advanced GlazingDaylight-flooded spaces command a premium from tenants, but in the densest urban areas – where buildings are very tightly packed – it can be difficult to achieve. Not least because of the need to protect against the spread of fire.This was the challenge for developer Meritcape when they set out to refurbish 1 Aylesbury Street – a converted historic warehouse building in Clerkenwell, East London.The designers wanted to fill every floor of the building with natural light, from both the front and the back of the building by using floor-to-ceiling glazing on every floor. However, the rear of the property was just three metres away from a neighbouring building.To prevent fire spreading from one building to the next, building regulations specify the fire resistance that external walls need to be able to provide. This is given as minimum requirements for integrity – how long they can contain smoke and flames – and insulation, or how long they can prevent the escape of heat. Steve Bond, technical and customer support manager, fire, at Pilkington United Kingdom Limited, said: “When you have two buildings this close together, standard glazing is not an option, as it doesn’t put up enough of a barrier to fire spreading outwards from the building.“That’s where fire-resistant glazing can make a big difference. By providing protection against fire while also letting light flow in, we can create light-filled spaces in very built-up parts of the city where not long ago it wouldn’t have been possible.“As well as sealing in flames and smoke for at least an hour, the glass also provides radiation shielding that reduces the amount of heat energy that can pass outwards through the glass – another key means of spreading fire.” The rear façade of the building is glazed in Pilkington Pyroclear® Plus insulating double-glazed units, delivering not only the right level of fire resistance, but have also been designed to give excellent thermal insulation (U-value) properties to reduce heat-loss from the building.Davood Kiani, Senior Project Consultant at Meritcape said: “Those looking for modern commercial space expect floorplans to be well lit with natural light, and this is one of the main design challenges when working with buildings in the most densely urban areas of the city.“Fire regulations are one of the big reasons for this, so Pilkington fire-resistant glazing means we can achieve the best of both worlds - a building that meets or exceeds all of the safety regulations while also feeling spacious and airy.”A total of 800 m2 of Pilkington glass was used in the project, including in the front façade of the building, in which hundreds custom-sized small double-glazed solar-control units were used to imitate the crittall steel-framed windows that are a signature feature of buildings in the area.Images by S G Photography

Heslington East Campus Student Residences: Sustainable and Efficient Expansion Alongside the preservation of listed buildings, the University of York is investing in a flagship £130m development for students that promotes wellbeing, community, and sustainability. The initial phase sees 16 brand new student accommodation blocks and 2 communal hub buildings providing flexible social spaces. Surrounded by stunning lake views and natural habitats, the buildings are part of a huge initiative to expand the student accommodation offering.GOALSArchitects Sheppard Robson alongside Graham Construction sought to futureproof accommodation by incorporating multi-use buildings, including catering outlets and social hubs. Key to the brief was using the latest in safety, energy efficiency, longevity, and warranty credentials. Graham Construction’s use of modular external sandwich panels, prefabricated steel bathroom pods, and pre-assembled services distribution racks used Modern Methods of Construction with off-site construction techniques.CHALLENGESThe major challenge was to specify a roofing system that could keep up with the pace of the build, given the typical building was constructed from start to finish in circa 14 weeks.The roof deck comprised of precast concrete slabs which facilitated the works programme for speed of construction and consistency in build quality.Alumasc’s challenge was to find not only a waterproofing solution that was able to keep up with such speed of construction but also to meet a truly sustainable life cycle equalling the lifetime of the building.A key consideration in the design was the roofing materials’ thermal properties. To meet the u-value target of 0.15, Alumasc’s XPS Plus insulation was specified, providing a single layer of 175mm, which reduced the height of the overall build-up when compared traditional XPS.SOLUTIONHydrotech 6125 Waterproofing System / Derbigum Hybrid Upstands For over half a century Hydrotech Monolithic Membrane has been successfully used by architects and specifiers, ensuring some of the world’s most prestigious buildings and structures are kept watertight. With no product failures in over 50 years and guaranteed waterproofing integrity for the lifetime of the structure, Hydrotech offers a total life cycle solution for the building.Hydrotech was specified on the main roof areas for this project as it easily meets individual requirements of the buildings. In addition, the system is designed to last the lifetime of the building or structure to which it is applied, giving long-term waterproofing integrity and no future replacement costs.Applied in a hot liquid state to the deck, and including a polyester reinforcement, the bond of Hydrotech MM6125 is 100% absolute. There is no risk of water tracking below the membrane and because it is monolithic, no possibility of lap failure.DERBIGUM WATERPROOFINGDerbigum sustainable roof system was selected for the upstand areas. This hybrid solution was developed to improve the thermal efficiency in all areas to mitigate against cold-bridging with minimal insulant thickness. Derbigum bituminous membranes are high-performance waterproofing systems offering extended warranties and the highest levels of project support. The upstand zones benefited from Derbigum Mineral which is a mineral surfaced composite reinforced membrane.ROOFTOP MANAGEMENT STRATEGYIn addition to the waterproofing solution the buildings benefit from the full Alumasc rooftop management service. This included the design and supply of safety systems, accessories, and over 20 AOV smoke hatches meeting all British and European standards.Specific safe zones were designed by Alumasc Roof-Pro and positioned around all roofs for safe access. Purpose made clips for installing lightning conductor tape without roof penetration were also provided. All rooftop accessories are part of the Alumasc Roofing specification and therefore can be found back-to-back within the Alumasc 35-year system warranty.PROJECT DATACompletion: Autumn 2022 BuildingType: Student Accommodation ProductApplication: Hydrotech & Derbigum waterproofing systems Certification: BBA Approved & European Technical Approval Architect: Sheppard RobsonMain Contractor: Graham ConstructionAlumasc Registered Roofing Contractor: Tandragee Roofing

