"special wood floors"

We were approached by Lindi Reynolds Interiors who was looking for a statement wood floor for their clients home in Surrey. The brief was for a wow-factor floor with a warm, dark hue to the Oak and a unique pattern to the floor.As we worked with the designer to identify the ideal colour tone, the TW-E931 Fumed Oak herringbone hit all the right notes for the colour, but the client wanted something more than a herringbone pattern. Drawing on experience with another project for a large development in London we suggested a basketweave parquet pattern. Our basketweave is made using our 120mm wide herringbone flooring (such as TW-E931) and a square centre piece that measures 240x240mm. By laying these components in the basketweave pattern you create a stunning statement floor. In this particular project, the client chose to lay the boards in a diagonal; creating a unique look. The engineered boards are fully bonded to the subfloor using our SW-890 adhesive. As the board construction is engineered, it’s suitable for use with underfloor heating. The expert team of BRB Flooring were able to quickly complete the fit-out according to the clients wishes and hide the perimeter expansion gap under the skirting for a sleek, professional finish.Whether for a private home, commercial space or residential development; the commercial grade UV Oiled finish is hardwearing and easy to maintain making it ideal for any setting. If you’d like to discuss basketweave parquet for your project please get in touch on 01666 504 015 or info@thesolidwoodflooringcompany.com. 

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. 

Four residential blocks on Albert Road, North London, have recently undergone renovation, including removal of wooden screen shutters across the frontage of each apartment. The sliding shutters create an attractive appearance as well as performing shade from direct sunlight, but over recent years the wood has warped and deteriorated. Warping meant that the screens no longer travelled smoothly across the windows, and deterioration was causing the louvres to loosen with the danger that they might fall on people walking below. A refurbishment would also provide the opportunity to refit with materials conforming to current fire safety regulations. Considering the refurbishment, the developers were keen to retain the screens and felt that the appearance of wood was appealing, giving the apartments something of a continental appeal, albeit in north London. The blocks were developed and are managed by L&Q, a housing association that aims to deliver high quality affordable homes, and in their own words ‘better places to live’. The screens could easily be replaced using aluminium for the frame aerofoil blades and the look of wood could just as easily be delivered by using a shade from our Wood Finish (PWF™) range. PWF30, a dark shade, was closest to the original wood. In total Powdertech pre-treated and coated 9500 linear metres of extruded aluminium, each individual foil being 1.22m in length. Using aluminium brings the obvious benefits of strength combined with lightweight. The screens will not warp and need only minimal maintenance. Our Wood Finish conforms to the required reaction to fire specification for residential buildings of this type, A2-s1, d0, and the metal itself is non-combustible thus solving a number of issues in one, Wood Finish on aluminium is a winning combination.

Yaasa Ltd. has established itself as a leading force in the online sale of ergonomically adjustable office furniture. With the expansion of its headquarters in Lannach, the company is creating not only space for innovation and product development but also new, accessible workplaces for up to 50 employees. The building, which was constructed in a strict economical manner, meets the European targets for a “Nearly Zero Emission Building". Thus, Yaasa demonstrates its commitment to sustainability and, with its own showroom, offers customers the opportunity to experience products firsthand. Lindner played a key role in the sustainable interior fit-out of the new company building: By using raised floors made from recycled wood panels, Lindner demonstrates how resource conservation and sustainability in the construction industry can also be put into practice. The wooden floors have the same physical and technical properties as a new flooring system – without compromising the special quality of the working environment. The texture of the wooden floor contributes to a pleasant atmosphere and completes the overall result of homely workspaces.

