"flooring reinforcements toppings"

Welsh Slate’s Blue Grey Ffestiniog roofing slates have helped to transform St Pancras International from near demolition to an iconic gateway to Europe.

It seems that The Entertainer – the biggest independent toy retailer in the UK – cannot get enough of Stannah’s Goodsmaster range of goods lifts. Muscling up all over the UK, Goodsmaster goods lifts have gone into multiple branches of The Entertainer, from Didcot, Lancaster and Newport (Isle of Wight) to Rugby, Cardiff, Chester, Sunderland and Bexleyheath – with another to come in 2013 in Witney, Oxfordshire. The bespoke, hydraulic-drive Goodsmaster 500kg goods lift recently installed in the Bexleyheath outlet demonstrates Stannah’s design flexibility.

The transformation and repurposing of an existing building into new serviced offices in Shropshire is using bespoke manufactured aluminium parapet capping from the Pendock Linea range to provide high-quality finish.Incorporating a slate grey PPC finish, to blend in with the existing column casings that support the canopy, the PC-F style flat parapet capping's are manufactured from 2mm thick aluminium, which resists weatheringPendock carried out all the site surveys, manufacturing and the final installation of the parapet capping's on this project, which involved the removal and re-fitting of the column casings to provide a water-resistant barrier for the brickwork.

Schöck in the "Green Center". New Residential Complex in Linz.In the Upper Austrian capital city Linz, a new urban district known as the "Green Center” is being created. It will provide about 800 apartments. In this context, the Schöck Isokorb® T is a substantial component.Seven non-profit real estate developers are building a new heart for the city on an area of 87,000 m² in its geographical center – the largest urban development project in Linz for decades. As of 2016, a total of 800 apartments will have been erected and in accordance with the socio-demographic development, 50 assisted living housing units and a kindergarten – all on the site of the former freight railway station.In this complex we wanted to create "a sea of green, stretching from private gardens, terraces, loggias and balconies up to the roof tops, " explained the city officials. This is also where its name comes from.14,000 m² of parklandAll objects are being built with net zero-energy efficient features. Solar collectors are being installed on many roofs to provide hot water. As part of the thermal insulation, Schöck’s Isokorb® T thermally separates elements while forming part of the structure. It is being used here on a massive scale in different variants. Around 1,700 units were installed in five different building complexes. The versatile range of Schöck Isokorb® T structural thermal breaks allowed the planners great scope for design and energy efficient solutions, since they not only offer thermal separation and additional fire protection but also freedom of interface access (e.g. balcony to living space). In addition to Isokorb® T, Schöck Dorn (shear reinforcement, heavy-duty dowel), Schöck Bole® (punching shear reinforcement) and the Sound Protection System Schöck Tronsole® (for stairwells) were used in many installations.A total of 89 apartments with 75 balconies will be built whereby the ground floor apartments each have their own small garden. The roof surfaces are all planted. The living areas of balconies that extend outwards have an L-profile. The resulting visual plant staircase on the sunny facades creates the impression of a hanging garden for the residents and neighbors. This has a relatively striking effect and yet this version of gradation and the enclosed balustrades provides a certain degree of privacy for the inhabitants. To achieve the desired level of green, balconies are to have two flower boxes each (1.5m in length) that will be tended to by the residents. The three-meter deep balconies are thermally separated with Schöck Isokorb® T elements.Arcades thermally separated"We have done everything that is technically expedient to save energy. The Isokorb® T has been installed in the terraces and arcades" (Karrer). A solar system was installed on the roof. "All the green diminishes the specified high construction density," says the architect. Gradated terraces ensure that even in the courtyards there’s good light. The buildings were handed over in the summer of 2014.

With the introduction of new sports areas and a sixth form college, The Belper School faced a significant shortage of parking spaces. The growing demand for additional parking became evident as staff, visitors, and students resorted to parking on grassed areas. Consequently, numerous muddy patches emerged around the school grounds, negatively impacting the area's aesthetics and making it increasingly inaccessible. Moreover, this led to an increase in the amount of mud brought inside the school, placing a greater burden on the caretaking and cleaning staff.To address the drainage issues and offer an environmentally friendly alternative to concrete or tarmac, the school opted for X-Grid® as a permeable alternative for traditional car park surfacing. The school identified several areas around the premises as suitable locations for the car parks and proceeded to excavate them. A compacted hardcore base made of MoT-type stone was used to establish a strong and stable sub-base for the X-Grid®. By placing a geotextile membrane over the hardcore, the school minimised the risk of weed growth and created a separation layer between the build-up layers. The X-Grid® was then installed on a well-screeded sand blinding layer and filled with durable decorative gravel.By replacing the existing grassed areas with X-Grid® filled with gravel, Belper School successfully resolved their overcrowded car parks without the need for additional drainage infrastructure. The highly permeable nature of X-Grid® facilitated the controlled dispersion of surface water back into the water table. Consequently, the amount of mud around the school grounds was significantly reduced, virtually eliminating it altogether. This enabled the availability of parking spaces throughout the year, providing staff, visitors, and students with ample parking options while preserving the aesthetic appeal of their surroundings. Moreover, the use of X-Grid® ensured that the gravel remained in place, eliminating migration and greatly reducing surface maintenance requirements, thus keeping the areas looking as attractive as possible.

Nike has transformed The Regal basketball court at the Black Prince Community Hub in South London, using Junckers Beech SylvaSport floor pre-finished with black oil over a New Era fully sprung sub-floor system.

