"mineral fibre glass fibre slabs solid surface"

Hatfield Place, a luxury country house wedding venue, chose Junckers solid wood flooring fitted with Leveldek underfloor heating system for its newly developed building. The new foyer, ceremony hall and wedding breakfast room overlook the original walled garden, with views of the beautiful parkland to the rear. The redeveloped building is bright and airy with large feature windows and high ceilings. In the foyer, a spacious room with seating for up to 300 guests, Junckers 22mm Oak Variation flooring provides a warm and lively backdrop, adding character with its subtle colour variations and natural grain patterns. In contrast, the ceremony hall and wedding breakfast room were fitted with Junckers’ Oak Harmony plank flooring, a wide board floorboard which gives a more uniform impression required for the formal spaces. Both floor types were pre-finished in Junckers’ popular Ultramatt lacquer, a strong and durable finish with no surface sheen. Delivered pre-finished, the floors are ready to walk on as soon as they have been installed and will withstand years of dancing and dining with the correct maintenance. The floors in all three rooms were installed over Leveldek, Junckers’ fully integrated underfloor heating and levelling system. Working in partnership with Jupiter Heating Systems, the Leveldek system was developed to simplify the specification process to offer a versatile levelling system, underfloor heating and solid hardwood floor from a single point of supply. Underfloor heating is the most efficient way of heating a large, open area. Specifying Leveldek offered Hatfield Place an all-in-one solution whereas traditionally, installation of the heating system, levelling system and the floor itself would have to be separately sourced. The system is efficient and cost effective to run, ideal for use in a large space. For energy efficiency and fast acting warm-up time, the heating pipes are installed directly beneath the floorboards and the panels are insulated and reinforced for outstanding heat output. The system can be used on an uneven substrate as varying heights can be achieved with the stacking cradles. For more than 30 years, Junckers’ wooden floors have been recognised as the only type of solid hardwood flooring on the market stable enough to be guaranteed for use over underfloor heating. Junckers offers a full guarantee for the system, which is recommended for residential and commercial buildings as well as sports and dance. The flooring contractor was PICA Floorings. 

The challengeThree types of mineral ceiling tiles feature at the Jenny’s Well care home for older people with sight loss. It is operated by the Royal Blind charity, which shares sister charity Scottish War Blinded’s new Hawkhead Centre for visually impaired veterans.The Jenny’s Well care home designed by the Unum Partnership features Zentia’s tiles in the main entrance, reception and manager’s offices, all the corridors, back of house staff areas, kitchens and toilets.The solutionThese include 1,000 m² of Zentia’s Perla Tegular and 250m² of Prestige dB tiles, as well as 350 m² of Aruba Max, all mineral with Tegular edges installed on a Zentia Prelude 24mm XL2 grid system.In addition, it features ISO clean room rated Hygiene tiles to the main kitchen and humidity-resistant Hydrabloc tiles to laundry areas and WC, both square-edged 600 x 600 mm in a Prelude 24mm Corrosive Resistant grid. The use of a 200 mm high Axiom profile also provided a solution for ceiling level changes with a pre-finished bespoke upstand.The Zentia systems were supplied by CCF in Glasgow and installed for main contractor CCG (Scotland) Ltd by specialist sub-contractor Brian Hendry Interiors, a member of Zentia’s Pinnacle Partner network of sustainably-certified installers, whose squad of specialist fixers completed over a six-month programme.Unum found the site for the client, The Royal Blind, to not only accommodate proposals for the bespoke care home but also a drop-in centre for the Scottish War Blinded. The care home is designed to provide an exceptional caring environment designed to the exacting requirements of the visually impaired. The design has been developed to create domestic-scale pavilions centred around a sensory courtyard, creating a community hub, with the aim of providing a secure environment that promotes care and social interaction and encourages self-confidence and independence among its residents.

LAMILUX designed and installed a shallow pitched glass roof for the central courtyard atrium of the student accommodation halls. The 60 equal glass panels formed the 7m X 29m rooflight featuring a sound reduction index of 38dB with double layered heat protection glass. Why LAMILUX were chosen ? LAMILUX could install with a surface inclination of just 3° ? The architect wanted to achieve a class 2 roof for safety of maintenance personnel whilst maintaining a low pitch

