"lounge"

A large bespoke walk on rooflight from Glazing Vision, split into 20 sections, has enabled plenty of natural daylight into this newly built basement conversion, whilst maintaining their outdoor space.With a mantra of ‘don’t move, improve’ being ever present within the world of today, it is important for homeowners to understand how they can best improve their own home and add value to not only their property but also to their style of living.So, when this homeowner spoke to Goedehuizen Architects, they were keen to understand what could be done to create more space in their home and, in particular, how they could create a new lounge area for entertaining friends. With a lack of space above ground and without removing any garden space, it was decided the best option would be to create a basement extension.One of the common problems when creating a basement extension, is you may not be able to get enough light in and the new room may end up gloomy or always dependent on artificial light. Therefore, to avoid this becoming a problem, Goedehuizen Architects sought out a rooflight option which would enable ample light to enter the basement whilst not impacting on any of the outdoor space.Impressed with his discussions with Glazing Vision Europe, it was decided that the initial concept designed by Maikel Snels, architect at Goedehuizen Architects, could be achieved and would include 3 bespoke double glaze diamond shaped walk on Flushglaze rooflights and a large multi-part walk on rooflight, in a U shape and split into 20 sections.Glazing Vision Walk-on rooflights using Flushglaze technology are designed to be installed flush with external flooring – perfect for flat roof terraces. The multipart construction also allowed the construction beams to become camouflaged within the design.Due to its frameless design the U shaped walk on Flushglaze flat rooflight, measuring 1200mm (span) x 11700mm x 15500mm x 11700mm, was not only able to provide the required natural daylight into the basement, but also created an aesthetically pleasing design that fitted into the garden well and maximised the usable space by enabling the clients to walk on the product.This additional natural daylight has helped to bring new life into the property and showcase a remarkable extension project, which has provided the homeowners with the perfect lounge area for entertaining.“The finished result is really great, we get a lot of positive response on the rooflights. Because of the rooflight the basement is a very light space.” Maikel Snels, Goedehuizen Architects.

One Crown Place is a development that sets a new standard of architecture with two prismatic towers hosting 246 private apartments, rising 28 and 33 storeys into the sky. At lower levels, it is home to 109,675sq ft of high-quality office space and a variety of retail units.A Georgian terrace, a retained warehouse facade on Earl Street and 54 Wilson Street, and a 1970s block make up the remaining parts of this 24/7 destination delivering a boutique hotel, restaurant, collection of club lounges, bars, and affordable office space.ECLISSE UK Ltd supplied 158 bespoke Classic Pocket Door Systems for the project in various sizes, plus accessories. The pocket doors were used to provide convenient access to the ensuite bathrooms.Start on site: April 2018Completion date: May 2021Address: One Crown Place, 54 Wilson Street London EC2A 2ERGross internal floor area: 49,500m2 (new build)Construction cost: £518 millionArchitect: Kohn Pedersen Fox AssociatesClient: MTD GroupDevelopment manager: CBREProject manager: CBRE

Changi Airport, is one of the world’s busiest and most renowned international airports. It is located in Changi, Singapore, and serves as a major transportation hub for both domestic and international flights with over 68 million visitors each year, making it one of the most advanced and well connected airports globally.This airport consists of 4 huge passenger terminals and the jewel, a multi-story indoor garden and entertainment complex with attractions like the Rain Vortex, bright greenery, restaurants, shops, and a hotel. Changi Airport is not just a place for travelers to pass through; it’s an attraction in itself, offering a unique and world-class experience for visitors and passengers alike. Its commitment to innovation and passenger comfort has made it a model for airports around the world.Interfloor was proud to be chosen to supply 144,000 sqm of our Durafit 500 underlay for the departure lounges and air bridges in Terminals 1, 2, 3 & 4 at the world famous Singapore Changi Airport. With that kind of foot traffic our Durafit range of crumb rubber underlays was the perfect solution, as crumb rubber is without doubt the most durable underlay available. With an End Use Classification (BS 5808: 1991 : HC/U) of heavy contract use, Durafit 500 has 93% recovery from compression as well as containing over 65% recycled materials.