A college in East London lost the use of their sports hall due to a flood that infiltrated the building. The Customer Care Team from @DYNAMIK Sport inspected the existing sprung floor and were able to offer a seamless Polyurethane (PU) re-coating application from leading coatings manufacturer @herculan.DYNAMIK Technical managers were asked to confirm the sports performance of the existing sprung structure and it’s suitability for refurbishment rather than a total replacement. This solution avoided the costs associated with uplifting, disposal and the installation of a new replacement sprung base. DYNAMIK have many playing surface and repair options available that can breathe new life into an old sports floor. This type of transformation is fast, cost effective and extends the life of the floor, not to mention the massive environmental benefits associated with not having to uplift and dispose of the sprung system. Most wear and tear shows up on the top-layer playing surface, which often shows signs of cracking, loss of slip resistance or damage caused by non-sporting events or the use of table and chairs without suitable protection. Re-coating old surfaces with a Herculan PU by DYNAMIK can seamlessly repair the issues of the past and create a solution for the future. A re-application of line marking can also be carried out at the same time as the refurbishment process, as can club or school logos, coloured surrounds, highlighted court zones, as seen at many of DYNAMIK Nationwide sports flooring projects where their “Be-Spoke Court Design Service” has created the wow factor.If you have a damaged or worn out solid timber court, solid block tile, vinyl, lino or seamless PU playing surface, and need trusted advice for refurbishment options that could save your facility time and money by simply applying a new Herculan by DYNAMIK re-coating system. Please contact their Technical Team who are always happy to meet and test your floor to confirm compliance to the new comfort and shock absorption requirements which protects users from injury caused by non-existent or very low levels of shock absorption and comfort. @Craig Jack, Commercial Director of DYNAMIK Sports Floors, recently attended a technical group meeting, where leading indoor sports flooring manufacturers, suppliers, installers and consultants meet to discuss ways of maintaining standards but also ways of improving the performance and safety of products and systems available to end-users throughout the UK. The group discussed overlay options and their success and suitability within the modern sports and activity environment and highlighted some important points worth considering, prior to any overlay option being approved.Jack commented “Solid tile or thin playing surfaces used in the past, before standards existed are being coated with a paint like surface or simply over laid with another thin pad and playing surface but in reality, this only makes the surface look good and doesn’t consider the safety, comfort or compliance to the latest flooring standards, which now require any multi-sport space to have a shock absorption value of more than 25%”.Jack also explained the importance for responsible contractors to test existing surfaces prior to over coating, confirming the shock absorption values required and expected within indoor sport and activity spaces. “Rather than just kicking the can down the road, expecting others in the future to upgrade the playing surface, we need to act now as it is just not the right or responsible thing to do and highlights a grey area in terms of what is considered a sports flooring refurbishment or what is considered a regular maintenance process”.An existing leisure facility is only required to meet the 2007 indoor multi-use sporting standard EN14904, when they upgrade or replace their old sports flooring. The interpretation of this requirement has created a grey area which confuses the difference between a maintenance coating and a playing surface upgrade.It is Jacks view that safety requirements should not be lost in greyness and the industry needs to provide clarity and help protect users of indoor sporting and activity spaces.When asked, Jack confirmed, “I for one wouldn’t be happy to have my family play any form of sport or activity on a solid floor, no matter how fresh or colourful it looked. A quick fix coating or thin pad overlay just doesn’t provide the safety I expect from a sports or activity floor, especially when considering the standard came in 15 years ago. I can’t believe any facility considers painting solid surfaces or tiles but sadly, some still kick that can down the road and expect kids to play on a solid concrete or painted tile, non-compliant surfaces. It’s shocking and quite scary when you think about how many floors still do not get upgraded to the current standards and are in use today”.DYNAMIK Technical consultant Sarah Beck clarified that “DYNAMIK always put safety and compliance first, above anything else. Playing surface compliance should be top of any list and our sports flooring team certainly see why 15 years ago, the standards were implemented to improve safety and performance within multi-use indoor facilities, big or small. Just because you can paint an old solid surface doesn’t mean you should, which is why we check the comfort and safety levels of old surfaces, prior to offering overlay options”.    For a free survey of your existing sports flooring to check its suitability for re-coating or refurbishment, please contact the DYNAMIK Technical Department on 0117 456 5024.  

This exciting project at Old Granada Studios, Manchester will the see the existing office building refurbished and fitted out into the new hotel, complete with a vertical extension to form an outdoor swimming pool and roof-top bar area on the eighth and ninth floors. An additional two-story extension to the side of the main building will form a new restaurant and additional rooms.Old Granada Studios is a true Manchester landmark; a building brimming with heritage and history. The re-invention of this famous building will create a place where people come together to work, stay and play. It will be a new cultural destination for the city. It will be a culture of cool places, a world-renowned hotel, studios, workspace, food and drink.The old Granada Studios is anchored by the internationally renowned Soho House Group with their stylish members’ club, restaurant, bar and the new concept Mollie’s Motel. The iconic studios have also been modernised and activated by Manchester Studios with the best production and broadcast facilities in Manchester, they are once again the city’s leading creativity complex for TV, film, music and digital content.Soundis supplied of an area approximately 7,000 sq meters, across 9 different levels which consisted of various flooring build ups.  Systems included, the Soundis Cradle & Batten Acoustic Flooring System to help improve both airborne and impact performance, this system is also compliant with Robust Details FFT2. Overlayed were the Soundis Dry Screed Panels; applied to level the structural deck to minimum of SR2 Standards. Another flooring system we supplied at this project was the Soundis CineSystem Ultra Floor offering many additional acoustic benefits. This system also offers the greatest strength, whilst the large dead load that the floated slab provides, ensures minimal movement under the addition of any live loading.

Sonixx Resilient 250 was installed as an acoustic underlayment. It was bonded to the subfloor and an Firmfit SPC floor covering installed on top.The installation was completed at the Eye Zone outlet owned by the Rivoli Group. The Rivoli Group is one of the biggest retailers in the UAE. As the installation was in the Dubai Mall, this makes it a particularly high profile and prestigious installation.

