"flooring"

12 of Howe Green’s 7500 Series floor access covers have been fitted internally and externally at the domestic section of Ebbsfleet International Station. A robust access solution was required to provide easy and safe access to vital internal underfloor services in the station building. The access covers were tailor made to the sizes required. Set into the substrate, the access covers sit flush with the flooring and do not present a trip hazard. They can be easily removed with the use of lifting keys or a Howe Green Cover Skate.

The largest free standing structure in the UK, Terminal 5, has a vast amount of essential building services that are concealed under the flooring. An access solution was required that would enable maintenance of services, including water and waste; electrical, communications, heating, cooling and lighting, without having to remove the flooring as this would be costly, time consuming and disruptive in such a busy environment. A number of Howe Green’s 1050 Series and 7500 Series access covers were specified to provide easy, safe and hassle free access to the vital services.

Architect: Selencky///Parsons. Transforming this tired old 1930s semi-detached house in South London whilst living in it with a young family was the challenge for this homeowner. The end result is a stunning light filled home with more than fifty percent more floor space and panoramic views over London. The design, by Selencky///Parsons architects called for a complete modernisation of the home and the addition of a ground floor extension featuring a three-panel theEDGE2.0 ultra-slim sliding door system and loft conversion to increase usable space for the family.

The Research and Translation Hub at Imperial College, London forms the centrepiece for the innovation district in White City. The completed design for the central atrium wholly pushed the boundaries of performance glazing. Planet AG worked with PLP Architecture to ensure the project stayed commercially viable whilst maintaining the desired impressive design. Curved glass, which reached up to 3.4 metres tall on floors 2-6 and a staggering 5 metres tall on the ground floor had to be heat soaked toughened and was up to 25.5mm thick to support the weight.

Birmingham Metropolitan College (BMet) is a leading provider of further and higher education courses in the UK Midlands. The project architects required a balustrade and staircase railing that reflected the dynamic, high-tech environment of the college. Q-railing’s Easy Glass Slim and Easy Glass 3kN systems were ideal for use on the staircases, and as balustrades on the upper floors, as they create a safety barrier without blocking views or compromising on design in any way. The installation included a bespoke cladding, which makes the railings appear to rise directly out of the floor or stairs.

Large scale Fluid Concrete installation to all floors, window sills and stairs in Cement Grey colour. Oxicrete finish application to bathroom walls in Brown and Terracotta Red finish.Manufacture and installation of bespoke Gap panels in Rough Mist finish to shower walls.Materials used: Large format Gap GRC wall panels in Rough Mist finish, sealed with hydrophobic agent and clear sealant. Cement Grey Fluid Concrete floor coating and Oxicrete wall coating in Brown and Terracotta Red finish.

Level 75, Top floor of landmark Pinnacle, Canary wharf. A great place to dine and watch the sun retreat behind the iconic London skyline. Products include the Raaft support structure, Floor structure panels, planters finished in a anthracite grey RAL 7016 and cantilever benches using Iroko timber. Real grass was incorporated amongst the Raaft system. Project construction completed by Valley landscapes for Chalgrove properties. Building design by foster and partners, landscape and terrace design by Farrer Huxley Associates.

When The Kingsmead Academy in Taunton decided toconstruct a new main teaching block, the existing buildinghad been standing for more than half a century – since theschool first opened in 1953.The building was in a state of disrepair and needed replacingwith a contemporary block better-suited to the demandsof modern teaching. The school appointed main contractorBouygues UK to build the £10 million three-storey teachingblock with a one-storey main hall, and Bouygues turned toCW Jones Carpet & Flooring to install the floor coverings.

Inside Point A Hotel Shoreditch lies a contemporary interior which offers sophistication and modernity, echoed by the use of Amtico LVT flooring throughout.To maintain a refined and cultured feel, Amtico LVT flooring has been installed in all bedrooms, as well as the hotel’s social spaces, which comprise a variety of lounges and a breakfast area. Offering sophistication and modernity, the social spaces incorporate an angled staggered laying pattern with four products from the Signature collection while the bedrooms feature the Amtico First collection in a Stripwood laying pattern.

