"window control and sliding gear"

Set within Blythe Valley Park, the new £7.5 Million scheme involved the construction of four mixed-use, high quality apartment buildings to act as a new neighbourhood centre. A high specification glazing package for the 48 one and two-bed apartments included Senior’s thermally efficient double glazed SPW600 windows to keep energy bills low, and Secured By Design SPW600 Doors for main entrances and access to balconies, to give peace of mind.Two of the buildings have ground floor retail space with Senior’s thermally efficient SF52 aluminium curtain walling providing a modern and welcoming façade. 

The Bridle Works building is situated on Cathedral Street in Glasgow and is a 19 storey 414 bed high rise student accommodation building.The building is packed full of amazing features & facilities under Novel Student operations. The facility includes a cinema, a private dining area, gaming room, 'glam' room and on-site fully equipped gym and access to personal trainers.The external façade has been finished with a number of Aluprof products including MB-SR50N EI curtain walling, MB-86 windows and MB-78 EI fire rated glazing systems.Architect: Manson ArchitectsMain Contractor: Watkin Jones Group

Schooner Wharf is the first open market scheme to be developed by Cardiff Community Housing Association (CCHA), who were working in partnership with main contractors Morganstone. It features 32 two, three and four bedroom affordable homes, alongside a seven storey waterside apartment building/ AluK products have been installed throughout in contemporary Anthracite grey, including fully suited 58BW and 58BD windows and doors, GT55TB commercial entrance doors and SL52 curtain walling. These all met the performance specifications laid down by the architects Austin Smith Lord and had the benefit that they could provide a coherent, fully suited look.

This mixed use development on the southern fringes of the Olympic Park utilised the Nexus® system to achieve flawless brick-faced soffits to the hundreds of door and window heads. Nexus is a two-part brick soffit system that combine a high integrity stainless steel brickwork support system with custom-designed prefabricated brick faced soffit units. Being 70% lighter than traditional cast concrete solutions, the Nexus soffit system is simply lifted and bolted into position by hand and, as the brick slip facing is manufactured from the same batch as the main brickwork, presents a perfect colour and texture match for flawless transitions.

Roché’s shutters were used throughout the Big Brother house to keep unwanted visitors out and housemates in, safely.Endemol, the production company behind the Big Brother reality TV series, needed a robust physical security solution that could be linked to the building management system and wouldn’t compromise the design of the set. An added challenge was that one of the shutters needed to be especially wide, at 7.8m.Roché provided the solution, installing a number of window and garden shutters, including the i95, as well a shutter for the famous Diary Room. Apart from providing physical security, these shutters also provide heat insulation and a level of soundproofing.

Senior Architectural Systems has had a starring role in the creation of the new Arc Cinema in Daventry.The new cinema’s welcoming frontage has been created using a combination of Senior’s thermally-efficient slimline SF52 aluminium curtain wall system, alongside the company’s robust SPW501 aluminium commercial doors and stylish low U-value PURe® SLIDE doors. Designed to offer the perfect balance between daylighting and thermal comfort, Senior’s fenestration package was fabricated and installed by supply chain partners Acorn Aluminium for main contractor Willmott Dixon.The cinema has been designed by Marchini Curran Associates and the extensive use of glazing floods the main entrance, restaurant and bar areas with natural light during the day, and creates a show-stopping effect at dusk. The dark grey powder coated frames of the doors and curtain wall systems also perfectly complement the exterior façade design of grey and white cladding with feature multicoloured panels. The new Arc cinema in Daventry has been created as part of the wider £12.5m regeneration of the town centre.Senior has played significant roles in other cinema projects over the last few years, delivering the aluminium fenestration packages for the new Savoy cinema complex in Doncaster as well as completing work for the national chain Everyman.

Known as the leading financial centre in the UK and its cluster of high-rise buildings, it’s a great place to be away from the hustle and bustle but still be connected with London.The fairly low rise building is home to 174 apartments ranging from studios to penthouses, most of which come with a balcony or 2. An expansive terrace covers the roof which offers outdoor heaters, a BBQ, seating and table tennis. Other social amenities include a self service bar and private dining room available for events on the ground floor, and a screening room with a large TV giving access to Sky and BT sports, a games console, and comfy seating.At 8 Water Street, residents will feel truly connected with nature, with a private landscaped garden overlooking the south dock. Perks of residing here include free access to the Third Space health club, gym, and spa, 24/7 concierge, an app to plan and book private events or join community clubs, fully furnished apartments including 50inch TV and TV licences.We supplied a range of interior doorsets to them including concealed frame doors, concealed riser doors, and concealed sliding pocket doors. These were chosen to match with the subtle luxurious design throughout the interior with smart, classy statement pieces dotted around.A rather nice residence all round!