Great emphasis is placed on safety in Pasadena, a suburb of Houston, Texas. As America’s oil stronghold and home to NASA’s legendary Space Center, the region is famous for its particularly dangerous and hazardous working conditions. The Houston Area Safety Council (HASC) was therefore established back in 1990 on the initiative of local industrial operations as a non-profit institution to provide safety training. The objective here was to train workers in order to raise their safety awareness as a way of preventing workplace accidents. Some 25 years later, this idea has developed into a leading international training and occupational safety center that trains over 1,500 people every day. Construction of a dedicated occupational health clinic with emergency care represented another key step on the HASC’s holistic support program. The clinic design by Kirksey Architecture gets its distinctive face from the semicircular main entrance. GKD-USA used a new etching technique for the design of the 100 square meter roof parapet, which is made from semi-transparent Omega 1510 stainless steel mesh from GKD – GEBR. KUFFERATH AG. This led to a silhouette-like panoramic view that reflects the dynamic economic region and the everyday working life of the people that live in it.Oil and gas have been produced in Houston for more than 100 years. However, the region experienced a genuine boom from shale oil drilling and fracking. Today, around one third of all oil produced in the US comes from Texas. With its Mission Control Center, which has enjoyed worldwide fame since the Apollo flights to the moon, the Space Center Houston has been just as important for the development of the city. Space flights are still monitored here to this day and astronauts from across the globe are trained for future missions. The city’s skyline is characterized by massive production plants from the oil, gas, chemical and food industries, as well as research institutes and countless buildings of the supply industry, construction and service sectors. The huge influx of workers resulting from the oil boom led to enormous growth of the city. With 2.3 million residents, Houston is today the fourth largest city in the US – behind New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Starting in 2009, the new campus of the Houston Area Safety Council was created in three construction stages. It was constructed on a 34 hectare site in Pasadena, just 15 kilometers from Houston, that was acquired one year previously. Local architecture firm Kirksey, which specializes in green buildings for industrial operations, planned the entire project. It designed the campus as a one-stop shop for employee selection, training and development, background screening, workplace and site safety as well as company health and welfare services. The first phase of construction focused on the 6,300 square meter training center with twelve classrooms, a 220-capacity auditorium, computer laboratories with 650 workplaces, various convention and common rooms, as well as a car park for 1,000 vehicles. It was opened in 2013 as the new HQ of the HASC. Just one year later, the campus then opened two further large areas, boasting 2,700 square meters each. Providers of tool and workplace equipment, as well as a training center for practical training, complemented the location’s offer from then on. Construction of a 1,580 square meter occupational health clinic with emergency care marked the third and last major construction phase to date. This meant that within a period of just six years a state-of-the-art campus employing the latest training facilities was established, offering 1,500 practical and computer-based training sessions every day – which represents over a million units per year. To cater to these requirements all buildings were equipped to the latest technical standards. They also set standards in ecological and energy-usage terms and are all LEED-certified.Visualization of identityThe Occupational Health Center of the HASC was also planned with a keen eye for detail. Ceiling-high windows create friendly rooms in the clinic that are flooded with light and whose inviting ambience is underlined by a carefully coordinated interior color concept. The challenge for the planners was to make the atmosphere light and pleasant, yet robust enough to withstand the rough day-to-day operations with heavy footwear or soiled work clothing of the patients. A fully-glazed semicircular entrance area underlines the building’s welcoming effect. Its raised canopy bears the clinic’s name and also creates the stage for one of the rooftop parapets made of stainless steel mesh that follow the semicircular building form. The shimmering texture combines technical aesthetics with a large number of functional performance characteristics. The mesh thereby guarantees efficient solar protection for the recessed windows on the top floor, while granting unrestricted views of the beautifully sculpted green spaces on the campus. Despite its sophisticated appearance, it also offers reliable protection from the hurricanes regularly encountered in the region. Low-maintenance, durable and almost completely recyclable at the end of its useful life, the mesh supports the LEED-certified sustainability of the building. For the architects, however, the decisive impetus for selecting this material came from the specific mesh design, which facilitates imaging by etching. Their design included an illustrated balustrade as an identity-creating element of the clinic that visualizes working life in the region and thereby also the focus of the HASC. The image developed by Kirksey shows the skyline of Houston with skyscrapers, drilling rigs, chimneys and cranes together with the people that work there. This complex perspective was applied to the stainless steel mesh in a silhouette-like form using a special etching process developed in-house by GKD-USA. The smooth surface and relatively tight structure of the Omega mesh provided ideal prerequisites for this. Using blasting abrasives, GKD modified the metallic surface in such a way that the template, which was highly filigree in places, appeared finely contoured. When using etching, all surfaces that are to remain untouched are usually masked off carefully. However, the complexity of the motif specified by the architects at Kirksey presented the mesh specialists with the challenge of designing multiple levels to lend the image the desired spatial depth. Unlike a painting, with etching it is not possible to achieve dimensions, perspective and depth simply by using different colors. In comprehensive tests, GKD therefore developed a process with which the design template could be blasted with the desired level of detail and spatial effect. This led to a visually seamless panoramic view of the hustle and bustle in the region over a total area of 100 square meters, comprising seven panels – each measuring 3.4 x 4.3 meters. Without any further surface treatment, this imagery is both permanently weather-proof and UV-resistant. Depending on the incidence of light and the viewing angle, the images can appear either transparent or opaque. At night, spotlights lend the scenery the appearance of a shadow theater using targeted light accents.

