"snug"

A Selectaglaze secondary glazing treatment to a set of patio doors in a suburban home in Cockfosters, North London makes a living room warmer and more comfortable for a couple’s new born baby. A Series 10 2-pane horizontal sliding unit was installed to the patio doors. The opening was 2m x 2m and it was important that the treatment would match the existing sightlines. Timber grounds were fixed into the reveal, which had skirting boards. Installers scribed into the timber frame to create matching grooves and nuances to fit snug in the reveal and over the skirting.

Woodlands is a high-quality retirement scheme of 17 luxury apartments by PegasusLife, now part of Lifestory, in exclusive Canford Cliffs, Dorset. Designed by Snug Architects, the building’s striking, contemporary form is crafted to include a carefully specified combination of whitewashed, vertical timber cladding, glazed balconies, bronze-coloured windows and white Antro facing brick slips from leading brick innovator, Vandersanden. “It was the team at PegasusLife that first suggested using Vandersanden brick slips,” explains Mike Worthington, director at Snug Architects. “The very stylish Antro brick complements the whitewashed timber cladding and the bronze metal colour of the windows very well to provide an incredibly mature material palette.” Within walking distance of the beach, Woodlands stands on Flaghead Road amongst age-old pines. The building’s architecture was inspired by its setting and, although bold and contemporary, relates harmoniously to the scale of the surrounding housing. The structure was conceived as a three-storey modern brick envelope with a basement car park that has lift access. Woodlands was built using a reinforced concrete frame construction. Instead of traditional brickwork, Gebrik Brick Cladding Panels featuring Vandersanden’s Antro brick slips were supplied by Aquarian Cladding for the project. These were constructed off-site and installed straight onto the building frame. By using Gebrik panels, the aesthetics of the building were maintained as originally designed while minimising on-site works. A further advantage was that the build programme was more efficient than with traditional construction as the building was watertight more quickly, so interior spaces could be fitted out in tandem with work to the exterior. To complete the facade, Antro brick pistols and splayed/canted brick specials were employed with the bricks wrapped underneath the soffit of window and balcony openings. Vandersanden’s Antro stock facing bricks have a sanded-coated and creased structure. They are a mix of different kinds of clay forms and made with 100% natural resources; the loam that forms the most important base material dates from the Ice Age. By using specific sand types for the surface covering, the desired colour is achieved. Mike Worthington says: “The Vandersanden bricks are good quality and provided the basis for a beautiful and mature materiality for this retirement living development which we were delighted with. They’ve weathered very well and we’re regularly complimented on the scheme and asked who supplied the bricks. We’re very proud of it.” Canford Cliffs is an affluent suburb of Poole with a significant population of retired people. PegasusLife is a retirement living provider on a mission to fundamentally re-think retirement living in the UK. Unsurprisingly, Woodlands was shortlisted for the 2017 RIBA South West Awards. Further details on Snug Architects are available at https://www.snugarchitects.co.uk. To find out more about the bricks used in this project or to see the wide range of high-quality bricks available from Vandersanden, click on the 'View more' link 

The Fitzalan is a high-end student accommodation building located right in the heart of Cardiff city. As well as a variety of modern bedroom accommodation ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments, the communal spaces include a cinema room, game rooms, luxury ‘snugs’ , an on-site gym, a common room and a communal kitchen.The present accommodation was created back in 2017 when a series of one- and two-storey vertical extensions were added to the existing buildings to increase the size of the accommodation to a total of 357 beds.The Fitzalan’s present owners McLaren Property, are in the process of selling the building. The new owner has requested a full upgrade of all electrical installations and fire safety measures prior to completion. As all accommodation has a fully kitted out kitchen with a combi microwave and hob, fire prevention in these areas was considered of particular importance. The buildings new owners specified that the Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard be fitted as standard in all 313 apartments and studios in addition to the existing fire suppression system.

