"land use planning"

Outdoor space is an increasingly sought-after commodity, with research suggesting that a well-kept stylish garden can add as much as 20% to a property’s value. Installing effective drainage is integral to the long-term health of a garden, which is why Langlea Garden Design and Construction pays close attention to the products it uses in its award-winning projects.

The recently built front extension creates a new threshold for the church, encompassing a large multipart Flushglaze fixed rooflight from Glazing Vision. The rooflight works to fill the entrance lobby with natural daylight and helps to create a lofty, open space with character.Utilising frameless rooflights to accentuate this highly contemporary home, CDC Studio have adopted the perfect balance of imagination and persistence. Designed as a ‘forever home’ for their retired clients, this house is accessible, highly contemporary, low energy, sustainable and secure.Having approached CDC Studio, to create a home which was not too big for two, but big enough to accommodate village parties and wider family coming to stay.CDC Studio replicated the thatched barn and knitted into the local community, encapsulation the character of the village through local crafts and materials of flint, red brick, timber shutters and estate fencing complimenting this with the use of zinc to echo the agricultural aesthetic of the original land use.Adopting a thoroughly modern approach, the kitchen, dining and living spaces are open plan to allow for social gatherings and to provide a smooth flow throughout the home. With three Glazing Vision secure by design flat rooflights along the roofline, natural daylight is allowed to fill the property and create an open space for the homeowners to enjoy.The kitchen sits under a column-free, steel rod hung mezzanine with acoustic damping which was rigorously engineered to avoid the reverberating noise. This creates a sense of enclosure to the kitchen whilst allowing CDC to achieve the fully flexible family / party space requested beyond.Two Glazing Vision electric Visionvents have been included to deliver a continual air flow running through the property and providing a constant temperature and source of natural daylight into the entertainment area of the home.To compliment the contemporary style of this house, a Glazing Vision Sliding over Roof rooflight has been installed, whereby the entire section of glazing retracts out onto the roof space, leaving open, unimpeded views of the sky above. When closed, the amount of glass is maximised to maintain an almost frameless appearance.“CDC Studio have been specifying Glazing Vision for a number of years and our clients have always been very pleased with the results. A combination of standard products and the option to deliver a bespoke solution means that Glazing Vision cater for all types of projects and affordability whilst products are well made and come with the addition of guarantees.” Delphine Dryer, Associate Director CDC Studio.The character of the thatched barn is emphasized by embracing its full height to the ridge, offering modest but usable guest rooms wrapped in painted timber boarding. These were identified for immediate family use, the height helping to overcome their narrow nature on plan, integrated wardrobes, back panels and pegs for hanging make them hard working spaces. A separate master suite spreads into the new volumes providing dressing, bathroom and a private patio area which offers the clients a place for quiet retreat when guests are staying.The house boasts its own private ‘Gin and Tonic’ balcony. The mezzanine space creates a private second sitting area with a concealed timber stair nestled between concrete sheer walls to provide access. It is quiet yet connected to the main space, and commands views to the west with a fully opening sliding over roof rooflight to let the outdoors in. A separate guest suite and shower room afford privacy to occupants and visitors alike.The extended roofline and orientation provide solar shading to the solar controlled west facing glazing with the careful positioning of rooflights to prevent overheating in the height of summer, plus water runoff is directed to a salvaged historical water trough which the clients will use to water the garden. The linear design is extended into the immediate landscape with water rills extending out like fingers into the wider area which over time the clients will begin to accentuate with their planting.This project showed the right combination of imagination and persistence, creating a home which not only fits in with the local village heritage but also manages to stand out and create a ‘wow factor’ for those which bask in its glory.“We have recently been impressed with their ability to comply with the secure by design requirements which not all companies seem aware of. We have used the fixed and venting rooflights on our Stacked house and Y house and a massive bespoke sliding rooflight on our Parkhouse which the clients adore.” Delphine Dryer, Associate Director CDC Studio.

