"underfloor ceiling wall heating"

The very best of Nordic design found a home at this year’s London Design Fair (September 20th -24th) in the shape of the stunning Danish Living Room, a unique exhibition space which showcases a selection of inspirational products, materials and styles that capture and celebrate Danish culture. Crown Paints provided the attractive backdrop to the installation by donating 70 litres of its Clean Extreme Scrubabble Matt in a range of complementary colours to create an immersive visitor experience. After the show, the walls and ceilings were painted back to their original colour using Crown's Clean Extreme Scrubbable Matt.

Project DescriptionBioMed Realty’s development comprises 94,000 sq.ft. of new office accommodation over three storeys located in the heart of Cambridge’s Granta Park Estate. Rated BREEAM “Very Good”.The building features a dramatic top-lit central atrium space arranged at the heart of the floorplates. It affords the client, a leading international biotechnology company, to operate in exemplar facilities in a flexible environment to meet current needs, planned growth and evolving working patterns, including future proofing for laboratory uses. Aukett Swanke’s design embodies quality, simplicity and elegance, which enabled rapid construction to meet the proposed occupation date.Specific Project ChallengesThe façade design needed to be optimised so that the building could capture heat in the winter, minimise heat gain in the summer and maximise the use of natural daylight.The south-facing elevation, therefore, required a dynamic screen, acting as a brise soleil, maximising daylight opportunities and simultaneously avoiding excessive solar heat gain in the building interior.Solutions OfferedAsh & Lacy provided a bespoke two-step facade solution, using 3mm natural silver anodised aluminium to meet both the aesthetic and practical requirements at BioMed Realty.South elevation panels were rectangular perforated and mounted on a frame in front of the glazed curtain wall to form the dynamic screen.North, East and West elevation panels consisted of matching solid castellated panels with an embossed pattern matching the dynamic screen panels.

Hale Brown Architects were appointed to redesign 6 Middle Street with the brief to redevelop it into a modern office space that incorporates new sustainable design elements.Set within the narrow cobbled streets along the eastern boundary of the Smithfields Conservation Area this refurbishment included demolition of existing roof structure and replacing it with a feature glazed roof, creation of a mezzanine floor and installation of a cantilevered staircase. The concept was to open up the space to create free-flowing natural light throughout all floors, open up views, create natural ventilation and maximise ceiling heights while incorporating a timber slatted raft concealing service.3v provided a full ironmongery service for this project which including a mixture of brass and matt black products. Black products were used on timber doors and bespoke textured brass pad handles on black frame glass doors, the pad handles were chosen to compliment the detailing in the timber slatted ceiling raft and wall panelling. We think they work seamlessly together! Photography: Neil Kenyon

In Autumn 2018, the heating system for a rural property in Hampshire was upgraded during which a Grant VortexAir air source heat pump/ oil boiler hybrid was installed. The installation of this innovative heating product now keeps the household warm, cleverly combining renewable energy with the trusted elements of an oil boiler.

CHALLENGEAn ambitious project, and one of the first certified PassivHaus homes in the UK - the Denby Dale PassivHaus in West Yorkshire, had to to use 90% less energy for space heating than the average UK dwelling – with a space heating need of only 15 kWh/m2/ year. The three-bedroom property is the first UK Passivhaus to be built in a traditional style using cavity wall construction and had to be built to a tight budget of £141,000.SOLUTION“We decided to go down the cavity wall path and arrived at the design for several reasons including: planning restrictions, thermal store, cost, and maybe most important of all, buildability,” explains Bill Butcher, Project Leader.Excellent performing insulation is obviously fundamental to Passivhaus construction and the Denby Dale house has 300mm Knauf Insulation DriTherm® Cavity Slab 32 in the walls, 500mm Knauf Insulation Loft Roll 44 in the roof void (both of which incorporate ECOSE® Technology) along with 225mm of high-performing Polyfoam® Floorboard Standard* insulation in the floor.“We’re fully filling the cavity with glass mineral wool insulation for the walls above ground, because it helps minimise air movement in the cavity and offers greater flexibility, fitting snugly around the ties, openings and imperfections of the masonry surface.” comments Bill Butcher.Economics, performance, availability, ease of fitting and reducing thermal bypass were all among the benefits of the Knauf Insulation products chosen.*No longer sold through Knauf Insulation.BENEFITSGlass Mineral Wool was specified over rigid insulation to ensure a tight thermal fit. Knauf Insulation DriTherm® Cavity Slabs are flexible enough to eliminate air gaps and prevent heat loss due to their inherent ability to knit together at joints between the slabs. If rigid insulation is used and fitted badly with too many gaps, air movement around and between the insulation boards is increased, which can drastically reduce its insulation value.Knauf Insulation DriTherm® Cavity Slabs are BBA Certified for all exposure zones and formally guaranteed for 50 years to prevent the transmission of liquid water from the outer masonry leaf to the inner masonry leaf.In addition to its thermal performance glass mineral wool also has other sustainable features. In manufacture it uses a high content of recycled glass bottles and requires less overall energy consumption than some alternative products, resulting in less carbon emissions. In addition, it can be recycled at the end of a building’s life and has zero GWP and zero ODP. ECOSE® Technology further extends these established green credentials as it is manufactured with 70% less energy than traditional binders and the products contain no dyes or added formaldehyde – providing the ideal solution to the eco-friendly house.

