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Heated Lockers were the focus of Helmsman’s most recent project. We travelled up to South Kirby in Pontefract, Yorkshire to work alongside Triton Construction at the brand-new Innovation Hub at Production Park. Production Park is a unique support environment for the live events industry, uniting technology, creative spaces and education. Their newest venture is the brand-new Innovation Hub, with a large research studio with connected offices and teaching spaces. The new innovation hub features specialist equipment designed to support the live events industry as well as a business support programme focusing on assisting SMEs.In an area off the main entrance lobby, Helmsman installed a set of Wet Specification Heated Lockers. With a mix of 1, 2 and 4 compartments, these lockers are designed with a single or twin tube heater at the bottom of the locker, hidden within the locker stand, and perforations throughout to allow warm and/or damp air to circulate and escape the locker. Triton Construction requested a modern, heavy duty laminate finish for these heated lockers. The body of the lockers was manufactured from aluminium and powder coated in colour Ice, whilst we used Biocarbon’s Solid Grade Laminate in colour Elegant Grey for the locker doors, end panels and cladding. This laminate is a great choice as it is carbon neutral as well as being moisture resistant and easy to clean, perfect for a semi-public area such as this project. Our heated lockers can either come with a standard 3 pin power plug or can be available with a spur to wire into a fused switch. Triton construction requested a plug which was positioned on the end panel of the bank of lockers.We paired stainless steel numbers recessed into the doors with Lowe and Fletcher camlocks for a seamless finish to the lockers.  This option of lock is simple and cost effective, whilst also safe and secure.It was great to work with Triton Construction on this project and we look forward to hearing about the success of the Innovation Hub at Production Park in the future. If you have a similar project, or want to know more about our Heated Lockers, contact us today on 01284 530427.

Sort Trae is a new build Passivhaus set in a steeply sloping site in Thurgoland, Barnsley. The owner is a former architect and designed the scheme up to planning. HEM Architects were commissioned to turn the design intent into an ultra-low energy and comfortable home and to administer the contract on site. The house is a 2-bed home, with the lower storey set into the hill. There is an attached weaving studio where the owner works. The house takes advantage of the beautiful views to the south and is a bold, contemporary home clad in black timber and open jointed stone.The rooflights set on top of the studio are a key part of the roof, visible from the entrance to the site and the house. Their crisp design met the architects desire for an elegant and unfussy roofscape.FAKRO flat roof windows were chosen for their thermal performance and the performance of the integrated kerbs.Paul Testa, Director at HEM Architects told us, “We have always specified FAKRO on our projects where possible. They have always led the market in terms of thermal performance and there is excellent technical support”.The FAKRO windows used were: 2 x FAKRO DXF-DU6 02K flat roof window – 600 x 900mm unit size 1 x FAKRO DXF-DU6 11k flat roof window – 1200 x 2200mm unit size 1 x FAKRO DXF-DU8 04k flat roof window – 800 x 800mm unit size Paul added, “We enjoy working with FAKRO and find that the products are delivered to site very well packaged and are very easy to install. Working directly with the manufacturer rather than builders’ merchants also means the contractor has much better manufacturer support should they need it”.HEM Architects is a practice of 10 staff, based in Sheffield. They have a reputation for Passivhaus design and gaining planning on difficult sites.The practice is on a mission to help everyone live in beautiful, practical homes that have minimal impact on our planet. They specialise in creative, sustainable residential architecture. Taking inspiration from the mess and joy of everyday life, they design homes for living and that delight every day.

Paddington Square is a brand new working, shopping and dining quarter opening in 2023. The impressive transparent, glass building, also known as Paddington Cube, provides up to 50,000sqm of floor space with offices, retail units, a café, a bar and restaurants. The area underneath the building features the Bakerloo Line Underground Entrance and ticket hall.Following their work on a marketing suite at Paddington Square, Lucas Ltd were invited back to provide a full back of house painting and fit-out service across the basement, ground and first floor levels. Helmsman were delighted to assist them with the lockers in the project.The client requested laminate Z Lockers for two sets of changing rooms at Paddington Square. Between the male and female changing rooms we supplied and installed 268 Z Lockers, for 536 people. Z Lockers are a fantastic space optimising locker design, with a small footprint and maximised internal space. As one of the UK’s leading locker manufacturers, we specialise in bespoke locker design. The locker sizes requested were not our standard sizes, so a bespoke Z Locker design was created for the project at 1525 x 325 x 500mm.As the Z Lockers were for a changing room environment, a wet spec was needed. The body was manufactured from aluminium and stainless steel and powder coated in colour Ice, with the doors manufactured from solid grade laminate from Abet Laminati in colour Sand. Our laminate lockers provide a modern, heavy-duty finish, perfect for changing rooms where the lockers are to be used on a regular basis. The lockers were finished with a Lowe and Fletcher Hasp lock and black laminate number plates, an aesthetically pleasing pairing.As always, our installation team worked hard to provide the best finish to the project. We have enjoyed working alongside Lucas Ltd and look forward to seeing the Paddington Cube finished and open in 2023.If you have a project that needs Z lockers, or a bespoke locker design, get in touch today. Call on 01284 530427.