This is an asbestos cement roof refurbishment project, using the BBA Approved Asbestoseal system from Liquasil. The roof was first cleaned using a steam cleaning machine and all metal fixings were treated with Lqiuasil's SWT Primer. All fixings and cracks were sealed with Non-Sag Sealer before the roof was completely coated with Asbestoseal 20, providing long term protection against the elements. A 10 year Latent Defects Insurance Guarantee was issued upon completion.

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.

The LAMILUX Glass Roof PR60 was designed and installed as a continuous atrium using 60 panes of glass covering an area of 14m X 15m. The framing detail ensured a seamless transition to the wall abut at the head, whilst sitting on perimeter supports at the verge and cill. High performing glazing with double silver coating prevents overheating in addition to the glazing designed to be walked on for cleaning and maintenance purposes. LAMILUX were able to provide a better solution than the original concept by using larger panes arranged in four flush tiers installed with a 3° surface inclination.

This project involved the removal of the existing factory finish to an industrial unit in the West Midlands, followed by cut edge corrosion treatment and full roof & parapet coating. Once the original finish had been removed using high pressure jet washing, all of the end laps to the roof sheets were coated with SWT (Surface & Wet Tolerant) corrosion primer, to prevent further rusting. Once cured, the roof was coated with the BBA Approved Metalseal 20 to a film thickness of approx 300 microns.

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.

This is a metal roof coating & refurbishment project using Liquasil's BBA Approved Metalseal 20. The project involved removing an existing cut edge corrosion treatment and re-treating with Liquasil SWT Corrosion Primer, followed by two coats of Metalseal. The whole roof was then coated with Metalseal 20 to provide long term protection against fungal growth and weathering. The unique 10 year, single-point latent defects insurance guarantee was issued at the end of the project. For details, speak to our building surveyors on 0121 709 5352

Henderson’s sliding door hardware systems were specified by Penton Architects for the central dining space and garage of the architects’ own rural new build. Adam Penton commented: “The large sliding doors to the central dining space utilise P C Henderson’s Lift and Slide Base System which was specified for its performance and ability to be housed into a bespoke glazed timber screen and cill system.” The dining room doors open up the side of the house and are used daily during the summer months for ventilation and access to external terracing to create an indoor / outdoor experience.

Union Industries, the UK’s leading manufacturer of bespoke industrial doors, has utilised virtual reality (VR) to help Leeds-based Met Fab Solutions maintain comfortable working conditions with the installation of a Bulldoor.Union Industries has successfully deployed its innovative new VR software to assist Met Fab Solutions, a leading UK manufacturer of aluminium panels and aluminium pressings, specify and configure the correct door suited to its needs.This innovative tool allows Union to immerse prospective clients in a 3D showroom where they can experience their high-speed door offerings and interact with the products in a virtual environment. The software, comprising a VR headset and handheld units representing the customer’s hands, showcases the extensive features, specifications and benefits of Union Industries' products.Met Fab’s powder coating facility contains an extraction unit which draws the temperature outside of the building to keep the area cool during hotter periods. However, when windy, the extraction unit causes a wind-chill resulting in employee discomfort, hence the company’s need for a fast acting and reliable door.The Bulldoor not only ensures the integrity of Met Fab's facility but also significantly reduces the impact of adverse weather conditions. Operated conveniently via remote control, the door incorporates a 'Crash-Out & Auto-Reset' feature as a standard safety measure, minimising costs associated with door impacts.Renowned for their reliability and efficiency, Union Industries’ doors, including the Bulldoor, have become the preferred choice for manufacturers dealing with heat loss and escalating energy prices. With a robust design requiring minimal maintenance, these doors can withstand constant high-volume operations, making them an ideal solution for industrial settings.Rob Howe, Union Industries’ Technical Sales Engineer, said: “Once again, the Bulldoor is the first choice for those in the manufacturing industry who aim to address heat loss and wind chill through open doorways.”“The Bulldoor is one of our best-selling doors and has been developed by our own R&D team over the years to become the reliable workhorse that it is today. Its robust design ensures minimal maintenance and can withstand constant high-volume operations.”“We are also thrilled with the success of our new virtual reality configuration tool. This software enables us to immerse prospective customers into our world, providing a first-hand experience of the advanced features and capabilities of our rapid roll doors.”Steve Cockerham, managing director at Met Fab Solutions, said: "The collaboration with Union Industries has proven invaluable in addressing our specific needs.“In utilising the VR software, Union was able to demonstrate to us in detail how the Bulldoor was best placed to serve our specific needs and address the challenges we faced.“The Bulldoor has not only enhanced the integrity of our facility but has also significantly improved working conditions for our employees."