RESTORATION ENSURES SUSTAINABLE FUTUREThe historic Bath Abbey has undergone extensive repair and conservation work along with the addition of new facilities. With its Footprint project, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios sensitively restored the 1300-year-old place of worship and improved the accessibility, flexibility, and sustainability of the building. As part of reworking and improving the Abbey’s back of house facilities, FCBStudios designed the Song School, a new, timber-lined choir practice room where up to 60 singers can rehearse. The oak-panelled room features Junckers solid 20.5mm Oak Harmony plank flooring installed by Moran Floors. The solid oak further enhances the acoustics in the room, an important consideration to the Abbey. Said Huw Williams, Director of Music, Bath Abbey: ‘The floor of the new Song School is a beautiful feature, we are particularly appreciative of the acoustic properties of the floor. It really helps to create a suitable acoustic for rehearsing which has given our choirs a huge boost following a difficult year of lockdowns. The standard and finish of the floor is exceptional, it provides a warmth in contrast to the natural stone features and contributes enormously to the professional and high-quality character of these unique new spaces.’ The importance of high ethical standards was a key objective for materials sourcing on the project, and FCBStudios was able to rely on Junckers’ experience in procuring sustainably sourced and manufactured material in the specification process. Naturally low in carbon, Junckers solid hardwood flooring comes with sustainability credentials including EPDs, FSC®, PEFCTM and Indoor Climate certification as well as an A+ rating in the BRE Green Guide, which played an important part in the architects’ specification. Said Alex Morris, Associate, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios: ‘FCBStudios selected Junckers wooden floors for the Bath Abbey offices and new choir rehearsal spaces because we needed to provide hard wearing and elegant floor finishes that would be sympathetic to the character and historic significance of the Grade 2 listed Georgian buildings.” In addition, Moran Floors fitted Junckers’ 15mm single stave blocks made in solid oak in a single herringbone pattern with a 129x15mm oak plank border in the ground floor reception area. The floor was sanded and finished with Junckers’ Rustic Oil on site. The reception spaces are made up a series of domestic-scale rooms original to the Georgian terrace, which contain many original features. The parquet floor was selected to complement and enhance the elegant grandeur of the building as a whole. A solid hardwood floor from Junckers has a crevice-free surface which cannot harbour dust or mites, easy to keep clean and contributes to a healthy indoor climate, one of the RIBA’s targets in its 2030 Climate Challenge for architects. Junckers floors carry the Danish Indoor Climate label, recognised by BREEAM, and have undergone extensive degassing and odour testing to ensure no harmful gasses are released into the room. Installing timber in an interior helps minimise static from electrical appliances and helps maintain an even temperature. A very old, historic building which forms part of the UK’s architectural heritage has been updated and adapted to secure its sustainable future. Junckers flooring with its proven long lifespan was an integral part of the project - expected to last well over 60 years, the floor forms part of the design to future-proof the Abbey. The Bath Abbey Footprint Project by FCBStudios has been shortlisted for Renewable Energy Project of the Year in the BusinessGreen Leaders Awards 2022. The awards celebrate the best of the UK’s green economy and burgeoning net-zero transition. This category recognises projects that have demonstrated a wide range of environmental and economic benefits associated with clean energy deployment and development. The £19.3 million programme of restoration, building works and interpretation will help to secure the Abbey’s physical future. This included repair and restoration of 2,400 floor stones conserved and re-laid, and a revolutionary underfloor heating system harnessing water from Bath’s hot springs. 

We were approached by John Hemsley Design Services. They required an engineered floor with a high aesthetic appeal that was durable and could withstand the effects of high temperatures from studio lights. Our Lacquered Black American Walnut flooring (E508) met these requirements perfectly. Taking pride of place in the BBC studio for London’s 2012 Olympic games, this engineered walnut flooring remained in perfect condition throughout the entirety of the games under the scrutiny of millions of viewers.

F. Ball donated products for use in the creation of an on-site recruitment agency, bank and shop to help children with special needs and learning difficulties at a school in Surrey. Firstly, old floorcoverings were lifted, and old adhesive residue removed. Stopgap P131 primer was then applied over the subfloor to prevent unacceptable rapid drying of floor levelling compounds that were to be applied. Contractors then applied Stopgap 1200 Pro high performance levelling compound to create a smooth base ready for the new floorcovering. Pine-effect Polyflor vinyl planks were then installed using Styccobond F46 pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive.

