"indoor plants"

Mead Johnson is a world leader in infant nutrition, with more than 70 products in over 50 countries. Their new US$325 million facility in Singapore includes a state of the art manufacturing plant, research and development centre and a new regional office.

Almost four years on we look back at a distinctive Manchester tram stop within a landscaped park setting that boasts a ‘living wall’ of plants and wildflowers surrounded by extensive landscaping, offering a calm and peaceful environment for passengers who are waiting for the tram.

When Wm Morrison Supermarketsbegan their multi-million pound ‘Back toBest’ investment programme to upgradetheir entire food manufacturing plant,they chose Whittan to deliver 1,500 high quality,hygienic lockers for the securestorage of personal belongings andvaluables.

FlexEJ partners with its sister-company Safetech to design and fabricate specialist large diameter rubber expansion joints.Typically, particularly in the Gulf States, these are used in water treatment, distribution and desalination plants – and it’s these processes that took contingents from our sales and management teams to the UAE recently to see our product installed and operating.Desalination and water distribution in the UAE and surrounding countries are vital, integral components helping to supporting these oil-rich economies, thriving as they do in a desert region.The teams flew into Dubai to meet with our local representatives Parvez Mohiuddin and Mansoor Pullat and find out a little more about how the potable water supply operates in this thirsty city. Plants all over this region are in a continual process of refurbishment; the team were able to see how rubber expansion joints of various sizes had been replaced with high quality Safetech joints during a recent plant upgrade.We have an ongoing and growing commitment to the Gulf region and various projects underway there. Building relationships and developing understanding in the field are very much how we like to do business in both Safetech and FlexEJ so this was an ideal opportunity to share information and make plans.If you are interested in finding out more about FlexEJ’s large and custom-engineered rubber expansion joints, please contact our Technical Sales Team on +44 (0) 1384 881188 or send an email to sales@flexej.co.uk.

Various collections in stone-effect porcelain stoneware and in marble- effect porcelain stoneware by Atlas Concorde were used in the prestigious renovation project of a semidetached-house near Morchiuso (CO) be it indoors, outdoor floors or garden floors.The Marco Castelletti architectural studio added the finishing touch to the project, following energy efficiency criteria, using materials to reduce consumption. In the house ambiences, the bathroom and kitchen claddings were designed to meet the highest technical and aesthetical standards.The bathroom claddings, created by Atlas Concorde, bestow an added value to the project as a whole, perfectly complying with the needs of practicality and by outlining spaces where well-being and relaxation come to the fore.Indoors in the core area, a suggestive swimming pool takes centre stage, located in an area that requires high technically performing products.The Trust collection, a prestigious stone-effect porcelain stoneware series with a strongly substantial and contemporary look, dresses surfaces with hues recalling the most precious quarry stones.The Style collection, in its Bianco Winter version, traces all the beauty of marble- effect porcelain stoneware tiles, enriching bathroom claddings and kitchen claddings with elegant and refined charm.

The £15million new Tarka Leisure Centre in Barnstaple, was designed to link with the existing Tarka Tennis Centre. There is now a natural flow between the existing and new part of the completed facility. Sport England invested £1.8m of National Lottery funding into the development of Tarka Leisure Centre to support the ‘get active’ initiative by making the facilities accessible and inclusive for the local community. The new centre, officially opened by British Winter Olympics hero Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards, provides a much-needed swimming pool facility, an ‘endless’ indoor ski slope facility, a sports hall with four badminton courts, a large gym, two multi-purpose exercise studios, a spin studio, indoor soft play area, new reception area and café.With leisure centres having a high footfall and being a naturally noisy environment, it was paramount to consider the fire safety and acoustics of the building.  Lusso 105FR, a double-glazed fire-rated system, which provides acoustic performance of up to 54dB and fire performance of up to 60 minutes integrity and insulation was the ideal choice for this environment. Lusso Structural Glazing was installed where a higher specification level was required for edge protection.