Twinfix has over thirty years’ experience designing, manufacturing, and installing school canopies, playground shelters and covered walkways for education establishments, including nursery schools, primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities. Each structure is designed to fit and enhance its surroundings while providing the school with the type of canopy, playground shelter or walkway they need. Twinfix provide a full in-house service, from design right through to installation.Outdoor areas that are currently not usable during hot or wet weather conditions can be made into fully productive parts of the school or nursery. Canopies installed adjacent to a nursery classroom create an easily accessible area for sand and water play, while a walkway can give protected transit for staff and pupils between buildings at any school site.Golborne High School is a coeducational foundation secondary school located in Golborne, Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, England.The oldest part of the school was opened in January 1954 and today it is a trust school under the umbrella of the newly formed Golborne and Lowton Co-operative Learning partnership.Last year, Twinfix were approached by Parklands Services to design, manufacture and install three fabricated, lean-to mono-pitch canopies at the school. The canopies all served a different purpose: one provided cover for an outdoor eating area, provide shelter to pupils outside their classroom as they learn and play and to provide cover to parents and students waiting to enter and leave.The structures spanning a total of 162 square metres comprise of Twinfix’s innovative Multi-Link-Panel Non-Fragile (NF) roofing system, glazed with 25mm multiwall polycarbonate. The roofs are non-fragile in accordance with the HSE’s test for fragility ACR[M]001:2019, an important factor when installing canopies where children may try and access the roof. Each canopy has an aluminium frame, powder-coated to RAL 7016 anthracite grey.Being a one-stop shop for designing, manufacturing and installing such outdoor structures Twinfix are proud to offer a seamless service to any school or other education establishment looking for a canopy or walkway. The staff and pupils at Golborne High School are delighted with the latest additions to their school.

Sherwin-Williams delivers high-quality mirror coatings that reduce applied costs for seasoned mirror producer, Virginia Mirror Company.Virginia Mirror Company began producing mirrors for furniture manufacturers in Virginia and North Carolina in 1913. Now, it’s a prominent supplier of fabricated and stock sheet mirrors for residential and commercial construction throughout the southwestern region of the U.S.  As a leading producer of stock sheet mirrors, Virginia Mirror sells the majority of its products through distributors in the after-paint market. As an added layer of service, the company delivers all glass products to their customers directly, using its own fleet and loading process. The company’s most popular offering is its 42x120-inch sheets.“Virginia Mirror is known for its quality, craftsmanship and service,” said Lloyd Brigman, director of operations for Virginia Mirror Company. “From producing exceptional products to paying invoices and delivering products on time, these basic principles have been the foundation of our stability. They’re what set us apart from other mirror producers.”NEW & IMPROVED SILVERINGThroughout the 2000s, Virginia Mirror sourced its coatings from a paint supplier that eventually discontinued its mirror coatings portfolio, leaving Virginia Mirror in need of a new supplier. At the beginning of 2019, with quality, craftsmanship and service top-of-mind, the long-standing company chose Sherwin-Williams as its primary mirror coatings provider.“The kickoff discussions with Virginia Mirror centered around the quality of our silvering chemicals and paint,” said Tim Reilly, Sherwin-Williams mirror coatings technical sales manager. “They wanted to learn as much as they could before moving forward with our chemistries.”For quality, performance and application assurance, Virginia Mirror tested the Sherwin-Williams coatings on its production line.“After initial testing, we saw less rejection on the line,” said Michael Fain, plant manager for Virginia Mirror Company. “The chemicals just ran better. They were higher quality than the previous coatings we used, and the technical support we received from the team played a tremendous role in choosing them as our supplier.”