Chelwood House by Napier Clarke is a clean, modern building in Chesham Bois, Amersham. It was built to replace an existing suburban house and is located within an area of special character meaning it was vital to seamlessly blend into the local area.Napier Clarke elected to use local brick and charred timber to ensure the house’s materials were able to sit visually well within the immediate area. Chelwood’s impressive size (5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, living space, snug, kitchen/ dining, play area, garage, utility room and an attic yoga room) and modern visual leanings were expected to be a challenge for local planning authorities. However, the building’s sympathetic materials and centrepiece vaulted roofs were inspired by the local area and the proposals were accepted.Chelwood introduces a cantilevered brick upper floor to its design which contrasts the simple design of the ground floor. Internally, the same materials used in its external spaces are repeated, creating a series of truly dynamic focal points.Chelwood uses legacy Michelmersh products in its production and recently won the Individual Housing Award in the 2022 BDA Brick Awards.

Installer – Dearneside Fabrications LimitedMain Contractor – Taylor WimpeyArchitect – PRP ArchitectsClient -Taylor WimpeySystem- Vantage® CS (Coping / Capping system)Loyal customer and expert installer, Dearnside Fabrications Limited contacted us about utilising our Vantage® CS coping on this exclusive residential scheme next to the Chelmer River, Chelmsford, south east England.BTS Vantage® CS system was chosen because it has been designed with many advantages over standard pick and mix systems.Although every CS installation is engineered individually, the coping system is always very quick and easy to fit on site. It is always clipped on ensuring no fixings pierce the top side or front face of the coping. The only visible fixing is located on the inside wall. The capping is located on a robust extruded alloy bracket with specially designed grooves that include a rubber gasket, ensuring a snug watertight and anti-drum fit.The photos do not do the system justice as there is no butt straps needed leaving nice smooth lines and where corner junctions are needed, they just slip into place!As always BTS take great pleasure in supporting a key customer on such a prestigious installation which is now helping to deliver 421 new homes in a thriving riverside quarter development.Dearnside Fabrications Limited

The owners of this four storey, semi-detached, Victorian home have totally transformed it to create a wonderful, contemporary space, full of character, colour and texture.The works undertaken included the demolition of the existing lower ground conservatory and the construction of a full width rear extension. The new space provides a large kitchen, dining and sitting area, but also retains the connection to the front snug. A two storey extension was formed along the side return, providing a boot room and utility space on the lower ground level and a cloakroom and WC on the upper ground level. A bespoke, black steel door screen from the Clement EB24 range was designed to form a glazed elevation facing onto the raised garden from the kitchen. The feature doors, along with other elements, such as the wide oak timber flooring, Bauwerk painted walls and a specialist kitchen provided by Daulby and Tickle, have created an incredible result.The Architect, Daniel Harris said “We’ve worked with Clement Windows on several residential projects, this one being the most complex. The process from initial sketch design through to installation was excellent. Clement produced highly detailed drawings and were very responsive throughout the development of the design. The installation team worked in close collaboration with the Contractor and ensured all elements of the openings were prepared and ready for installation. The end result was an extremely high quality and complex product installed with very low tolerances to an impeccable standard.”Photograph: GG Archard

CHALLENGEAs part of a full exterior refurbishment, building envelope contractor, Alumet, required a new façade system that would transform and modernise the exterior of the Jubilee House building, which was originally installed in the early 1970s. Coupled with this was the requirement to improve thermal and energy efficiencies.SOLUTIONKnauf Insulation supplied its Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab to ensure optimal fire, thermal and acoustic performance. The key to Knauf Insulation securing the project was the ability to provide in depth technical support, including complex 3D heat flow modelling calculations which took into account the specific system brackets, which act as a significant cold bridge within rainscreen cladding systems.Knauf Insulation’s Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab was installed on the brick facade of the existing building, which once complete, significantly improved the U-value thus reducing the heat loss through the wall.The insulation layer is a fundamental component of any successful rainscreen cladding system and mineral wool insulation delivers a number of advantages for this type of application. Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab is a Rock Mineral Wool slab containing a water repellent additive, designed for use on masonry wall constructions and as the outer insulation layer in steel frame projects.Quick and easy to install, the product is simple to cut and the slabs knit together to create a snug fit, with no need to tape the joints as may be required with rigid foam boards – ensuring maximum acoustic and thermal performance."We wanted to turn our headquarters into a thermally efficient building and to really project a modern ‘green’ image. The Schueco Façade system, along with Knauf Insulation’s products, helped us to achieve this as well as dramatically reducing our carbon output.We have received some fantastic feedback from local residents saying how good the new façade looks and coupled with the improved thermal efficiencies, we are very pleased."- Alumet Director, Dean Walton