HMP Five Wells, Millers Park, Wellingborough HMP Wellingborough is Britain’s biggest prison holding 1,680 inmates. A flagship, mega, category C jail, aimed to rehabilitate offenders with rooms flooded by natural light and barless windows. There are dedicated classrooms and workshops for ‘high quality academic and vocational learning’.The new seven staggered cross-shaped buildings ensure that corridors are broken up into smaller zones, which enables staff to have more direct contact with inmates. They have been designed in this way to offer better use of outside space for sports and gardening facilities.The aim of the programme was to modernise the prison estate to build a more efficient, safer and focused supporting rehabilitation for inmates.KEIM paints were specified for the project due to it being recommended and applied at HMP Wrexham previously.Dave Smith, Senior Sales Executive of KEIM Mineral Paints, was on hand to help during the entire decoration of the prison. Discussions were carried out with the contractor regarding VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), BREEAM and algae and fungal resistance.In order to maintain a consistent colour, KEIM recommended that the precast concrete was painted. This provided both a cost effective solution for colouring the concrete as well as ensuring consistency of finish.A training session was held by Dave & Nicola Young, Senior Colourist of KEIM, for the sub contractor to show them the application of the paint.KEIM Concrete Cleaner and KEIM Soldalit-ME were specified to clean and decorate the concrete exterior of the housing, administration block, and the medical wing. KEIM Soldalit-ME has particular environmental benefits as it helps to degrade nitrogen oxide pollutants from the atmosphere, offering durable protection for years if not decades to come.

This Grade II listed farmhouse in Monmouthshire has recently been redecorated using the KEIM Granital system. The 16th – 18th century limewashed lime rendered property needed a freshen up. The limewash was delaminating and powdery, lower sections on the northern elevation were damp with black mould, green growth moss and algae were prevalent on all elevations, as well as hairline cracks within the render.   It was specified that all elevations should be cleaned free of excessive mould and green-growth and powdery residue from the limewash. KEIM Algicid-Plus to be applied and left to dry on the surface before coating. The lower exposed render on the front elevation was suffering from splash back off the paving stone, it was recommended that an application of KEIM Silan Primer was applied on the first 0.5m of this elevation, to allow improved water repellence. The KEIM Granital system was then used to obliterate hairline cracks and provide a breathable coating.  

Q-railing was asked by Bond Bryan Architects to provide specifications for a glass balustrade that would surround the escalator void on all 3 floors. The Q-railing architectural team was involved very early in the design process and could therefore provide tailored advice on which type of balustrade and fixing to use. The Easy Glass Slim glass balustrade contributes to the state-of-the-art appearance of the new building. This flagship showroom now is a natural fit with what VW wants to reflect: continuing growth and success.

We were privileged to be contracted by Keltbray to install 350 riser floors at The Broadway, an exclusive new development at St James’s Park.The Broadway is a vibrant new living quarter located in the heart of Westminster. Described as the epitome of British innovative design and contemporary cool, six impressive towers are home to 258 exquisite apartments with five-star facilities. While the outside is steeped in iconic architecture and a revival of Art Deco design, behind the scenes, architects specified the very latest in building techniques and safety protocols, with Step on Safety’s GRP RiserDeck™ System at the very core of each building.Providing a modern, high-spec alternative to traditional galvanised steel and ply board service riser duct flooring, RiserDeck™ comprises of GRP Open Mesh Grating supported by composite Channel, Angle and I Beam sections to provide additional panel support. Manufactured from durable fibre-reinforced polymers and available with either a closed or open mesh surface, both of which facilitate multi-directional spanning, the inherent strength of these panels is provided by alternating, bi-directional layers of glass fibre woven rovings, which distribute the imposed load throughout the panel surface. The glass fibres are impregnated with polyester resin binding agent, which also provides the necessary corrosion resistance. A silicon carbide grit is applied to the top surface to provide an effective anti-slip finish to this GRP Riser Flooring.The resulting system requires no hot works to cut and fit onsite and is light enough for manual handling – no heavy lifting equipment is needed to manoeuvre into place.The project took ten months, with timings of each riser critical to ensure the smooth running of the project with no delays to other contractors; this had to be achieved while navigating the COVID-19 restrictions that came into play throughout. Three teams of three installers were onsite for the duration, making it one of our largest projects to date.To find out more about how Step on Safety can support your next project, call us on 01206 396 446 or email us at sales@steponsafety.co.uk.

Headland House in Dale, Haverfordwest is a detached barn conversion. We advised to remove all existing coatings using the DOFF & TORK system. The smooth render had evidence of red algae on some of the surfaces, we therefore recommended for these areas to be treated using a bleach solution prior to decoration of KEIM. A three-coat application of the KEIM Royalan system was applied due to the coastal location of this property, to give a long lasting, high performance coating.

Riverside Campus at City of Glasgow College has won a multitude of architectural awards for its outstanding design. Home to the world-leading Maritime College, the building features a grand atrium where Junckers 22mm Oak Harmony finished in Ultramatt lacquer was specified for the expansive staircase and walkway. Designed in a joint venture between Reiach and Hall Architects and Michael Laird Architects, the building is BREEAM ‘Excellent’ with many innovative on-site energy generation measures. Junckers solid hardwood flooring is made from renewable, sustainable forests and the entire manufacturing process is powered by Junckers’ own on-site power plant, which uses the residual wood of the forested timber. The Oak Harmony floor adds natural warmth to the large, open space and provides a hard-wearing surface for a busy college environment.