We have recently completed a 600m2 project in Westminster with installation by one of our main Approved Contractors, Ridgewell Flat Roofing.Specification – System UsedThis project called for extremely durable yet cost-effective waterproofing to be installed, which made the OptiTorch-Premium Bituminous Felt System the ideal choice. Having been used in the roofing industry for over 50 years, felt has been consistently developed and improved, and still remains one of the most popular systems available.OptiTorch-Premium bituminous felt is a high-performance waterproofing system that can be installed year-round, with excellent flexibility at temperatures as low as -25oC. This system provides long lasting resistance against UV rays and even contains special additives to protect against root growth.There was also a lot of detailing work and some gutter repairs required, so OptiFlex-Rapid PMMA Liquid was used for these parts of the project to ensure a completely watertight and visually appealing result.OptiFlex-Rapid is a quick-curing PMMA liquid waterproofing system with a typical curing time of just 20 minutes! It is cold-applied and is reinforced with 150gsm matting for extra resilience. OptiFlex-Rapid can be applied year-round and is a great choice for detailing and repair work as it can be applied directly onto most surfaces without the need for primer, which can often save time and money!The ProjectThis project was a 600m2 warm roof design with a standard build-up including 120mm tissue-faced PIR insulation, and also consisting of: OSA5 Primer, Vapour Control Layer, Insulation Adhesive, Insulation, Premium Self-Adhesive Underlay and Techno58 SBS Capsheet.Ben Ridgewell, owner of Ridgewell Flat Roofing, took on the project with Grant Jones (Co-Director) and his team, and completed the installation to their consistently high standards with an impeccable finish.The ResultsThe overall completed look of this project is very tidy and aesthetically pleasing – thanks to Ben and his team for a great installation, including an OptiTec warranty of 20 years to ensure peace of mind for the building owner for years to come.

The Pride development is a £60 million investment which includes a new 122 bed hospital being built on the former Ryhope Hospital site in Sunderland. Laing O’Rourke, the main contractors of this project, specified Polyroof waterproofing systems for the flat roof areas.Barclay Roofing Ltd carried out the works, having previously worked with Laing O’Rourke on the 2013 Roofing Award Winning Durham Gateway Project.The SolutionThe roofs were of a complex nature and involved many details such as vents, level changes, handrail abutments, plant supports, protrusions, stanchion blocks, and parapet walls. It was essential that these details could be waterproofed in the most effective and rapid way possible. Protec, being liquid-applied, was dressed onto the upstands of the details without the need for lengthy and complicated ‘patching’ work, creating a totally seamless interface between the details and the flat roof membrane.The client required designated, permanent walkways for maintenance purposes. Quartz Sand & Polyfinish was used to create a durable and hard-wearing anti-slip finish, without the need for costly ancillary walkway systems. The system is capable of withstanding heavy foot traffic and is impact resistant meaning the client had peace of mind that the walkways can be used without the risk of damaging the waterproofing integrity. Some of the roof areas are to be covered with a green roof system. The waterproofing membrane that was used therefore had to be highly durable, lightweight, fully root resistant and maintenance-free. The Protec System meets all the criteria for use with green roofs and was specified as the ideal solution for the green roof areas.It was essential that health & safety and hazard risks were kept to an absolute minimum during works. Being cold applied and low in VOC content, Protec was able to satisfy the stringent requirements of this aspect of the project.Due to the size of the roof areas, structural expansion and contraction movements had to be considered. Ideally the client wanted a waterproofing system that could accommodate these movements without the need for any additional and potentially costly modifications such as expansion joints. Protec is specially formulated to be highly flexible whilst also maintain its durability and hard-wearing properties.