Tailored Railway Entrance Matting SolutionsINTRAsystems is proud to be an approved supplier for Great Western Railways (GWR). Our products exceed the demanding performance standards, so we were the natural choice when they needed railway entrance matting for the new station at Green Park in Reading.Located on the Reading to Basingstoke line, Green Park connects the pioneering business park with residential areas and Reading Football Club’s Select Car Leasing Stadium.The new, state-of-the-art station is designed to withstand heavy foot and wheeled traffic from daily commuters for the 60 businesses within Green Park as well as the regular stream of football fans!Enhancing accessibilityFollowing the latest directive from the Department of Transport, Network Rail and their own accessibility goals, GWR has incorporated distinctive route markers into the flooring. Textured areas and high-contrast colours flow around the station concourse, signposting key routes, obstacles or points of interest to help visually impaired and disabled passengers navigate more easily.GWR had wanted to the carry the design through to the Entrance Matting too, adding a stripe of contrasting colour to link the entrance area with the onward concourse. This meets and exceeds the latest ‘Technical Specifications for Interoperability, Route Identification for Persons of Reduced Mobility’, (TSI for PRM.)Optimal performance and effortless maintenanceWe successfully completed a similar project at Perry Barr Station, so were confident in meeting the challenge, and produced design recommendations to match in with other textural and visual flooring features for the TSI for PRM.Having reviewed the design and budget requirements with GWR, our spec team recommended INTRAform, a recessed aluminium system with Linear fibre combined with a ribbed rubber insert.Set into ‘closed construction’ channels, the system is effective for scraping off dirt and keeps dirt on the surface of the mat making cleaning and maintenance easy.Enhancing Aesthetic Appeal and FunctionalityThe ridged appearance of INTRAlux Linear fibres in Anthracite and alternating rubber sections met the client’s brand guidelines, DDA compliance requirements as well as the wayfinding needs of the TSI for PRM. And the neat design finish ties in well with the flooring texture beyondLinear fibres are hard-wearing with a 1400g/m² looped pile and a textured appearance.The Art and Science of Railway Entrance Matting DesignINTRAform, like the majority of INTRA’s easy to install products, features interlocking plank sections which can be cut and configured to create patterns, stripes, or other striking designs. The robust aluminium profile is ideal for heavy-duty applications too and comes with a 10-year warranty.The planks are easy to cut and install, provide flush transitions between outdoor and indoor flooring substrates to meet DDA regulations.Ensuring safety and efficient maintenance is of paramount importance on the railways so getting the right materials specification for each situation is vital. Facilities teams need a product that performs at a high level and adheres to all the various restrictions and regulations.Precision in Every DetailGWR chose a specification with outstanding performance and design flexibility, but they also earned LEED and BREEAM points for sustainability.INTRAform is EPD-verified and uses 100% recycled aluminium frames which can be recycled or reused again and again. We collaborated closely with the design team and provided detailed drawings and measurements for the Entrance Matting to ensure the success of the project.Even with such detailed specifications and drawings however, we understand the allowance for anomalies on site. INTRA supplied the planks 50mm oversized for on-site trimming. The installers could get a snug fit and adjust the planks incrementally to align accurately with the other textural and contrasting features in the flooring scheme.Elevating EntrancesThe Railway Entrance Matting now continues the signposting sections, linking up with the station flooring designs perfectly.Reactions and feedback from staff and passengers using the new station have been excellent.The Entrance Matting is already delivering on the objectives of keeping people safe, protecting the flooring beyond and providing key visual cues. And with INTRAform’s 10-year warranty and proven track record, it will stand the test of time.