Meadow House is a 17 storey, block of flats situated in Coventry. The residential apartment block was built in 1967 and is the second tower block, in Coventry, to be painted using KEIM for its fire-resistant certifications.Similarly to Falkener House, located near Coventry cite centre, this project required a fire-resistant coating and must classify to A2-s1,d0, to meet current building regulations.The applicator, Elhance Limited, who are Leicester based, contacted KEIM to provide a fire-resistant paint. The painted concrete balcony surrounds, and painted brickwork were in relatively good condition. There was general dirt from the urban environment as well as moss and green growth on the surface which required cleaning before any decoration was to take place.KEIM Soldalit-ME was specified due to its A2-s1,d0 fire classification. It is a durable exterior paint that has the added benefit of breaking down organic material and contaminants, which will keep the surfaces cleaners for longer.The facades will not require decoration for another 10-15 years, if not more.A final tower block, also situated in Coventry, has been commissioned to be painted using KEIM Soldalit-ME again due to its fire resistant and durable benefits.

Bespoke finishing joiner Josh Williams was all too familiar with the impact of noise when he embarked on his first build. When he took up his next build project he considered how to create a quiet, comfortable home from the start.For his home he chose to fit ROCKWOOL Sound Insulation Slab, due to its stone wool composition that gives a non-directional fibre orientation and high density. ROCKWOOL Sound Insulation Slab traps sound waves and dampens vibrations, making it ideal for busy homes and spaces such as gaming and music rooms.

750m2 Junckers solid hardwood flooring has been installed throughout the redeveloped The Higgins Bedford. The £5.8M project, funded in part by Bedford Borough Council and the Heritage Lottery fund, joined together three previously separate buildings into a new, fully renovated facility, which apart from the existing art gallery and museum includes space for temporary exhibitions, space for learning and activities, a café and a shop. Junckers wide board Oak Harmony floor serves as a unifying element to the interior and acts as an elegant backdrop to the collections and exhibits. Solid oak is easy to maintain and very hard-wearing, even in a high traffic area open to the public. Installed by Junckers’ Approved Contractor PICA Flooring, the floor at The Higgins is guaranteed for 25 years. 

The head office of PRS for Music has recently been relocated to the impressive Hay’s Galleria development, London Bridge, putting them firmly at the epicentre of the UK’s vibrant cultural sector. Delivering a dynamic interior, partitioning experts at Style worked with Space Invader architects and contractors, 21 Construction, to create a variety of flexible meeting rooms using a combination of glass and solid Dorma Hüppe moveable wall systems.Style is the only moveable wall specialists able to include fully glazed pass-doors into glass operable walls, as opposed to solid doors, giving the PRS for Music’s offices a light and spacious aesthetic throughout. PRS for Music protect the value of music by licensing music usage and collecting royalties globally for its members. The new ultramodern headquarters and collaboration “hub” provides an inspiring facility in which teams can connect and work together. Style’s adaptable space solution gives staff and visitors highly flexible meeting areas that can be easily opened-up or divided to create smaller rooms, all in a matter of minutes.A Dorma Hüppe Variflex glass moveable wall was installed in an L-shaped configuration in one of the meeting areas. Featuring semi-automatic operation for ease of use, the operable wall also boasts 52dB acoustic integrity for complete privacy and a unique, fully glazed pass door, helping maintain natural light and a sense of space.In a separate meeting area, two solid Dorma Hüppe Variflex moveable walls were installed, each with 59dB acoustics and a contemporary Kvadrat fabric wrap finish.“The arrangement of glass and solid moveable walls works really well at PRS Music,” said Michael Porter, sales director at Style South.“Glass is growing hugely in popularity as it offers an open plan feel, with lots of light, whilst still providing the required level of privacy.“We’re also incredibly proud at Style of our glass pass doors, as it is an entirely exclusive feature in the moveable walls sector. Customers really appreciate the seamless finish to the interior décor we can deliver.”

Hall 90 B is Volkswagen’s new centrepiece facility for the development of electromobility. The building brings a new dimension to Volkswagen’s e-campus. Q-railing’s easy to install Easy Glass Slim glass balustrade system provided the architects with an affordable and slender solution that contributes to the open feel of the interior design. Around 800 metres of glass railing, topped with a high-grade stainless steel cap rail, were installed on the building’s galleries and bridges.