Belle Vue is a 5,700 square metre retirement community of 60 one and two-bedroom apartments in Hampstead, designed by Morris+Company. It’s surrounded by carefully landscaped gardens and manicured courts, with which it offers a communal environment for its residents.Inside the feeling of community is continued with a restaurant, cafe, library, spa, gym, lounges and activity rooms. All are thoughtfully considered to ensure the residents are catered for in all ways. Journeys throughout the project are open to communal areas as well for further social considerations.Due to Belle Vue’s surroundings, Floren.be’s Avorio brick was used to retain a similar, but a visually distinct homage to the brick structures in the multiple local conservation areas. The lightness and fluctuating tonality of the red Avorio allows the building to appear as light and airy externally as it is inside, due to its large windows, open plan layouts and community spaces.With a clientele whose average age is around 77, it’s insightful that Pegasus Life Pegasus Lifestory chose to hire from architectural practices who had no previous experience in the retirement sector. Modern sentiments are clearly visible throughout, but care and consideration are shown to its inhabitants where a calm environment is melded with the benefits of inner-city living.Belle Vue was recently shortlisted for the 2022 RIBA London awards.

Dynamic interior spaces created for flagship care homeIssue Quantum Care were launching their flagship care home, Mantles Court, and wanted an interior design that created a warm, welcoming and comfortable space. Quantum Care asked WHAT IF? Designs to create the interior spaces with a non-clinical feel, making the state of the art, 78-bed care facility feel like a home-from-home for residents. Approach WHAT IF? Designs looked at the flow of resident living spaces and the needs for each area. Communal spaces including lounges, dining and kitchen areas required floors that were easy to clean, looked fantastic and provided safety from slips. For the ensuite bathrooms, a softer, neutral coloured floor with slip resistance for both staff and residents was needed, while bedrooms called for a more homely, domestic feel, with comfort under foot as a priority. Solution Altro Wood was chosen for the dining room, bedrooms and the hair salon for its natural, homely, good looks. Altro Aquarius and Altro Pisces, with their wide colour palette and lifetime sustained slip resistance, were selected for the ensuite bathrooms, providing safety for shoe and barefoot users. And in the communal areas, Altro Ensemble was chosen for its flexibility and design choices as well as its noise reduction and comfort underfoot.

Tucked away in a marvellous natural landscape, the Parc Hotel Du Lac that looks out onto Lake Levico, offers guests a breath-taking view and a tremendous breadth of services.The structure is an intimate and welcoming oasis, created using a variety of different wood look porcelain tiles and stone look porcelain tiles by Atlas Concorde. The naturalness of the surfaces chosen for floors and walls merges with the clean harmony of the surrounding environment, for a unique effect of immense visual impact. The large restaurant area and the veranda are covered with Axi, wood look porcelain tiles with age-old effect, with an intense and natural character as well as excellent planning potential. The warm and bright Golden Oak colour, rich in veining, bestows the space a touch of refined, extremely natural luxury. Atlas Concorde collections have been used for the bathroom floors and the bathroom walls: for instance, the View collection, which creates a vibrant and engulfing atmosphere combining functionality and design. Some corridors and a lounge area are characterised by a dynamic multi-size installation created using the Copper colour of Trust, stone look porcelain tiles recalling natural quartzite and Luserna stone. A perfect synthesis of aesthetics and technology, the collection also finds perfect application in the outdoor floors of the hotel structure.

The pinnacle of luxury living, 250 City Road in Islington features stunning 1–3-bedroom apartments in one of London’s most sought-after locations. Residents are offered such benefits as exclusive membership to world-class spa facilities, featuring a 20-metre pool, and a perfect environment for rest, inspiration, and productivity, ranging from a luxurious screening room to a reading room and business lounge.Designed by Foster + Partners with the vision of transforming a business park into a distinctive landmark location for Islington, the project is a development by Berkeley Group.In true RYNO fashion, we worked very closely with the team at Berkeley to provide non-combustible paving supports to this very high-end development project. The pedestals used on the balconies are our fully adjustable, self-levelling RPA-FRs with built-in lockable slope-correction, supporting (450x450x40mm) granite pavers.The roof terraces which offer a stunning view of the city and canal basin were supplied with our TerraSmart Rail Paving System supporting granite paving and blending perfectly with the soft landscaping of the entire project.To top it all, 250 City Road is just a short walk from Clerkenwell and our Studio, which is where architects and specifiers can get hand-on with the our systems including the one used in this project.