The design concept of this project focuses on the demolition of an existing building and replacing it with a new build mixed use development of 6 storeys (plus basement) 9 self-contained units on floors 1-5 and 377sq m of commercial space on the basement and ground floors. During the Phase 1 Primary Risk Assessment, borehole and trial pits revealed Dibenzo (a,h)anthracene, CO², TPH and Asbestos contamination. The proposed remedial strategy to be adopted at the site was one of managing the pathway between the source of contamination and the critical receptors on-site.

The Coopers FireMaster®, closed rectangular Concertina fire curtain is a perfect solution when requiring fire compartmentation around a staircase as it offers a virtual firewall creating a lobby once the curtain has been deployed with more than 2 hours integrity. The innovative Concertina fire curtain installed at Aldgate Tower fully encapsulates the staircase from the 11th to the 12th floor in the event of a fire. The curtain is triggered by either the fire alarm system or a local heat or smoke sensor and is automatically deployed from the ceiling to the floor.

London’s oldest station receives a significant upgrade to meet its increasing demands including optimum performance floor insulation

Cordek was asked to provide heave protection measures to protect the church's new floor from possible future ground movement.

A residential developer approached Hush Acoustics after an acoustic test conducted on their project in St Leonards on Sea failed to achieve the acoustic compliance level needed under Approved Document E of the Building Regulations.The problem stemmed from a separating wall between two bedrooms which was constructed using a timber stud wall and had an overall thickness of 170mm. Its acoustic design was adequate on paper, but there was one issue that had not been correctly treated.One of the rooms measured 37m3 and the other 29m3 in size, with one notable consistent feature being a screed laid over a concrete floor.An airborne sound insulation sample test was carried out with no floor covering in place and this revealed a result of DnTw+Ctr 31dB.Levels of ‘flanking’ sound were significant - this meant sound was passing under the separating wall via the floor screed. The solution proposed by Hush Acoustics was to install Hush Mat 15 over the screed floor in both rooms.The effectiveness of this solution was evident in the follow-up test result of DnTw+Ctr 44dB. Whilst this result would be regarded as an average performance in most other types of buildings, the improvement here from a poor DnTw+Ctr of 31dB to 44db showed that Hush Mat 15 had delivered significant improvement and provided a solution to flanking transmission sound sources.The ensured the residential development satisfied the requirements of Approved Document E.

Client: University of Brighton Consultant: Stripe Main Contractor: Keir Construction Specialist Contractor Thelwell Flooring Main Products Used: Emseal DSM SystemThis new multi-storey car park for the University of Brighton is part of a major redevelopment of the former Preston Barracks site in the City. There are 550 parking spaces on 7 floors, including 55 EV charging bays, plus there is a PV array on the roof with the power stored in batteries on the ground floor, which also includes 330 cycle parking spaces. The car park design uses a Vertical Circulation Module (VCM) that provides a more efficient solution for confined sites, as this contains no external ramps and traffic circulation is via slopes within the floors themselves. This creates more parking spaces in the steel framed structure in the centre, with two lift and stair cores positioned at each end. This design also made it possible to locate the necessary structural expansion joints transversely between these 3 parts of the structure and away from major traffic impact areas. The engineers specified these joints to be a nominal 40mm wide to accommodate a high movement capability of up to +/- 50% (i.e. total 100%), as they knew these could be quickly, securely, and durably sealed using the Emseal DSM System. This also saves time on site as it is installed from above, allowing other trades to continue working below, plus as it is bonded into position, there is no potentially damaging drilling for mechanical fixings.