Completed in 2020, this residential building spans 9 storeys and a double-level basement, providing 201 luxury apartments.Located in the City of Westminster, the existing 7 storey building was completely stripped down to only the basement level, leaving existing basement walls before it was replaced with the 9 floors costing an overall of £135 million.The site is surrounded by public roads and footpaths on all four sides which created a challenge in terms of logistical access and security for the project. Because of these boundary restraints, Panthera Group designed a narrower concrete block supported hoarding system. The completed building includes private spa, lounge, fitness and amenity centre.To resolve the public access problem, 48 Carey Street has dedicated one of the basements to an underground car park and it can be accessed through the main entrance on Carey Street, or another entrance on Portugal Street.Selo provided wallpaper riser door systems in the main corridors, which were specifically tested for the project. The advantage of the wallpaper is that the riser doors then seamlessly blend in with the surrounding design and the eye is drawn to the front door of the apartment, rather than what would have been an unsightly riser door. Inside the apartments, the interior design is modern with some traditional features such as paneling in which we were glad to support the architect by providing bespoke sliding pocket doors to compliment the design, with their panelled leafs.

A new state-of-the-art research and treatment facilityFunded by the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, this new centre was designed with the patient at heart, looks to enhance the treatment experience, help earlier diagnosis and improve and develop new cancer treatments.Project Year: 2022Product: ASSA ABLOY UniTurn – West EntranceProduct: ASSA ABLOY RD3 – North EntranceArchitect: BDPProject Background:  Having been approached by Architect BDP in 2019, we started looking at this new modern building with inclusive design and user comfort as a priority. As a healthcare facility with vulnerable users, the specification called for revolving doors with maximum compartment space, without compromising on aspects such as durability, weather tightness and air permeability to support efficiency.Solution:  Our specification advisers put forward our 2-Wing UniTurn revolving door for the main entrance, which at 3.6m diameter and including centre sliding doors with emergency break out, was the best high capacity option to meet the entrance demands of space where wellbeing and comfort are paramount. For the North entrance, the solution provided was the equally safe but compact fully automated RD3 3-wing revolving door with night closing doors, both of which were equipped with air curtains as well as the durable COBA Plan.a Entrance Matting.For more information or assistance with any project, please contact enquiries.esuk@faactechnologies.com where we can provide expert guidance and detailed documentation.

Rutherford House is an imposing 58,000 sq ft office building located within the heart of Birchwood Park, Warrington, providing superior office space to rent for small, medium and large businesses employing up to 100 people. Consisting of two wings of three and five floors, the building has excellent natural lighting and is conveniently located for travel across the region. Recently refurbished to a high standard, the office complex now boasts a full-height glass atrium and spacious reception area. To achieve this record was chosen to remove the existing bi-parting sliding doors and replace them with a K32 Full Glass Revolving Door, pass door with a DFA 127 Swing Operator, full screen and linear framework.The K32 Full Glass Revolving Door, with the drive motor under the floor, provides a striking and welcoming entrance that complements the surrounding glass facade and allows natural light to flood into the building. With large, spacious compartments, the K31 can accommodate the constant flow of building occupants, ensuring they can safely and comfortably enter and exit the building at all times, whilst maintaining an airlock into the reception to create an ambient temperature and help reduce heating costs.To complement the record K32, a pass door with a record DFA 127 Swing Operator, which is silent in operation, has been installed to enable a wider opening, for wheelchair users and deliveries of large bulky items as and when required.