RESIN BOUND FOR RBG KEW WALKWAYAddagrip Terraco are delighted to have been involved in the Broad Walk project at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew with the installation of over 3000sqm of our innovative resin bound porous paving system, Terrabase Rustic.SURFACING REQUIREMENTSAddagrip Terraco were approached as the UK ‘s leading manufacturer of resin exterior surfaces and together with approved contractor, True Grip Ltd, carried out extensive surveys and put together several specification options and costs that Kew could consider. Kew selected Addagrip’s new patented resin bound surfacing system Terrabase Rustic as it offered a larger 6-10mm stone size providing the rustic looking finish that Kew required and could be installed over the existing macadam with minimum environmental impact and disruption. Drainage was another key requirement and the larger stone size of this bound system provides maximum porosity.As the Terrabase product was relatively new, the surface had to meet many exacting performance criteria put forward by Kew which Addagrip was able to substantiate. After 9 months of discussion, True Grip Ltd were appointed to work via main contractor Kier Facilities Services to install the Terrabase Rustic Oak finish. Despite challenging weather conditions and site restrictions due to the public use of the main areas, True Grip Ltd installed 3,163m2 over the entire Broad Walk, following behind Kier Facilities Services who were installing extensive drainage services and brick edging.The new Terrabase Rustic surface is hard wearing, low maintenance with no loose stone and provides a seamless, natural rustic pathway which looks very much at home in the grounds of London’s historic Royal Botanic Gardens.This exciting project has created the longest double herbaceous borders in the UK. The 300m long borders either side of the Broad Walk from the Orangery to the Palm House Pond, were planted with swathes of vibrant summer flowering perennials, grasses and bulbs to form a spectacular new horticultural feature. Planting continued into early summer 2016 to complete the project.Image credit: Richard Wilford, RBG Kew

The new year saw the start of a roll-out of the UK’s leading bike hangar design for Sheffield City Council, creating a new network of secure cycle parking across Sheffield’s Crookes suburb, located to the west of the city centre.The Bike Hangars provide secure, on-street cycle parking facilities for residents who don’t have access to private cycle parking, such as a garage or shed. The bike hangars provide secure lockable storage for up to 48 bikes and are located across streets within the suburb including Bates Street, Hadfield Street, Heavygate Avenue and Brighton Terrace Road.As well as manufacture and installation, Falco is also providing a fully managed service with key rental management for the residents and bike hangar maintenance on behalf of Sheffield City Council’s Highways and Infrastructure team.The Falco Rentals website enables Sheffield residents to look for free spaces in the bike hangar network, book an available space and pay online, all in one place. The Falco Rentals website also provides a useful video along with other ideas and tips on safely looking after a bike.In addition to the Bike Hangars for Sheffield City Council shown here, Falco also provide a fully managed service of Bike Hangars for a number of other Council’s across the UK including; Brighton & Hove City Council, London Borough Southwark, London Borough of Camden, London Borough of Merton and Bath and North East Somerset Council.The FalcoPod bike hangar as shown here in Sheffield, is a simple and effective cycle parking facility designed to meet the needs of cyclists who don’t have access to private cycle parking facilities. Operating like a giant bread bin, each hangar is a secure and lockable unit capable of accommodating up to six bikes each. The innovative cycle parking solution is also available with an App enabled smart lock, enabling residents to access the unit with their smartphone, eliminating the needs for physical keys and fobs.For more information about the FalcoPod Bike Hangar, the FalcoPod Bike Hangar service or your cycle parking scheme, please contact our helpful sales team on 01538 380080. 

Bath and North East Somerset Council is the latest local authority to receive a network of the UK’s most user-friendly bike hangar design - the FalcoPod. Falco manufactured, supplied and installed four units complete with both smart app electronic access and manual key access to three residential areas across the borough.The FalcoPods were installed this winter as part of a two-year trial to provide secure, on-street cycle parking facilities for residents who don’t have access to private cycle parking, such as a garage or shed. The bike hangars provide secure lockable storage for 24 bikes and are located across the north of Bath on New King Street, Sydney Buildings and Great Stanhope Street.Each mobile app bike hangar and mobile app cycle hub provides Southwark residents with quick and easy accessibility via the users smartphone. The user registers for a place through the Falco Rentals website, downloads the app, is granted accessibility via the back office and then can access their chosen hangar within minutes. For users without a smartphone, a physical key can be supplied instead.As well as manufacture and installation, Falco is also providing a fully managed service with both app and key rental management for the residents and bike hangar maintenance on behalf of Bath and North East Somerset Council Highways and Infrastructure team.The Falco Rentals website enables Bath residents to look for free spaces in the bike hangar network, book an available space and pay online, all in one place. The Falco Rentals website also provides a useful video along with other ideas and tips on safely looking after a bike.In addition to the Bike Hangars for Bath and North East Somerset Council shown here, Falco also provides a fully managed service of Bike Hangars for a number of other Council’s including the London Borough of Southwark, the London Borough Westminster, London Borough of Brent, London Borough of Camden, London Borough of Merton and Brighton & Hove City Council.For more information about the FalcoPod Bike Hangar, the FalcoPod Bike Hangar service or your cycle parking scheme, please contact our helpful sales team on 01538 380080. 