IssueThe Woodland Village is a purpose-built facility within Sherwood Forest Center Parcs. The concept has been developed over several years across all Center Parcs villages providing a guest attraction dripping in the magic of Christmas from start to finish, offering more than just a “meet and greet” with Santa. The lights, music, animations, and the occasional elf, guide visitors on a journey through the Woodland Village and on to Santa’s Woodland Workshop.As a multi-functional facility, set in a forest, Santa’s Woodland Workshop needed a floor that could withstand all the “muck and mud” of the wilderness, trudged in by the rangers and their little helpers. The floor design would also need to be suitable when the village operates as a Christmas retail outlet providing welcoming aesthetics and having the durability to cope with heavy foot traffic.ApproachAltro floors have a proven history within Center Parcs having been successfully installed at Center Parcs villages across the UK and Ireland. Floors that matched the internal Woodland Village ‘earthy’ design, the corporate branding of the Rangers’ Hut and Christmas shop, providing safety from slips together with easy cleaning were required.SolutionWith PTV >36 slip resistance, Altro EasyClean Technology and a 10-year guarantee Altro Illustra was specified for the Rangers Hut, providing a naturally safe, clean, simple yet effective design. Able to cope with medium to heavy traffic with sustained slip resistance, Altro Wood was specified for Santa’s Woodland Workshop bringing a forest feel to the busy guest attraction.Of course, only families visiting Santa are allowed to see inside the Woodland Workshop and view the festive floors, “You see, Santa really does exist” said lead designer, Darren Binney of Jackson Design Associates Ltd.

Junckers solid hardwood flooring has been installed at The New Library, Magdalene College, Cambridge, an award- winning new building by Niall McLaughlin Architects. An interior of cross-laminated timber and hardwood create a welcoming and modern study environment with interconnecting rooms and spaces. The New Library at one of University of Cambridge’s oldest colleges provides a wide variety of resources, both print and digital, including books, journals, and reference works. There are more than 90 study spaces across three floors with a mix of individual desks, comfortable seating, and window seats. The long-length Junckers’ 20.5mm Oak Boulevard Harmony plank flooring provides a warm and elegant backdrop, complementing the use of timber throughout the building. A series of brick columns echo the gabled buildings typical of the College’s architecture and carefully considered windows and roof lights provide plenty of natural light making the library a comfortable and inspiring place to study and work. A solid hardwood floor from Junckers has a crevice-free surface which cannot harbour dust or mites. It is easy to keep clean and contributes to a healthy indoor climate, one of the RIBA’s targets in its 2030 Climate Challenge for architects. Junckers floors carry the Danish Indoor Climate label, recognised by BREEAM, and have undergone extensive degassing and odour testing to ensure no harmful gasses are released into the room. Installing timber in an interior helps minimise static from electrical appliances and helps maintain an even temperature, an important consideration for a well-used library. The New Library by Niall McLaughlin has won several awards including the Wood Awards Gold Award 2021, the Civic Trust Award 2022, and a RIBA East Regional Award 2022. The Times newspaper named The New Library one of the coolest new buildings of the year (2021). 

WISA-sprucefloor plywood installed as part of a specialist sports floor system by Reflex Sports in the National Badminton Centre, Milton Keynes

Stunning Italian Porcelain bathroom wall and floor tile project, using large format Calacatta Oro Joy wall tiles.

Ronafix Pre-Packed Screed 6-50mm was used throughout the Shangri-La Hotel located on the upper floors of The Shard in London.