Project DetailProject: The Library of BirminghamLocation: Birmingham, UKProduct: TS.9205 DABC High usage architectural door closerProject DescriptionThe Library of Birmingham was prime location to enhance the centre stage of Centenary Square on Broad Street. Surrounded by some modern and some authentic buildings they designed and built a building to remember, a building with purpose and need with over one million books, a building that provides a resting and learning ground for all ages and all walks of life.The library reverbs with space for all and endless supply of modern and old, lighting and architecture that is out of this world and a variety of door sizes tall and small that comes as a challenge for any manufacturer.  A Rutland architectural slide arm door closer of well proved engineering was used to bring the building together, ease the door action and blend into the surrounds. The TS 9205 door closer with its varying power and high efficiency catches the moment in its Satin finish. The TS 9205 architectural door closer was chosen for the new building fit out with in the many and vast places of the centre because of:High efficiency and ease of operation which matched the varying ages of the persons using the centreVariable power size to help ease the speed of fitting and adjusting.35 year guaranteeMatching the aesthetic finish and design for the modern building.

Luxury coastal apartments able to withstand the elements with Sika roofing system. Owing to its beautiful coastal location, The Liner, a nautical-inspired £35 m residential new-build in Falmouth, presented a compelling roofing challenge. Exeter-based roofing contractor, Progressive Systems, assisted by Sika, took on the task, installing a roof to withstand the harsh seaside conditions with an immaculate finish.Green roof composed of:Sika® Sarnafil® G410 18EL PVC Single Ply Waterproofing Membrane.Sarnavap® 5000E SA Vapour Control Layer.Sarnafil® Primer 610.Sarnatherm® ‘G’ insulation.Sikalastic® 625.Sarnafil® G445-13 PVC Protection Sheet.Sika® Green Roof System.

The Stage is a prestigious, high-rise, mixed-use development in the bustling heart of Shoreditch on the site where the Curtain Theatre stood between 1577 and 1624. Considered to be one of the longest-standing Shakespearean playhouses, the historical remains will form the backdrop of a magnificent collection of residential, commercial and entertainment space, along with public parks, bars and restaurants.Galliard Homes are delivering the scheme and have appointed CJ O’Shea as the main contractor.They selected a black colour palette for the bathrooms which demanded a bold, contemporary design. Towelrads worked to the exact specification requirements supplying the Kensington model with a bold, square bar design in black finish.The radiators have been installed as electric-only towel warmers with SMART thermostatic heating elements in matching black controls, which enables temperature adjustment and a boosted power mode.

DescriptionSMET One Coat Projection Plaster HC 9-20mm Hard Coat Gypsum Plaster is a factory-produced Hard Coat One Coat Gypsum Plaster designed for machine application produced to EN 13279-1. Manufactured from a controlled blend of selected gypsum and other components to give a high-quality, high-strength plastering product suitable for use in internal plastering.The unique properties of this render make it suitable for application on low, medium, and high-density blockwork substrates.Benefits of SMET One Coat Projection PlasterOne coat machine applicationHigh strengthPerfect workabilityPerfect smooth finish in one coatHigh whiteness indexSustainableApplication up to 20mm in one passDIN EN 13279-1, B1

The Ascent stair unit - Industrial stair system was specified to create a safe means of access over roof mounted mechanical and electrical plant and equipment. The roof area is tightly packed with Air conditioning plant creating a unique challenge to design a safe means of access across it. The Ascent step over / stair unit is able to accommodate spans up to 4.5m and was able to be utilised to create a safe access route. The step over unit is supported on rubber spreader feet which provide a non-penetrative support solution on the flat single ply membrane roof. The stair unit is designed in accordance with BS EN ISO 14122-1:2001 + A1:2010 and Building Reg Part K:2013 and manufactured following 1090 factory production control procedures.

In partnership with Axis Architecture, we supported the creation of a new space for a financial services firm in Grosvenor House in Solihull.Designers, Axis Architecture/ Installation Contractors,John Atkinson Interiors Axis Architecture designed this clever break out area which used the Freestyle as bespoke cut baffles in on the ceiling and The 3D Wave and Tetris in the meeting rooms.The brief was to create a brand new high specification dining and refreshment area sitting within the buildings canteen area in order to create the right ambience, vibrancy and atmosphere Soundtect were chosen for their innovative acoustic paneling. Soundtect acoustic panels were chosen effectively control sound break out as well as add vibrancy to the space by co-ordinating with the rest of the fit out and client branding.