Park Regis Birmingham, part of the Stay Well hospitality Group, is a brand new upscale four-star luxury hotel with 253 well-appointed guest rooms in the heart of Birmingham's city centre on Broad Street. The hotel offers a modern and contemporary ambience with a boutique feel. Tibbatts Abel Interior Design specified Armourcoat polished plaster finishes for the front desk recessed logo wall and throughout the lobby and public areas of the hotel.Armourcoat finishes also feature within the Rofuto restaurant and bar located on the 16th floor of the hotel tower. This modern Japanese Izakaya-style concept features an incredible 200m2 Armourcoat polished plaster ceiling and finished columns throughout the venue. Rofuto is divided into two main areas; the dining lounge with a 360⁰ panoramic view of Birmingham, and the seven-metre long central dining bar featuring open kitchens and theatre Yakitori grill counter. An array of global projects for an impressive list of international blue chip clients in the residential, hospitality and boutique retail sectors have established Armourcoat as a leading supplier of high quality surface finishes. Armourcoat products are made from natural minerals including recycled Italian marble, contain low or zero VOCs, and have the added confidence of a full 10 year guarantee. Photography: ©Richard Kiely and Rofuto restaurant and bar

Completed in 2020, this residential building spans 9 storeys and a double-level basement, providing 201 luxury apartments.Located in the City of Westminster, the existing 7 storey building was completely stripped down to only the basement level, leaving existing basement walls before it was replaced with the 9 floors costing an overall of £135 million.The site is surrounded by public roads and footpaths on all four sides which created a challenge in terms of logistical access and security for the project. Because of these boundary restraints, Panthera Group designed a narrower concrete block supported hoarding system. The completed building includes private spa, lounge, fitness and amenity centre.To resolve the public access problem, 48 Carey Street has dedicated one of the basements to an underground car park and it can be accessed through the main entrance on Carey Street, or another entrance on Portugal Street.Selo provided wallpaper riser door systems in the main corridors, which were specifically tested for the project. The advantage of the wallpaper is that the riser doors then seamlessly blend in with the surrounding design and the eye is drawn to the front door of the apartment, rather than what would have been an unsightly riser door. Inside the apartments, the interior design is modern with some traditional features such as paneling in which we were glad to support the architect by providing bespoke sliding pocket doors to compliment the design, with their panelled leafs.

The landmark Health Innovation One building is an innovation hub offering co-location space for external organisations as well as being the new home for Lancaster University’s Medical School and Division of Health Research. The space is designed to encourage collaboration, where external organisations can draw upon the University’s expertise to address significant health challenges and improve health and wealth outcomes in the region and beyond.Architects John McAslan + Partners sought to realise the University’s ambition to establish itself as a major international presence in the field of Health and Medicine through the design of this new HIC. JMP’s campus masterplan will bring together businesses, the NHS, students and academics from a broad range of disciplinary backgrounds. Central to this campus is the Innovation Hub, representing phase one of the development.The scheme comprises a café, quiet reading areas, private meeting rooms, open breakout zones and a business lounge for more formal conversations. Close consultation with the University’s Faculty of Health and Medicine has resulted in a scheme that offers maximum flexibility, the promotion of interdisciplinary working and collaboration, the provision of exceptional working and learning environments, and a holistic building design that is sustainable and energy efficient, targeting an ‘Outstanding’ BREEAM standard.To achieve this performance for the £3M glazing package, fabricator Alucraft working to main contractor BAM Construct, utilised Metal Technology’s System 17 Curtain Walling in a bronze anodised finish and from our Thermal ranges, System 5-20D Doors and 5-20 windows.

The Beckett, a new retirement village close to the centre of Royal Tunbridge Wells, in Kent, comprises three luxury apartment buildings of three, four and six storeys. The contemporary design provides 89 quality appointed apartments with a landscaped garden, all arranged around full-height atriums, allowing natural light to reach the centre of the buildings. The upper floors are set back, providing generous terrace areas which include a ‘sky lounge‘. All three buildings are concrete frame and as with any reinforced concrete slab design, The Beckett is at risk of punching shear failure, which traditionally has been resolved by adding further concrete, such as downstand beams, or localised thickened column heads. However these require complex formwork and significantly reduce the benefits offered by the flat slab design. The Schöck Bole shear rail system counters any punching shear risk and is cost-effective and significantly faster than traditional loose links – as much as four times faster in fact. This is because when using traditional links it involves far more ties to the reinforcement matt than when using the Schöck Bole. The ready-to-install reinforcement element consists of double-headed studs with spacing bars to ensure correct positioning. Two spacer bars are welded to the vertical studs, which ensure the correct distance between uprights and the forged stud heads guarantee a perfect finishing bond with the concrete. The dramatically reduced fixing time far outweighs any additional material costs that may be involved with a prefabricated system.  