Forbo Flooring Systems' unique and comprehensive product portfolio has brought to life a striking new refurbishment project at Leaseplan UK, Berkshire, where a wide range of Forbo's textile and resilient products have been specified as part of an exciting modular flooring solution. Flooring contractor: Crisp Designed Ltd

For this refurbishment project, we installed a new DYNAMIK Sprung Engineered Premium Sport Oak Floor. includes the DYNAMIK bespoke court design by partners Sportserve, who created a basketball home team feel by highlighting the surrounds and court Ds as well as the DYNAMIK and Shire Oak Academy logos. Neal Critchley at Shire Oak Academy, had a few words to say the project: "It was a real pleasure working with DYNAMIK for the replacement of our gymnasium floor, from the early discussions, through design, installation to completion the DYNAMIK team were integral to how the project evolved and ultimately looks. We are delighted with the finished product and how it fits into the branding of our sports facilities." "Having considered a range of options for the replacement of our old gymnasium floor it was clear that the passion Craig and the DYNAMIK team had to help us meet our goals, which made them the perfect partner for us. The new wooden floor looks amazing!” The school also purchased DYNAMIK Giant Carpet Tile protection to preserve the Oak during non-sporting or community events “…The protective tiles are a perfect way for us to ensure it stays that way for as long as possible. Thanks to the DYNAMIK team for all your help and all the extra time you have given to help ensure the project’s success!"

Marketing Rooms and Apartments for the Wood Wharf Development in Canary Wharf. However they wanted a more select floor which we were able to do by supplying 20% to 25% more than required to create a stunning near virtual Prime Black American Walnut floor at a fraction of the cost.A lot of other trades were also completing work at the site including the fit out of show apartments for the Wood Wharf Development. This meant that the floor had to be covered to protect the surface.The product was our E515 which is a 15mm thick oiled walnut.

Summer 2019 saw The Solid Wood Flooring Company work with Base Interior and other key suppliers to complete a refurbishment inspired by Scandi design in the affluent district of Kensington, London. Fitzhardinge House offers a crisp, clean and modern aesthetic, achieved by using our Light Brushed Fumed Raw Timber UV Cured Finish Flooring Suitable for underfloor heating, this 15mm thick flooring opened up the space to create a spacious area that would stand the test of time. This project demonstrated what can be achieved when trades and suppliers combine, creating a space that looks as impressive as it functions.

Furnitubes’ Alta range was the ideal addition to newly installed concrete walls at the £90m expansion. 24 seats have been supplied in total, all as 1.5m module lengths to accommodate 3 people on each. 16 of the seats are the open back design for placement where the rear can’t be directly seen, with remainder being enclosed back versions which offer an attractive aspect from all sides. The steel framework to the seats was supplied in a galvanised finish that provides the ultimate in protection against corrosion and will be maintenance-free for many years.

Ninety UDF-50 REM Bilco Natural Smoke and Heat Ventilators (NSHEVs) were installed in a large scale accommodation development at the University of Hertfordshire. The development at the College Lane Campus comprises a mixture of individual bedrooms, twin rooms and studios. All of Bilco’s NSHEV products are manufactured to the highest possible standards, are CE Marked and meet Construction Products Regulation 305/2011. At 1500mm x 1620mm Bilco’s double leaf UDF-50 REM Smoke Vents offer a 1.5m2 clear vent area – making them ideal for dwellings of multiple occupancy such as halls of residence.

Penrhyn Heather Blue slates from Welsh Slate feature on Lincoln’s Inn’s Great Hall. One of London’s most unique buildings is enjoying a new lease of life, thanks to Welsh Slate. The Great Hall and Library Buildings of The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, an association of students, barristers and judges and one of the four Inns of Court, have over the past two years undergone an extensive programme of external conservation carried out by expert stone masons Capital Stone.  The programme of work includes replacement of the Great Hall’s slate roof covering. Work is still ongoing, with anticipated overall completion in April/May this year, but the work to the Great Hall roof is complete, as is the striking of the temporary roof covering which brings the new roof into view.  The Great Hall and Library Buildings were constructed from 1843 to 1845. The Great Hall roof was originally covered with lead but was recovered in 1868 with slate. From 1871 to 1873 the Library was extended eastwards by three bays. The building is an important example of 19th Century Gothic Revival architecture and has been listed Grade II* since 1951.  After 154 years, the slates on the roof of the Great Hall required replacing to protect the interior, including a striking fresco and beautifully worked oak. The slates were suffering from surface delamination and a large proportion had slipped due to nail rot, requiring tingles to hold them in place. The existing slates were found to originate from both the Ordovician and Cambrian deposits of North Wales – the former predominately on the eastern elevation and the latter on the western. The large Ordovician slates, typically 850mm long and between 350mm and 500mm wide (and laid to a fixed gauge of approximately 350mm which equates to a head lap of approximately 100mm), originated from what is now Welsh Slate’s Ffestiniog quarry, which is currently mothballed, while the other quarries producing these no longer operate. The Cambrian slates from the Llanberis region, as well as Bethesda where Welsh Slate’s main quarry is based, were even larger, at 850mm long and wider than 450mm, laid to the same gauge. Both slate types were fixed to timber battens on open timber rafters, with the underside torched with horsehair and lime plaster. These were replaced for the closest Welsh slate match – Welsh Slate’s County-grade Penrhyn Heather Blues, at 800mm long, widths of between 400mm and 550mm, and a 350mm gauge and 100mm head lap. These are guaranteed for 100 years, with a useful life of 150 years. While the roof is generally simple in form, with two large slopes, its substantial size at circa 800m2 meant the work took considerable time to complete. To allow for more than a dozen dormers the Welsh Slate had to be cut and fitted to size with double copper clout nails. The thickest slates were used on the eaves, diminishing towards the ridge to maintain the original visual finish. They were also holed from the rear to provide a slight countersink to the face. The Great Hall operates by day as a dining hall for members of the Inn, and by night, as a venue for dinners, receptions and weddings for up to 400 people. Set in 11 acres of beautiful grounds in Holborn, Central London, it is the closest Inn to the Royal Courts of Justice. Henry Skinner, Head of Projects and Facilities Management at The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, said: “The replacement of the roof covering was far from straightforward, despite its externally simplistic construction. During stripping of the existing roof covering, we had to deal with atmospheric lead contamination of a horsehair felt that sat between the original slates and close boarding, requiring controlled measures of removal and disposal.  “Furthermore, the close boarding had warped over time, causing an undulation between roof trusses that needed to be spaced out. This was achieved through the introduction of additional battens and packing timbers to create a level surface onto which the new slate could be laid.” Casey Wickers, trainee quantity surveyor with Capital Stone Renovation, said: “The main work of stripping the existing roof was extremely challenging and labour intensive, to not only remove, wash and handle each slate manually through a tight scaffolding design, but also doing so whilst wearing full RPE due to the lead contamination. “With the two stunning roof facades in full view, the quality of the Welsh slates can be seen by all.