Alder Castle has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment, to provide 30,850 sq ft of high quality Grade A office space to the City of London. With its striking views across to St Paul’s Cathedral and great transport links, Alder Castle is a standout office development.The building is approached via the refurbished link bridge to a double height reception with glass façade which is a key focal point of the redevelopment that gives occupants and visitors a stunning welcome. As well as providing high quality office space, the building offers terraces on the third and fifth floors and green spaces for staff to relax and admire the views across the city. A bespoke light feature with bronze panelling creates a stunning reception entrance for which a modern and innovative entrance control solution was required.

Hush Acoustics provided an acoustic treatment for the floors within the visitor centre of the first sake brewery in the UK, Dojima Sake Brewery. The client was concerned the excessive impact noise from busy areas would transmit through the floors and affect other spaces. The solution was to develop a floating floor design involving Hush Panel 28.Hush Panel 28 was specified for use within the visitor centre to provide an acoustic overlay floor treatment for the café area, which is above the main visitor centre, to help control impact noise from the busy environment.The specification was developed in conjunction with Alinda Barua from SCABAL Architects (Studio Cullinan and Buck Architects Ltd), which represented an excellent collaboration to arrive at the required acoustic improvements.

Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades is a premier independent school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove in the south of Florida. The institution combines rigorous college preparation with a long tradition of experiential learning and a commitment to educated graduates to leave the world better than they found it.As part of the mission, Ransom Everglades has made a concerted effort to promote environmental sustainability by continually seeking out opportunities for energy conservation measures across its facilities. Over the years, the school has worked closely with its controls contractor, Smart Building Solutions (SBS), to update aging systems and deploy cutting-edge solutions to improve energy efficiency. One technology that played a critical role in its most recent capital project was the Belimo Energy Valve.

The Natural History Museum is protected by a network of cutting edge MxPro 5 fire panels from Advanced.Established in 1881 and renowned for its collections of life and earth specimens, London’s Natural History Museum is widely recognised as the pre-eminent centre for natural history and related research. The Museum is the third most popular in the United Kingdom and its irreplaceable 80 million strong collection is of global importance and includes numerous specimens collected by Charles Darwin.At the heart of the active fire protection for the Museum is a network of 24 MxPro 5, intelligent, multiprotocol panels, plus remote control terminals, BMS interface and a bespoke PC based graphical user interface. The network was designed, configured and commissioned by Pacific Security Systems, a long-time partner of Advanced.

Rising 143 metres in the London skyline, this 42-storey tower located in Stratford near to the former Olympic park, consists of 248 luxury residential lofts and a 145-bedroom hotel.Designed by high-rise specialist architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, over 17,000m2 of ipasol Light Grey 60/33 glazing was chosen for the facade thanks to its aesthetic of a light grey tint when viewed from outside but highly transparent and neutral when viewed from interior spaces.As the facade includes full height glazing, a combination of solar control and thermal insulation coated glass was needed to allow the facade to achieve its energy efficiency targets. Some glazing types also utilise acoustic laminated glass to maximise the sound reduction properties of double glazing units.

Manchester Airport Group (MAG) is a leading UK airport group that owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports, together with a significant property business.In 2011 they began a project of upgrading their entire airport perimeter security fencing and gates to cope with an increase in passengers and estate traffic.The BriefSecurity was paramount when it came to the brief for a new perimeter fence line and physical access control. There are a number of features that have not been included in this case study for security reasons.The fence had to have the ability to be erected in a variety of ways, including on concrete, dug in, base plated and ground buriedSecurity Toppings were requiredStrong anti-cut wires on any meshAnti-climb properties to prevent scalingCost effective due to the size of the fence line

With the ability to power over 590,000 UK homes from a total capacity of 660 mw, Walney Extension is set to be the biggest offshore wind farm in the world when it is commissioned at the end of 2018.The project is 100% owned by Ørsted and required a new cable corridor to be installed to its Electrical Substation near Heysham.The BriefProtecting Critical National Infrastructure in the Utilities Industry presents a number of challenges that had to be overcome.External Perimeter to offer guaranteed delay against attackAll fencing to be earthed or offer non conductive featuresInternal Fencing to include multiple systems including Rigid Mesh and GRP in same fence lineExternal Perimeter and Physical Access Control to be compatible with power fencing (electric fencing) to meet security requirementsInternal Fencing to be base plated

800 square meters of Black Webnet creating an innovative Webnet Green Wall ,providing shade and year-round temperature control for this contemporary office building.The innovative design features our Webnet stainless steel mesh system suspended from roof supports to create a strong, secure and long-life structure for plants to climb up. Planters at first floor level encircle the building to provide low level greening, as well as a base for the climbers.Bringing nature to this urban landscape, the green wall not only makes the office look spectacular, but also provides a habitat for wildlife and significantly improves the building’s carbon footprint. The shade and evaporative cooling of the plants also help to cool the building in summer and insulate it in winter, helping to improve thermal efficiency and save energy costs.