The Rowe is a new architecturally designed office space in Whitechapel London, where tradition meets innovation. With outside space on every level, the building sets a sustainable benchmark for new office space in central London. The new elements mimics the horizontal banding of the 1960s concrete building as well as contrasting with a steel structure and dark metal palette.The architects, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, had used KEIM previously. They contacted KEIM as they wanted a sustainable product in keeping with their core values. Samples were carried out, as shown in the photo below, to determine the most suitable colour.First off, KEIM Concrete Repair Mortar (KEIM Concretal-MR 2.0) was used for large repairs within the concrete. KEIM Fine Finishing Mortar (KEIM Concretal-FSP 0.2) was then used for levelling repairs as it is a much finer aggregate mix.KEIM Soldalit CL018, a light grey colour, was chosen to compliment the steel structure and due to its characteristics, was applied onto the previously painted surface without the need for a primer. It is fire resistant – A2-s1, d0 classified and Cradle to Cradle certified.The Rowe has been shortlisted for an AJ Retrofit Award 2023 in the Workspace (£10m and over) category. It was also awarded BREEAM ‘Excellent’, WELL ‘Platinum’ and received SmartScore certification.

DCM Surfaces installs synthetic surfacing at Butlins new pool complex in Bognor Regis.The project, which took two years to complete, accommodates almost 1,000 guests and has unique seaside and fairground-themed rides, a wave pool and a special area for toddlers.Kier was the successful bidder for the contract. Following a rigorous selection process based on quality, cost and Health and Safety, selected DCM Surfaces to install synthetic surfacing for three main areas around the complex.DCM Surfaces was in a unique position to deliver all elements of synthetic surfacing, which included the installation of an Artificial Grass safety surface, Resin Bound Gravel pathway, and Rubber Mulch, which was used to fill several tree pits. A core requirement of the installation was that each surface would be permeable, allowing water to drain through and ensure that it could be used all year round.A Rubber Shockpad was installed beneath the Artificial Grass to give children a soft, impact-absorbing layer to run and play with.The installation, completed on March 19, covered an area of over 1000 sqm.

DCM Surfaces were delighted to work on the project to install over 3000m2 of Rubber-Gravel Mix along Huddersfield Canal Path.Rubber-Gravel Mix is the ideal surface for sporting arenas, footpaths, canal paths, tree pits, cemetery paths or as a macadam replacement in hard to reach locations such as roof tops.Porous and slip resistant, Rubber-Gravel Mix is suitable for wheelchair users, and allows for sustainable drainage in cities, towns and countryside.

LKAB Minerals is pleased to supply Gypsol on one of Vistry Partnerships' most challenging projects in London.Brunel Street Works is one of the largest regeneration sites in London, Canning Town, E16. This exciting new urban development is helping support and attract new homeowners and revitalise a disused site in Canning Town. The site is close to major rail links, a short walk to Canary Wharf and to London City Airport. In addition to the strong transport links, the apartments offer stunning views of the city landscape, including the O2  Arena. The development project in total consists of 996 apartments and a Premier Inn Hotel over 5 Blocks.

Skolegade, a street in the Danish city Aarhus, is known for its interesting restaurants, pubs and characterful timber-framed homes. A brand new three storey apartment building was added to the street. The spacious apartments each have access to an ample balcony surrounded by an Easy Glass Slim full glass balustrade. These balustrades allow maximum visibility of the building’s facade, with its striking steel structures. Easy Glass Slim was installed without making any special adjustments to the existing design. The back of the building features Q-railing Juliet balconies.

This property in a picturesque town in Cornwall, was in need of some TLC. The exterior walls are exposed to the seaside climes, making it perfect as the first project in the UK to use KEIM Twinstar, 2in1 masonry exterior paint.Prior to re-decoration, it was recommended that the painted stone gable walls were stripped back to enable the property to breathe, which reduces the paint from blistering and flaking due to moisture being trapped within the substate. KEIM Twinstar, in colour 9354, was applied by KEIM lover, Ry Spencely of Airborn Painting & Decorating.  KEIM Twinstar is the latest exterior and masonry paint solution, designed to ‘buy you time’ with its 2in1 system where paint is applied wet on wet. There’s no drying time between coats, which reduces waiting, labour and time. It allows a two-coat paint in one work step.Simply mix and apply the paint undiluted, straight from the bucket to ‘saturate’ the surface, then apply more of the same paint working into the existing wet paint layer.The decorator commented, “Another top quality product from KEIM. Application was very nice, it’s a thick chunky product as you’d expect and it covered a dream. The finished look was that signature luxurious KEIM super matt finish, all the while it’s letting the building breathe. Winner!”Ry Spencely of Airborn Painting & DecoratingKEIM Twinstar is the latest product development, designed specifically to speed up application and project time, whilst offering the full suite of sustainability credentials associated with KEIM.