THE PROJECT: Recticel supplied the high-performance thermal solution to transform a 100-year-old property in Moseley, Birmingham. Divided into nine apartments, in which two were refurbished to create one, two-storey home, the project caught the attention of the producers of Channel Four's Old House to New Home. Connecting a ground floor property to a flat above led to the creation of a modern and stylish home trimmed with decorative reminders of its structural origins.THE SOLUTION: Eurothane® GP, a high-performance rigid PIR foam board, was selected for the new home's pitched roof, framed wall and floor. Eurothane PL, Recticel's insulation and plasterboard solution was fitted to the property's existing, cavity-less, nine-inch exterior brick walls. The well-sized board ensures minimal thermal bridging during construction.Coupled with Eurothane® GP's 0.022W/mK low thermal conductivity, these products were crucial to attaining a good U-value rating. In total, 130m2 of Eurothane® GP and Eurothane® PL panels were installed.The homeowner, Paul explained:"As we were carrying-out most of the building work ourselves we wanted the best possible insulation for the project. Research revealed Recticel's solutions fitted the bill. Excellent thermal performance and simple to-fit, they were a far superior alternative to other insulants we considered. The panels have done so much to create a welcoming and comfortable interior environment."Used products:Eurothane® GP:Eurothane® GP is a high performance PIR insulation board that is light weight, easy to cut, handle and install. Whether it’s a pitched roof, framed wall or floor, Eurothane® GP is the ideal solution amongst contractors and installers.Eurothane® PL:Suitable for mechanical fixing or dot and dab fixing, this insulated board is consistently sized with extremely tight tolerances, ensuring thermal bridging is minimised. Factory bonded, the plasterboard provides optimum board dimensions and optimum adhesion between layers.

Cedral Lap fibre cement cladding has been specified as the building material of choice by luxury developer Cedarmill Developments, adding real kerb appeal to its latest residential project in Hornchurch, Essex.Over 450sq.m of Cedral Lap in colour Pewter has been installed across a selection of three storey family homes, creating a contemporary visual appeal that perfectly encompasses the developer’s commitment to providing the highest standard in premium housing.Cedarmill Developments is dedicated to constructing residential and commercial properties across the UK’s Southern regions, offering clients first class functionality and style. The latest site in Havering consists of a combination of luxury detached houses, which will be completed in autumn 2019.Seamus Tattan, Senior Contracts Manager at Cedarmill Developments, said: “This is the first time we have specified Cedral Lap fibre cement cladding and we are already looking to utilise the material on a further two upcoming residential developments as we are so impressed with it.“Initially, we were looking for an exterior solution that offered the highest standards in aesthetics and fire performance, whilst offering the greatest value for money. Cedral surpassed these requirements, enabling us to create a resilient and stylish exterior that we are confident will offer the same impressive kerb appeal in years to come.”The properties’ ground floor is constructed of brick, with Cedral Lap clad across the first and second floors. This creates a contemporary New England style aesthetic that works in perfect harmony with the sleek black windows and doors.Seamus continued: “I cannot fault the Cedral team for their expertise and guidance, from the initial specification process, right through to final installation of the product. We look forward to working with Cedral on our upcoming developments as we continue to create beautiful homes.”Cedral Lap fibre cement cladding is a low maintenance alternative to traditional cladding materials, offering a minimum life expectancy of 50 years. Resistant to rot, attack from insects and the external elements, the easy to install solution is available in a wide range of shades and finishes and has a Class A fire performance rating.