ASF have supplied this area with 100% recycled cast iron post and rail for many years. From the historically popular 2 rail ASF 107, which is essentially as adaption of the ASF 107 bollard also used in the area, to bespoke post and chain, access control, and for Temple Quays a taller, bespoke 3 Rail version.100% UK manufacture in 100% recycled cast iron giving an almost everlasting product (expected lifespan of iron, even when uncoated, is in excess of 100 years in normal use), this product offers both a stylish and highly practical solution. The flexibility of the product and it's versions offered by ASF means that moving forward we can meet the needs of future developments, irrespective of and minor or major design amendments.

The Lindner Group took on a key role in the construction of the MOL Campus. Around 33,000 m² of the FLOOR and more® G40 hollow floor was installed in the high-rise building. The entire system complies with the REI 60 fire protection requirements and can therefore withstand a potential fire for a full 60 minutes, which makes a huge difference in an emergency. In addition, Lindner installed around 1,200 m² of NORTEC control room systems for the server rooms. The implementation of the project required extremely precise coordination on site, especially in close cooperation with electricians and other trades. In addition, there was a particularly tight schedule: At times, up to 2,500 m² of floor were delivered per week. However, with excellent teamwork, these challenges were quickly overcome and the project was completed within a very short time.

Custom 3D Gustafs walls were designed and created especially for the Weir Group HQ at 1 West Regent Street in Glasgow.The two 35m long feature walls on both the 9th and 10th floors of the building are constructed of bespoke 3D facetted panels with integrated doorways, seating, and a reception desk.Gustafs panels were specified for their A2-s1,d0 resistance to fire, retaining their structure and producing minimal smoke and spread of flame. Gustafs' 100 year history of carpentry and working with wood enabled them to create the 3D wall to the exact specifications of the architect to be installed perfectly by Giotto.LSA Projects also supplied standard flat acoustic ceiling panels and linear ribs to the scheme to give acoustic control in the open plan meeting room area.

The high-performing FirePro fire rated system — fully developed by Radii’s in-house product development Centre for Excellence — was a key feature in the fit-out for global asset managers Blackstone in London’s Berkeley Square.Working on Level 3 of the building, fire rated solutions comprised FirePro Ei30 glazed fire screens, five FirePro Ei30 single doors and double door sets respectively, and three Firepro Ei60 double door sets. Fire doors were installed with power-assisted openers.Furthermore, our high acoustic performance Linear 50 Plus single glazed partitions (up to Rw 41 dB) and a single glazed Hogan lobby double door set with access control completed the glazed partition package.