Shortly before the new school year started, the municipality of Ogre in Latvia opened a brand new sports complex at Ogre’s gymnasium. In the contest “Sustainability in Architecture Construction Design in the Baltics 2023”, organised by the Building Design and Construction Council, the sports complex was awarded 1st place in the category “Most Sustainable Project”. It was constructed by MONUM construction company.The multifunctional and energy-efficient sports hall has stationary and mobile tribunes, therefore providing space for up to 1700 spectators. The sports complex meets the requirements of the International Athletic Federation with four circular (200 meters) and six sprint tracks, a sector for the long jump, high jump, pole vault, and shot put. Also, in the centre of the hall, there are team sports courts suitable for basketball, floorball, tennis, volleyball and other games. On the second floor, the project's developers have built halls for a gym, gym classes and choreography. The building is complex and multifunctional, and four different Riga Wood birch plywood products have been applied here. Perforated Riga Decor and Riga Lacquer panels ensure excellent acoustics during sports activities, while Riga Paint gives an elegant touch to the lobby. Riga Ply has been used for various construction elements.“Riga Wood birch plywood products were chosen due to two main factors: it is a sustainable, renewable material with excellent technical properties and durable, with high wear resistance. Furthermore, in sports halls it is important to ensure good acoustics and perforated acoustic panels made of Riga Wood birch plywood panels serve their duty perfectly,” comments Maksims Žaguļins, project manager at MONUM.Riga Wood birch plywood has a long lifespan, and what is no less important, the maintenance is easy too. “In recent years, birch plywood has been used in many sports halls, especially for acoustic panels. The technologies that we use allow us to adjust the panels to the specific needs of each project with great results”, comments Intars Metums, head of the Wholesale Department of Riga Wood Baltics. “Furthermore, the versatility in our Riga Wood birch plywood products allows us to find the best solution, whether it’s for wall lining, floors or tribunes,” adds Intars.

We worked closely with Brown and Carroll, The Architects Make and Lend Lease the main contractor to create a competitively priced high-quality floor. There are two palette colours a “Latte” light board and an “Expresso” dark board. These were prime oak, fumed and then finished with a colour oil for maintenance and repair to create a uniform natural floor. We are supplying a 190mm wide board and a 260mm wide board in a very select clean grade 20mm thick engineered flooring. We also altered the tannins in the top layer to create a unique brushed finish.

Wireworks London approached us looking for a modern industrialised Oak to clad onto a winding staircase in a beautiful London home. Amongst the options we presented was our CH-E780. This a White Oak with a brushed and band sawn surface giving it a clean yet worn texture. The rusticgrade Oak allows for some knotting to appear without it overpowering carefully detailed floorboards.These boards are finished with a commercial grade UV cured oil that makes it hard wearing and easy to maintain. This particular product has also been fitted throughout the busy, modern offices at 3 Shortlands, Hammersmith. It is easily one of our most popular surfaces and finishes.Wireworks didn’t want a separate stair nose component, instead opting for mitring the length of the boards to a 45-degree angle and jointing them together with a biscuit and high quality PVA glue. The effect is a stunning cascade of band sawn Oak which looks like it was purpose built in a specialist workshop or factory. This an excellent example of the ingenuity of the team at Wireworks and the adaptability of wood flooring.Would you like to see this type of cladding in using a herringbone parquet? Then please see our case study: Cladding Stairs in Engineered Herringbone Parquet

Accoya wood is suitable for a wide variety of applications, from the ordinary to the extraordinary. To see some of the many projects in which Accoya acetylated wood has been used, please click on the application of your choice on the link.

Roman House was recently refurbished by Berkley Homes; this residential development program featured cutting edge interior designs for a boutique hotel style living environment. Our 220mm wide Fire Resistant Lacquered Oak (E155) not only met the specifications in safety, but also in sustainability demands. Both FSC certified and meeting the EUTR regulations, our responsibly sourced engineered oak flooring highlighted the modern interior ethos of Roman House. The lacquer finish allows the residents of Roman House to easily clean and maintain their beautiful oak floor with minimal impact on their lives.