Fibre cement profiled sheeting from Eternit has been used as part of a £20 million project to refurbish and extend facilities at the heart of Cornwall’s 260-year-old china clay manufacturing industry.Some 5,000m2 of natural grey Profile 6 sheeting was installed on the roof and elevations, and 2,000m2 painted white as an internal roof lining to a new 30x85-metre steel-framed clay drying tube press in Bugle during a 12-month project for Imerys Minerals, the world’s largest china clay producer.

Combining various types of moveable wall within the same building is fast becoming the latest trend for architects aiming to create the ultimate flexible space solution. One recent example is the London offices of Anglo American, a leading global mining company, where partitioning experts Style installed a complex arrangement of moveable wall systems to divide a single large space into four individual rooms.To achieve the level of adaptability required, Style utilised both solid and glass Dorma Hüppe Variflex semi-automatic moveable walls, as well as vertically rising, fully automatic Skyfold Classic 60 moveable walls.This combination enables the entire space to be re-configured quickly into smaller or larger meeting rooms, with the 57dB acoustic rating of the solid moveable wall, 52dB of the glass moveable wall and 59dB of the Skyfold delivering such an exceptional sound barrier that all rooms can host busy meetings without causing any disturbance between them.Anglo American is a leading global mining company whose products are the essential ingredients in almost every aspect of modern life. Its portfolio of world-class competitive operations, with a broad range of future development options, provides many of the future-enabling metals and minerals for a cleaner, greener, more sustainable world.Style worked with architects, MCM, and contractor, BW, to create wide-ranging flexible space in the ‘Office Zone’ and ‘Innovation Hub’ located at Anglo American’s offices in London. Within the configuration, the Skyfold walls meet with Dorma walls in T shapes, turning this very large room into four individual rooms accessible via a corridor, created when the glass moveable walls are in position.By integrating four fully-glazed pass doors into the glass moveable walls, there is ease of access into each of the meeting rooms from the temporary corridor.“This is a superb example of how a range of complementing moveable walls can combine to deliver truly first class, flexible office space,” said Julian Sargent, Style’s group managing director.“The final configuration gives Anglo American so many options as to how to use the space and is a real showcase for anyone visiting the building.”

Glass Films worked alongside Peach Design to supply our SX-1254 Reeded Glass Film to a Real Estate Investment Office located in Islington, London, UK. Our stunning decorative glass film was used in the office's breakout areas and reception.

When the government instructed people to work from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, the gym where Wirral-based personal trainer Megan Hewitt worked closed down. So, Megan and partner Dan decided to build a fitness studio in their garden to allow her to conduct video personal training sessions during lockdown. To ensure the 6m x 3m timber frame building would be suitable for use all year round, it was essential to insulate the roof and walls.The couple researched various types of insulation online and narrowed it down to Mineral Wool because of its thermal performance and fire safety. They had three other considerations: it had to be good at blocking noise, have excellent sustainability credentials, and be easy to install, as they planned to fit it themselves.Just one product for all applicationsTheir research showed that Knauf Insulation 50mm and 70mm OmniFit Slab ticked all the boxes. It is a multi-application slab, meaning the couple didn’t need to purchase separate products for the roof and walls. What’s more, it offers a higher level of thermal performance than alternative versatile slabs on the market.It is manufactured from Glass Mineral Wool and is non-combustible with a Euroclass A1 Reaction to Fire Classification, meaning it will not add to the development or spread of a fire should it occur.Keeping quietAs any exercise fanatic knows, a good workout needs a strong soundtrack and Megan wanted to motivate clients without becoming a noisy neighbour. OmniFit Slab provides excellent levels of acoustic performance thanks to its open fibre structure that absorbs sound waves.Insulation that doesn’t cost the earthSustainability was another important factor for the couple. Like all of Knauf Insulation’s Glass Mineral Wool insulation, it is manufactured from up to 80% recycled content, mostly used glass bottles and jars that would otherwise go to landfill.It is also manufactured with ECOSE® Technology, Knauf Insulation’s unique bio-based binder, which contains no added formaldehyde or phenol. ECOSE® Technology is made from natural raw materials that are rapidly renewable and is 70% less energy-intensive to manufacture than traditional binders, so it is more environmentally-friendly.Products made with ECOSE® Technology are soft to touch and easy to handle. They generate low levels of dust and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and have been awarded the Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold Standard.Its softness was a benefit that Megan noticed during installation. She said: “I remember helping my Dad with our ‘old-school’ Mineral Wool loft insulation when I was younger and it was horrible, it irritated my skin for 24 hours after. But the OmniFit was fine – there was no irritation whatsoever.”Installation was no sweatA tight fit between joints is essential to eliminate gaps that can reduce thermal and acoustic performance, but with some types of insulation it can be difficult to achieve the high quality installation required. OmniFit Slab is manufactured to provide friction fitting to ensure all joints are sealed correctly. Despite having no previous experience, Megan, Dan and a friend fitted the 40m2 OmniFit Slab themselves over the course of a day.“Before fitting the insulation, we watched an installation video on YouTube,” said Megan. “We followed the techniques shown and it was really easy to install. We had no problems at all.”“I’m delighted with the finished result. When the fitness studio was finished, we kept turning up the stereo to see whether the insulation really was soundproof – even at full blast, you couldn’t hear the music outside. It’s amazing.”“Before we put the insulation in, I was exercising in winter gear with the radiator on full – now the studio is lovely and warm. I’m back in vests and I haven’t had to put the heating on at all.”Thanks to Knauf Insulation OmniFit Slab, Megan and her clients can enjoy a high energy workout in a warm, safe environment – without disturbing her neighbours. What’s more, the insulation is sustainable and will ensure the studio’s energy consumption and carbon emissions are low over its lifetime. Note: Megan, Dan and her friend maintained social distancing guidelines during the insulation install. Megan continues to follow government guidelines for the operation of gyms and exercise facilities, conducting her sessions online when in-person training is not possible.