Ronafix Pre-packed Wearing Screed 15mm+ was used in the plant rooms and loading bays at One Canada Square. The London skyscraper is the 3rd tallest building in the UK, has nearly 10,000 people working on-site and takes 130,000 deliveries each year!

The Copper Box. The Handball Arena was also constructed by Winchmore Brickwork and contains Naylor Hi-Spec Lintels. Designed by MAKE Architects, it is the only permanent indoor mixed sports arena in the Olympic Park to be retained, and Winchmore have just been invited back to make alterations and refurbishments in order to convert the building into the 'Multi Use Arena', or Copper Box as it is now called, as part of the Olympic Legacy for the Queen Elizabeth Park.

Milliken's Arctic Survey, Isotherm design was specified for this modern and sophisticated workplace. This textural plank carpet, with Comfort Plus cushion backing was chosen in the cool, calming greys of Antarctic and Snow caves to work perfectly with the natural woods and green planting in this inspirational design scheme.

VDG Property Development has recently joined forces with their own construction company Unibouw to develop the new VDG Warehouse Schiphol II. The new building is equipped with a total of 636.5 square meters of vertical greenery divided into two green walls with the MobiPanel system.In addition to the sustainability requirements, BREEAM-NL certification ‘Excellent’, this also enables the building to meet the high-quality requirements in the areas of nature inclusiveness, biodiversity, ecology and living environment. The green appearance of the buildings is the ‘new normal’ at the business park. Schiphol Trade Park aims to be the most sustainable and innovative business park in Europe.‘The area developer and the ambitions of the Schiphol Trade Park area set high requirements in the area of nature inclusiveness. For example, 95% of the end walls of the building had to be green upon completion. The green facades give the building a fantastic appearance. Nature inclusiveness is becoming increasingly important in project development and this is also the future. It will make the Netherlands look all the better,’ says Richard van Campen – project manager at Unibouw B.V.Nature-inclusive buildingFor the development of VDG Warehouse Schiphol II, design choices were made that enhance the ecological value for the surrounding area. For example, the warehouse not only facilitates an efficient logistic process but also creates space for more greenery and biodiversity.Diversity in plant speciesFor each façade, the climatic conditions have been examined and the choice of plants has been adjusted accordingly. The green façade oriented to the North-West contains the plant species; Campanula Stella, Alchemilla Molis, Vinca Minor, Lonicera Maigrun, Geranium Rozanne, Carex Oshimensis ‘Evergreen’, and Bergenia Bressingham White. In the green façade oriented to the southeast are the plant species; Alchemilla mollis, Dryopteris Erythrosora, Bergnia Bressingham White, Lonicera Maigrun, Riarella cordifolia, Carex Oshimensis ‘Evergreen’, Asplenium scolopendrium and Geranium Spessart. In total, there are approximately 23,400 plants in both green walls.VDG Warehouse Schiphol IIVDG Warehouse Schiphol II comprises 9,636 m2 of modern logistics space and consists of two units. With green facades and panels on both sides, VDG Warehouse Schiphol II presents itself as an extremely sustainable distribution centre. With its ecological elements, the development is not only connected to the surrounding nature, but also to the adjacent distribution centre where a MobiPanel green facade has also been installed.Client: UnibouwArchitect: VDG Real EstateConstruction period: 2022Installation: Mobicare