The design comprised of a three-storey-high, bespoke GRC concrete staircase with floating precast steps and landings, all in Rustic Grey finish.For the floors and landings we used Microconcrete coating in Lead Grey colour to create a contrasting effect with the lighter coloured walls and the imposing ceiling suspended fireplace surround was hand coated with Microconcrete in Metallic Bronze finish.

A major US oil company was experiencing corrosion in its sour crude oil tanks. Chemicals and water in the oil were creating severe pitting and corrosion issues at the bottom of the storage tanks. They contacted Hempel looking for a long-term protective lining solution.A poor lining system can result in substantial losses. Tanks and vessels left out of service for repair, cost owners valuable time and lost revenues. Hempaline vinyl esters have been designed to resist against acids, caustics, strong solvents, oil and water, protecting assets and maintain the purity of the content of the tank.To combat corrosion in the customer’s sour crude oil tanks we recommended our Hempaline Defend 500 vinyl ester mat reinforced to line the tank bottom and also the bottom 4 feet of the wall surfaces.The high-performance scheme was applied following grit blasting and consisted of a single coat of Hempaline Prepare 120 primer. A first coat of Hempaline Defend 500 was then applied and whilst wet, a 450 gm/m2 (1.5 oz/ft2) chopped strand mat was incorporated into the coating. Following a light sanding to remove any upstanding fibres, a second coat of chemically resistant Hempaline Defend 500 was applied.

CUPA PIZARRAS’ CUPACLAD® 101 RANDOM rainscreen cladding system has been used to create a geologically inspired exterior for the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences’ new £2 million Colin Forbes Building. The new building, located at the Madingley Rise site and named after Dr Colin Forbes, a senior figure in the university’s Department of Earth Sciences until his retirement, allows the collections to be reunited in one place. The building, designed by Cowper Griffith Architects and built by RG Carter, provides fully climate-controlled conditions for the collection with storage systems that allow easy access to all the specimens.

The Greenpeace Field at Glastonbury festival has long been popular among festival-goers thanks to their free hot showers and delicious veggie food available at their cafe. This year, however, will see a new feature to the field with the addition of a show-stopping 20m giant tree structure. Built from SMARTPLY OSB, the huge tree will come alive at night with a colour changing light show and will feature a DJ booth allowing attendees to party into the early hours.

A combination of passion from the homeowners and experience from suppliers has helped London couple Joe and Lina to build one of London’s smallest, and sustainable, two-bedroom homes near Canary Wharf.

The vibrant, ivory-coloured façade of a new healthcare facility in Cornwall posed no problem for the Renderplas range of coloured PVCu external render beads. Renderplas provided a decorative and durable solution to match the through-coloured render of the £1.9m building. In addition to enhancing the building’s fresh-looking façade, ivory-coloured Renderplas beading has ensured straight, durable joints, corners and edges on all external rendering. The PVCu material is scratch resistant and will not discolour over time, so any exposed joints and edges will continue to complement the colour of the façade indefinitely.

This Virgin Airlines hangar at Heathrow Airport needed a flooring finish to resist wear and chemical spills, as well as deliver aesthetic appeal – with a light coloured shiny finish that would reflect light and capture the eye to brighten the 4000 square metre area.ExecutionTo ensure the highest quality finish for the hangar the proven standard Resutile ST floor coating system was organised. Specialist resin flooring contractor Datum Flooring first shot-blasted the concrete substrate under vacuum to achieve a Concrete Surface Profile (CSP) 3 to ensure an excellent mechanical key and long term solution with the coating system. Then a primer coat of Resuflor WB was applied which penetrates the concrete and provides a sound surface seal so that an even finish is achieved with the top coats. This was followed by two roller coats of Resutile ST Colour in Light Grey.