DCM Surfaces were contracted to install the surfacing at an “inclusive” play project at Westfield Park, Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.DCM installed Rubber Mulch in various colours and depths around the play equipment on site.Different coloured mulch was used to create shapes and patterns within the park.

In Manhattan Loft gardens, they have a dry install system and are going to use the recommended system from Sika, then fit the floor fully bonded with our SW890 adhesive. Installation and site visits are part of our service. With large residential tower developments, there will normally be slabs for each floor. These will take at least two years to dry out completely. This means that unless the slabs have a DPM applied there will always be a chance of moisture affecting whatever is laid on the floor be it a cradle system or dry install underfloor heating system.

LigaGrass Pro CoolPlus and Rekortan M at the Havkenscheider Park sports facility, BochumACTION ON THE WESTERN FRONT“Deep in the West” sings a drone of a thousand voices at home games of the VFL Bochum. “Bochum, I belong to you” is not only the official anthem of the Ruhr Stadium, but also the unofficial anthem for the entire city. Herbert Grönemeyer’s profession of love for Bochum is more than just a song – it is a statement for the entire region, for the “old” Ruhr area, which is not only famous for transporting coal and casting steel, but also its love of sport. VFL Bochum and its position in the first Bundesliga are only the figurehead for all the city has to offer: today, its sporting activities range from sports-orientated preschools and school sports to the “Integration through Sport” programme.Unlike its name, the “Laer’sche Fußballclub 1906 e.V.” is forging new paths. For 10 years, it has had a strong women’s and girls’ division with teams ranging from U9s to seniors – and in general, the youth division in Laer is of high calibre. However, the district club in the heart of Bochum has long been dedicated to more than just football, attracting gymnasts and athletes as well. More recently, trending sports such as lacrosse and disc golf have also been added.Strong interest in lacrosse not least prompted officials in the city council and the club to renovate the stadium on Havkenschneider Strasse from the ground up, not only to adapt it to the needs of the Bochum “Isotopes” lacrosse players, but to convert it into a complete district sports facility. In only eight months, three football fields were built: one large one and two mini-pitches.In total, 10,200 square metres of synthetic turf were installed there – specifically, our LigaGrass Pro CoolPlus with sand infill. The classic among our synthetic turf systems, the LigaGrass Pro filament and its triangular cross-section ensure even greater fibre stability and give the turf more volume and structure. As a crimped Polytan artificial turf system, LigaGrass Pro CoolPlus is also characterised by a BiColour design. The two-tone fibres help achieve a natural grass appearance with their lush green colour. The integrated CoolPlus function permanently reduces overheating of the turf in direct sunlight and is extremely effective, especially in the case of the textured turf systems, thanks to the large surface area for reflecting heat radiation.Our LigaGrass Pro CoolPlus is not only suitable for football training and playing facilities, but also for miniature playing fields and multisport facilities, e.g. for lacrosse. This team sport, which is played with a special stick and a hard rubber ball, originates from the east coast of America, where it is practised by indigenous people – the Haudenosaunee – and has a deep religious and identity-forming significance. Lacrosse is the oldest team sport on the American continent, and is by no means seen as only for white people, but as an inclusive, fun activity for women and men alike. Curiously, men and women today play lacrosse by completely different rules: in the women’s game, stick and body contact is limited – similar to field hockey – which is why little protective equipment is needed. In men’s lacrosse, on the other hand, helmets, rib and shoulder protection, and gloves are worn – similar to ice hockey. World championships for men and women now take place every four years, and the first European lacrosse championships took place in 2004. In 2028, Lacrosse is provisionally set to become an Olympic sport again, although the decision is yet to be finalised.In Bochum, the lacrosse field is located on Havkenscheider Strasse and stands out for its special ball catching nets – purely because it is the only one of its kind in the city. For athletes, the new sports facility also offers a 400-metre synthetic running track and four 100-metre sprinting tracks. It features with our Rekortan M in classic brick red, the fully fledged professional among our sports surfaces. It is representative of high-performance running tracks, not only in training and school sports facilities, but for international competitions as well. The poured in-situ surface is set apart by its excellent acceleration and high tread elasticity. What’s more, it is incredibly fast and offers impressively high shock absorption, as well as excellent advantages in terms of sports medicine.The city of Bochum spent 1.8 million euros on the renovation. The result is impressive: 1,300 metres of edging stones have been laid, and 2,000 metres of drainage pipes installed. 350 square metres of water-permeable eco-plaster and 5,000 tons of gravel used in the course of the renovation work. All in all, the conversion of the old stadium into the Havkenscheider Park sports facility supports Herbert Grönemeyer’s résumé: “Deep in the west / Where the sun gets dusty / It is better / Much better than you think.”