Cwt-y-Bugail roof slates feature on a £5 million new-build private house. Professional landscaper Claire Merriman commissioned an architect to design the latest project in her burgeoning property development portfolio. When they proposed Welsh Slate for the roof of the new five-bedroom, five-bathroom private house in five acres of stunning countryside in Surrey, she was happy to acquiesce but wanted to compare the British product with its Chinese and Spanish equivalents.

Working closely with Meldrum Construction and architects Purcell to support The Auckland Project’s conservation scheme in Bishop Auckland; Selectaglaze provided the Grade I Listed Auckland Castle with a bespoke secondary glazing solution to compliment the restoration for the purpose of security. Overall, the newly renovated rooms are far better equipped to house exhibitions and museum collections. Selectaglaze is proud to have been involved in this project that will generate a legacy for Bishop Auckland; supporting an attraction that will breathe new life and opportunities into the local economy and overall visitor experience.

UltraScape’s BS 7533 Compliant Mortar Paving System has been used in the construction of Birmingham University’s new state of the art library. O’Brien Contractors installed hard and soft landscaping around the prestigious new library, which included 1200m² of yellow rock granite. paving. UltraScape’s Pro-Bed HS provided a perfect bound base. It can be laid up to 75mm in one pass. A special order of Flowpoint buff was produced for this project to compliment the paving elements. UltraScape’s Paving Guard surface sealant was applied once the grout had set to help preserve the installation.

Bloomberg’s European Headquarters opened with excitement in October 2017. The marquee building in the heart of London provides new office space for Bloomberg’s 4000 London based employees. We installed over 37,000m2 of Kingspan raised access flooring and 34,000m2 of Kingspan Attiro real wood engineered floor. The combined systems allow quick and easy access to the steel encapsulated floor panels and the underfloor void whilst delivering 98.5% score against the BREEAM sustainability assessment method.

FORBO’S CONTEMPORARY PORTFOLIO HELPS TO CREATE INSPIRATIONAL AND SUSTAINABLE STUDENT ACCOMMODATIONArchwood House, a new purpose-built student accommodation scheme in Peckham, was commissioned by the University of the Arts London (UAL) to house its students. Tasked with creating proactive and forward-thinking spaces for residents to live and study in, architects Nelson and Long specified an array of solutions from Forbo Flooring Systems’ contemporary portfolio to make this happen. Forbo’s Coral entrance flooring, Allura Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT), Tessera carpet tiles, Eternal de Luxe Decibel general purpose vinyl and Surestep and Safestep safety floor coverings were all installed throughout the building.Comprising 343 bedrooms and 50 studios, Archwood House provides students with accommodation close to UAL buildings and is designed to provide students with the creative and inspirational spaces they need, to enhance their university experiences. Nelson and Long worked closely with UAL to develop a design that would create spaces which were flexible and would allow residents to flourish in their surroundings.Alicia Nelson, Co-founder of Nelson and Long commented on the brief they received: “Our client’s brief was to create innovative and inspiring spaces for UAL’s creative students to learn and grow in. It was also important that the spaces equipped students with the tools they needed to have a successful time at university, from studying to socialising. Sustainability was top of the agenda too, so we needed to carefully consider the materials we specified to ensure we met the requirements.”With the project brief in mind, Alicia set about sourcing materials that reflected the needs of the building: “Due to the variety of high-quality and sustainable products available within Forbo’s portfolio, as well as its reliable customer service, we opted for a variety of Forbo floor coverings for Archwood House, including its Allura LVT and Tessera carpet tiles.“We specified Forbo’s Allura LVT in a variety of colourways for a few different areas of the student accommodation, including the games room and common room which are situated in the street building – a separate part of the accommodation. The warm colours that Forbo’s Allura LVT are available in helped to provide a stunning backdrop for each space which then enabled us to build out, incorporating different textures and colours to the overall design. For example, we used the Smoke Cement shade for the ground floor corridors, games room and study room, to elevate the design and provide a nice neutral finish. As well as the beautiful designs available, Forbo’s Allura LVT is also easy to clean, which was an important factor for this project, given that lots of students would be using these spaces.“We then opted for various designs from Forbo’s Tessera collection, which are lovely, elegant and durable loop pile carpet tiles. Forbo’s Tessera Layout in the Graphine colourway was the perfect solution for the stairs, cluster corridors and other high traffic areas, thanks to its hard-wearing nature. The understated grey shade also complemented the neutral colour palette we were using for these areas.”Alicia also specified Forbo’s Tessera Chroma carpet tiles in the Pathway and Tuxedo colourways, which were installed in the bedrooms and the cinema room respectively to create a homely feel to the rooms. Not only this, but Forbo’s Tessera Chroma carpet tiles are made with 62% recycled content by weight, aiding in creating a more sustainable scheme.This was combined with Forbo’s Eternal de Luxe Decibel vinyl floor covering in the communal and studio kitchens. This solution served a double purpose: It reduced impact sound by 17 dB and provided an R10 slip rating, both of which were key to creating healthier and safer spaces for residents to live in.With safety in mind, Alicia also specified a range of Forbo’s safety flooring, as she explains further: “For the staff kitchen areas, toilets and prayer room, we needed to ensure maximum slip protection and that’s why we chose Forbo’s Surestep and Safestep floor coverings. The prayer room, in particular, which contains a wudu sink, needed to be a safe and neutral environment for residents to use, and Forbo’s Surestep offered the perfect solution. As a genuine safety flooring with guaranteed lifetime slip resistance, as well as an R10 slip rating and a 36 PTV score, it was the ideal solution to ensure the safety of residents. Not only this, but it comes available in a range of stylish colourways, such as the neutral wood décor we specified, which complemented the overall design.”In addition to this, to maintain the condition of the interior floor coverings, Alicia opted to use Forbo’s Coral Classic entrance flooring system in the Mouse Grey colourway. Alicia explains more here: “We wanted a solid barrier matting, that would reduce the walked-in dirt that you’d expect to see in a city centre university accommodation. With students coming and going all day, it was key to install an effective entrance flooring system to reduce cleaning and maintenance. Forbo’s Coral was just the solution we needed, with the Mouse Grey colourway matching the other grey textile carpets we’d specified, whilst also helping to reduce the amount of dirt and moisture from being brought in on the soles of shoes and treads of wheels.”Having opened in September 2022, Archwood House has been positively received by both staff and residents, who are delighted with the overall design and feel of the building.To find out more about Forbo’s offering for student accommodation, visit:WWW.FORBO-FLOORING.CO.UK/STUDENTACCOMMODATION