ESSENZA HOME opts for a sustainable green façadeInterior and lifestyle brand ESSENZA HOME has moved into a new, completely renovated office in Bunnik in 2021. The new office is entirely sustainability-oriented. The Mobilane green façade at Essenza Home contributes to the company’s sustainability vision and provides a warm welcome for its retailers, customers, and staff. Family business ESSENZA HOME has been designing, producing, and distributing home & living products to suit various interior styles for 60 years. In 2021, the company moved to a new office in Bunnik. The building of no less than 2500 m2 is located directly on the A12 motorway. The new premises was built with an eye to the future and aligned with their sustainability vision. Therefore, the sustainable green Mobilane façade was a logical choice.Installation of the green façadeThe installation of the green walls was quick and easy. The green walls, with a total surface area of over 200 square meters, were placed against the stone and wooden façade by means of Magnelis steel omega profiles. The design incorporated the window and door sections and the water and electricity pipes.The almost 10,000 plants are installed in modular cassettes and pixels attached to the profiles. All of the cassettes, pixels, and covers are made of a fire-retardant EPP (B-s2, d0). This material is light, UV-resistant, air-permeable (for good root growth), and fully recyclable. An automated irrigation system provides the MobiPanel green walls with water and nutrients.Plant selection for the green façadeThe plants in the green facades were selected according to various factors. The orientation of the façade, the different flowering seasons, plants that stimulate biodiversity, and, finally, aesthetics were all considered. For example, Bregenis ‘Bressingham White’ is a beautiful spring bloomer with elegant white flowers that bloom from April onwards. The Vinca minor is a strong evergreen covering plant. It also flowers very early in spring. Vinca minor can be used on facades in both sunny and shady spots. The Vinca will produce more flowers in the sun than in the shade. Geranium Rozanne is a carrier plant for wild bees. Many species of wild bees, as well as butterflies and bumblebees, find their nectar here.Advantages of the green façadeThe green wall on the two outer walls is a real eye-catcher. Floor Smits, Head of Brands and second generation in the family business: “As a family business, we find it important to focus on the long term. During the renovation, we, therefore, invested heavily in sustainable solutions. When we were introduced to the possibility of a vertical garden for the façade, we were immediately enthusiastic. The green wall has many advantages, such as purifying the air, increasing biodiversity, and providing a nice haven for bees and other insects. Finally, we want to make a statement and show that we are committed to a sustainable world.” In addition to the office, there is also a b2b showroom and a brand store will be opened for consumers this year.Increased biodiversityRosalie Smits, Head of Channels and also the second generation of the family business, indicates that biodiversity is an important spearhead for the organization.The green façade attracts many insects, thus stimulating biodiversity in the area. As described earlier, the flowers of Geranium Rozanne, among others, provide nectar for many insects such as the wild bee and butterflies. Wild bees and butterflies are an important link in our food chain. They provide 60% of the pollination of our fruit and vegetables.The facades also attract various birds and other insects and serve both as food and as nesting and hiding places. In the cassettes between the plants, birds can nest safely. The first bird’s nest in the green façade at Essenza Home was found just a few weeks after installation.Client: ESSENZA HOMEArchitect: BK PuntConstruction period: 2021Installation: MobiCare

Woking Borough Council instructed main contractors Sir Robert McAlpine who then engaged Airflow Design Services to carry out the design, supply and installation of Market Walk’s smoke extraction system at Woking Shopping Centre in Surrey. S&P UK Ventilation Systems was selected to support the new smoke extraction system by providing smoke axial flow fans which also help to optimise ventilation and indoor air quality.

The building, called “Galileo” is composed by a single “E” body positioned around two courtyards . Its concept is following the guidelines of Siemens and emphasizes the idea of “intelligent work” into open spaces and large windows to support interpersonal relationships .The combination of our indoors Premium Plus and outdoors BSO allow complete control over natural light and help regulating the temperature for a highly energy efficient building . German Design Award 2020 « Excellent Architecture » 

Topseal PU was specified over numerous roofs on this hospital covering 1000's of metres. Topseal PU was chosen due to its BBA certification, high performance, 25 year guarantee, low odour together with the failed asphalt roofs and amount of plant on the roof it was the perfect product.

The 77 metre long living wall on the link bridge at New Street Station in Birmingham welcomes travellers from all over the country to the centre of the city. The living wall creates a pleasant promenade of calming, green infrastructure amongst this built urban environment with the addition of 16,600 plants.