As part of an exciting regeneration project in Cardiff, Lowfield Timber Frames specified SMARTPLY AIRTIGHT panels alongside a supply of their timber kits for a development of 12 two-bedroom houses in Heath, Cardiff.As part of an exciting regeneration project in Cardiff, Lowfield Timber Frames specified SMARTPLY AIRTIGHT panels alongside a supply of their timber kits for a development of 12 two-bedroom houses in Heath, Cardiff.The homes are built to strict Passivhaus standards, offering improved health and wellbeing conditions for occupants whilst requiring very low levels of energy for space heating or cooling. Additionally, using timber frame for the construction lowers the carbon footprint of the development.The major benefit of a Passivhaus build is the reduced energy consumption during the operating life of the structure. This will ultimately lead to reduced energy costs, heating bills, and even lower carbon emissions for the planet.The average air test result for the 12 homes came in at below 0.5 ACH. A Larsen truss panel (a lightweight wall extension which creates extra wall space to a house insulation) was also used in the project. It was 330mm deep with the finished wall make-up being closer to 500mm.Darren Jarman, Managing Director of Lowfield Timber Frames, commented: “The Highfields scheme in Cardiff was just one of several passivhaus schemes we have completed over the past 2 years. We now have an external wall build-up that not only meets the passivhaus standards, but also has extremely low embodied carbon credentials.“The external wall has been fire tested and achieves the airtightness required, all in all, reducing the heating requirements and the running costs of the property.”SMARTPLY AIRTIGHT is an airtight OSB/3 panel with integrated vapour control and air barrier properties for use as structural sheathing in timber frame structures. The airtightness is engineered into the OSB panel substrate, whilst the factory applied specialist surface finish technology provides increased and constant vapour resistance on the warm side of construction. The panels are suitable for both new build and renovations.The distinctive green layer of SMARTPLY AIRTIGHT is a UV cured coating providing increased and constant vapour diffusion factor. In addition, it provides a smooth and durable surface for taping the connections.The panels made to OSB/3 grade, are moisture resistant and can be used in humid conditions (service class 2). The hygroscopic nature of the OSB panel acts as a humidity buffer to help prevent interstitial condensation within the timber frame structure in limited cases of reverse diffusion.Jarman concluded: “Whilst there are other products available which will achieve the airtightness, we feel SMARTPLY AIRTIGHT is the most robust solution available and eliminates the possibility of accidental damage, resulting in a failed test.”The ambitious project is part of the ‘Cardiff Living’ programme, a 10-year partnership between Cardiff Council and Wates Residential, which will deliver 1,500 new homes at sites across the city.Discover more about SMARTPLY AIRTIGHT and its applications here: https://mdfosb.com/en/products/smartply-airtightFind out more about Lowfield Timber Frames here: https://www.lowfieldtimberframes.co.uk/Twitter: @LTFltd

A lovely example of our CGA01 cast iron grilles, these classic heritage designs are in keeping with the shop fronts in this beautiful Georgian street in central London. Britannia Metalwork grilles can be powder coated in any RAL paint, or a bespoke colour as seen here to match the setting. They can be used to disperse heat or set into steps or walls on the outside of houses to act as air vents for ventilation in cellars and basements covers, or set into the flooring of external or internal balconies.Providing an elegant and decorative solution to a practical application, please see the full range of designs on our website or contact us to discuss our bespoke service.