60 London Wall is an icon mixed use office & retail building in the dynamic heart of London’s City, with 328,500 sq ft of grade A office accommodation situated over ten stunning floors. It was recently completely renovated and Alliance Bernstein now occupy space within the building. The existing raised access floor was overlaid with Knauf GifaFloor FHB18 making it the ideal substrate to receive a combination of ceramic tiles & micro-screed cement

Minimising disruption for patients, staff and visitors was a priority for the University Hospital of North Tees team, responsible for the refurbishment of a vast area of new flooring in the hospital’s main public corridors. As such, Forbo Flooring Systems supplied its adhesive-free Modul’up Compact sheet vinyl – a resilient flooring solution that was easy to install and could be walked on immediately after installation. Built in the 1960s, the hospital in Stockton has seen much maintenance over the years and visually, had become dated. Therefore, the aim of the refurbishment was to bring the hospital interior into this century to create a more pleasant and comfortable environment for everyone. As well as speed of installation, the hospital team’s specification priorities were cleanliness and hygiene, especially as these main corridor routes lead on to clinical areas. But also, the spaces experience high footfall and are tested to the limit with heavy medical equipment and trolleys being moved around; the flooring had to perform well in terms of durability. “We were looking for something different and when our Forbo Area Manager, Jon Rogers, put forward the Modul’up solution, we identified a few advantages that appealed immediately,” explains the Project Manager for the University Hospital of North Tees, Michael Jones. “Firstly, speed of installation. It’s a vast area of flooring to cover. In fact, we’ve not done an area this size before, all at once. As you can imagine, we were apprehensive with it being such a dynamic environment. It’s hard to co-ordinate one installation let alone having to snag or worse re-lay. We liked the fact that Modul’up is tried and tested to meet all the current standards, but is also much easier to install and is easy to clean. “Secondly, from a subfloor maintenance angle we saw great benefits. The building was constructed in the 1960s, so in certain areas from time to time there are repairs to be done to the subfloor beneath. “With Modul’up you can cut the weld, roll back, fix the floor and re-lay with no patching required. If you have subfloor issues with normal vinyl floor you would have to lift it with the adhesive. This often causes damage to the vinyl and if patching is required then potentially you don’t get a match.” Phase One of the project involved the installation of 1,573m2 of Forbo’s Modul’up Compact in Natural Oak in the general circulation areas and corridors. Creating a fresh, contemporary and airy feel, the wood-effect flooring has been selected to complement the corridor walls, which feature a split wall colour scheme with the lower half painted in a strong, modern graphite grey and the top half in a lighter, almost white, grey.  Also commenting on the specification, Drew McColgan, managing director of Rimick Flooring, the installer, said: “We have worked with the hospital for 15 plus years. The building is old and we often have issues with the subfloor; installing a loose lay product makes it easier for us to access the subfloors for repair without having to patch the vinyl back. It was also quicker for us to install in an environment where time is of the essence. The client is delighted with the appearance of the vinyl too.” The hospital team, Rimick Flooring and Forbo worked together to ensure a smooth install as Drew explains: “Forbo came to visit the site a number of times to meet with us and the client. They attended meetings with screed representatives too and provided expert support throughout with samples aplenty; including a decent sized part roll so the fitting team could familiarise themselves with the product. Jon Rogers, and the customer support team (particularly Jason Livingstone) were there to help us every step of the way.” Drew talks through the installation process and hints at the longer-term benefits: “During the night shifts, the team lifted the existing linoleum, screeded the existing surfaces using a non-ammonium smoothing compound and fit (with set-in skirting detail) from there. Modul’up helped us to save approximately an hour a night, “Going forward, there’s no need to patch areas should there be a problem with the subfloor, and it negates the need to use an adhesive, which is good as it’s odour free and means the floor can be used immediately.”  Providing primary protection at the main entrances, Forbo’s Nuway and Coral entrance flooring systems have been installed too – helping to prevent dirt and moisture from being traipsed indoors. Forbo’s new Coral interior was also installed to complete the hospital entrance flooring system. Looking ahead, Michael Jones, University Hospital of North Tees Project Manager concludes: “So far, we’re impressed with Modul’up. There are other buildings on site which now may also be considered to be refreshed with this loose lay product.”