Patalab architects were commissioned to convert an intriguing building off Acton High Street in the London Borough of Ealing into a new certified school for children with Special Education Needs and one with a special focus on pupils with severe autism. Snowflake School is an Ofsted-outstanding teaching environment in a building which was originally a purpose-built hall for the Salvation Army before being turned into an animation studio. Inserted steelwork mezzanines over a herringbone-floored hall contributed to a mishmash of conversions. Given the nature of the school and the links between autism and noise sensitivity, Troldtekt’s acoustic wood wool panelling was specified to minimise sound reverberation and to promote a healthy sound environment and calmness.Project Architect Sophie Fuller explains “The double-height central space works really well as the school’s main hall. In order to minimise sound reverberation, we chose to clad the upper half in acoustic panelling made from wood wool. The texture and neutral colour of the panelling also help to make this tall space feel friendlier and warmer.” Following design guidelines, as well as meeting fire protection and safety requirements, meant many aspects of the building’s history had to be covered although glimpses remain. For example, the original parquet floor used in the assembly hall, original metal handrails protruding from new plywood balustrades and relocated doors as internal windows. At the same time, ramps and a platform stair lift have been added to create accessibility. Founded on the Cradle-to-Cradle design concept, Troldtekt’s natural and inherently sustainable panels are available in a variety of different surfaces and colours and contribute positively to a building’s BREEAM, DGNB and LEED ratings. In addition to their high sound absorption and tactile surface, they offer high durability and low cost lifecycle performance. Available in various sizes and in four grades from extreme fine to coarse, the panels can be left untreated or painted in virtually any RAL colour.

A lightning-fast flooring solutionIssueYuuki, a commercial flooring installer in Japan, wanted to try the adhesive-free floor concept for themselves before recommending it to their customers. With the opening of a new office and store, and needing the opening to be completed quickly, installation of an adhesive-free floor posed a good option. Yuuki also wanted to demonstrate adhesive-free floors to customers, helping them to understand the concept and the benefits.ApproachPresident Oshima of Yuuki Flooring said: “When I first heard about adhesive-free floors I was surprised. This is a new concept in Japan to have flooring without adhesives. However, I was very curious to see how it would install, and what the outcome would be. The installation was very fast, and I thought this floor is an amazing solution for me and my customers. This floor is easy to install even in busy areas and has great potential. It’s been more than six months since the installation, and we have not experienced any problems with the floor.”SolutionYuuki flooring wanted to open their new flooring store as soon as possible, and without compromising on design. Yuuki decided to use Altro Wood adhesive-free due to the speed of installation, minimal downtime and the wide range of wood designs."The installation was very fast, and I thought this floor was an amazing solution for me and my customers. This floor is easy to install even in busy areas."  President Oshima Yuuki Office"It’s been more than six months since the installation, and we have not experienced any problems with the floor." President Oshima Yuuki Office

McMillan House is a first class development providing luxury rental apartments to young professions in the local area of KT4. Built in 1950 it had been used as an office building for over 50 years. Now delicately restored, McMillan House will provide 46 luxury 1, 2 and 3 bedroom rental apartments upgraded to the highest standards.After the main contractor won the project, we were requested to propose an acoustic solution that would comply with Building Regulations. As part of this 2,115m2 luxury conversion, the Soundis dryscreed board with a resilient layer of wood fibre was selected, this is a high quality, interlocking dry floor screed system using gypsum fibreboard technology.This system, was selected due to its high thermal conductivity allowing for the use of the proposed underfloor heating systems throughout the flats, but also for its main purpose of Meeting Regulations, where it’s incorporated Wood Fibre Resilient Layer effectively reduces impact sound transmission from footfall. As traffic can be taken immediately once the glue had hardened, on the low installation thickness acoustic board.

Designed by Grafton Architects, Town House is a mixed-use teaching facility at Kingston University. The interior is arranged around a series of interlocking, open plan spaces, where Junckers’ solid hardwood flooring features as part of limited materials palette. Junckers’ 140mm Textured Nordic Oak Classic flooring clads the treads and risers of the imposing staircase in the triple height courtyard, as well as providing a hard-wearing floor surface for seating areas. Junckers’ oak flooring promotes a healthy indoor climate. All-natural, solid hardwood is free of chemical substances which adversely affect indoor air quality. Junckers has completed EPDs for all its floors to aid specification for sustainable and net zero carbon projects. 