Background Opened in 1955, Stinchcombe Village Hall has been at the heart of the community in the Gloucestershire village for decades, and it continues to thrive thanks to the dedication of a group of local residents and regular users. An active programme ensures the hall is regularly used for a whole host of activities, classes, clubs, and events for residents, maintaining its original mission to provide a facility that supports physical and mental wellbeing, training and recreation.The committee works to ensure the village hall’s facilities are maintained to a high standard. The hall features dimmable lighting, a stage with seating area, kitchen; and toilets accessible to disabled users, plus another meeting room known as the ‘Committee Room. Over the years Stinchcombe Village Hall has benefited from various upgrading projects, including in recent times improved heating and energy efficient lighting throughout. However, the committee are constantly looking at how they can improve things further, including acoustics.ProblemCharlie Oakhill, Chairman of Stinchcombe Village Hall, approached acoustic specialists Sound Reduction Systems (SRS) to explore the potential for reducing excessive reverberation within the hall during use. The committee had taken the initiative prior to contacting SRS by completing and submitting SRS’s online 3 Step Estimator Form.They wanted to take action to make the hall more acoustically comfortable during regular activities. Users often found it difficult to hear speech and music easily because of the high levels of ambient noise that developed, particularly during performances and busy activities.SolutionUpon receiving key information about Stinchcombe Village Hall, including the dimensions, surface finishes and photographs of the ceiling and walls, SRS were able to input this data into their Sonata acoustic modelling software. This was able to evaluate the existing acoustic performance of the room and specify exactly how much Sonata Class A sound absorption would be required to solve the issue.The Stinchcombe Village Hall committee were then presented with a report detailing predicted before and after performance and a budget estimate for the treatment. Once this had been approved, the next step was for an SRS technical advisor to visit the hall and carry out a dimensional survey to confirm the specification and quote.SRS Sonata Aurio absorbers are a practical and cost effective way to control reverberation inside buildings like this village hall where there are a lot of hard surfaces. The panels comprise a technical, non-shedding, acoustic foam with an acoustically transparent fabric finish to the face and sides. They are easy and quick to install and can be directly bonded to walls and ceilings, and because they are robust, they are perfect for gyms, sports halls or anywhere where ball strikes may occur.Results The site survey was carried out by SRS Director, Alex Docherty. He said:“The presence of hard, acoustically reflective surfaces and lack of soft furnishings was creating a high level of reverberation and echo. This was creating an environment that wasn’t ideal for many activities undertaken within the hall and making speech intelligibility particularly poor. Once the details of the hall had been entered into the SRS computer prediction programme, it showed an estimated mid-frequency reverberation time (Tmf) of 3.73s – way higher than the recommended value of <1.5s for a room of this usage.”After the quotation was approved by the committee, approximately 52m2 of class A Sonata Aurio acoustic panels were installed to the walls and ceiling within the hall, with fantastic results.Client feedbackFollowing completion of the installation, Charlie Oakhill, Chairman of Stinchcombe Village Hall commented:“Thank you for completing the acoustics promptly and a very tidy job. The panels have made a tremendous difference in our hall and I am sure we will get a lot of positive feedback from our users.“Jed the installer did a great job and left everything neat and tidy, he is a credit to SRS. Thanks again and finally we are happy to speak to any potential customers and also happy if they want to come and have a look and a listen.”Products used·       Sonata Aurio panels

TK-Team were asked to help with reverberation issues in a room used for VC. Below are comments made by Kevin Close of Hull University.With more and more meetings being scheduled online since the pandemic, we had a request to enable a meeting room with video conference facilities. One thing that was immediately noticed, post install, was that people at the far end we’re having issues hearing people in the meeting room due to the acoustics in the room. The configuration of the room with flat solid walls, ceiling and whiteboards meant this space had a lot of reverb/echo. After some thought, it was obvious acoustic treatment was required in the space, we consulted with GVAV who offered us some solutions, we then spoke in depth with Lee from TK-Team who visited us and surveyed the room. Lee identified the main issue being reflection from the ceiling and explained that is where we should start. TK-Team worked with us and designed us a tailor-made solution for the room using Hush Acoustic ceiling tiles, all in our choice of colours and shapes, the solution was procured via GVAV and installation was very smooth and finished in a timely manner.The acoustic quality of the room, not just for local meetings but for remote participants was vastly improved. The difference in the room has been described as ‘staggering’. As such, this is now a heavily used meeting space and has highlighted the advantages of looking at and dealing with acoustic issues within meeting spaces on campus going forward.Kev Close

In this project, Hush Acoustics were tasked with a project in Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man, to provide a solution for a beautiful mid terraced property recently converted into 4x spacious apartments over four floors.With the apartments located very close to a road, the issues became apparent after spending some time inside, with road traffic noise as well as public background noise clearly heard.Key to resolving the issues was to ensure appropriate acoustic measures were carried out when converting this existing property into apartments, and that the party walls and/or ceilings met the required standards for conversion under the Building Regulations, Approved Document E.Working with Andrew Bentley, the architect and Kevin Cretney of Kinrade Construction, a solution incorporating the following was provided:HD1044 ACOUSTIC BASEMENT SYSTEMThis system has been created with residential properties in mind and is made up of a combination of materials that offer excellent sound reduction within the specified area.The basement system is made up of Hush Slab 100 which is tightly packed within the joists, Hush Deep Resilient Bars, which are fixed horizontally to the underneath of the joists and Hush Multi Panel which is fixed to the underside of the bars. 15mm of Fireline Plasterboard is then used to over board the Multi Panel.HD1041 ACOUSTIC WALL LINING SYSTEMThis system has been thoroughly tested to exceed Building Regulations and our competitor’s wall lining products. It is made up of Hush Multi Panel, the 15mm Fireline which is then installed over, ensuring joints are staggered. The perimeters are sealed using Hush Isolation Tape, as well as our Acoustic Sealant. These boards are then fixed to the Deep Resilient Bars and Hush Slab 25 is fitted in between. The Bars are then fixed horizontally to the wall.The benefits of this system are its high standards of airborne sound reduction, can reduce both flanking and direct sound transmission and creates a minimum loss of space.HD1038 HUSH ACOUSTIC FLOOR SYSTEM MF28This floor system is a highly rated performer and has again been thoroughly tested within areas that require exceptional acoustic control. Made up of Hush Panel 28 which is laid over the chipboard deck and sealed using Hush Seal 20. The Hush MF Ceiling System is then installed to the underside of the joists, to the back of the plasterboard lining. Hush Slab 100 is then installed tightly within the ceiling void. Two layers of plasterboard is then installed to the underside of the MF system and all perimeters sealed with the Hush Acoustic Sealant.Outstanding resultsTests carried out on completion of the acoustic treatment showed immediate results, which completely exceeded the acoustic requirements for conversion within the Building Regulations and also surpassed New Build standards.Chartered Architect, Andrew Bentley, said, "Thank you for all your help and support. I will be happy to use your products again in future."