This 7-storey, grade two listed building has every reason to become London’s most sought-after residence, in more ways than one.Aside from the internal luxuries with multiple gyms, a 16-seat cinema, hotel pool, multiple lounges, 9 restaurants, a spa, etc etc, it’s perhaps more famous for serving one of our most legendary prime ministers. Sir Winston Churchill.As a place where the Second World War was overseen, walking through the theatrical marble entrance is like stepping back into history. The restored mosaic floors and the old messenger rooms repurposed as a design feature are just two things that add to this architectural wonder, with Churchill’s old room itself being available for private dinners.And you know Ian Fleming? Author of the James Bond series? Well, it’s thought that he came up with the idea for Bond during his time at the office working as a British Naval Intelligence Officer. To keep the 007 idea authentic, three of the films were filmed at this very location, meaning it stars in more James Bond films than any other building. Talking of filming locations, it’s also starred in one of the most popular TV series currently, The Crown, which is rather apt given it’s located (approximately) 1.3km from Buckingham Palace.We supplied a range of Selo products throughout the OWO renovation including sliding pocket doors, riser doors, clad riser doors, automatic opening vents,

FOAMGLAS® Board FClient: Porsche GBDesign Architects: Axis 3 Design LtdMain Contractor: Talbot ConstructionConstruction: 2011Application: Below Ground Insulation - FOAMGLAS® Board FThis Porsche Centre opened in February 2012, featuring a 36-car showroom. Is one of the largest Porsche Centres in the UK and represents a significant investment in both, the Porsche business and the local area.The distinctive showroom features a customer specification lounge in which visitors can personalize their car, have a coffee in the bar or enjoy a display of the history of Porsche in the social hub.The workshop is equipped with 10 bays, plus a dedicated bay for a new MOT service and a Direct Dialogue facility for on-the-spot diagnosis, as well as a cosmetic repair service and tire fitting area.Axis 3 Design specified FOAMGLAS® FLOOR BOARD F for the loadbearing insulation to satisfy the target U-value and eliminate thermal bridging within the foundation detail.Due to the high loads associated within the workshop and showroom, FOAMGLAS® FLOOR BOARD F was the best solution for this application. It covers a total area of 2500 m2."We selected FOAMGLAS® for its inherent durability and high compressive strength," explains architect Kevin Conlan at Axis 3 Design, "This made it ideal to use as under slab and perimeter insulation. Its primary function is to act as insulation, but with the additional advantage of no risk of water absorption. This means its thermal performance is going to remain constant for the lifetime of the building."

After the historic St Mary’s Hospital in Bristol received planning approval for Commercial refurbishment, we were contacted by M R Allen Limited to help transform the old healthcare facility to student accommodation. The building had been vacant for a number of years before the project to transform the space into 153 premium student rooms got the go ahead.The original hospital building was retained, with the addition of a 4 storey extension, a 3 storey new build, 8 no. townhouses and a new Communal space for students which includes an on-site gym, entertainment room, lounge and kitchen for private dining.Planning dictated that this undesignated heritage asset retained many of its original features, sat within a setting of various listed buildings and in a Conservation area.This led to us recommending timber Box Sash Windows from our Conservation range.All 109 box sash windows were manufactured in our British factory featuring high acoustic performing trickle vents & laminated glass in 24mm double glazed units, ensuring noise travel is kept to a minimum between accommodation.Mark Allen from M R Allen Limited explains;“We chose Mumford & Wood for their long-standing reputation for manufacturing British made, traditional timber windows – exactly what this project required. We also had some stringent acoustic performance requirements and working closely with Mumford & Wood allowed us to create a product that exceeded our performance expectations.”We finished the windows in ‘Signal White,’ featuring polished brass ironmongery.