This 1,800m2 living wall in Leeds at at recycling & energy recovery facility, is the largest in Europe. It is a vertical forest that incorporates over 100,000 plants including larger shrubs, small trees and over 700 habitat boxes. At 28 metres tall it is also one of Europe’s tallest living walls

University of Aberdeen Science Teaching Hub’s development is an ambitious regeneration plan consisting 73,194sq ft teaching and laboratory space over three floors, and a plant room on the fourth.  Location: AberdeenContractor: RobertsonArchitect: RSPAspex supplied: Intercoms, & Access Control throughout the building

The Flower Bowl is a large new build leisure complex in in a semi-rural Lancashire location close to Preston. It offers a range of attractions, including an indoor bowling alley, a curling rink, a crazy golf course and golf simulator, a cinema and restaurants.Green roof components:Sika Liquid Plastics‘ Decothane Root Resistant.Sika Liquid Plastics‘ Decotherm insulation.S-VAP 500e Vapour Control and Moisture Barrier Layer.Green Roof Detailing Coat.

We supplied and installed over 500m² of Jakob Webnet for the new build sports hall at St Dominic’s College in Harrow. The Webnet, now clad with climbing plants has created a free-standing green wall which provides shade to the building and effectively disguises it, allowing it to blend in to the surrounding grounds.

The £14m Arnold Hill Academy is part of the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) and is being constructed adjacent to the existing school in Nottingham. The new Academy’s 3,570m2 flat roof covers 8,200m2 of replacement teaching space, science labs, an indoor sports hall and a drama studio. The project team at Wates Group had already identified potential roofing products. Due to the unconventional roof specification they asked SIG Design & Technology to recommend a product that would work in tandem to deliver the required performances.

Manchester Arena, managed and operated by SMG Europe, is one of the busiest venues in the world, and the largest indoor arena in Europe. A leaky roof, specifically in the area where the existing roof of the arena joined the railway station, was causing real concern and disruption. Following the roof survey, the Technical Team created a bespoke specification, including project specific detail drawings, tapered insulation plans and roof layouts, U-Value Calculations, Wind Uplift Calculations and Condensation Risk Analysis.

Set around a new courtyard in the heart of London’s West End, Ham Yard hotel creates a new ‘urban village’ in the heart of the city. To celebrate the hotels unique situation , Firmdale tasked architect Woods and Bagot to pursue a design approach that “seeks to bring the outdoors inside and turn the indoors outside”. Floor to ceiling Crittall doors open up the restaurant to the hotels outdoor terrace and full height Crittall glazing brings the street to life from the comfort of their bedrooms.

Newly opened in Ørestad Syd, Copenhagen in 2017, this large-scale indoor venue for events in sports, culture and entertainment is about the optimal visitor experience for audiences of up to 16,000.Danish architects 3XN have given it a distinctly Nordic touch, placing emphasis on quality, functionality and design so that the area is about acoustics, perspective, seat comfort and an expression of elegance not usually seen on this scale. Metallica was the first band at Royal Arena – its three nights bringing a total audience of 46,500 to the venue.

The new Leeds Beckett state-of-the-art Carnegie School of Sport gets the full DYNAMIK treatment. It is now the home of a Mondo 60m indoor running track. It also now has new DYNAMIK Sport flooring systems for gym & fitness zones, providing acoustic and impact high performance solutions. The teaching and research building will be a base for the Carnegie School of Sport providing research programmes and a centre of excellence for athletes wanting the best in high performance sports surfaces and associated facilities.

The £25 million redevelopment of the hospital includes a new emergency department. Working alongside our clients Willmott Dixon Interiors Ltd, GDL were appointed to manufacture and supply the Acoustic Louvres and the Clip-on Louvre screening as part of the 23 hour assessment and A&E refurbishment. Our acoustic Louvres are designed to attenuate medium and high frequency noise breakouts from ductwork and plant room openings and were selected for the existing plant area along Pond Street. This product can be manufactured to suit any bespoke size requirements and is available in single bank or for higher levels of attenuation, double bank.  Our Louvre screening can be located at basement, ground, mid or roof level and can be fixed in a conventional 45º angle or inverted depending on the privacy requirements of the designers and architects. We can also supply single or double leaf doors providing secure access to the screened areas. 