Built to service both Coventry and Warwick universities, this development comprises of a basement and eleven upper floors. It provides student accommodation for a total of 262 residents in the form of 185 single bed studios, 31 ‘twodio’ apartments and 15 single bed mezzanine studios.Brief:Working with the owners Morlet Properties, Skopos were asked to provide curtains for all bedrooms. The requirement was a durable, unlined, dimout fabric with the relevant FR certification for this contract environment. Full coverage from wall to wall and floor to ceiling was also essential.Outcome:A clean neutral and grey décor was used throughout the complex so a complimentary curtain colour was key.Nero Ebony from the wide width Mezzanotte collection was chosen for it’s light obscuring properties. The black colourway fitted with the sleek, minimal finish.Skopos provided full service including supplying all made-up items, measuring and fitting tracks and curtains in all 231 bedrooms

Beautiful, spectacular curved glass designs made with evguard®. One of absolutely gorgeous designs accomplished by Inhouse Brand Architects for GAIA Group Offices. It is made up of concrete and exposed brickwork and has got curved walls and timber beams. Curved glass windows and intricate timber-clad ceilings enhanced the beauty of the building. Glass Benders have been manufacturing and supplying quality curved glass since 1998. They make unique glass products for a wide range of applications. More under www.glassbenders.co.za or please contact our distributor: Fraser Global Trading (Pty) Ltd Johannesburg, South Africa Web: www.fgtrading.co.za

Project: Derry Sports ComplexYear: 2014Architect: Samuel Stevenson & Sons Assembly:·        Roof - APL StrongBak™ (perforated) acoustic roof with APL 65ZS aluminium standing seam system·        Wall – APL Slimwall™ Flat Panel System Size:·        Approx 15,000 m² of StrongBak™, APL 65ZS standing seam & Silmwall™ panels Special Features:·        StrongBak™ supplied in special white colour so no suspended ceilings required·        StrongBak™ supplied in aluminium over swimming pool area·        Building generally 10m high Building Location:·        Derry, Northern Ireland

It is interesting how design trends are quickly mirrored across the world. A few years’ ago, for example, lifestyle and interior design magazines were all about plain white walls, hard surfaces and minimal furniture. Today, heavier materials are being revitalised and darker colours are being used in more and more projects. Troldtekt has seen a steep rise in the specification of its wood wool acoustic panels in dark greys and black. From residential houses, hotels and music venues to London’s iconic Design Museum, black acoustic ceilings have been used to add to the ambience and enhance atmospheric design.

This leading high-tech company has recently expanded its office premises to cover its growing needs.Located in a prestigious business park, this office building occupies a stunning lakeside position.The interior setting is equally impressive with abundant natural light from the windows, which span the length of the wall.To keep the space light and airy, the design team left the existing ceiling exposed, adding instead suspended acoustic rafts, featuring Vtec MaxiBeam system in a light wood laminate finish.Take a look at the beautiful break-out spaces and dynamic hexagonal rafts that bring this office design to life.

ROCKFON has successfully worked together with Global Contract Interiors, Kier Construction and Architects Seymour Harris, to establish a fully compliant range of acoustic solutions that meet the required performance specifications at the new Phoenix Academy in Telford; built as part of the council’s Building Schools for the Future programme. Around 2,000m² of ROCKFON products: Rockfon Scholar and Samson wall panels; Rockfon Contour suspended baffles; and Rockfon Alaska suspended raft islands, were installed throughout the school to improve acoustic sound absorption – particularly in areas where the school design meant that traditional suspended ceilings were unable to be installed.

An innovative new residential property built on Passivhous principles, located on the site of a former walled garden within a classic Georgian country house estate, utilises Promat SYSTEMGLAS® Celare fire resistant glazing system from fire, thermal and acoustic solutions specialist Promat UK. With the aim of maximising natural daylight, the design incorporates a number of full height modern slim floor to ceiling windows using the SYSTEMGLAS® Celare glazing system. By choosing SYSTEMGLAS®, the architect and builder have been able to benefit from Promat UK’s ‘360 degree wheel of assurance’ for fire rated glazing systems.

Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts (CSVPA) required energy-efficient heating solutions for their student accommodation units. To reduce ongoing energy costs, CSVPA approached Consort Claudgen for an upgrade to their existing heating system. Consort Claudgen recommended Wi-Fi enabled heaters with bespoke screens to meet the heating requirements of CSVPA’s 286 student apartment units.

Hunter Douglas Architectural supplied the steel interior ceiling and aluminum exterior ceiling for the new conference center (BMCC) in Bruges

Manufactured with an extruded polystyrene foam core and a special coating on both sides, Jackoboard construction boards from Jackon by Bewi can be used as part of a system approach for tiling.With a range of shower trays and drain kits, Jackon says Jackoboard can help create a perfect wetroom or bathroom environment.Jackoboard construction systems provide the flexibility to meet modern requirements in bathroom design. “What was once considered a mere washroom has now been elevated to a private wellness oasis,” Jackon says. “In recent years, the demands placed on bathroom finishes have changed dramatically to allow refurbished bathrooms to shine like new with flexible and high-quality renovations.”The current British Standard for tiling, BS 5385-1:2018, requires the wider use of more appropriate materials for construction, and for receiving tiles in water sensitive and wet areas. This has reportedly increased the demand for the Jackoboard range in new build applications as well as in renovation works.The products are manufactured sustainably and, being superb insulators, they can be used in the design of energy-efficient homes, the company says. The protection of the environment is key to parent company Jackon by Bewi. The company says that plastics, when used as long-term construction materials can greatly reduce the need for heating energy and can therefore make a positive contribution to tackling the climate crisis. In fact, Jackon has been running a campaign in recent years to supply beehives made from the company’s polystyrene bead to the Bee Centre in Chorley. Like Jackoboard, the company says, these beehives will last a lifetime and provide better insulation than the alternatives, enabling the Bee Centre to continue its outreach work in support of honeybees and beekeeping.The surfaces of the Jackoboard system are said to provide an extremely strong bond for the tile adhesive and can be used on virtually any substrate. The boards are waterproof, thermally insulating, very lightweight and strong.The range can form the basis for a tiled finish, but it can also provide a substrate for wallpaper, paint or plaster. “So the possibilities for personal expression are virtually unlimited, allowing every bathroom to benefit from its own individual style,” Jackon says.Due to their core made of extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), Jackoboard construction boards and the wider product range are all lightweight and waterproof – a key benefit for bathroom new build and renovation.Jackoboard also makes installation “simple and easy”. The construction boards, bath panels and angle elements can be trimmed to the desired dimensions with standard tools, while their insulation values reportedly enable them to maximise the benefits of underfloor heating.The range is available in sizes and board thicknesses from 4-80mm to suit all building requirements. A suite of ancillary items are also available, from installation and sealing kits through to washers, fixing dowels and BoardFIX.J-Drain Linear and J-Drain Wall are recent additions to the family of wetroom products from Jackoboard. These products provide what the company calls a high-tech design solution to enable the creation of a totally minimalist walk-in shower.Both products are designed be used in combination with Jackoboard Sloping Boards for the floor and Plano Boards for the walls, to provide everything needed for a “highly fashionable and innovative walk-in shower solution”.“From a design point of view, these products are completely on-trend, given that the minimalist look for walk-in showers is very popular at the moment,” Jackon says. “Achieving this with a highly effective drain solution, which also showcases the tiling to maximum effect, is a key selling point for these new products, used together with Jackoboard backerboards.”

Helo UK Ltd completed the installation of a wellness suite at Old Thorns Golf & Country Estate in Liphook, Hampshire. The installation comprised an attractive Herb sauna with a large feature window, heated by two Rocher designer sauna heaters loaded with 240 kilos of stones for excellent infusion. The other attractions include an Aroma steam room, ice fountain, heated loungers, heated bench and footspa combination.