A new ferry terminal on Brodick Bay, created as a tourism and community gateway to the Scottish Isle of Arran, has been fitted from stem to stern with door and window systems supplied by GEZE.Maritime design and modern comfortThe ship-shaped terminal, designed by the renowned architectural firm Norr of Glasgow, is part of a £30 million investment which aims to update the harbour, get it ready for 21st century travel, and improve passenger comfort.Natural ventilation thanks to automated windowsThe generously sized lounge with its double height and large wall of windows on the western façade offers visitors a breathtaking view of Brodick Bay. The large windows, which are automatically opened and closed by 30 GEZE Slimchain chain drives, give the reception area at the main entrance to the building a bright and spacious feel. The uniquely slim and understated look of the Slimchain window drives integrates perfectly into the unique façade design of the Brodick ferry terminal.The Slimchain window drives were installed not only on the large windows in the lounge, but rather throughout the entire two-storey building – with the exception of the upper ventilation openings: Powerchain chain drives are used there. These especially powerful window drives were chosen to operate the larger windows, since they allow for large opening widths – which is important for quickly venting smoke in case of a fire.The window drives are connected to a GEZE MBZ 300 SHEV control panel for smoke and heat extraction drives, which is integrated into the building management system of the terminal. This makes it possible to easily control and monitor the complex natural ventilation system.Ventilation, smoke and heat extraction, and emergency exit protectionThe windows in the staircases are also equipped with Slimchain chain drives. If needed, the window systems also allow for natural smoke and heat extraction: In case of smoke and heat, the smoke extraction solutions open the windows and control fresh air openings, so that lifesaving escape routes remain smoke-free and safe to use in case of an emergency. In addition, GEZE OL Line manual fanlight openers provide supplementary natural ventilation.Door systems for accessible fire protection doorsBeneath the glazed western elevation are two automatic swing doors to either side. These are powered by GEZE Slimdrive EMD-F door systems, just like another door on the side façade of the building. The electro-mechanical swing door drives for single leaf fire and smoke protection doors are extremely versatile: They provide power assisted opening and can be initiated using the operating button with constant opening and closing speed. Integrated obstacle detection also identifies potential obstacles and stops the opening or closing process if needed. By doing so, Slimdrive EMD-F drives also ensure easy and safe access for people with mobility issues.Understated design and high access convenienceFrom the main entrance, a glazed corridor leads to a bi-parting sliding door powered by a GEZE Slimdrive SL NTsliding door system, which leads into the foyer of the main reception area. The Slimdrive door drive fulfils two key stipulations here at once: It is suitable for interior and exterior doors with high levels of footfall, and ideally suited for glass façades with high design standards – such as the Brodick ferry terminal – due to its low operator height of just 7 cm.

With passenger growth at a five-year high, Heathrow Airport looked for new ways to make it easier and quicker for passengers to travel through the airport and board aircrafts quicker. dormakaba supplied and installed self-boarding gates, integrated with Heathrow’s Biometric system, as the ideal solution. Simon Wilcox, Heathrow Passenger Automation Programme Lead, recognised the growing number of passengers it handled every year and wanted an innovative way to make it easier and quicker for them to travel through the airport – without having to compromise on security. As such, the automation programme required implementing biometric gates that would bring facial recognition to each point of the departing passenger’s journey. The new technology would use facial recognition at check-in, bag drops, security lanes and boarding gates to create a seamless experience for passengers walking through the airport. When looking for the initial self-boarding gates, the team at London Heathrow Airport contacted dormakaba. After reviewing the requirements for the airport, dormakaba recommended and supplied its HSB-M03 Self Boarding Gates and PaxCheck Self Boarding Solution. dormakaba also provided its project management services, and the airport has taken out an on-going service contract for third and fourth line support. Andy Carter, Contracting Business Sales and Operations Director at dormakaba UK said “As part of their passenger journey, Heathrow required a bespoke and technically capable system to allow them to cope with the increasing passenger numbers whilst also providing a seamless passenger experience”. “The final project looks to have over 400 gates installed across the whole airport. Each one has dormakaba software on the gates, incorporating Heathrow’s biometric data, as well as a connection to the management server.” This challenge of complex integration was overcome by the close collaboration between dormakaba engineers and the project team with London Heathrow Airport’s team, and suppliers for third party products and systems. Currently, Terminals 2A, 2B and 5A have been completed, with Terminal’s 3, 4, 5B and 5C scheduled for completion by end 2020. Completed terminals now benefit from a market-leading, self-boarding solution that adheres to all the latest relevant security and build standards as well as third and fourth line support from dormakaba. Across these completed terminals, passengers present their boarding pass to a reader on the gate, which then scans and checks the pass with the airline’s Departure Control System (DCS) and either opens or remains closed depending on the response. For passengers departing on domestic flights, the gate also uses facial recognition technology to verify that the passenger boarding the aircraft either entered the airport through the front door or has been through a UK Border Force check since arriving on an international flight. Its installation being partnered with the airport’s chosen biometric provider Atkins, this system allows domestic passengers to mix with those transferring between international flights at Heathrow in the Common Departure Lounges, where they can enjoy all the benefits of the many dining and retail outlets, as well as the numerous lounges available. The self-boarding solution also includes a web-based administration programme, PaxCheck, that allows for management of the gates and sends reports of passengers and when they passed through – allowing for faster boarding, and fewer staff. This also means airport and airline management can have live stats on the numbers of passengers passing through the gates in any given period