As part of the regeneration programme within the bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, the Olympic Village (now known as the multiple award-winning East Village) was designed to house the athletes based on reusing the buildings after the games as a new residential district for Stratford.The 67 acres site, provided for 11 residential plots, each made up of 5 to 7 blocks, built around communal squares and courtyards, with water features accentuating the proximity of the River Lea.Radmat Building Products provided the waterproofing system and the MedO Extensive living green roofs on much of the apartments, to provide a low maintenance and self-sustaining plant community. Working with expert horticulturalists, Radmat Building Products have developed the MedO range of living green roofing systems. All systems are suitable for both new and refurbishment projects and are constructed using the appropriate drainage board, filter fleece and growing medium for the planting required.

The eight storey building Faraday House in London is clad in hand-finished copper alloy, reflecting warm light into the spaces around it. But uncontrolled and excessive sunlight can seriously disrupt the experience of comfort. For this reason, the architect opted for structural solar shading. The DucoSlide panels ensure a drop in the average indoor temperature of up to 12% to combat overheating.The Faraday House in London is a  building with imagination; offering a dazzling composition from the Victorian Railway Bridge. The apartments are part of Circus West Village, the first phase of the Battersea Power Station redevelopment.Full height windows frame views of the River Thames and landscaped courtyard, enhancing the feeling of space and light, whilst private terrace balconies and roof-top gardens provide outdoor space.The eight storey building is clad in hand-finished copper alloy, reflecting warm light into the spaces around it. But uncontrolled and excessive sunlight can seriously disrupt the experience of comfort. For this reason, the architect opted for structural solar shading. The DucoSlide panels ensure a drop in the average indoor temperature of up to 12% to combat overheating. The perforated screens animate the façade and provide home owners with additional solar and acoustic control.The result? A better quality of life for residents and a striking composition for visitors as they travel into London Victoria station.

In late 2017 Helmsman supplied and fitted approximately 70 No System 2000 lockers in a range of 1 compartment in half height lockers, 2 compartment and 3 compartment lockers with plant on doors. Helmsman Frontline Changing Cubicles Frontline Shower Cubicles and Frontline W/C Cubicles are also installed at this Leisure Centres.

The ProjectRobinsons is one of the largest independent breweries in the UK. It has a rich history, with the family brewing in the centre of Stockport since 1849. Its main building is called the Unicorn Brewery, after the pub which the family originally ran from 1838.The bottling plant needed a refurbishment, to help keep employees safe. The brewery requested a highly slip resistant flooring surface, to deal with the inherent risk of liquid spillages in the plant, which could cause hazards. To go with the floorcovering they also needed a hard-wearing, robust, and highly slip resistant stair nosing.The stair nosing would need to have low slip potential in both dry and wet conditions, to help ensure safety in the plant. The main way the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) assesses the slip resistance of flooring and stair nosings is by using a pendulum test, which measures the friction of a surface. In this way, a pendulum test value (PTV) can be given to different products. Any stair nosing must have a PTV of 36, or more, in dry and wet conditions to be considered low slip potential.The ApproachSteven Holland Flooring contacted Quantum Flooring to discuss the most appropriate stair nosings for the project. They decided to go with Quantum’s Ecoglo slip resistant yellow tread material, Eglo-34, fitted into double-channel SF225R Slenderline carriers.Ecoglo tread infills are often utilised for their photoluminescent qualities. From just 30 minutes of charge with either natural or artificial light, Ecoglo’s photoluminescent strips can provide 7 hours of glow in either internal or external environments. Ecoglo also has a slip resistant silicon carbide tread material.Eglo-34 is one of the highly slip resistant silicon carbide tread infills in the Ecoglo range. It has a PTV of 70 in dry conditions, and 66 in wet conditions. These both easily exceed the minimum required guidelines for low slip potential in HSE publications, and slip resistance in BS 8300-2:2018. This made Eglo-34 ideal for Robinsons Brewery.The OutcomeSteven Holland Flooring expertly cut Quantum’s yellow Eglo-34 silicon carbide strips to size, and fitted them in both channels of the SF225R aluminium stair nosings. As Ecoglo tread material is secret fix, there was no need for plugs to hide the screws.The result looks fantastic and helps to ensure the safety of all employees at the Robinsons bottling plant. The stair nosing is durable and has very low slip potential, with the double channel Eglo-34 double treads maximising the surface area of grip. The SF225R profiles have a ramped back, to remove any trip hazard at the back of the steps.With the help of Quantum’s stair nosings, Steven Holland Flooring have ensured a safe, secure and visually pleasing staircase in Robinsons bottling plant. The installation will be used for years to come, helping to prevent slips, trips and falls on the spiral stairs.