We've met Nick & Vicky Architects at Holloway & Holloway, when they’d just finished their rear and side extension. As their family is now bigger, they decided to create a brand new loft extension.You’ve just finished remodelling your home. Congratulations! Tell us what was the timeline from buying the house to now?Well, it’s been quite the journey! We bought the house over 4 years ago now. We always bought it as a project, so we knew that it was going to be something that would take a number of years to complete.The house needed a lot of work from day 1. In fact, I have a photo, taken at 9 am the morning after we moved in with my wife sledgehammer in hand, knocking a wall down. I quit work shortly after we moved in and I spent the next few months working on the house, mostly getting the first floor fit for us to live in, but also fixing the kitchen and other areas.We basically took the first floor back to brick work and joists. We fitted new plumbing and electrics, installed a new bathroom, new floors and so on. I managed to get a new kitchen from free-cycle which so we could replace our one, which wasn’t really in a working state.Once that was done, we had a home that we could live in and work from and that was around the time that we started our practice, Holloway and Holloway.As we got busier with work, we started to get a bit more hands off with the actual building work and allow people who were more qualified than I was to start helping us out, and we focused more on the design work.The next stage was the side and rear extension which we did a couple of years later, finishing in early 2021. The idea being that we would have a nice entertaining space for us to spend time in with friends and family before we had children! A couple of weeks after we finished, Covid hit, and that dream didn’t become a reality. It was amazing to have a really lovely space for us to spend lockdown in though.The loft conversion was timed with us wanting to start a family. When Vicky fell pregnant, we started more serious arrangements to start this final stage of the works. It was finished (or mostly finished at least) the same week that our son was born, so we did manage to come home to a quiet house at least.Why did you choose to do the renovation in staged phases?It was mostly to do with money really. There were certain elements that we needed to do straight away to live comfortably in the property, but after we were settled, it was a question of saving up to be able to do the works. As we weren’t in need of extra bedrooms at the time, it seemed that we would get more immediate benefit out of the works to the ground floor so that is why we started there.Even if there wasn’t a need to save up we would likely have tried to do the work in phases so that we could stay in the house during the works. Moving out adds even more to the cost of the works, and as it was just us two in the house at the time, it was easy enough for us to adapt to moving around the house and living through the noise and dust of building works. It would have been a very different story with little ones to take care of as well.Why did you choose to add a loft extension to your home? And what are the most important things to keep in mind when designing a loft extension?For us we needed to build the loft extension to move our office space to the top of the house so that we had somewhere quiet to work. But regardless of our working situation, it is a great thing to do to maximise the space in your home.Converting a loft space or adding a dormer extension, is generally the most cost-effective way to add space to your home, especially in tight urban settings. For us, we were able to add two bedrooms and a bathroom to our home, which is vital for our growing family to expand into. By doing this work, it extends the life of our home for us, now we have a great sized family home, where otherwise we would likely have had to move in the future to get extra space as our family grows.We’ve designed and built lots of loft extensions as architects, so it was really interesting for us to try and take out what we thought were the most important lessons from the experiences we have had and put them all into our own project.Firstly, it is worth noting that our council will override planning policy in some circumstances, in favour of good design, so by using high quality materials, in our case the dark metal cladding, we were able to get permission for a larger extension than would have been allowable otherwise. So, though the cladding material was more expensive, we gained more space, and hence more saleable floor area.The next was insulation, this was a gamble for us as we know the theory about its benefits, but when you are having to balance costs on your building project it seems an easy place to cut back on and save money.Building regulations require a certain level of insulation, but you can go far beyond this, and more insulation means that your home will take on less heat in summer, keeping it cooler, and will let out less heat in winter, keeping it warmer. We decided to go well above the basic requirements, and we have found that just as the theory states, our loft is a much more comfortable space throughout the year than our neighbours, which we know gets uncomfortably hot in summer, to the extent that they struggle to work in the loft in mid-summer.The last lesson would be good ventilation. Though the additional insulation helps keep temperatures steady, when temperatures soar in the UK, it can still get very hot in your loft. This is compounded by the fact that all the warm air in your home will rise up to the top of the house. Adding an openable rooflight over the stairs is an incredible tool for thermally controlling your entire home. Opening it acts as a chimney letting all of the hot air out of the roof and pulling new fresh cooler air in at low level, creating a really nice through breeze in the home. The added benefit is that you also get loads of natural light over the stairs, which trickles down all the way to the ground floor.You’ve chosen to introduce both Vario by VELUX bespoke rooflights, regular VELUX windows, and VELUX curved glass rooflights. Why?There is method to the madness. Over the stairs, we wanted to have a rooflight that was sized to evenly fit the shape of the room, with an even offset from all the walls, so for that we needed the bespoke sizing of a Vario by VELUX flat rooflight.For the bedroom, we wanted to have some light come in from above, and although it would have been visually amazing to have a large rooflight here, we felt the VELUX Curved Glass roof window was more appropriate, as it had integrated blinds that would easily make the window blackout at the touch of a button, which Vario be VELUX will start offering as of December 2021.The VELUX windows are necessary to get light in from the front façade of the property via the pitched roof. These were the only way we could get light into the bathroom, and for our office, it enables the room to be dual aspect, which gives constant direct daylight and also fantastic through ventilation.We love the new studio roof window that VELUX has launched recently, but I just love the way the top hung light open, I think it looks so impressive. Also, as I’m fairly tall, the Top hung windows are great as I can walk underneath them when they are open easily. What impact do the rooflights and roof windows have on your everyday life at home and especially in relation to the thing you do at home?To be honest, we worked from home pre-pandemic, and so we spent a lot of time in our home even before the lockdowns came along and working practices began to change. We are firm believers that you need to make your home work for you rather than be set up for others and that really came to the forefront over the pandemic to a lot of our client’s minds, as they were suddenly not hosting people as much or at all and they had less spaces in the wider world they were able to visit. So, they started to think more about how their home could meet all of their needs.In practice, this could be as simple as putting a sofa bed into the spare room instead of a fixed bed that limits the space and is only used infrequently. This then allows you to turn the rest of the space into an arts and crafts room, or a cinema room for family movie nights. It's about trying to get the most use out of the space that you have.As far as the rooflights go, I’ve already mentioned the practical benefits of ventilation and natural light, but in many ways, I suppose the biggest impact they have is how they change spaces from what could be quite standard spaces into light, bright, modern spaces, they make you feel like you’re living in some sort of architectural magazine, and it is a lovely feeling that doesn’t really dampen over time.  