An exceptional Berkshire new build has been enhanced by incorporating made-to-order timber windows and doors from Lomax + Wood Limited. The main window used is the timber spring balanced sash window. A key feature for the developer was that Lomax + Wood offers a complete service from design all the way through to installation.Lomax + Wood designed, supplied and fitted their made-to-order timber spring balances sash windows which helped create the period appearance for this amazing new build project within the constituency of Windsor.Part Q compliant43 made-to-order timber Spring Sash Windows Concealed Spring4 Bifolding Doorsets3 French Doorsets1 Entrance doorConcealed SpringsRal 9010Ovolo MouldThe Lomax + Wood high-performance timber windows and doors are manufactured from engineered knot-free timber for strength, stability and durability. The factory finished paint system is spray applied and micro-porous, which allows the timber to breathe. All the frames are supplied factory finished, with all ironmongery including espagnolette locking. The timber windows and doors are double or triple glazed internally for security; all are tested independently to achieve PAS 24:2016, BS 6375 Part 1, 2 and 3.Lomax + Wood are committed to sourcing from sustainable sources; to this end, we have worked hard to achieve FSC® Chain of Custody which is deemed by many to be an environmental gold standard. This work was undertaken in partnership with BM TRADA who are also considered to be a mark of quality in our industry. FSC® Chain of Custody is not the same as a timber window and door supplier providing FSC® documents for the timber alone. The Lomax + Wood FSC® Chain of Custody ensures the timber is FSC® from the source through to installation, if Lomax + Wood site fitting is specified, which is within the scope of our certification.Lomax + Wood are able to provide a made-to-order timber window and door solution to architects, private customers, developers and builders across the UK and our website demonstrates the vary varied styles and projects that we have been involved with.Lomax + Wood can provide made-to-order timber windows and doors, including composite aluminium clad with a supply only or supply and fit option. Timber windows and doors are available with specialised double, triple or single glazing to meet performance and conservation are requirements. Contact us today to learn how we can help you with your project or so we can provide you with a quotation.

Jonathan Wilden, Chief Executive Officer for Folio Education Trust, speaks about the successful collaboration between Basketball England and DYNAMIK: “Folio Education Trust is delighted to have worked closely with both DYNAMIK and Basketball England to provide an inspirational court for the children of Coombe Wood School and others in the local community. Together we look forward to increased participation and the opportunity to support children discovering and then reaching their personal best in basketball.” For this project DYNAMIK installed over 800m2 of their Premium Engineered Sports Oak, with line marking focused on 3 main sports, Basketball, Netball and Futsal.

Jonathan Wilden, Chief Executive Officer for Folio Education Trust, speaks about the successful collaboration between Basketball England and DYNAMIK: “Folio Education Trust is delighted to have worked closely with both DYNAMIK and Basketball England to provide an inspirational court for the children of Coombe Wood School and others in the local community. Together we look forward to increased participation and the opportunity to support children discovering and then reaching their personal best in basketball.” For this project DYNAMIK installed over 800m2 of their Premium Engineered Sports Oak, with line marking focused on 3 main sports, Basketball, Netball and Futsal.

As part of the refurbishment of this 1970’s building, Bolton Gate were specified to provide a hybrid grille / shutter to the loading bay. In addition to providing vehicular entry / egress with the requisite ventilation for such an application, matching side panels were required with integral hinged doors to allow personnel access and provide emergency exits. The grille / shutter was provided with a special bottom rail and operates via a keypad outside, loop detectors inside and photocells / safety edge to meet H&S requirements. The whole assembly was powder coated brown in keeping with the surrounding structure.

Increased awareness of need for sustainable solutions is causing the construction industry to lean towards wood materials, thus strengthening the position of wooden buildings in the real estate sector.At the Latvian Construction Annual Award 2021 and the Latvian Construction Engineer of the Year 2021 contests, the new regional Customer Center building of Latvijas Valsts Meži was awarded 1st place in the category “Wooden Structures”. The project was developed following the best practices of sustainable buildings, including energy efficiency, material optimisation, and minimising the negative impact on the environment in both the short- and long term.Riga Wood birch plywood was used in various stages of the whole construction process, too. For this project, two Riga Wood birch plywood products were chosen – Riga Decor and Riga Form. Riga Decor is a common choice for interior solutions where functionality shouldn’t overshadow aesthetics. The decorative appearance allows it to be used for the design of furniture and other interior elements. Meanwhile Riga Form, another birch plywood product applied in this project, is among the top choices for concrete shuttering.“For us, this has been a project full of customised solutions – starting from the technical specification to the provided services. Close collaboration between our sales team and customer, as well as mills and the logistics, led to a high-quality end-result,” comments Uģis Ozols, Riga Wood Baltic director. Customer oriented service solutions integrated in the customer’s production line is among top services provided by Riga Wood and Latvijas Finieris team.It’s well known that construction sector accounts for a hefty amount of CO2 emissions, and a wave of urban growth is increasing the global building stock. Construction materials such as concrete, steel and aluminium are among those contributing a notable share of generated emissions globally. Nevertheless, by using smart technologies and shifting one’s way of thinking, constructions can become global CO2 sinks that support climate stabilisation. Wood is the key factor.