Project: 1 Aylesbury Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1R 0DRClient: MeritcapeArchitect: Atum Design LabM&E consultant: EngDesignProtecting Cities Against Fire with Advanced GlazingDaylight-flooded spaces command a premium from tenants, but in the densest urban areas – where buildings are very tightly packed – it can be difficult to achieve. Not least because of the need to protect against the spread of fire.This was the challenge for developer Meritcape when they set out to refurbish 1 Aylesbury Street – a converted historic warehouse building in Clerkenwell, East London.The designers wanted to fill every floor of the building with natural light, from both the front and the back of the building by using floor-to-ceiling glazing on every floor. However, the rear of the property was just three metres away from a neighbouring building.To prevent fire spreading from one building to the next, building regulations specify the fire resistance that external walls need to be able to provide. This is given as minimum requirements for integrity – how long they can contain smoke and flames – and insulation, or how long they can prevent the escape of heat. Steve Bond, technical and customer support manager, fire, at Pilkington United Kingdom Limited, said: “When you have two buildings this close together, standard glazing is not an option, as it doesn’t put up enough of a barrier to fire spreading outwards from the building.“That’s where fire-resistant glazing can make a big difference. By providing protection against fire while also letting light flow in, we can create light-filled spaces in very built-up parts of the city where not long ago it wouldn’t have been possible.“As well as sealing in flames and smoke for at least an hour, the glass also provides radiation shielding that reduces the amount of heat energy that can pass outwards through the glass – another key means of spreading fire.” The rear façade of the building is glazed in Pilkington Pyroclear® Plus insulating double-glazed units, delivering not only the right level of fire resistance, but have also been designed to give excellent thermal insulation (U-value) properties to reduce heat-loss from the building.Davood Kiani, Senior Project Consultant at Meritcape said: “Those looking for modern commercial space expect floorplans to be well lit with natural light, and this is one of the main design challenges when working with buildings in the most densely urban areas of the city.“Fire regulations are one of the big reasons for this, so Pilkington fire-resistant glazing means we can achieve the best of both worlds - a building that meets or exceeds all of the safety regulations while also feeling spacious and airy.”A total of 800 m2 of Pilkington glass was used in the project, including in the front façade of the building, in which hundreds custom-sized small double-glazed solar-control units were used to imitate the crittall steel-framed windows that are a signature feature of buildings in the area.Images by S G Photography

GRAHAM construction specified a number of Howe Green’s 5000 Series Floor Access Covers for the £19 million refurbishment of Lews Castle. The light duty aluminium covers were specified to provide access to underfloor services, located within the corridors on the first floor of the castle. The covers were specified with a brass edge, giving a high level of aesthetic appeal, and then infilled with carpet or ceramic tiles depending on their location. The brass show edge is continuously secured which means there are no fasteners to rust or break.

Bloomberg’s European Headquarters opened with excitement in October 2017. The marquee building in the heart of London provides new office space for Bloomberg’s 4000 London based employees. We installed over 37,000m2 of Kingspan raised access flooring and 34,000m2 of Kingspan Attiro real wood engineered floor. The combined systems allow quick and easy access to the steel encapsulated floor panels and the underfloor void whilst delivering 98.5% score against the BREEAM sustainability assessment method.

The Sonixx Soundsure 400 high performance acoustic underlay was selected for use below a 1/2" engineered wood floor, as part of a flooring refurbishment project in an office building.The installers had nothing but positive feedback on how quick and easy the underlay was to work with. The underlay facilitated a simple, clean and cost-effective installation.Comments in praise of the installation include: 'With the SS400 under, it feels way nicer than most wood floors I walk on' and the owner of the building said, 'We are loving the floor.... everyone comments on the floor when they walk in.'In addition, the underlay provides high quality comfort, stability and performance.The SS400 was loose laid to the subfloor with the 1/2" engineered wood flooring floated above. The tongue and groove joints were bonded using a PVA adhesive.Features of Soundsure 400:Environmentally Friendly - manufactured using recycled rubber crumb.Durable - provides long-lasting performance and will not deteriorate or collapse over time.High Performing - ideally suited for use with wood flooring and laminates, providing excellent impact performance in excess of the UK building regulations.Hygenic - naturally anti-microbial, anti-allergy and resistant to decay with low VOCs.Benefits of Soundsure 400:Exceeds the performance standards required in the Building Regulations for sound insulation.Suitable for use with underfloor heating systems.Manufactured using recycled rubber materials and fully recyclable.Recycled rubber crumb ensure long-lasting acoustic performance.Cushioned underlay to provide underfoot comfort.Will not deteriorate or collapse over time.Reduces subfloor preparation times as screed and smoothing compounds are not required.Green Label Plus accredited for indoor air quality and low VOC emissions.

Verdo, Kew BridgeEcoWorld BrentfordCemfloor Level PlusA luxury development of apartments, shops, restaurants, parks and offices situated next to Brentford Football Club in West London.Cemfloor Level Plus was chosen for this project as the contractor required a screed that could be installed at low thicknesses. Cemfloor Level Plus was supplied by Capital Concrete and installed by Advance Screeding UK ltdClose to the River Thames, and next to Brentford football club in West London, Kew Bridge is a selection of beautiful new homes, as well as shops, cafes and restaurants. It is part of the wider Brentford regeneration project, and developed by EcoWorld.There are a total of 6 blocks on the site, and Cemfloor was the screed of choice for the main contractor.The main contractor had problems with the floor levels on site, so Cemfloor provided a thin screed system to work alongside the unique low profile UFH system; a castellated mat system installed onto Superfoil insulation. The UFH system was supplied by Compact Underfloor Heating. The complete floor build was only 45mm in depth and included acoustic insulation, thermal insulation, castellated UFHsystem, and Cemfloor Level Plus.Advanced Screeding installed Cemfloor Level Plus throughout the development. In total 800m3 of screed was easily pumped to height, over 11 floors without issue,providing an excellent, fast drying low profile floor, and saving significant time on the project.As Cemfloor Level Plus is a ready mixed solution it removed the need for any site mixing, material storage and material disposal from the site. Given the volume of screed required; if a self leveling compound product was used this would have equated to approx. 55,000 x 25kg bags of material having to be mixed on site.