A few kilometres from Copenhagen, where history blends with modernity generating new currents and trends in total respect of the environment, Atlas Concorde’s green philosophy fully satisfies the requirements of a private villa in Karlslunde, with a strong contemporary style.The large windows that overlook the outdoor green area illuminate the minimal geometries of the structure, enhancing the elegance of Trust in Silver colour; its texture, inspired by quartzite and Luserna Stone, is particularly suitable to celebrate the design potential of this house. The seamless flooring obtained with 60x60 cm format tiles, alternates with the matching 30x30 cm mosaic that characterises the counter and the scenographic walls, enhancing the clean and rigorous lines of the spaces.

The extended structure of the Isaac Newton Building in Lincoln houses the Schools of Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics which offer unrivalled scientific and engineering facilities for students. This includes new seminar rooms and computer labs in addition to state-of-the-art technology and research rooms, complete with a semi-anechoic chamber.Playing a significant role in creating the curved appearance of the building was our visible grid aluminium curtain walling. This durable and versatile system can be applied to flat or faceted facades and is available in a choice of glazing gaskets and larger glass sizes. Aluminium windows were also installed throughout the building for modern design and complete weather protection.

The new Brookfield Business School 7-acre Campus brings together a sympathetically restored, 19th century mansion with a new three-storey three-gabled, copper clad extension and elliptical lecture theatre. Senior’s slim profile SF52 thermally enhanced curtain walling and SPW600 Windows were used throughout the extension to create a comfortable, light and airy environment. For the main entrances, Senior’s robust SPW501 Commercial Doors provide both security and longevity for these high traffic areas. This was a complex project which required precision, close co-operation between all sub-contractors and 3D BIM modelling to ensure co-ordination of all the elements involved.

Woodcote House is the contemporary, carefully designed and sustainable replacement for what was previously a series of buildings that had fallen into disrepair amongst the beautiful scenery provided by the South Downs National Park.Designed by Design Engine and Paul Cashin Architects, Woodcote House consists of four large bedrooms, an open plan living, dining and kitchen area and fitted with bespoke joinery the interior is flooded with natural light. Huge windows that allow for picturesque scenes to filter into the internal spaces.Freshfield Lane’s First Quality Multi were used to provide a homage to the original brick buildings that sat on the site prior to development, as well as allowing the structure to impact the environment minimally.

