Following rapid growth and success across Ireland, independent fit out specialist, Pure Fitout, has appointed Amanda Allen as UK Head of Business Development to lead its expansion into the British market. Founded in 2015, Pure Fitout has become a dominant force in the Irish fit out industry achieving £6.5m turnover
With construction underway, Cranfield University in Bedforshire is soon going to become home to a new state of the art digital aviation research facility. The £65 million Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) will develop ways for aircraft to monitor, test and upgrade their own systems and structures, as
Homeowners keep choosing to take matter into their own hands and undertake their own home improvements, despite the difficulty of some of the projects, such as large kitchen renovations. This is partly due to the increased availability of ‘how to’ guides online and reduced consumer confidence causing people to tighten their
BAL – market-leaders in full tiling solutions – are presenting innovative new tiling technologies including its unique Flexbone uncoupling mats on Stand 618 at the Surface Design Show from 5-7 February at the Business Design Centre in Islington. As well as discovering the latest technologies, visitors to the stand can
It cost millions to complete and has been described by its award-winning Japanese architects as a ‘living room for the city’. V&A Dundee, which sits on the banks of the River Tay in Scotland, is part of a £1 billion waterfront transformation. It opened in September, attracted world-wide publicity and
Following rapid growth and success across Ireland, independent fit out specialist, Pure Fitout, has appointed Amanda Allen as UK Head of Business Development to lead its expansion into the British market. Founded in 2015, Pure Fitout has become a dominant force in the Irish fit out industry achieving £6.5m turnover in year one, £9.7m in year two, and at well over double-figures in the middle of its third year. With an impressive portfolio of projects, Pure Fitout’s work includes the award-winning restoration of Dublin’s Stella Theatre and the fit-out of every Five Guys in Ireland, as well as several stunning projects with Press Up Entertainment Group including the exclusive fit-out of The Devlin hotel. Bringing with her nearly two decades of experience establishing and growing companies across the fit out industry, Amanda’s appointment marks a significant point in Pure Fitout’sinternational growth. “Pure Fitout has an edge that I’ve not seen before which stems from their innovative spirit and inspired founder. My main objective when introducing Pure Fitout to the British market will be to emphasise the company’s collaborative approach to projects. They continuously seek ways in which they can improve what they do and how they do it, including investing in an exceptional in-house joinery and metal craftsmanship. I’m excited to have joined the team and look forward to injecting my entrepreneurial passion into the company’s ambitious growth plans,” said Amanda. Ronan Higham, Founder and Managing Director of Pure Fitout with over 25 years’ experience, said: “We’re entering a new and exciting phase for the company and Amanda’s vast experience and network of established relationships across the fit-out industry will be invaluable to us as we identify new business opportunities and sectors for growth.” From 4 to 48 employees in three years Pure Fitout has seen phenomenal growth over the last three years, now occupying more than 30,000 square feet of workshop space, a fleet of 15 vehicles, and 48 staff. The company has invested in a diverse range of talents including an in-house metal fabrication and joinery manufacturing workshop, ensuring its offering goes above and beyond what is currently available from other contractors in Britain. “Our success in Ireland is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the team, as well as our careful investment to ensure Pure Fitout’s offering is highly competitive. I believe our transparent relationship with clients also plays a role in our success rate for winning regular projects with almost everyone we’ve worked with. We plan to continue to invest back into our state of the art manufacturing facilities as we expand into other markets,” said Ronan. Ronan also discussed the challenges that are currently faced in the construction industry “A lack of apprentices coming through the trades is proving to be a challenge for the whole industry. Skill shortages due to lax training methods have caused labour rates to rise each month at an unprecedented pace, making it very difficult to competitively tender projects. This, combined with Brexit uncertainty around fluctuating currency, trading jurisdiction regulation, and concerns over importing key materials, have meant companies in the construction industry are facing greater, more costly obstacles,” For more information visit http://www.purefitout.com/.