Isolating Hotel Rooms from RestaurantsPreventing noise transmission between the noisy areas of a building to the quiet areas is an ongoing challenge. When the quiet areas are people sleeping and the noisy area is a busy hotel dining room, the problem is particularly acute, but can be resolved by using the appropriate products which are cost effective and easy to install correctly.The ProjectPremier Inn Scarborough North is a new build 105 room, 5-storey hotel with a 68-cover restaurant, which was completed in March 2021. The new hotel was granted planning permission in 2018 and construction was slightly delayed over the Covid lockdown period.Owner of the Premier Inn brand, Whitbread, continues to see strong growth with their UK business continuing to outperform in the midscale and economy market and now has over 800 hotels in the UK. Key to the brand’s message is that wherever you stay in a Premier Inn, you will always get great levels of comfort.The ChallengeSources of noise which affect hotel guests include:External sources of noise and vibrationTransmission between rooms and between rooms and corridorsTransmission from engineering systems (ventilation and air conditioning, heating systems, lifts and so on)Transmission from public areas – reception, conference facilities and in particular restaurants.Noise transmission from restaurants, bars and reception areas becomes a significant challenge where the design of the hotel incorporates these areas on the ground floor of a block, with hotel rooms directly above.Reducing the transmission of noise from a large common area to individual hotel rooms rests principally on isolating the plasterboard or suspended ceiling. To overcome this challenge, a frequent recommendation is to design a ceiling incorporating neoprene isolation hangers.Neoprene Isolation Hangers for HotelsNeoprene isolation hangers are primarily used to isolate suspended sources of audible frequency vibration, such as piping and ductwork systems. They also provide very effective vibration isolation for hanging acoustic ceilings by preventing transmission of noise to the building structure.The isolation hangers supplied for use in the ceiling at Premier Inn Scarborough North were Isogrid Quick-Connect Ceiling Hangers, supplied by CMS Danskin Acoustics.The IsoGrid Quick Connect Ceiling Hanger has a specially designed dual deflection neoprene isolator which allows internal bulging. This enables the neoprene element to achieve greater deflections whilst maintaining lateral stability. Greater deflection translates to greater performance for noise control ceilings.IsoGrid Quick-Connect Ceiling Hangers have several other benefits:They are more cost effective than similar products;The simple design makes them quick and easy to install, providing significant labour savings over conventional sound control ceiling hangers;The known deflection rates ensure acoustical performance under design loads;Tested for airborne, impact and frequency performance to BS EN ISO 10140 requirements;Various attachment methods allow for installation on a variety of ceiling structures, including concrete, metal deck or structural framing;A bronze core serves to prevent poor acoustic performance due to over compression or due to accidental short circuiting of the transmission pathway.InstallationThe ceiling was installed by specialist contractor B W Shrimpton Limited. This was the first time that Shrimpton’s had used IsoGrid hangers, but they were well received.Supervisor Kirk Talbot, who has worked closely with the CMS Danskin Acoustics Team on several projects, explained his preference for the hangers is very much about the ease of installation:“We used Hilti pan head HUS fixings into the soffit for fixing them up, and the lads on site had no issues with them at all.“The IsoGrid hangers are definitely robust enough and easy to fix angle or wires to. On that basis and the cheapness compared to other hangers out there, I’d definitely use them again and will recommend that others do too.”Kirk Talbot, BW Shrimpton LtdTechnical Advice on Acoustics in HotelsCMS Danskin Acoustics are specialists in soundproofing materials and acoustic insulation. Our expert technical team can advise on the specification of a wide range of specialist acoustic and vibration control systems – balancing performance, aesthetics and budget. We provide solutions to treat floors, walls and ceilings, as required, delivering a holistic design approach to sound control for the complete gym or sports hall environment.We don’t just design, manufacture and deliver market leading products. We work with the entire supply chain and project teams to ensure a smooth path from conception to completion.

ABOUT CURRAGH:Nestled in the glorious countryside of Southern Ireland sits the Curragh Race Course. Initially founded in the coffee rooms of Kildare, the Irish Turf Club was quickly established as the governing body for horse racing throughout Ireland.The first recorded race on the plain took place in 1727 and now Curragh (from the Irish name ‘Cuirreach’ meaning ‘place of the running horse’) is home to Ireland’s five classic races.ABOUT THE PROJECT:The Curragh site has recently undergone a 65 million Euro redevelopment project across its entirety. Works carried out included the stable yard (featuring 135 stables) and the building of a brand new grandstand with a spectacular sweeping roof. Covering 10,500 square metres the new grandstand can cater for up to 6,000 people within its four levels – in fact, the site as a whole, has an incredible crowd capacity of 30,000 - which is a typical number for events such as Derby Day!Visitor enjoyment and responsible ‘crowd’ control during any event at Curragh are equally important to the site owners and managers; therefore, all aspects of this were to be considered carefully during the planning stage of the redevelopment. Ensuring an event at Curragh is a pleasurable experience takes a lot thought and care. Aspects such as creating the right atmosphere for the different areas and ensuring that everyone can hear race commentaries and announcements, all form part of the overall impression of the day’s event. Taking great lengths to provide all visitors with a memorable day is likely to encourage them to return again in the future.To carry out the works required, a selection of top consultants were selected for the different aspects of communication throughout the site. Dublin based, Sound Productions Ltd was chosen to design and commission the PA/VA and EVC, as well as the TV and other audio distribution systems required for the Curragh buildings and surrounding grounds.The brief to Sound Productions was to supply a flexible multi-zone audio and voice alarm system with top quality audio. The specification was for a complex zone arrangement, with multiple audio inputs from broadcast companies, live commentary, background music and TV audio distribution. This included the requirement for a 98dB sound level trackside, with absolute intelligibility throughout all areas (including those with high reverberation) and, for this, a highquality PA/VA system was needed. It was imperative that these works were delivered on schedule, with ‘quality’ to be considered as the prevailing factor, without exception, throughout the project.The PA/VA system was to be delivered over two phases – the first one being the system rack for the Parade Ring; the second to be the New Grandstand, including two main Baldwin Boxall PA/VA VIGIL control racks delivering power to a network of EN54 loudspeakers. The specification for VIGIL to be the PA/VA system for Curragh was due to Baldwin Boxall’s renowned reputation for product quality and reliability, as well as the company’s excellent track record for the delivery of large projects.Now fully installed and operational, the PA/VA system is equipped to cater for up to 24 analogue and 32 digital audio channels all distributed to over 50 zones. Multi-zone general paging is also delivered using Baldwin Boxall’s BVRD TSM touch screen microphones along with BFM series microphones for emergency purposes.The project’s requirement for disabled refuge call points has been fulfilled by the installation of Baldwin Boxall’s Omnicare EVC system, which is controlled via a 16-way control panel situated in the Security Room.Commenting, Peadar Carley, Project Engineer, Sound Productions said “We are delighted to have been involved with such an amazing project. We have a long-standing professional relationship with Mercury Engineering (the project electrical contractors), who share our ethos of being very particular with detail and passionate about providing the best quality. To know that we were chosen due to our ability to deliver large, complex systems and for our audio knowledge, makes us very proud indeed.”When asked about Baldwin Boxall, Peadar continued, “We have been buying, installing and commissioning Baldwin Boxall products for very many years - over 30 in fact. The systems just keep on going - they really are robust! But it is not only for this reason that we return to Baldwin Boxall repeatedly, but also because of the support we can get from them. They know their stuff, are easy to deal with and I recommend them without hesitation.”