Leighton Hospital, is being updated with 104 new windows from our Profile 22 range. The new windows are being installed as part of a wider regeneration project at the hospital worth over £500,000. "The client is extremely happy with how the works have gone, not only with the way they have been carried out, taking into consideration their complex requirements. “The new windows not only provide better functionality, but will also greatly enhance the thermal performance of the building, saving the client money on its heating bills, as well as providing improved aesthetics for many years to come.”

The Best Western Hotel, located in Göttingen, Germany has undergone a major redevelopment of their hotel rooms and washroom facilities. Franke were thrilled to be chosen to provide products from their composite portfolio, including 100 bespoke Miranit Ronda basins. From standard sized washbasins and washtroughs to a bespoke range, Franke's Miranit portfolio provides a choice of unique composite material, with high gloss or solid matte finish. Optional integrated accessories can be incorporated to suit any washroom environment. Unique products can be achieved for any project - perfect for any commercial washroom; hotel, office, school, stadium, retail or leisure environment.

Supplied by Kobel, in Italy Accoya was specified for the decking. The decking was wire brushed for a textured distressed looking finish and then laid around the swimming pool in the grounds of the residence. The client is pleased with the quality and overall finish of the decking and has the peace of mind that Accoya will be dimensionally stable, has outstanding durability and the added benefit of a guarantee of 50 years.

Orbit Housing’s Fordham House in Stratford-upon-Avon aimed to raise the bar for rented accommodation. Although initially a social housing provider, Orbit now refers to itself as a “developing housing association”, and Fordham House was designed for private rental by key workers in the town.Providing enhanced protection against noise and boasting a superior maintenance and repair strategy, much of the budget for these above-and-beyond features came from the specification of Modus windows in place of the aluminium frames originally specified. 

Stunning 'Wow Factor' Added To Contemporary Extension Using Eaves Rooflight Case Study

Spitfire Homes chose to use Saige's Solid Grey Decking board for their walkways between offices to create a sleek and safe space.

A long term solution which is flexible and seamless is provided with SofTop Comfort SL polyurethane comfort floor. The system has proven durability for school use yet is soft and comfortable to walk on with sound deadening properties and enhanced health and safety performance.Although both the adults and the students have taken good care of their beautiful school, the passing of time still ravaged the concrete and the roof with damage and decay. The school was subsequently renovated, and by 2015 the buildings were once again ready to host its students after a thorough rebuilding, where the floors were nautrally renewed.The school area was approximately 8,000m2. Linoleum was chosen for one half and SofTop Comfort SL on the remaining 4,000m2. After two and a half years there was already clear differences in how the two floor types had met the challenge that the schools nearly 700 hundred students had inflicted on a daily basis.

The project was to create a partitioned living space with the requirements of ample storage, traditional style, integrated LED lighting and a sliding door mechanism. After seeking advice from our Holland office, Ralpine Designs decided that our Husky 100 sliding door hardware was the right project for the job. Using a library and display unit, the living room and dining room could be separated into two rooms or opened up as one big room when required. The system was used to hold two biparting wooden doors, utilising a face fixed aluminium track for added quality.

Liquasil's BBA Approved cut edge corrosion treatment was specified for use on this metal roof on an industrial unit in central Birmingham. Liquasil SWT Primer was first applied to all rusted areas. SWT stands for "Surface and Wet Tolerant" meaning that it can be applied to wet and rusted surfaces. The primed areas were then coated with Liquasil's Flexlap - a purpose made silicone polymer coating to provide total protection from further lap corrosion.