The XR Lab in the STEM Hangar at West Suffolk College is the most advanced augmented reality centre in the UK, predicted to lead the future of digital education.Windsor Patania Architects has created within an existing hangar a 700m2 structure that inspires and challenges from the moment students see it. Central to that impact has been the use of Arnourcoat’s SMG high gloss polished plaster on all exterior facades- including a dramatic three-dimensional geometric feature wall.The £2m design & build project, intended to re-shape vocational training in digital sciences as part of the College’s science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) specialist campus, was completed in just seven months. This was despite featuring numerous bespoke elements, and complex components- of which the feature wall was a significant part, with its combination of planes and angles.Architect Giovanni Patania originally intended the wall to be finished with metal- stainless steel, aluminium or zinc but it proved impossible to create to the standard required within the budget. Armourcoat’s superior luxurious SMG polished plaster delivered a practical, viable alternative, that met all Regulatory requirements for indoor air quality, zero VOC, low embodied carbon, fire resistance an thermal movement.SMG, with its rich, high gloss “lacquer” effect, could be accurately applied to create a seamless finish across the diverse facets of the entire XR Lab structure, building up the layers over the timber and plasterboard framework. In Armourcoat’s own dark grey colour palette, it reflects light to create a dark, reflective finish reminiscent of 2011: A Space Odyssey’s Monolith.The brief was to achieve something that was unprecedented and unique, that inspired future generations but made students feel it was a piece of alien architecture. I don’t think anyone expected the end result to be so impressive.“Armourcoat was superb in its level of support, from samples to being on site to give technical guidance on the plaster’s application. SMG is instrumental in achieving an opulent, reflective, futuristic exterior that inspires students to interact with and participate in the XR Lab experience."Giovanni Patania, Windsor Patania Architects

Artform Urban Furniture was appointed by Sager House (Almeida) to provide seating and cycle parking to a mixed-use community space in Islington, North London.Hidden behind an Edwardian façade of a former postal sorting office, Islington Square has been over a decade and a half in the making after the plot was initially bought in 2003 by Developers Cain International. After years of careful planning and construction, the site is now complete and comprises of independent retail units, restaurants, galleries, event spaces, a cinema, and 263 new flats.The intention of the project was to bring variety back to the high street and as well as the boutique shops, unique retailers and events spaces this consideration was echoed in the choice of street furniture. A selection of our stone seating and planter elements have been supplied to the site that feature distinctive designs to stand out. The Up Bench is a sculptural and modular bench, manufactured from a binding compound of granite that has been bush hammered and treated against deterioration. Inslington Square features combined runs of Up benches that create snaking blocks of social seating.The Arrowhead range of benches and planters are dotted around the space bringing natural colour as well as further social seating opportunities. These curvaceous monolith-shaped units offer a low-maintenance and resilient alternative to traditional street furniture. Their weight and mass also allow their placement to be considered in terms of building pedestrian protection from vehicles.Finally, considerations for cycling visitors and residents have been met with a selection of our premium cycle stands. The Ride Cycle Stand features concealed connections and discreet leveling glides to make the stand appear balanced in air. The cast aluminium flat ribbon frame marks it as a member of the Metro40 family of street furniture. 25 Units were supplied which provide great bicycle support with the capability for attachment at two points and holds two bicycles creating parking space for up to 50 bikes. Islington Square is an inclusive, pedestrian-friendly hub that sits at the heart of the surrounding community and brings something different to both residents and visitors.

The challengeThe school had conventional hand dryers in place that were about 15 years old. They had a slow dry time of around 30 seconds and a rated power of 2300 kW, which isn’t very energy efficient for a hand dryer. They wanted something more cost effective, as they were renting the machines and it was costing them a lot of money year on year. “They are really good, compact, quiet, easy to keep clean and most of all reliable. The children seem to like the fact there is no button to push” Graeme Davie - Premises ManagerAbout South Farnborough Junior SchoolThis is a non-denominational Junior School catering for boys and girls from seven to eleven years of age, situated in Farnborough, Hampshire.It caters for approx. 400 pupils and has a Resourced Provision for Learning Difficulties that provides provision for 20 children.The solutionProviding a great balance between low noise levels, energy efficiency and quick dry times, this highly robust hand dryer has a motor expectancy that exceeds all others on the market Model: Dryflow Classic PLUS MKIIDry time range: 15-20 secondsRated power: 1400WGuarantee length: 7 yearsThe resultsEstimated annual cost to use old hand dryers: £644*Estimated annual cost to use new hand dryers: £235.20*Annual cost savings: £408.80*Estimated annual old hand dryer carbon production: 2898+ Kg/CO2Estimated annual new hand dryer carbon production: 1058.40+ Kg/CO2Annual carbon savings: 1839.60 Kg/CO2Estimated return on investment period:Payback period: approx. 2.4 yearsEstimated annual savings using new high-speed hand dryers compared to if paper towels were used**: Cost Savings: £4,804.80Carbon Savings: 5,241.60kg/CO2Trees Saved: 33.6* Based on 12p per kW/h; + Based on 1kW = 0.54 kg/CO2; **Based on 3 paper towels used per dry, 0.6p per paper towel, 22.5gms/CO2 per dry)