This new Multi-Brand Dealership is comprised of three showrooms for the three prestige automotive brands, Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin and McLaren and has been built in Hatfield Business Park, Shropshire by the award winning MCS Group. Each of the showrooms have been designed to allow freedom to explore the range of vehicles in a contemporary environment that is both luxurious and inviting. The Aston Martin and McLaren showrooms are also the first in the UK to showcase the newest corporate identities for the brands.The Jaguar Land Rover £15 million showroom is both light and spacious. It provides 18 vehicle display spaces and dedicated vehicle handover suites. There is also a drive-in service area, valet and preparation area. The Lusso 25 single glazed frameless glazed partition system was installed to create office spaces which allows uninterrupted visibility to the showroom. McLaren has a history of exceptional design and engineering, so it is not surprising that the design for the showroom includes a feature curved glazed partitioning system with curved glass sliding doors. Lusso rose to this challenge and bravely executed the complex design requirements. With this statement partitioning, the showroom becomes a be-fitting space for the stunning range of McLaren supercars, providing the customer with an unforgettable shopping experience. As a prestigious brand, Aston Martin is well-known around the world for being a car manufacturer that produces vehicles that turn heads. Their stylish new showroom has been designed to provide a luxurious backdrop for their stunning supercars.The development of the facility has created a bespoke environment with a dedicated customer specification lounge, private handover area and aftersales facilities.With the use of Lusso Glazed Partitioning System, the bespoke showroom has been given a sleek look which was required for this brand.Image - 8

Guilden Village is brand new to Guildford, offering 533 high-quality bed spaces accompanied with 1030 sq. m of student amenity space including a fitness boutique, sky lounge, and an indoor mini golf course: all revolving around student mental well-being.The space was designed and created by Future Generation to create the perfect home away from home for students who want something more. The scheme which has a GDV exceeding £102 million will help to deliver on the much-needed increase in quality student accommodation that Guildford requires to meet demand.A mixture of AG products were supplied throughout the project entirety with 60mm and 80mm Plaza (Salt, Pepper, Birkes, and Kardemon) and TerraPave Rimini Ground Flagstones being utilised across the scheme. Additionally, our TerraPave step units and Buff Corduroy were also added to further compliment the scheme. The combination of Plaza colours and sizes provides the complex with a beautiful vibrant modern look with the addition of TerraPave’s durable granite finish.Aneed Mohammed, AG’s Technical Specification Consultant stated, “We thoroughly enjoyed working with the design and whole project team at Guilden Village to provide specification support throughout the stages to ensure all appropriate products were utilised across the PBSA scheme. A wide range of high-quality granite-topped products were utilised with the further adoption of granite step units to continue the granite theme throughout the project in order to give the scheme the high-end appearance they required. Another project once again with a great showcase of our high-quality paving products”.

Challenge Modern paving flags required for city centre roof terrace at flexible workspace Urban HQ situated in Eagle Star House offers state-of-the-art facilities including meeting rooms, event space, a member’s lounge and bar.  One of its most notable spaces is the rooftop terrace. The roof garden provides co-workers with a valuable communal area to foster company culture or escape from their desk. The terrace offers a flexible space to relax, socialise or entertain while taking in the views of Belfast city and beyond. The central design aspiration was to bring a New York or London feel to Belfast city. It was essential that the roof terrace hard landscaping aligned with the design ethos. SolutionContemporary Mayfair Flags installed on pedestals were the perfect choice  Tobermore’s Mayfair Flags with their granite aggregate contemporary finish were the perfect choice for Eagle Star House. A contrasting finish was created on the terrace in the colours Silver and Graphite. A simple yet effective stacked laying pattern was deployed which adds to the clean look of the contemporary roof terrace. The commercial space has more of a boutique hotel feel than a city centre office. The Mayfair paving flags were installed onto adjustable pedestals, creating a level surface throughout the terrace. The use of this installation system enables the laying of paving flags without the need for grout, sand or adhesive. It also creates a void beneath the paved surface allowing an easy and convenient route for exterior cables or other services. View our Roof Terrace Support for installation on pedestals for roof terraces, balconies and roof gardens.