Altro Wood adhesive-free sets a high standard at special schoolIssueAltro Wood adhesive-free safety flooring has been fitted in Kaimes Special School, in Edinburgh, setting a high standard for easy to fit, slip-resistant and homely surfaces for pupils and staff.The installation was part of a wider refurbishment of the school by the City of Edinburgh Council, and integral to their drive to reduce sensory overload in primary and secondary schools by using ‘natural’ neutral colours and textures.ApproachA spokesperson from the Interiors team at Edinburgh Council, says “We worked closely with Altro on Kaimes Special School, and they recommended their Altro Wood adhesive-free flooring for several reasons.“The biophilic design principles of bringing nature into schools have been proven to aid learning, promote calm and improve mood among pupils. Using a wood-effect flooring is a great way to create that atmosphere, and this is why we use Altro Wood adhesive-free – it’s a beautiful, homely and comfortable surface that also has very high slip resistance. It ticks all the boxes for us.”SolutionNick Burge, headmaster of Kaimes School, says: “The feedback from pupils, staff and visitors has been nothing but positive, and the flooring is proving practical too, easy to clean and it looks as good as it did when it was fitted six months ago.”The Edinburgh Council Interiors team also specified two other Altro surfaces for Kaimes Special School. Altro Wood Comfort was fitted in the primary school classrooms, where pupils have high levels of behavioural problems. This 2.85mm thick option gives comfort underfoot and offers 14dB impact sound reduction, and has matching colour and design options with Altro Wood adhesive-free. Altro XpressLay adhesive-free flooring was also fitted in some corridors and circulation areas.Altro Wood adhesive-free creates maximum impact with minimum downtime. Using Altro’s award-winning adhesive-free installation method, it can be welded and walked on the same day, and at the end of its life can be removed easily, allowing it to be reused or recycled. Altro Wood Comfort offers aesthetics combined with comfort and safety. It’s an ideal choice for areas that need to look good while helping to give comfort underfoot.With matching design and colour options across this range, both floors have 14dB impact sound reduction, a 10-year guarantee and Altro’s one in a million slip-resistance reassurance, the flooring offers high levels of comfort underfoot, providing a safe, durable and decorative solution for busy spaces."We use Altro XpressLay a great deal in our refurbishments and new builds. Like the Altro Wood adhesive-free it goes down so easily and quickly and can also be recycled, so it fits in with our principles too." Interiors team at Edinburgh Council"The new wood-effect flooring in the dining room and forum looks fantastic, and it’s playing an important part in creating a space that is now warm, homely, calm and inviting."  Nick Burge Headmaster of Kaimes School

On the fourth floor of the Royal Opera House is a decking area of around 600sqm. Originally a rest area for staff at the Royal Opera House, the decking area was to be re-purposed as part restaurant, part relaxation area, part meeting space and part open air dance training studio. Buzon UK were commissioned to supply and install the DPH pedestal system to support the GRAD decking system supplied by Alfresco Floors. The finished deck is part of a major transformation of the Royal Opera House by Stanton Williams and has been open to the public from September 2018.

London Wall Place is a new development, with more than 500.000m2, located in the heart of London, between Moorgate and Barbican. This development is comprised by two commercial buildings and will add a large green area to the city. The largest building has about 300.000m2 and rises to a height of 12 floors, and the remaining building, with about 12.000m2, has 16 floors. For this project’s façade weatherproofing, three Effisus solutions were used: Effisus VAP (vapour barrier), Effisus Breather+ (breathable membrane) and Effisus 2Bond DS (double-sided solution for sealing between two surfaces).

Creating a new logistical and warehousing space in Cambridge, project managers at a new premises at Farboud Innovation Park got in touch with our Goods Lift Manager, Nick Gibbons. They were looking to include 2 high capacity goods lifts on the project to improve efficiency at the premises. They decided our box goods lift was ideal for the project. The quick turnaround and additional hard-wearing features to prevent damage when loading made it suitable for goods logistics. The team chose a shutter gate on the upper floor, but swing doors on the lowest floor for alternative loading efficiency.

With renovations finishing up at a 3 storey residential property in a quiet London mews, the owners of this beautiful property were looking at futureproofing options. From the upper outdoor atrium area to the stunning railway sleeper stairway, the home spans over 3 floors and has been designed as a ‘forever home’. They wanted a modern lift to match the renovation work. Our smart HomeLift with connected app gave them the control and technology they wanted. Using black for the shaft and frames, their home lift contrasts beautifully on each floor with the bright white walls and darker accents.

Howe Green manufactured over 100 Visedge Floor Access Covers for Bristol’s £430million state-of-the-art Southmead Hospital. A heavy duty and tamper-resistant solution was required to provide access to underfloor drainage systems. Developed for use within flexible sheet flooring systems and supplied with a double seal Howe Green’s Visedge Covers offered the highest standards of hygiene and security, ideal for a hospital environment. A number of 7500 Series Stainless Steel Access Covers were also required for installation in the grounds, where a heavier loading was required.

Architect: Suzanne Brewer Architects This striking new-build home sits in the heart of the Blackheath conservation area in South East London. The two storey structure features a large set of Grand Slider II sliding doors at ground floor level that seamlessly connects the living space with its garden. Constructed on the site of a former mews, the pavilion-style property features an innovative design with a completely open plan living space on the ground floor of the main structure which features the 5-panel, 11m wide set of sliding doors on an OXXXO configuration.