The vibrant colours of Forbo Flooring System's Marmoleum Modular portfolio led the interior designers HLW, to specify the floor covering to distinguish different working areas within London- based company, Neoworks. By creating an array of bright colours in an elaborate zigzag design, HLW has managed to produce a sophisticated but lively office interior.

This case study shows the different affects you can get by using professional timber treatments. Our experts can help you choose your perfect bespoke finish and colour to match your interior décor. This is a specialist area and only professional fitters with finishing experience on site should be used. Some of the treatments require pre-treatment to change the tannins in the wood which will require buffing with a white pad before applying a top coat. Others are the latest lacquers that can be easily applied on site.

Cottrell + Vermeulen Architecture has designed new, bright and airy postgraduate accommodation for Churchill College, Cambridge with interiors featuring Junckers’ solid maple flooring. Cottrell + Vermeulen won a competition to design the new buildings, 16 years after the studio completed a housing scheme on a neighbouring site. The 35 new units of accommodation comprise five studio flats and 30 en suite rooms with spacious communal areas on each floor, spread across three buildings. The design builds on the original architectural scheme, designed as an extension to CVA’s previous work on the site. The architects sought to recreate the warmth and brightness of the original college rooms from the 1960s and found Junckers maple flooring a good match. The choice of two-strip boards, where two staves of wood make up one floorboard, was also a reference to the narrow boards used in the original rooms. The naturally pale tone of the maple floor is matched by joinery in birch faced plywood to form a comfortable and welcoming space, ready for students to move into at the start of the new academic year. The floor was installed by VA Hutchison Flooring. Quiet floors in multiple occupancy buildings An important consideration for student accommodation is how impact sound travels through floors from one dwelling into another. Building regulations set out minimum standards for impact and airborne sound through floors which apply to residential buildings and buildings converted to new uses, including hotels and care homes. The floor finish will usually act in combination with other elements of the building to achieve the target levels of sound insulation. The design of the subfloor and ceiling beneath play an important role, as does the way the floor finish may need to be isolated from the walls that surround it, but there is no question that the right acoustic floor will control the transmission of impact sound. Junckers has a range of acoustics systems available which comply with building regulations. The newly updated New Era acoustic system is a height adjustable system for use on structural concrete slabs, block and beam floors and almost any other type of sound, dry load-bearing base. The New Era system uses acoustic cradles with 10mm thick recycled rubber pads, factory-fitted to the underside. The cradles are height adjustable using purpose-made packers, supporting laminated timber battens. 50mm thick mineral wool insulation is placed between the battens and Junckers 20.5mm or 22mm thick solid wood floorboards are fixed to the battens to complete the installation. The use of 36mm thick battens achieves an impact sound reduction of 27dB; and a 48mm thick batten achieves an impact sound reduction of 28dB, thus complying with building regulations. For Junckers 14mm thick solid wood flooring installed with Junckers’ Clip System, an impact sound reduction of 19dB can be achieved with Junckers’ 5mm thick CA2 Acoustic Underlay, loose laid with the floorboards installed on top as a floating layer, no fixings required. Junckers’ floor system specifications are available on NBS Plus and draft NBS clauses are available on request. Junckers also provides BIM Objects for all systems. Junckers solid hardwood floor systems are guaranteed for 25 years when installed by a Junckers Approved Contractor. Junckers Approved Maintenance Contractors offer a care scheme where the client’s floor is periodically inspected and maintained so as to keep floor in good condition and to  maximise its lifespan.

Supplying and installing a floor in the Jorvik Viking Museum in the centre of York. The board installed was our E157 select grade 260mm wide engineered unfinished Oak. Being unfinished it and high quality it allowed for the river to be created using a router and stainless steel insert and different coloured oils. The museum opens in the spring of 2017 so please visit and see for yourself. If you have any innovative design projects in any location, please contact us directly on 01666 504015

Supplying and installing a floor in the Jorvik Viking Museum in the centre of York. The board installed was our E157 select grade 260mm wide engineered unfinished Oak. Being unfinished it and high quality it allowed for the river to be created using a router and stainless steel insert and different coloured oils. The museum opens in the spring of 2017 so please visit and see for yourself. If you have any innovative design projects in any location, please contact us directly on 01666 504015

Kingspan RMG600 Raised Access Floor panels are being utilised across multiple state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities including specialist laboratory spaces.The flooring solution provides the facility management team with a great deal of flexibility – rapid access to the void, enabling reconfiguration, fault-finding or simply maintaining the many metres of cables and pipework that are required to service such a leading-edge education building.

New Purpose Built Premises For Acticare. This new build site offers Acticare facilities three times larger than they enjoyed before. 2596m2 of offices, workshops, product display and ancillary areas in the Hereford Enterprise Zone. Bathgate Flooring were pleased to be a part of this project. The Project – Raised Access Hereford Raised Access Flooring for this Hereford project included supply and install of 687m² of Flooring. This building features Raised Access Flooring Panels supplied and installed by Bathgate Flooring Ltd Contracts Division. These panels are manufactured in our own facility in Hereford under the brand of Permaflor.

We are able to manufacture engineered wood stair units to match our flooring with the same colour and finish.The stair units include the tread and riser and can be made to exact sizes if we have detailed drawings. This means installation costs will be less. These stair cladding units can be fully bonded to old stairs, concrete stairs or Steel stair structures.The cost of these stair units are considerably more than our standard stair nosings and a deposit will be required before production because they will be to your specification. Lead times are around 12 weeks.