Gripsure decking has been used to complete a landmark health building. The £41 million Health Innovation One is the new home of Lancaster University’s Medical School and Division of Health Research.The state-of-the-art building is also a regional hub, which brings together industry, research partners, health and care providers, the voluntary sector and local authorities. The focus is to help improve the health and well-being of the area.With such a variety of uses and needs, it was important to get Health Innovation One’s outside space just right.BAM Construction Ltd, the firm behind the project, came to Gripsure because they wanted a safe, non-slip decking area which blended with the style of the building and its natural surroundings. Gripsure Cumaru was the ideal choice. This hard-wearing, non-slip decking range comes with a 25+ year expected in-service life.Up to 3,500 linear metres of our Cumaru boards have been used outside Health Innovation One’s main entrance and for the flooring of an outdoor seating area.“The Cumaru product was offered as a value engineering option and offered a significant saving to the specified product as well as being a high-quality solution.” said Jonah Speaks, Assistant Project Surveyor at BAM Construction Ltd.As well as the quality and look of the product, Jonah said the construction team was impressed with Gripsure’s support and help at every stage.He said: “There was ongoing support from the technical team to propose the correct fixings and interfaces to ensure long term performance and robustness.”Work was completed last year on Health Innovation One, which features various meeting rooms and event spaces – including a dedicated Innovation Lab and Business Lounge and an on-site cafe.The building is part of the wider Health Innovation Campus at Lancaster University. The site will allow external organisations to work with university experts when addressing health challenges in Lancashire, the North West and across the country.Gripsure is proud to have contributed to such an important project.

Artform Urban and the Bailey Street Furniture Group continue their ongoing partnership with contractors Renaker who have, over recent years, single-handedly transformed the Manchester City Centre Skyline. Following their collaboration with furnishing the roof terraces at the now-iconic Deansgate Square and Crown Street buildings, Artform has provided an array of high-quality external furniture for the Canalside terrace at Castle Wharf.Castle Wharf is the epitome of boutique waterside living.Castle Wharf is a modern and contemporary development of 188 apartments and penthouses in the heart of the Castlefield Conservations in Manchester's city center.The Building is designed by OMI Architects and reflects the area’s industrial heritage. Inside features high-end amenities; a gymnasium, spa, and lounge spaces.The exterior terrace has been designed by TPM Landscape and features sandstone to mimic the sandstone outcrops that are visible in the Castlefield Basin. To coordinate with this distinct colour pallet and style, Artform has provided a package of complementary street furniture elements. Large aged oak beams mounted on steel frames, as well as inset into the sandstone planter walls, create a plethora of seating options for dining and socialising. Bar stools, benches, and tables - as seen at Deansgate Square and Crown Street have been selected here. The range combines a minimal aluminium frame and hardwood clad toppers to create durable, stylish and lightweight products that offer ease of manoeuvrability and longevity.Finally, the popular Spencer litter bin clad in premium quality hardwood timbers have been placed around the terrace as well as the entrance to the building. The Spencer litter bin is a versatile design available in a variety of materials sizes and shapes - here the quality timbers harmonise alongside the sandstone. The Spencer bin has been used on all 3 projects that Artform has completed to date with Renaker.Artform’s world-leading products combined with their knowledge and experience within this sector has resulted in a unique and inviting outdoor social space for residents and guests.

THE PROJECTSymons House is a unique student amenities project nestled within the Symons House student accommodation building in Leeds. London and Scottish Student Housing (LSSH) joined forces with award-winning interior design company, 74, to create something truly special.The interior design of Symons House reflects the architecture of the building, with an overarching 1930s theme including brushed brickwork and bronzed metal framework. Created with students firmly in mind, the full amenity space includes a study lounge, library, cinema, games room, communal kitchen, bathroom, gym, and private dining room.The brief for this project was to create a sophisticated, grown-up space which is a stylish change from the traditionally bright and primary-colour-saturated student buildings found elsewhere.THE MAILBOXESThe Symons House project features two banks of freestanding, standard steel H1 mailboxes in the spacious lobby of the building. One bank contains 120 mailboxes, 10 high x 12 wide, and the other bank contains 240 mailboxes which are also 10 high x 12 wide but are back-to-back. This bank acts as a focal point in the heart of the reception lobby area.The mailboxes are in front / out front horizontal products that are freestanding and rest on table supports. These supports ensure that the mailboxes do not need to be mounted or recessed into a wall.As always, we offer a range of options to ensure that the table supports meet the customer needs. They can be polyester powder coated to match the design of the mailboxes or can be clad to create a feature point.The table supports for Symons House were specifically designed to suit the sophisticated theme. The industrial, boxy, aluminium welded legs were powder coated to match the matt black cladding of the mailboxes, creating an overall sleek finish.Working with the stylish interior design theme, the mailboxes have bronze powder-coated doors in a high-end IGP finish which are encapsulated within the matt black body of the mailbox.