A new family-run hotel in Iceland’s Haukadalur Valley was designed to sit seamlessly within the extraordinary surrounding landscape. Hotel Geysir operates under carefully considered environmental objectives, including resource management, reduction of waste, increased recycling, and selecting products and services with a low environmental impact. Our popular Twin Herringbone flooring in Black Oak forms the perfect backdrop to the interior, which is as dramatic as the natural landscape surrounding the hotel. All rooms and suites have large windows to make the stunning scenery the main feature throughout the hotel. The building was designed by architect Brynhildur Sólveigardóttir, and interior design by Leifur Welding. Made from Junckers’ classic two-stave flooring, each floorboard consists of two rows of staves, one full-length and one with two half-length staves. This gives Twin Herringbone an authentic pattern and elegant. Delivered with a hardwearing factory finished surface ready to walk on as soon as it is installed, a Twin Herringbone floor has the advantage of saving on costly and time-consuming installation work as the floor does not have to be sanded, filled, and treated after installation. A pre-finished floor is far superior in terms of durability with optimal wear resistance and a uniform appearance. It also has a significantly shorter installation time compared to an unfinished floor, with minimal inconvenience. Each Twin Herringbone stave measures 129mm wide x 516.6mm long x 14 or 22mm thick. II is ideal for use in all rooms of the house except bathrooms and can be used with all major underfloor heating systems. Twin Herringbone feels warm and solid underfoot, the perfect backdrop to a luxurious hotel. 

Networked heat pumps in a new build development at the York Way EstateGround source heat pumps from Kensa are cutting costs and carbon at a development of 91 high-quality social rent new homes at the City of London Corporation’s York Way Estate in the London Borough of Islington. The environmentally-friendly newbuild scheme is supporting the City Corporation’s Climate Action Strategy.Key Facts91 new homes in 4 blocks, all for social rentRanging in size from studio apartments to four-bedroom homesFour-star Home Quality Mark in line with LETI design guidance - https://www.leti.uk/cedgAnnual heat demand 215,563 kWhMixture of 63 x 3kW and 28 x 6kW Kensa Shoebox heat pumpsProviding heating, hot water and passive cooling31 x boreholes with an average depth of 145m184.83g NOx saved per year

For many, living in a glorious rural location in a contemporary, minimalist home is the dream. The clean lines, open plan spaces and large expanses of glass to let the outside views and natural light flood in. Danny Reilly, his wife and their children were able to make that dream a reality.Easy on the eye but hard on the earHowever, polished concrete floors, stone kitchen surfaces, floor to ceiling glass and other hard materials, reverberate sound. Add lively children to the mix and the unwanted noise was spoiling the family’s enjoyment of contemporary living.Soft furnishings like cushions, rugs and carpets can help deaden sound to a limited extent but were not what the family wanted. Fortunately, Danny is the Manging Director of market leading Reilly Ceilings and knew exactly what do to get the acoustics in the family home under control.Luckily Danny knew what he had to doDanny Reilly, “As soon as we moved in, we discovered the noise was unbearable – not all of it made by my precious children – and immediately set about retro-fitting Rockfon® Mono® Acoustic.”Mono Acoustic is a discreet, seamless acoustic ceiling which suited the minimalist aesthetic of this family’s home. Its seamless surface looks like plasterboard but has built-in Class A sound absorption to prevent unwanted noise. The installation in this project was a straightforward two stage process: stone wall panels were directly fixed to the existing plasterboard ceiling followed by a smooth acoustic render sprayed onto the panel surface, ready for decoration. Industry recognition and accreditationsRockfon Specification Manager, Deirdre Mulvaney, “Happily for the Reilly family, Danny had the knowledge to solve poor acoustics in this open plan environment. Mono Acoustic is used in high end restaurants, offices and other spaces to provide amazing acoustic control and is a practical solution for the residential sector, too. It has Quiet Mark accreditation which consumers might recognise as attributed to low-noise electrical appliances including some brands of washing machine and kettle. It is also Bronze level Cradle to Cradle Certified® and can contribute to LEED, BREAM and WELL Building Standards.”A versatile seamless acoustic product Mono can be used on ceilings, walls or to create bespoke islands. It can be curved, easily transitioned into plasterboard or integrated into existing mouldings. The system achieves Class A sound absorption and Class A2 fire protection whilst delivering greater than 99% light diffusion.In common with other Rockfon acoustic systems, Mono is made with a core of naturally occurring, non-hygroscopic stone wool, which is virtually non-combustible and provides no sustenance to harmful micro-organisms. It also embodies high humidity resistance and is impervious to most environmental pressures. Danny again, “Using Rockfon Mono, we were able to keep the minimalist features of the house and the results in terms of sound reverberation are unbelievable. We have another two children now and I honestly think that might not be the case if we hadn't sorted out the unwanted noise!”    