FORBO FLOORING SYSTEMS’ ALLURA DECIBEL AIDS IN CREATION OF DESTINATION OFFICE After over a decade of operation, 299 Lighting decided it was time to invest in a new office space, creating a destination office for its team of lighting engineers. Tasked with revamping a 90-year-old building for this purpose, interior designers Fable and Form looked to Forbo Flooring Systems’ Allura Decibel and Furniture Linoleum ranges to reduce impact noise, as well as providing a warm and friendly finish throughout the office. A former industrial unit that was converted into a bakery in 1946, Cadena House got its name from the Cadena Cafes brand, and has been used for a variety of purposes over the years. 299 Lighting spotted the potential the old building had and purchased it in December 2020, with the view to renovate it completely, reimagining the space into a new team orientated office.  Sara Barnett, Co-founder and Director at Fable and Form, commented on the design brief she received, saying: “299 Lighting wanted to strip back the building to its shell, with the view to maximise the sustainable solutions that could be added to it. With this in mind, they asked for our help to uncover the full potential of the space, as they realised engaging in the design process early would mean their imaginations could be successfully realised.  “When looking at the aesthetic requirements of the design, we took inspiration from 299 Lighting’s branding; balancing the bold and fresh company brand, with the nurturing and supportive attributes of the co-founders. This helped to create an environment which is truly unique and innovative – just like them!” The wellbeing of staff was also paramount to 299 Lighting. With this in mind, Fable and Form’s design team looked for materials that would fit the stripped back feel of the space, whilst also contributing to the biophilic design. Stevie Cleverly, Co-Founder and Director at Fable and Form explained further: “With the aim to create a sustainable and healthy space for 299 Lighting’s employees, it was important that we carefully selected the materials we used in this project. It was for this reason that we specified Forbo’s Allura Decibel Luxury Vinyl Tiles.” A unique proposition in the market, Forbo’s updated Allura Decibel collection meets the demand for stylish, luxury acoustic floor coverings no matter what the application area. Offering 19 dB impact sound reduction, the collection is available in 49 contemporary colourways, which are split between the following ranges: woods, and stones and materials. Stevie continued: “We specified Allura Decibel in a contemporary concrete colourway across the entire first floor for continuity. This decor was in keeping with the building’s original materials and matched the concrete ceilings, which were shot blasted to its original look. Not only this, but with a 19 dB impact sound reduction, unnecessary noise could be reduced in the office, helping to create a better space to work in. “In keeping with our sustainable design principles, we also included Forbo’s Furniture Linoleum into the meeting tables and breakout furniture, providing a warmer and more tactile finish to touch points.”  Forbo’s Furniture Linoleum is a natural surfacing material and has recently been confirmed to be climate positive (cradle to gate) without offsetting. In addition to this, it is antistatic – stopping the build-up of dust and fingerprints on surface tops.  Work on the building began in early 2021 and was finished in seven months, with 299 Lighting saying: “What we have achieved is even more than we envisaged would be possible.” Find out more about Forbo’s solutions for offices, here: www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/offices.

Timescales: March 2021 -- Project Size: 800 m2Products: MonoTile - Finished in “Bianco Botticino”The Mills Fabrica, Cottam House, Kings Cross, LondonThe Mills Fabrica is a contemporary co-working space that has been thoughtfully designed to foster collaboration and community among sustainable conscious businesses. A key component of any modern office space is the flooring system, which can have a significant impact on both the aesthetics and functionality of the environment.In order to ensure that the flooring system for The Mills Fabrica was both visually appealing and practical, AFD collaborated closely with our contracting partners. We were able to provide the expertise needed to specify the correct finish design that would be appropriate for the space, taking into account factors such as traffic flow, durability, and maintenance requirements.The chosen flooring system was a Terrazzo raised access system, which was installed alongside matching floor tiles in other areas, as well as wall tiles. The Terrazzo Raised Floor system material is renowned for its durability, low maintenance requirements, and stunning visual appeal.The raised access system offers several advantages over traditional flooring systems. It allows for easy access to the void beneath the flooring, which is particularly useful for buildings that require extensive cabling or piping. It also provides greater flexibility for future modifications to the space, such as the installation of new electrical or data systems.By choosing a Terrazzo raised access system for The Mills Fabrica, we were able to achieve a high-end design finish that seamlessly flows from one area to the next, while still providing the practicality and functionality that is essential for a modern office space. The result is a flooring system that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also enhances the overall functionality of the environment.

One of Cardiff city centre’s recent regeneration schemes, Capitol Quarter, required a multi storey car park to provide parking for the new office buildings within the development. To ensure the car park was protected and finished with the highest quality materials, the main contractor sought advice from Degafloor Ltd to ensure a suitable cost effective, high performance waterproofing system for the top deck, ramp and an inter deck area over occupied premises was specified. Following a full site visit and having assessed the client’s requirements in full, Degafloor specified the CP TD system with fleeced banding to substrate cracks and all upstands for the top deck, the CP HD system for the ramp and a fully fleeced CP TD for the area over occupied premises. Capital Quarter Multi-Storey Car Park Cardiff Why Degafloor Degafloor car park decking systems use highly advanced fast curing MMA chemistry to create flexible and incredibly durable systems that cure fully within just 1 hour of installation, even at temperatures as low as -10°C. They are completely waterproof, so guard against water ingress that could result in the decline of structures or damage to property (premises or vehicles). This combination of superior performance, skid resistance, rapid cure times and design flexibility, have contributed to the Degafloor range of car park decking systems becoming a popular choice for new build and refurbishment projects where speed and ease of installation, longevity and visual aesthetics are paramount.

It's always been a pleasure to work with Forbo Flooring. Thanks to Forbo's many years of experience, they always manage to propose the right flooring with a good price/quality ratio, regardless of the project or the application.For this project we looked at maintenance-friendly floors that are easy to clean - an important consideration in a working environment. That is why we chose Tessera carpet tiles and Allura Flex. The resulting floors accord perfectly with the look that DPG aspires to, while the good acoustics and luxurious textures are a welcomed extra.