Reckitt’s unrivalled range provides health, hygiene and nutrition for people in 200 countries around the world, and at its offices in Slough, Berkshire Style worked with architects, Tetris Design & Build and contractor, BW Interiors, to create flexible space throughout the building.What made this installation particularly notable for Style was that it was the company’s 300th installation of a Skyfold – the market leading, fully automatic, vertically rising, acoustic moveable wall.Installing Skyfolds in both the main boardroom/meeting room and also in the lounge and shop/display area, the moveable walls offer incredible 59dB acoustic ratings and are housed, out of sight, in a ceiling cavity when not in use.“When we introduced Skyfold into the UK market 15 years ago, it was a completely new, ground-breaking moveable wall solution,” said Julian Sargent, Style’s group managing director.“At the push of a button it descends gracefully from a ceiling cavity, and once in place it offers superb room separation with top end acoustic integrity.“Initially it took time to raise the profile of Skyfold with architects, contractors and potential end-user clients, however once the benefits of this operable wall became recognised the numbers of specifications grew rapidly, as it is a truly outstanding form of room separation.”At Reckitt, the Skyfolds enable staff to very quickly divide the rooms, and when not in use they take up no floor space whatsoever and are completely out of sight.Finished in a stylish Kvadrat Steelcut Trio fabric, they also complement the interior design of the building creating a real showcase for anyone visiting the offices.In addition to the Skyfolds, Style was also specified to install a Dorma Huppe Variflex semi-automatic moveable wall in a ground floor studio, also with a 59dB acoustic rating and in an Egger laminate finish.Style is the UK market leader in moveable, partitioning and folding walls and the exclusive UK partner to Skyfold, Dorma Huppe and SWG.

3900m2 Optima TFC in PPC Aluminium and 1800sqm Optima FC in Axalta PPC Aluminium have been used in the completion of the 400+ room in Salfords student accommodation project. The Optima TFC system was proposed to create a ‘basket weave’ pattern to the façade including a mixture of both landscape and portrait lay orientation, visible in the project photos.The Optima FC included multi-depth panels to create a 3D effect along with secret fix assembled triangle segments to further emphasize the projection.When you stand back from the building, you can see the two separate towers seem to connect ‘through’ each other.The expert team at Sotech worked closely with Britplas Facades and their team of specialists to design the unique façade, ensuring it was both viable and achievable to the installation programme. As a team, we developed a method to secret fix the triangular sections onto standard panels at our fabrication facility, to reduce the quantity of parts the installer would have to handle.No additional testing was required for the project as Optima TFC and Optima FC have been extensively tested and are approved by CWCT and have been tested to BS8414-2 (compliant to BR135).Jamie Brown, Estimating Manager at Sotech said: “This is a truly unique, vibrant and striking building. It was a real pleasure to have been involved in this scheme from concept to completion working closely with our supply chain partner, Britplas Facades, to develop a solution that ticked all the boxes – cost, programme and exceptional quality.”Discovery Quays includes 404 student bedrooms over 10,325 sqft in two blocks. The finished building also provides a coffee shop, library, lounge, media wall, gaming area and a stunning double-story reception.To find out more about how the expert team at Sotech can assist in your next rainscreen cladding project, click here.

For the new office of one of the UK’s leading healthcare specialists, workplace interior design specialists, ID:SR – Sheppard Robson, specified the natural beauty of Forbo Flooring Systems’ Allura Flex Wood Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) to help ‘bring the outside in’.  Occupying the first and second floor of a new seven-storey Grade A office building in Leeds, the healthcare specialist has brought over 250 staff together into one co-located environment. Expertly designed by ID:SR, the 25,000 sq ft space comprises a variety of agile work and social settings to support a range of activities, a dedicated client reception, meeting suite and lounge.   “To support employee wellbeing, the office also engages with the principles of biophilic design, so we incorporated natural looking materials where possible to emphasise the connection between people and nature. The beautiful and realistic wood effect of Forbo’s Allura Flex Wood LVT supported this idea of bringing the outside in. Offering convincing, authentic visuals and excellent functional performance, we used the finish in prominent positions of the office as we felt the flooring supported the overall concept of the scheme.”  Allura Flex Wood in the Weathered Oak colourway was fitted in a herringbone pattern with bursts of Seaweed Solid Oak, Charcoal Solid Oak and Smoke Solid Oak in the main reception and staff breakout areas. Thanks to its tackified installation, the high quality, dimensionally stable Allura Flex tiles provides answers to key issues such as limiting valuable downtime, the re-use of floors and minimising environmental impact, perfect for busy office spaces.  What’s more, Surestep Material in Cool Concrete was specified in the kitchenette of the staff breakout area, where there is an increased risk of slip. The safety flooring combines outstanding slip resistant properties with differentiated design and through the use of Step Crystals, the natural colourway offers a clean, fresh look and improved cleaning and maintenance properties. The PUR Pearl finish ensures that it is stain and chemical resistant.