Client: Sunderland City CouncilLocation: Sunderland, UKSector: Mixed-Use FacilityYear: 2021Project Size: 3,500 m²System: vebro Classic TerrazzoA durable, attractive, impressive terrazzo flooring solution for the atrium, staircase, café, walkways and breakout spaces in the new City Hall development in Sunderland.FaulknerBrowns’s City Hall scheme provides a mix of private and public uses comprising two blocks, one five-storey and one six-storey tower, linked by a covered central walkway.Project backer Sunderland City Council is expected to move around 1,200 employees into the seven-storey building on the plot which, until recently, had laid dormant since the brewery’s demolition in 1999.Bringing together council staff from eight different offices around the city under one roof, the project is set to deliver net operational savings to the council of around £22 million over 25 years. The building will also include customer services areas, a fitness room, and an employment centre.The former Vaux Brewery site in Sunderland has been redeveloped as part of an ambitious £500m plan to deliver state-of-the-art commercial offices, residential, retail, leisure, hotel, and dining space.The brownfield site, which sits to the north-west of the city, is being developed in phases to bring a new mixed-use neighbourhood to the area. With the first phase that originally commenced in 2016 now complete, the second phase of the plan (Vaux 2) comprises the 17,775 square metre, £42 million City Hall, Sunderland.Vebro Polymers supplied its decorative epoxy terrazzo flooring system, vebro Classic Terrazzo, in two unique colour blends, RAL 3009 Red Oxide and RAL 7044 Silk Grey as part of the flooring package at the new Sunderland City Hall, which has been expertly project managed from prep through to finish by the team at MJF Group over a 4 month period.These terrazzo materials have also been used to create several pre-cast elements including the dining hall counter, central feature stairwell, and other items of furniture.vebro Classic Terrazzo is a highly decorative, but highly durable and long-lasting epoxy terrazzo flooring system. The material is installed as a slurry of wet components mixed with a blend of handpicked decorative marble aggregates onto the primed substrate.MJF Group is an established support services company providing specialist solutions to businesses nationwide.Since 2006 the company has built an enviable reputation in the commercial cleaning market, fuelling a later expansion into site services and specialist flooring alongside growth from local to national level.MJFs dedicated team of flooring experts are a group of highly skilled professionals who deliver a first-class service, ensuring all of their flooring solutions achieve outstanding results within an efficient and timely manner.MJF pride themselves on offering their clients extremely competitive prices, without ever compromising results.

The Silverburn shopping centre is one of the largest in the UK, with over 100 stores and a 100,000m2 car park. With more than 2000 parking spaces spread over many levels, can you imagine how many people pass through every day? Effective drainageThe previously installed drainage system had begun to fail, causing the car park to flood in some areas. The old system needed replacing with something innovative and new Kompaqdrain CityThe Max-Flow® effect of our Kompaqdrain channel ensured effective drainage. Comprising an original design with curved grating inlets and an anti-slip and water-directing surface, optimising water collection and utilising the water's energy to increase speed and drainage capacity. User safetyThe channel and grating of the Kompaqdrain City model form a single monolithic system ensuring strength throughout the whole channel. As the grating forms part of this system and is not separate there are no risks of lifting of shifting coupled with smaller collection holes thus preventing trips and falls!