Designed to manage and guide the flow of visitors, the Webnet balustrade plays a key role in the organisation of pedestrian traffic during and after the 2012 Olympics hosted at the Queen Elizabth Olympic Park in Stratford, London.The balustrading infill had to accommodate the multitude of curves that were a feature of the balustrade’s design, and the pliable characteristics of the Webnet wire mesh made it the perfect choice.  The Webnet system can adapt to most forms and shapes, making it perfect for creating curves. Featuring high translucency, the Jakob Webnet system is also a discreet and elegant choice for balustrading. The Jakob Webnet wire mesh balustrade infill went through an exhaustive series of tests to ensure it could cope with the large crowds and fulfil a vital security function.Created using marine grade 316 stainless steel, Jakob’s Webnet wire mesh infill continues to provide a robust, weather resistant solution, designed to last for years to come.MMA Architectural Systems (JAKOB's sole UK distributor) also supplied Webnet wire mesh frames for the London Stadium at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. 

An energy efficient approach to construction, using low maintenance building materials together with Dimplex ground source heat pumps, is proving the key to cost-effective heating at a collection of ten new homes built by Shetland Islands Council in Brae.

A floor preparation system from F. Ball has been used to install 2,700m2 of floorcoverings at Glasgow University Library. First, old linoleum floorcoverings were removed. Over this area, Stopgap F77 waterproof surface membrane was applied due to excessive relative humidity levels. Stopgap 1200 Pro smoothing underlayment was applied on concrete sections of the subfloor. An F. Ball primer was applied to a ramp constructed from plywood before Stopgap 700 smoothing underlayment was used to receive floorcoverings. In the entranceway, Styccobond F46 adhesive was selected to install vinyl sheets, with Styccobond F41 carpet tile tackifier used to install carpet tiles.

One of the largest self-supporting display greenhouses in the world Following the renovation of the Grand Pavilion (das Große Tropenhaus, first built in 1906) at Berlin’s Botanical Garden, daylight enters through hundreds of small, heat-insulating yet highly light-permeable glass panes onto one of the world’s most significant collections of rare and endangered tropical plants. The inner panels used in the double-glazing for the overhead sections of the pavilion are made of laminated safety glass using stiff and strong SentryGlas® ionoplast interlayers. For the first time in Germany – following its “special approval” – a special “UV-transmissible” grade of SentryGlas® is used for this application, thereby sustaining the active growth of the plants and safeguarding their preservation

In 2018, Cyclehoop designed and delivered two major Cycle Hubs for the London Borough of Enfield. These were the first cycle hubs to be provided in the borough and were delivered as part of the award-winning Cycle Enfield scheme.Both Cycle Hubs are steel and glass structures with CCTV and provide cycle parking for 50 bikes and three non-standard cycles such as cargo bikes. They can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by using an access card. Members can make use of a bike pump and repair stand so that they can make quick repairs and keep their tyres pumped whilst on the go.Cyclehoop is managing the membership of both cycle hubs on behalf of Enfield Council.Cycle Hub FacilitiesThe Enfield Town Cycle Hub and the Edmonton Green Cycle Hub are fitted with user-friendly cycle parking and repair facilities, as well as featuring an industry-leading security and access control system.Each Cycle Hub provides cycle parking for 50 bikes and is fitted with Optima Two Tier Racks. This is a space-saving solution that doubles the amount of cycle parking compared with traditional cycle racks. The Two-Tier racks can accommodate most types of bikes and feature gas-assisted moveable upper sections that make it easy to position them in the racking. Members can easily secure their bikes to the locking bar which has been welded into the design rather than the less secure bolted version in our competitors’ solutions. We have installed 3 ground anchors to accommodate non-standard cycles – each with its own marked out space.The door has been fitted with an industry-leading access control system allowing members to get in and out via access card 24 hours a day. Lighting and CCTV cameras are in operation throughout giving extra assurances of security.The Cycle Hubs also feature a Public Repair Stand and an Indoor Pump which provide members with the resources to make repairs on the go as well as pumping up deflated tyres.Design and Build ProcessEnfield Council chose two locations within the borough, each one connected to a local transport link, as well as amenities and shopping centres to accommodate the footfall. These locations were Enfield Town Railway Station and Edmonton Green Railway Station. Planning permission was required to develop the land.Enfield Council required two secure Cycle Hubs that maximised cycle parking spaces and the structure needed to be modular to allow it to be extended in future. Enfield is a growing borough that is regenerating and constantly growing, therefore this needed to be reflected in the design of the Cycle Hub.Each Cycle Hub is a steel and glass structure designed as a modern facility for securely storing cycles. The use of glass provides both good natural lighting as well as excellent visibility and passive surveillance, increasing the security of the facility.The Cycle Hubs also have a sedum green roof which reduces the surface runoff from rainfall, improves local air quality and supports the local insect population.The two custom and secure structures are comprised of:Toughened glass panesPerforated steel kick plates (over 3 tonnes of steel)Toughened glass sliding doorsLow maintenance sedum roofEnfield Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Daniel Anderson, said:“If we want to encourage more people to get on their bikes and change their transport habits we need to provide proper, secure parking for cycles. We hope these hubs will encourage people to get on their bikes to visit our town centres and reap all the benefits leaving the car behind will deliver. We are determined to encourage as many people as possible to use sustainable transport as we possibly can and these hubs will play an important role in helping us achieve that aim.”Enfield Council’s Cycle Enfield Scheme aims to regenerate and improve town centres, dramatically improve transport links and encourage more people to use sustainable methods of transport in the borough.