Installation of our MG500 flush glazed sliding folding door system to create an L shaped flexible space over looking London. Panel Profiles powder coated white to match the interior design for the client, with the panel profiles being able to be powder coated to any RAL finish this system is a great option to blend in to any office design. Particularly desirable for office spaces, our MG500 hinged sliding folding glazed wall partitions and glass movable walls offer multiple benefits to your workspace and for your employees. The benefit of the MG500 is that we require no structural support within the ceiling meaning this product can be installed anywhere. With the slim back painted border you have clear view visual lines allowing a superior light flow around the office, cost-effective installation, flexibility in the work environment as well as the simple fact that they look elegant and classy. Not only these, but they also offer exceptional sound reduction allowing for privacy to be had amongst clients or for important internal meetings. The hidden hinges allows us to create a smooth Wall, with no interferences. We worked to achieve a high aesthetic level and produce a architectural product for demanding spaces.

A Grant Solar Thermal system has been installed at a five-bedroom property with gas central heating, helping the family to not only significantly reduce their carbon footprint but also lower their monthly heating bills.

At the end of 2021 we were approached by a couple looking to build their dream retirement home in Braemar.The client's wished to maximise the main aspect to the West, within the tight width of the site, by creating a double height living room with a glazed gable.The final design consisted of a one-and-a-half story dwelling. The client's also chose to install a Mechanical Ventilation & Heat Recovery and Air Source Heat Pump system, with heating supplemented by a feature wood burning stove.

Renowned for its colourful, bold designs, JA!COCO! has transformed Beer52’s Edinburgh office into a glorious dynamic, flexible and bold space, highlighting the beauty of the Georgian townhouse it is situated in, whilst embodying the brand’s strong identity.As the world’s biggest beer subscription service, Beer52 wanted an office space that was colourful and playful – the crazier JA!COCO! went, the better! Taking inspiration from Roald Dahl and David Lynch, the office space now boasts grand, arched-entrance swing doors, beer taps on receptions and floor-to-ceiling custom window blinds – to name just a few. On the first floor, an eclectic zig zag flooring design has also been created, using Forbo’s Flotex Colour range in the Melon (a burned orange shade) and Crystal (a heather-like hue) colourways. In fact, the colourways influenced the colour scheme for the office space, with similar shades adorning the walls, ceilings and swing doors.JA!COCO! also chose to install Forbo’s Allura Click LVT planks in the Blond Timber colourway throughout the hallway and kitchen spaces, to complement the more ‘stripped back’ décor, which has an almost bar-like atmosphere.

SAS International delivered unrivalled metal ceiling solutions for a stunning refurbishment to The Atrium Building, Sandyford. SAS was selected for its unique SAS740i linear ceiling solution with integrated lighting. This ceiling design, characterised by floating rafts, influenced the entire atrium design. Specified in a contemporary grey, SAS740i rafts were suspended 20m below the glass atrium room through a stainless-steel cable system. Black SAS130 Mesh tiles were also installed to contribute to the industrial architecture. Completed in November 2018, SAS designed and delivered timeless metal ceiling solutions that will bring the building well into the next phase of its lifetime.

PROJECT OVERVIEWThe project comprised the design, manufacture, supply and installation of a new 8000m2 footprint of a highly specified Packing Facility. The brief was to provide nine GMP Grade D packing cells, each of which required strict temperature, humidity and pressure control to enable primary packing of pharmaceuticals in a clean environment with no risk of contamination. Each of these Primary Packing cells connects to a common, secondary packing area. OUR SCOPE OF WORK To meet the project specification and environmental requirements, Norwood proposed our 100mm Mediline Partition. Following a rigorous selection process, our solution was a preferred option over four alternative systems. Working closely with the client’s team and the main contractor, we designed and developed bespoke solutions such as Flush Coving, Fire Rated Vision Panels, Bulkheads and Half Height partitioning. Cleanability has been ensured through the hygienic finish of the partition panels and, in particular, by incorporating recessed radiused coving at ceiling to wall joints providing a smooth clean finish throughout the room. Our innovative acoustic ceiling combines hygienic, wipeable, sound absorbing materials and cleanroom grade panels which not only reduce environmental noise levels but also provide cleanable airtight surfaces. Within the open plan secondary area, partial height glazed partitioning was employed. The facility was built with future adaptability in mind and the possibility of increasing the cleanrooms to Grade C, therefore the Norwood Flush Coving was utilised in the spinal corridor and primary cells. Supplying over 7000m2 of ceilings and 6000m2 of partitioning, this was one of Norwood’s largest projects, delivered to an extremely challenging programme.