20 Water Street in Canary Wharf, London is leading the way for how offices should look and feel in the post-pandemic era. As the HQ for real estate giant, JLL, this serene waterside workspace has become synonymous with sustainability and wellbeing. With high expectations to meet in terms of staff welfare, Tétris knew it needed to ensure each space was designed for appearance but most importantly experience. This meant creating productive workspaces free of distraction, where employees can focus and thrive. It was also vital that teams could easily collaborate in its spaces, without having to raise their voices to be heard. With the ability to absorb sound energy instead of reflecting it, SonaSpray K-13 Special, provided the perfect acoustic solution – giving clarity to speech and keeping unwanted excess noise at bay. Along with many other design benefits, SonaSpray follows the lines of whatever is beneath it, giving architects and designers the freedom to design without the constraints of traditional acoustic methods.Image credits to Jonathan Banks Photography.

The Dairy is a retirement Living Plus development built in 2017 for people over the age of 70. Providing both one and two bedroom apartments, each apartment has a fully fitted kitchen, underfloor heating, fitted and tiled shower room with level access shower and a 24 hour emergency call system. Facilities include a hair and nail salon, lifts to all floors, club lounge, restaurant and a south facing courtyard garden. Transport links to surrounding towns and cities are available via rail and road. The railway station has trains running directly to Charing Cross and London Bridge which takes one hour.Cellecta’s Mojave S1-8 was specified by Lewis & Hickey due to it being a lightweight option for an acoustic composite floor build up. This system has a low energy use, reducing running costs and co2 emissions, which benefits the environment.McCarthy & Stone were awarded this 2,860m² contract to construct this development on St John’s Road in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Non-Conductive Fencing, Trench Covers and Access Structures | Case StudyPower and Energy Infrastructure Contractor Morgan Sindall was appointed to design, build and commission the new converter station and chose to work with Dura Composites to provide safe, non- metallic Glass Reinforced Polymer (GRP) utility fencing for the AC/DC Halls, as well as a range of non-conductive access structures, utility trench covers & handrailing across the site.The IFA2 project aims to connect the electricity systems of Great Britain and France using high voltage subsea cables and will be capable of exporting or importing 1000MW of power between the UK and France, enough to power up to 1 million homes. In this project, the client specification mandated the use of non-conductive and non-metallic materials which could be used to construct removable fencing, permanent fencing and sliding gates to enable access to specific authorised personnel, whilst preventing others from accessing high-risk areas.

Pura® NFC by Trespa as connecting factor between two building volumesIn close cooperation with Guus Vedder (2•1 Architecten), architect Hendrik Jan van der Valk (Van der Valk Woudst ra) has designed a modern villa, consisting of two main volumes. The villa was for a private client and is located in a rural village in the Veluwe region. One volume is used as living/ dining room and kitchen, while the bedrooms, bathrooms, playroom and technical area are located in the other.The client had a number of explicit requirements for the design of the villa which is located on a large plot in a wooded area. In addition to various aesthetic aspects, the villa had to be sustainable and energy neutral. The facades, roofs and floors were therefore very well insulated and of airtight construction. All window frames have aluminium profiles with optimum insulation and have triple glazing. The whole house is equipped with domotics and all installations are powered by the solar panels that were fitted; there is therefore no need for a gas connection.

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

A beautiful timber frame house, made of Western Red Cedar based in Kings Langley. Kings Langley, Hertfordshire is the birthplace of Ovaltine, the soothing malt drink. The village is divided by the River Gade and endowed with a couple of beautiful lakes.It is here, at one of these lakes, that a charming timber garden house is fitted with beautiful wooden louvres. By Sunshield, in collaboration with Contrasol. We were delighted to assist the owners with custom made external louvres to provide the a much needed perfect solution to reduce glare. Our client is sensitive to light and needed an effective shading product to specifically reduce sunlight entering the internal space.Our client was looking for something to be able to control light as well as a solution to fully block out light at night. The windows are South facing; therefore the louvres were also perfect for shading purposes and heat reduction.The Sunshield team applied the popular 98W which is made from Western Red Cedar to compliment the overall building.

Ascent Rooflight Covers were specified by Eurosafe Solutions as part of a Safe Access strategy to allow maintenance personnel to frequently access the roof areas to undertake Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) works at an office / warehousing premises in Orgreave, Sheffield. The Ascent Rooflight covers are a freestanding unit that sits above the potential fall hazard of the glazed rooflight. Formed from an angular aluminium framework with mesh infill the rooflight covers do not overly restrict light penetrating the rooflight. The Rooflight covers are supported on small spreader plates which provide a non-penetrative support solution on the flat felt roof. The Ascent Rooflight covers are testing in accordance with ACR(M) 001:2014 Test for Non-fragility of Large Element Roofing Assemblies (fifth element) and manufactured following 1090 factory production control procedures allowing CE/UKCA marking as required with all Safety critical components as per the Construction Product regulations 2022  

Set in beautiful grounds this former coach house is nestled in a picturesque Cotswold village.This stunning orangery was the perfect solution for the family who wanted to have a light filled room, from where they could sit and enjoy their garden throughout the year.The stone-coloured exterior paint finish of the David Salisbury orangery is the perfect complement to the sandy-coloured Cotswold stone and stone roof of the main building.The glass lantern benefits from Pilkington Activ™ Blue self-cleaning glass, which has both self-cleaning and solar-control properties plus high performing thermally insulating Pilkington K Glass™ S as the inner pane of glass.The result of this carefully designed addition to a home that already oozes character and charm is a light filled environment that can be use throughout the Summer and Winter months, where the family can sit in total comfort.Images courtesy of David Salisbury.