This abstract entrance mat design makes a striking first impression at Sir Norman Foster’s 100 Wood Street.

A brand-new school and centre of excellence for special educational needs has opened in Chester’s historic Abbey Square, which required Selectaglaze secondary glazing for part of the transformation and conversion of two Grade II* Listed Georgian buildings. 70 units were installed. Series 46 fixed lights were used below sill level transom coupled to either Series 60, where there are off set sashes, or Series 20 where the sashes are of equal size. For the exceptionally large windows, over 3m, Series 90’s were specified, with their larger balance capacity these heavy-duty sliders can cope with the glass.

Abbey Wood station is a recent development delivered by Network Rail as part of the Crossrail Project. The striking new station building, and concourse marks the start of the transformation of transport links from Abbey Wood to travel right through central London to Paddington. Keeping this influx of passenger safe is the job of INTRAsystems Entrance Matting System. Specifically, the INTRAform DM system with the highly durable FR insert to withstand all weather conditions, comply with all regulations and resist heavy to extreme foot/wheeled traffic. Find out more in our case study

One Wood Wharf designed by Herzog & de Meuron and standing 205m tall, this building was designed to be the landmark structure within the expansion of Canary Wharf. The bottom 2 floors of this 58 storey tower are clad with Jordans Whitbed Portland stone. Albion Stone at our modern Portland factory fabricated almost 1000 bespoke curved radial pieces to form the façade to the main entrances. Each of these pieces of stone which are curved both internally and externally to tight tolerances align exactly with the soffits which hang in excess of 1 metre from the structure. These four quadrants to the building form the main entrance and showcase the beauty of natural local Portland stone, its heritage and the beauty of the material integrated into a modern design.

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

In 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.

Salford community project, Working in Wood, is run by Incredible Education CIC, a social enterprise providing nature-based services for local communities through horticulture and forest school activities. The Cleavley Community Forest Garden also has wood kitchen, a poly tunnel, outdoor learning area, an edible garden that supplies fruit and veg and a coffee shop & cafe that serves plant-based and healthy food.

The company needed a slat wood wall in an office refit. MicroSlat - a lightweight, modular solution that's easy to install and provides acoustic absorption - was chosen in a bespoke Sand Ash finish. The 2.75m standard panel height is taller than other panels on the market and provides increased floor to ceiling coverage.

The project design included a car park solar shading system from Contrasol Ltd. The extruded aluminium profiles form feature solar shading ‘fins’ running vertically on the exterior of the multi-story car park, with galvanized steel plates behind the fins at each floor level to screen car headlights. By using Powdertech’s PWF 020 Wood Finish on the metal the large building could be brought into harmony with its environment, being less visible in the landscape. Unlike wood, PWF will not deteriorate or warp. It is also a benefit for the installer to be working with a homogenous material with good dimensional stability. The colour and gloss retention for Wood Finish is excellent and it will remain looking good for over 25 years with minimal maintenance required. The project in numbers: 9000 metres of 200 x 50mm extruded aluminium profiles 530 pre-galvanized plates, 1m x 1.5 m 7700 fixing brackets 5780 end caps

Powdertech Wood Finish enables architects to combine the look of wood with the strength and practicality of metal. At the same time, this high performance finish compliments the durability of metal and preserves its appearance for many years. PWF replicates wood with variation in colour, grain density and grain pattern. Instead of depleting timber resources, highly abundant and recyclable aluminium can be used. This is a far better material for forming the finely angled aerofoil blades for solar shading. Powdertech have coated thousands of linear metres of aluminium solar shading in various colours for over 20-years. A2 S1-d0 approved.