The high performance attributes of Johnstone’s Trade’s products have helped to deliver an unbeatable finish for new state-of-the-art police training facilities. Johnstone’s Acrylic Durable Matt was used to provide the hardwearing finish required in the office areas, while Johnstone’s Acrylic Eggshell was applied in the staff shower areas as it is resistant to condensation.The floor of the impressive ballistics training area was painted with Johnstone’s Two Pack Epoxy Water Based Floor Paint. Johnstone’s Two Pack Anti-Graffiti Finish was applied to the concrete interior walls of the custody cells.

Howe Green manufactured and supplied a number of custom made wall access covers and 1050 Series floor access covers for Crossrail in London. The wall access solutions were custom made from 5mm of stainless steel and lockable for added security. They were required to provide reliable and stylish access to the lighting circuitry. The 1050 Series floor access covers were installed along the walkways of Adams place to give quick and easy access to the water, power and data feeding the station. Each cover had an additional load bearing to accommodate specific requirements.

A Grade II listed Royal George building in Knutsford was sympathetically restored to create a stunning dining venue for the Loch Fyne brand. During the restoration project, contractor A&J Interiors specified 4 of Howe Green’s 5000 Series floor access covers. The covers were required to provide an unobtrusive access solution to cover the kitchen’s essential mains services whilst maintaining fast and easy access for maintenance or emergency repairs. Blending seamlessly with the flooring the covers avoid distortion and prevent the risk of slips and trips – essential within a busy kitchen environment.

The largest library in the whole of the UK was designed with the community in mind. The fashionable design was quickly accepted and turned into fruition. The building won the RIBA West Midlands Award and named the best overall building of the year in 2014 as well as being named “Building of the Year 2013” in The Architects Journal. Over 30,000, Grainger’s H Range, raised access flooring pedestals were installed here, by Carillion and Capita Symonds to provide a highly durable and decorative floor, under which cabling could be routed. Tucking all important services safely out of harms reach.

The project brief demanded a cost effective, flexible and adaptable solution to effectively divide the restaurant floor area – creating two zones within the large space. Our Flexirol Multdirectional hardware was identified as the best product to fulfill the project brief. Local refurbishment experts, House Mobel Decoracion, took full advantage of the hardware in order to best meet the restaurant owner’s demand for aesthetic and practical appeal. The client required a solution that would enable the efficient use of the restaurant floor space, making it bigger or smaller depending on the amount of guests.

Buzon UK were commissioned directly by Chelsea Football Club to supply and install the DPH pedestal system to support over 430sqm of EBEMA concrete paving (supplied by Alfresco Floors) to a newly refurbished pitch-side terrace at Stamford Bridge. The terrace areas behind the pitch-perimeter was built up to 200mm to create a raised terrace specially designed for wheelchair users. Buzon pedestals are adjustable from 11 to 1120mm and thanks to their intrinsic strength and reinforced structure are recommended for use with heavier floor coverings such as large format concrete pavers and high live loads.

WMOR Architects completely redesigned the ground floor to include a flexible living area to open into the garden. Accoya was chosen as the ideal material for the extension because of it aesthetic appearance as well as its ability to provide better insulation than other materials. & the owners wanted to use the most sustainable material they could. The Accoya extension which houses the show piece kitchen will be left to weather naturally and match the pale grey flooring. This was specifically designed so that in the summer, when the sliding door completely opens, the interior & exterior space will merge seamlessly.

The Portico DC178 was the perfect choice for established coffee store Harris + Hoole who needed a welcoming, stylish and impactful flooring to match its unique coffee experience. When Harris + Hoole set out to launch in Tesco’s Kensington store on a tight timescale, interior design agency Path Design turned to Amtico and the beautifully crafted Designers’ Choice collection. Amtico Signature flooring is now central to the Kensington store, having helped it attain its own identity - offering a welcoming and stylish destination that is anchored by great coffee and fresh food.

This Case Study is about a family run busy in Bristol wanting to re-new the floor outside the shop and also include their company logo.