Lewis Deck was chosen, on this particular project in London, for a number of the key benefits the system brings. These being the strength of the system with only needing a thin concrete screed on top, the acoustic qualities & vibration control properties and the speed an ease of installation. This project even requested much longer sheets than standard in an effort to speed up the installation process. In fact you can see from the main photo above that some of the sheets were extremely long. The longest being just over 6.5m.This project was the installation of a new suspended, loadbearing concrete floor above an existing floor below. The space being used as a plant room for the hospital. The Lewis Deck was installed over a suspended steel grid of Light Gauge Steel C-section joists. A thin concrete was then installed over the top.This was a quick installation with the Lewis Deck being installed and then used as a safe working deck ahead of the screed being pumped in.

Challenge: Concourse Village Plaza houses apartment blocks, retail shops, a multiplex cinema and underground parking. Chloride ingress and weathering has taken its toll on the structure with cracking and spalling of the concrete cover from reinforcement corrosion.Strategy: Significant concrete repair in conjunction with an ICCP system was needed for the structure. LoCem® +chase®, will be used specifically for reinforced concrete structures, where the ICCP anode mortar operates within slots cut and holes drilled strategically into the reinforced concrete structural elements. LoCem® is a low carbon cement alternative that can also act as a cathodic protection anode.Outcome: With the design of the ICCP for the Central podium completed, construction will begin in 2023 before moving to the West and East podiums. The project and is expected to go on for the next 2.5 years. The result of the project will be an ESG compliant strategy that will create a more resilient structure, utilising low carbon build materials that can control the impact of corrosion.

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home was established in 1860 by Mary Tealby as the Temporary Home for Lost and Starving Dogs. Since it opened, the charity has cared for more than 3.1 million dogs and cats. To increase capacity at their old Windsor site BDCH are adding a new wing.The animal charity required specialist doors for a new intake building which includes 27 kennels and 4 maternity kennels.Dortek supplied hygienic hinged doors with Stainless Steel frames throughout the new building. Some doors also had automations and access control locks for ease of access and increased security. Fire doors with 30 minutes certification were also supplied for the protection of animals and staff throughout the facility.The GRP construction of Dortek doors makes them easy to clean, waterproof and extremely robust. They are ideally suited to animal care facilities requiring a low maintenance design.

Eden at New Bailey, aka A3 Salford located in Salford, Manchester is Europe's largest living wall. The living wall wrapped on all elevations across the façade was designed, supplied and installed by Viritopia.The living wall is designed with modular plants with an ivy veil with a mix of trailing and climbing plants, almost acting as a camouflage to the building as a whole. The species of ivy has been carefully selected for its hardiness and seasonal appearance. This living wall will absorb and filter the pollution and carbon in the atmosphere, enhance biodiversity, attenuate rainwater, reduce noise and provide biophilic benefits for the health and wellbeing of the users.This 3,900m2 green façade has a 20,000 litre self-sufficient rainwater harvesting tank, helps control the urban heat island, and took around 10 months to install. Eden is also increasing the BNG by 174% with this project, with over 16 tonnes of soil and 33 different plant species and 350,000 plants in total helping it along the way.

Architect: Faulkner Browns ArchitectsInstaller: Topfix InteriorsProduct: ‘Shiluvit’ by Oranit1000m2 of PEFC Certified Shiluvit panels from Oranit were installed to the ceilings of the swimming pool and gym areas at the new sports facility St John’s School in Leatherhead.Faulkner Brown Architects specified Yellow Pine panels with a white stain for the space, choosing 7-502 modules with 22mm wide by 45mm deep blades with 40mm gaps for impressive acoustic control.Oranit is a specialist ceiling solutions suitable for most installation areas. As standard it is impregnated for Euroclass B,s2-d0 for resistance to fire, achieving top results against surface spread of flames, smoke production, and flaming droplets or structural integrity in case of fire.Additionally for this installation the panels were lacquered for humidity resistance, this treatment provides additional protection to the wood against water damage and can also be used for panels being installed outside.

The UK's most exclusive and largest bungalow provider needed a refurbished space to tell their story. Vtec was excited to support the designers with a premium and modern ceiling beam design with the MaxiBeam system. The ceiling beams were 39mm x 85mm tall and the decorative ceiling was coffered, creating a sunken rectangle in the space. The ceiling carries occupiers on a journey in the large open areas achieving both visual and functional benefits. Learn more about how the Click Fix installation system made it easy for the beams to be removed for access to M&E services.