Altro delivers a speedy upgrade to luxury care homeIssueAmana Living is a premium care service provider based in in Australia, who pride themselves on making the welfare of their residents a priority. When the community lounge at Amana Living’s Moline Village needed an upgrade, they knew they needed a speedy solution that would cause minimal disturbance to their residents and offer a superior quality finish.ApproachThe existing vinyl floor was in need of an update, and Amana Living needed a flooring product which would allow them to complete the renovation quickly, with minimal noise, dust, and unpleasant odours but would also look great, and perform even better.SolutionAmana Living chose Altro Wood adhesive-free for their refurbishment. The adhesive-free installation meant that not only were there no adhesive smells, but that the new flooring could be laid directly over the top of the old. This saved valuable time and significantly reduced the amount of dust involved in the project. The time savings that Amana Living made by using adhesive-free flooring meant that they were able to open up the lounge to their residents more quickly than originally planned. The benefits don’t end at the installation either: in their new community lounge, both staff and residents enjoy a relaxing environment with comfort underfoot and 14dB sound reduction. And with the inclusion of Altro Easyclean Technology, the lounge is also much easier to maintain.Altro Wood adhesive-free creates maximum impact with minimum downtime. With 12 colour choices, 14dB sound reduction, a 10-year guarantee and our Altro one in a million slip-resistance reassurance, Altro Wood adhesive-free offers high levels of comfort underfoot providing a safe, durable and decorative solution for busy spaces."The installation was completed in a very timely manner with no take-up of existing flooring, and no dust or adhesive odours causing discomfort to anyone in the facility, all being completed with minimal disruptions." Amana Living"Everyone is delighted with the completed flooring which now delivers great safety underfoot, ease of cleaning and a fantastic looking renovation completed in record time." Amana Living

Caring Wood is a country home for three generations of the same family, incorporating formal, communal and private spaces, roofed with Keymer - Kent Peg Antique.

The ChallengeUntil recently, the Abbey Wood station in the London Borough of Bexley was a small Network Rail station serving the North Kent Line.A project to redevelop it would see it become symbolic not only for its regeneration effect on this part of London, but also as marking the geographical start of Crossrail, the most ambitious and advanced railway network in Europe.The SolutionThe new station, designed by Fereday Pollard Architects, would serve four new lines, including the new Elizabeth Line and South Eastern Rail Services. Ancillary design works include the implementation of an extensive urban realm strategy with Urban Movement, foot bridges and other structures along the 2km project.The design and vision for the station was successfully maintained through all the GRIP stages of this multidisciplinary project.Forterra’s Cradley Linear Bricks in a bespoke colour and size – 30,000 units over 22 different special types – were incorporated into the design. The warm tone of theses 50 x 300mm radial units complement the extensive use of exposed wood for the building’s interior and exterior.Neil McLafferty, Sales Manager for Forterra, said, “The bricks were based on the classic ‘smooth blue’ brick design for their distinctive colouring and size, but were also radial in shape.“This unique finish to the bricks, giving them each a slight camber, resulted in a slight curvature to the completed building, so that it resembled an amphitheatre. The blue bricks are also extremely compact and dense, ensuring they are robust and durable compared to standard bricks.”The BenefitsThe station design has created a new and vibrant architectural focus for Abbey Wood, and a greatly enhanced experience for those using the station.John Attwood, Architect at Fereday Pollard, said, “We opted for linear bricks as they emphasise the horizontal, for what is quite a high building in a residential area, making it more attractive. Using bespoke bricks brings the benefit of a more hard-wearing, robust material for this public building.“The slightly curved, cambered bricks were used specifically to interface with the timber used throughout the construction, while the blue brindle brick colouring also created a pleasing contrast with the timber.”

We have developed designs for two sites within Maitland Park Estate to provide 112 dwellings, a new Tenants’ and Residents’ (TRA) Hall and landscaping improvements to the central park. The Estate, built in the 1930s with successive waves of development until the 1980s. The Grafton Terrace site currently houses the existing TRA Hall and some dilapidated garages. Our scheme repairs the Victorian street frontage with a combination of four to six storey flats and four storey town houses. These will offer both social rented and low cost home ownership tenure.

In this wooden building in the center of Vienna, the walls, ceilings and floors are made from solid wood(CLT). The construction protection covering and sealing for the individual elements were achieved with the SIGA products Wetguard and Rissan.