Here's how Freedom has transformed Izzy's living space -Why Freedom?Freedom embraces unique features to support independent living scenarios and offers the latest kitchen trends so there’s no need to compromise on style. Key components of safety, style, storage and smart flexibility at the core of the Freedom brand, make it ideal for multi-generational living, including mobility requirements.Meet Izzy Izzy Hussain, is a full-time wheelchair user, who lives in Milton Keynes. Izzy’s new kitchen allows her to host friends and family with ease.  “I now have the freedom to cook what I want, when I want and this new style of kitchen allows me to be independent and spontaneous, which is really important for me.”Izzy’s previous kitchen wasn’t accessible. Izzy reverted to using a camping hot plate and an MDF worktop just so she had the ability to cook.Following Izzy’s spinal injury, Occupational Therapist Zoe Paye provided necessary support and helped oversee the design process and renovation of Izzy’s bungalow. Zoe recommended Adam Thomas, leading accessible design consultant and Tara Neil Kitchen Retailer to offer a tailored design service, including delivery and installation. Izzy’s Kitchen DesignAs part of an early design consultation, a few features were agreed:An Island on two levels with fixed height prep space and induction hob so Izzy can cook and entertain guests at the same time.A pull-out table, doubling up as a place to safely transfer dishes to the island and as additional preparation space.A pantry/tall larder with pull-out drawers providing easy and quick access to dried food and tins.Additional design features:A drinks cabinet as entertaining is a big part of Izzy’s life allowing her to host friends and family with ease. A NEFF Slide&Hide® oven, including heat proof resting shelf which Izzy wanted following good reviews on a Facebook spinal group. Essential storage such as pull down i-move baskets and pull-out pan drawers provide easy access to everyday items, helping Izzy to be independent. A push to open slimline NEFF dishwasher for ease of accessing crockery and kitchen utensils and a hot tap which eliminates the back and forth of filling up a kettle. Finally, a well-equipped utility room incorporating a sink to wash and groom her dogs as well as a handy pull-out dog treat drawer were a must-have for Izzy. Products featured: Freedom Alta Kitchen in gloss pure white with chrome handles. A statement worktop made from Quartzite in aurora pink.Appliances: sink with drainer, integrated hide and slide ovens and induction hob, hot tap, integrated fridge-freezer, slimline dishwasher, feature lighting and flip sockets.The Freedom brand is designed in collaboration with the Adam Thomas Consultancy. Adam is an accessible design consultant and industry expert with over 40 years’ experience. Freedom is available from selected retail partners around the UK.

The new £100m Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot, Berkshire has been designed by leading architects BDP to put the wellbeing of patients and staff at its heart. The new state of the art building comprises a multitude of resources, from treatment rooms to operating theatres, day and out-patient facilities and specialist x-ray, MRI and radiology services. The overall design of the hospital has been greatly influenced by the woodland that surrounds it, with our aluminium fenestration systems framing the expansive views and maximising the use of natural light.The ’open’ design of the building has been created using our slimline SF52 aluminium curtain wall system, with the ground floor areas benefitting from our robust SFG shop front glazing system and integrated SD commercial doors. To provide safe and secure access, our SPW501 aluminium commercial doors were chosen for the main access points and our thermally efficient SPW600 aluminium windows were used throughout. All our aluminium fenestration products were expertly fabricated and installed by our supply chain partner Soundcraft for main contractor Kier.The use of our energy-efficient aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling complements the new hospital’s other sustainable design features which include photovoltaic solar panels and a green nature roof to manage rainwater absorption. Our technical team and locally based architectural advisor were also on hand to provide specification support and guidance, including help with U-value calculations and Part L compliance.The new-build hospital replaces the older dilapidated building that will be demolished to make way for a new housing development.

Just a stone’s throw from Baden-Baden’s famous festival hall, a trendy and exclusive hotel has opened its doors in the name of Hotel Roomers. The hotel’s rooftop bar is a stand-out feature. Its lightweight steel canopy connects to the main concrete structure with Schöck Isokorb® type KS elements to minimize thermal bridging in the construction. And when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, the stairwells are fitted with Schöck Tronsole® to stop impact sound transmissions and ensure a restful stay. The building itself is a hotel, medical centre and apartment block all in one, and its radiant white facade complete with full-height windows creates a striking effect. But the real highlight is how the facade changes its appearance depending on the guests decision to shut out the light in their rooms using the integrated window shading systems. It is not just the facade design that makes this hotel so special, but also its energy concept, which is testament to its ambitious efficiency targets. A crucial component of this concept involved minimising thermal bridges, which were a concern in the hotel’s landmark cantilevered entrance canopy. Without the Schöck Isokorb® type KS elements, it would have been difficult – if not impossible – to build the cantilevered element so efficiently and to decouple the structurally challenging thermal bridge at the point of connection between the freely cantilevered steel girders and the reinforced concrete slabs. All stairwells within the hotel feature the Schöck Tronsole®, which allow it to live up to the high expectations of the investors and building owner Franz Bernhard Wagner in terms of both energy-saving aspects and – of course – sound proofing.