To complement the opening of their new, state-of-the-art Changing Places facility, Derriford Hospital realised the need to improve the reception foyer washrooms. "We chose the System M cubicle to aid with manual handling and to provide quick access if needed. Of the products supplied, we are most pleased with the System M emergency door release system. The reaction from users has been that they are delighted with the new facilities, commenting on the extra space, increased number of cubicles, useful accessories such as bag hooks, and the colour of the cubicles." - Peter Caton, Site Services, Derriford Hospital.

ECLISSE are delighted to have been the supplier of choice for this prestigious development in the heart of historic London. The Westminster Quarter development comprises of 102 private luxury apartments, many with private outdoor space. Residents will also benefit from an exclusive gym, 24hr concierge service and landscaped courtyard and the roof terrace and roof lounge have stunning views of the Houses of Parliament and other iconic landmarks. Completion: 2017 Residential Units: 102 Construction Cost: £35.5m Architect: White Ink Architects Client: Taylor Wimpey Contractor: McAleer & Rushe

During the recent hosting of the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Silverstone, partitioning experts from Style were requested to be on hand at a prestigious hospitality venue, ensuring a crucial moveable wall system that divides the main room into private spaces for the world’s sporting press, operated smoothly and with maximum acoustic performance. Style’s aftercare and service division offers regular check-ups of almost any partitioning wall system, helping maintain the acoustic performance of the system, extend its lifespan, as well as ensuring operation remains within current health and safety guidelines.

Leading moveable wall specialist, Style Partitions, has launched a new website aimed at architects, specifiers, contractors and end user clients. The new site features a whole range of benefits including the ability to view case studies by industry sector, watch videos of moveable walls in action, view technical specifications and gain access to key tools such as the NBS Specification Generator and Style’s moveable wall range on the ‘National BIM Library’. There is also a section dedicated to Style’s moveable wall service and repair division, with its UK-wide support team.

Access flooring once again was selected for this major £12 million building in Cheltenham. Bathgate Flooring manufactured and installed over 5600m2 of Panels to ensure that this Grade A office space offered the maximum flexibility. Products Used BGM 600 Steel Encapsulated Panels Constructing this Office Development is well recorded with a time lapse video of the entire project available through the Gloucestershire Live news story. Access Flooring is used in buildings like this to ensure that there is easy access to the services if needed. Simply lift up the floor panels and all the cabling is visible beneath.

When Mersey Care upgraded their existing leaf-and-a half bedroom door arrangements, they wanted to improve the anti-barricade access and robustness of their doors – while still having a clear opening width of 1000mm. They found the leaf-and-a-half arrangement wasn’t ideal – with a bulky meeting stile and additional exposed metalwork. To address this, we proposed an extra-wide single leaf Symphony doorset. Aided by market-leading fire evidence, the leaf is 1100mm providing a clear opening of 1050mm – more than enough space for a service user and two members of staff.

The new Muscat International Airport is designed to transform the airport experience not only in the Middle East but on the global stage. A smooth and pleasant customer journey is at the core of the design. Since its conception in 2011, SAS has been heavily involved in realising the aims for each area of the building. SAS has supplied more than 200,000m² of column casing, acoustic wall panelling, staircase cladding and bespoke metal ceilings to the project. Each product has been carefully designed to provide essential acoustic absorption for visitors as well as service integration and accessibility for staff.

COMMUNITY housing in Birmingham was given a fresh new look over winter - despite challenging weather conditions. Twelve homes in the Smith’s Wood area of the city had been identified for redecoration work by the Family Optima Community Association. But the falling temperature meant the plan to repaint the external elevations to each property required a special solution. The specification services team at Crown Paints selected Sandtex Trade 365 All-Weather Masonry Paint – a product that has been used on the homes in the past and one which is able to cope with cold conditions.

As one of the leading off-site blasting and painting applicators, specialising in intumescent coatings, Vale Protective Coatings strive to stay at the forefront of technological advancements. Using the latest coatings and techniques is integral to support their offer of ‘unrivalled service’ to their customers in the steel construction industry.With a history of supporting trials for new products, Vale were the ideal partner to test our new Hempafire Pro 315 Fast Dry.The purpose of the trial was to prove that Hempafire Pro 315 Fast Dry applies more efficiently, significantly increasing productivity, without compromising coating quality.

Following the success of the Shoreline and Ocean hotels at Butlins’ Bognor Regis Resorts, the Butlins Wave Hotel is the newest addition, with the widest range of accommodation options. All three have been waterproofed by the Roofline Group. Cefil single-ply roofing membrane covers tapered insulation, with Fixfast tube washers and fasteners holding it all in place against the prevailing sea winds."We always get good service from you guys - that's the main reason we've stayed with you all these years"Bryan Lock - Project Manager at Roofline Group Ltd

Whiteboard paint turns MentorMate walls into collaborative surfaces. MentorMate provides innovative software solutions to tackle tech challenges across several industries. While their roots are in education, nearly half of their business is focused on healthcare and the large amounts of secure data that comes with it. As a software service company invested in its success, they engage the brightest minds in the world of innovative solutions. One way of giving them freedom of expression is ESCREO’s whiteboard paint that turns any wall into a writable surface. It fuels their creativity during brainstorming sessions and has livened up their meetings.