A leading manufacturing company with over 30,000 global employees, Hilti designs cutting-edge technology that powers the construction industry. Future-proofing their offices in the prestigious Circle Square development of Manchester, partitioning experts Style combined three Dorma Hüppe Variflex moveable walls, allowing either a small meeting room with separate breakout area to be created, or one single open-plan space. Two of the walls are fully glazed, maintaining natural light throughout, whilst the third is finished with Kvadrat fabric class C absorption panels offset by a practical whiteboard surface to the mid-section. Allowing easy access between separated areas, both glass moveable walls incorporate pass doors.With a 52dB rating on the glazed systems and 55dB on the solid moveable wall, meetings and events can take place undisturbed, delivering a stylish yet adaptable meeting solution.Relocating from Trafford Park, Hilti moved its 200-strong team into the second, third and fourth floors of No.1 Circle Square, taking 42,000 sq ft of premium office space. As part of the internal redevelopment, Style worked with main contractor, Cubic Works, and architect, TP Bennett, to create flexible space in the meeting and innovation suite.“This is a clever arrangement of three moveable walls that allow the space to be quickly adapted to accommodate the events or meetings taking place on any given day,” said Andy Gibson, Style’s director for the North.“Thanks to the high-end acoustic ratings of both the glass and solid moveable walls, meetings can be enjoyed without interference, and the combination of absorption panels and writeable whiteboards make the perfect environment for business meetings, training sessions and brainstorms.”Style is the exclusive UK partner to Dorma Hüppe, Skyfold and SWG offering an extensive range of moveable, folding and partitioning walls for all requirements and budgets.

Devonshire Row, 150 Bishopsgate is a residential and commercial redevelopment in Central London. The existing façade was retained amongst the area to be redeveloped. The project consisted of 97,718 square metres of floor space and includes a site area of 5,000 square metres, with 284 residential units, car parking, leisure and entertainment facilities as well as business ventures. KEIM’s remit was to coat the existing Bath stone façade to match and blend seamlessly with the new Portland Stone façade.To deal with the potential for the new stone to age differently, KEIM Fixativ was applied to preserve and prevent the surface from getting soiled.KEIM Soldalit in colour 9295 was applied to all the surfaces, followed by a two-coat application of KEIM Restauro Lasur in colours ST019 and ST002 to mimic the new Portland Stone façade.

Our team at Helmsman manufactured and installed 30 two-compartment solid-grade laminate lockers at Doug Philips Ltd. The specification of the lockers was 1800mm high, 300mm wide, and 450mm deep. The clients requested for the two-compartment lockers to be manufactured with an internal shelf and angled shoe tray within the lockers. Additionally, all the lockers had a perforated base which allows airflow into and out of the lockers.The body of the lockers was powder coated in ‘Black’ which is from our standard colours, whereas the laminate doors are in colour ‘Artic White’ by BioCarbon Laminate, which is a beautiful colour providing an aesthetic and organised area. The laminate lockers were completed with vinyl numbering as well as Lowe & Fletchers Nimbus combination lock in Black.

Combining the former Mayble Tylecoate and Grosvenor buildings, MMU’s new Arts and Humanities hub uses INTRAflex XT entrance matting for a classic aesthetic.With the listed portico and the internal glass vestibule providing some shelter from the elements, the architect specified a primary entrance matting system with INTRAlux Elite fibre inserts in Anthracite 607. This fibre has an exceptional tuft count to provide 5.4l/m2 of absorption, combined with the highest Class 33 Wear Rating. To enhance performance with this simple primary entrance matting system, the specification provides a substantial walk-off area.With 19,550mm wide entrance matting, entry through the main portico doors offers nearly 10,000mm of walk-off in either direction. While the adjacent pass doors are protected by entrance matting that measures 3629mm front-to-back.