 The concept proposed by Urban Planters and Westfield incorporated large timber planters, seating and walkways to bring green country life to a large urban city area. We have now successfully installed several large planting structures around the Westfield Shopping Centre and continue to work closely with Urban Planters in order to achieve the ongoing brief.

Hydrotherapy has always been on the agenda at Vranch House, but this vital treatment has recently been given a new lease of life with a completely refurbished state-of-the-art indoor heated swimming pool, including Altro Whiterock hygienic wall sheet. “The walling choices were integral to this vision. Altro was a key partner on the project because they were sympathetic to the broader picture and what we wanted to achieve for the children. Their level of experience and understanding helped us to find a solution that delivered across the board; on quality, safety, aesthetics and durability.

Architectural solar shading combats overheating and contributes to a comfortable indoor climate in Van Marcke's new office building. Vertically installed aluminium DucoSun Wing louvre blades provide an answer in combating overheating. At the same time, they provide added architectural cachet structurally. These wing-shaped louvre blades act as an extra shell for the curtain wall. They cut out the sunlight, thus preventing the interior temperature from rising too high on hot days. Annoying reflections on computer screens are thus definitely a thing of the past.

Witness the stunning transformation of The Smurf House in Devon, UK, where modern rooflight design blends seamlessly with nature. Led by Katie Woods, this renovation of a holiday home combines the beauty of its surroundings with bespoke interior design, thanks to innovative Vario by VELUX round rooflights. These custom-made skylights flood the home with strategically placed natural light, creating a breath-taking connection between indoor and outdoor spaces and a fun, vibrant environment. Let The Smurf House inspire you to embrace nature in your designs.

Lower Drayton Farm is a family fun farm, offering a variety of activities in the heart of the countryside.DCM installed Evo Pro Artificial Grass as part of the new indoor soft play area. Line markings were painted onto the sports grass to create a miniature sports pitch for children to play football and other ball games.The installation took place on an upper floor level, meaning the access for the project had to be taken into careful consideration when delivering materials and getting equipment to the area of works on site.

Flowcrete has delivered its unique Floorzone solution to a top scoring sports development based in Toryglen near Hampden Park in Glasgow. The new £15.7 million facility, which is open to the local community as well as football clubs and associations in and around the greater Glasgow area, represents Scotland's first regional Football Ground and features a full-size indoor synthetic grass pitch - built to FIFA 2 Star standards - with seating for 700 spectators as well as three other outdoor synthetic pitches and one grass pitch.

Albion Riverside is a high-end residential and commercial development located on the southwest bank of the River Thames. It is between two listed and historic bridges – Albert Bridge and Battersea Bridge and not too far from Westminster. It has been built to create a dynamic quarter in Battersea, London, on the upper floors there are apartments and on lower levels are shops, art galleries and an indoor pool. KEIM Concretal Lasur was applied in 2003 to the V Beams and the swimming pool soffits to improve the concrete appearance whilst still maintaining a natural concrete effect.