Brett Landscaping’s premium Invicta products have been used to create a range of walkways and modern hard landscaped areas for pupils of a new school in Surrey to use and enjoy. Heathside School is a new comprehensive school, opened in September 2022, serving the communities of Walton on Thames and Molesey. The capacity of the school is 900, and the first two year groups in the school are currently enjoying a state of the art, modern environment for education. Brett Landscaping supplied the school with more than 2,100 square metres of Invicta products in a range of finishes, including Citrine (with black fleck), Pearl and Onyx, alongside Omega in Natural, to create the external walkways and paths between school buildings. The Pearl and Onyx Invicta products were used to create a theatre style terrace in the main school yard, and a range of external communal areas for pupils to gather during their school day.

Insworke Mill was originally built in 1590 and survived as a working Mill until the First World War. After falling into disrepair it’s now undergoing a major refurbishment to convert it to its new life as commercial properties to the ground floor with a luxury residential dwelling above. To the first floor a Lewis® Deck/screed solution was used to provide acoustic separating floors with timber beams left exposed, replicating the original beams. On the ground floor; Lewis® was used as part of a warm floor solution above the cellar areas. U/F heating was incorporated in all floors.

SubFloor raised steel flooring was used to renovate, raise and level a 285 m² listed museum floor into a modern meeting space in Ellesmere Port, Liverpool.This simple and elegant solution raised an uneven stone floor up to 300 mm to allow for installations and insulation. The joist and screw system allows for quick and easy assembly so that the floor can reach the desired height. Steel joists were used to meet moisture requirements in the port area and underfloor heating plates were assembled on top.Products:Steel Joist 45x30x3800 mmSubFloor Screw 300 mmScrew FootInsulation Bearer 120 mmInsulation Bearer 95 mmHeight Variation: 50 - 303 mmSystem Weight - c/c 400 mm: 2.88 kg/m²Materials:Steel SUB250 GD, Z100 GalvFibre-reinforced VitamidePolyamidePoint Load 50 x 50 mm: 5.78 kN6.78 kN/m² - Between screws10.54 kN/m² - Over screw at joist edge[According to SS-EN 1195:1998] 

The rear section of the former Coventry Evening Telegraph Building is being transformed into a brand-new cultural venue, using SMARTPLY ULTIMA OSB/4 for its flooring.

The busy business hub of Bradmore square in Hammersmith, west London, has been newly reinvigorated by the Edible Bus Stop®, unique landscape architecture and design consultancy and Decorum London, creator and supplier of Shou Sugi Ban.