The headquarters of companies are usually established in city centres close to important transport links. The natural landscape and the wide horizon perspective are not usually associated with office buildings. Press Glass’s ambition was to create a modern headquarters on a green plateau, which would express the dynamic nature of the company and, at the same time, provide employees with contact with nature.The award winning project was developed with large glass panes around the building and elements of curved glass all framed using Aluprof's MB-SR50N EFEKT capless curtain walling, MB86 windows and doors and MB-77HS lift and slide door systems.Architect: Konior Studio

This large car dealership in Dorset required a new car park surface for the external paved areas. Planning requirements meant that a porous system was required to enable sustainable drainage and avoid large scale run-off into the surrounding catchment. Using Tarmac's ULTISuDS porous asphalt sustainable drainage systems met the needs of the local planners by managing surface water and reducing direct surface water run-off, but also met the client’s requirement for a safe, accessible all-weather surface for their customers. By eliminating surface water, it also eliminates the problem ice patches that can occur in cold weather conditions. It would also be durable enough to cope with daily vehicle movement and static loading from cars that were on display. 

The Castle Hotel Windsor, dating back to the 1600s, is situated amongst some of the most historic examples of architecture in the UK. The hotel is located opposite Windsor Guildhall, near to royal attractions such as St George’s Chapel and Windsor Castle.The Castle Hotel first began its life in 1528 as The Mermaid Inn, brewing beer and cider. In the 1700s, Richard Martin was awarded the first of the hotel’s Royal Warrants, to provide horses and carriages for the royal household, making it one of the most popular and grandest places to stay in the Royal Borough.By the 19th century, the Duke of Wellington dined at the hotel following his victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, which elevated its reputation as the connoisseur’s choice of accommodation in the area.Today, The Castle Hotel Windsor retains this reputation and has recently been restored and to preserve the elegance and atmosphere of its rich history.It was recommended to remove all existing render and re-render using NHL (Natural Hydraulic Lime) to allow full breathability.The KEIM Soldalit-ME system, in colour 9435, was specified for the redecoration of The Castle Hotel Windsor to provide a long-lasting and durable paint finish. It has the added environmental benefit of helping degrade nitrogen oxide pollutants from the atmosphere. The photocatalytic reaction also helps to breakdown organic material and contaminants, keeping surfaces cleaner for longer.

Chinmaya Mission exists to provide individuals with the wisdom and practical means for personal growth and development, enabling them to become positive contributors to society.  At Chinmaya Kirti, their home in London, a major renovation project was designed as a vision for future generations, rather than just an improved building.Working with architects, KJC, and contractor, Home Republic, Style was specified to be part of that vision, installing moveable walls to enable one large space in the classroom/bookshop area to be easily converted into six multi-functional rooms based on daily requirements. A combination of multiple Dorma Hüppe Variflex Glass and Variflex solid semi-automatic moveable walls were agreed as the best solution, with the glass moveable walls providing a 52dB acoustic barrier and the solid wall 55dB.With a standard anodised aluminium frame finish to the glass walls, and a melamine finish to the solid walls, the final installation provided a light and calm feel to the room design.“This is a great example of how using a combination of glass and solid moveable walls can transform how space is used,” said Michael Porter, sales director for Style South.“The glass moveable walls can combine to create a temporary corridor while the solid moveable walls then segregate the space into smaller individual rooms. Or the Mission can choose a whole range of combinations – from using one glass wall to simply divide the room in two, or to use the walls to provide varying sizes of rooms to suit the requirements of the day.“Such is the quality of the acoustic integrity that multiple events can take place within the segregated rooms without disturbing one another, which was an important factor at the Mission.“By including pass doors also means the moveable walls can remain in place for extended periods and the rooms can be accessed and used with ease.”

The historic Aberdeen Music Hall has been restored and redeveloped by Architects BDP. The Category A listed concert hall has been completely refurbished and now includes a performance studio, creative learning space and a café/bar. Nearly 1,500m2 of Junckers solid Nordic Beech Classic flooring has been fitted as part of the transformation, including in the impressive 1,300 seat auditorium, which now has step-free access to all levels. Nordic Beech with its white pigmented finish offers a light and bright backdrop to the interior and makes the most of the architects’ new architectural lighting by reflecting an abundance of light. By specifying the same floor for much of the building, the various spaces are seamlessly connected by a unifying element. At 140mm wide, Junckers’ signature wide board, long-length floor boards really come into their own in the open spaces and circulation routes, offering a clean and elegant look. Solid beech is amongst the most hard-wearing timbers used for flooring and Junckers’ pre-finished floors are well-known for their durability. The flooring contractor was West End Flooring.