With construction underway, Cranfield University in Bedforshire is soon going to become home to a new state of the art digital aviation research facility. The £65 million Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) will develop ways for aircraft to monitor, test and upgrade their own systems and structures, as well as looking at the future of the passenger experience. “Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) will be a flagship research facility that will help unlock the potential of digital aviation. Working with our partners in DARTeC, we are looking to develop new digital solutions to tackle the challenges of over-capacity in both airports and airspace, develop improved passenger experiences and create more sustainable air travel,” said Professor Graham Braithwaite at Cranfield University. Curtins, the built environment consultancy, supports the development by providing structural, civil and geo-environmental services. “This project represents an important investment at Cranfield University, ensuring that it is a leading centre for aviation technology. We are delighted to be providing world-class facilities that will directly and positively impact the aviation industry as we move towards a more automated future,” said Associate Matt Woodhall, who is leading the design of the project from Curtins’ Birmingham office. “The structure of this new research centre is a really interesting structure with a truly unique roof design. The canopy produced needs to be able to house a full-size aircraft, as well as being a functional and cutting edge research facility,” Matt added. The Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre is expected to be completed next year, and is scheduled to open in 2020.
Homeowners keep choosing to take matter into their own hands and undertake their own home improvements, despite the difficulty of some of the projects, such as large kitchen renovations. This is partly due to the increased availability of ‘how to’ guides online and reduced consumer confidence causing people to tighten their purses. This boom has been witnessed first-hand by Roofing Megastore, which has shipped in excess of 250,000 products to over 12,000 customers. The majority of these customers are homeowners who are taking on small roofing projects themselves, typically reroofing a shed or constructing a polycarbonate shelter. Although, according to the Banbury-based supplier of roofing materials, a healthy portion of their customers still seek the advice of a tradesman, the company feels ready to provide one-to-one support to DIYers. This includes an award-winning Customer Care Team and steady flow of how-to guides to inspire homeowners. “When buying high involvement products online customers are often overloaded with information we commit considerable resources into simplifying that information and providing a seamless user experience. When combined with our dedicated Customer Care Team, we believe this provides homeowners with the confidence they need to turn their DIY dreams into reality,” said Managing Director Gian Carlo-Grossi. Having seen the DIY market’s continued growth, Roofing Megastore has decided to expand its offering to consumers. Not only will this involve welcoming leading brands, such as Redland and Britmet, onto its website, but continuing to remove the confusing lingo that often leaves homeowners bewildered. The company also has hopes of going beyond roofing to expand their offering to both DIYers and tradesman. Having witnessed almost 300% growth over the past 12 months, there is little doubt that Roofing Megastore will inspire more homeowners to take on their projects throughout 2019.
BAL – market-leaders in full tiling solutions – are presenting innovative new tiling technologies including its unique Flexbone uncoupling mats on Stand 618 at the Surface Design Show from 5-7 February at the Business Design Centre in Islington. As well as discovering the latest technologies, visitors to the stand can also pick up CPD points with RIBA-approved seminars, and talk to our team of specification experts about your flooring or tiling project. Developed to protect floor tiling from lateral movement which occurs in problem substrates – such as heated floors – BAL Flexbone uncoupling mats provide a buffer layer between tile and substrate. BAL Flexbone comes in two varieties – Flexbone VAried and Flexbone 2Easy. Unique to the UK, BAL Flexbone 2Easy is a floating mat system – where NO adhesive is needed underneath the mat system i.e. the mat is truly uncoupled. Because no adhesive is needed under the mat, preparation is reduced to a quick sweep of the floor if the surface is flat, sound and level. No removal or residue, no removal of laitance and no priming of the surface is needed. This means that contaminated and stained floors, wooden floors, bitumen, cracked screeds and mixed substrates can be tiled immediately. It can also be used direct onto difficult substrates such as bitumen, fresh sand:cement screeds or new anhydrite screeds that are not fully cured (up to 1.5% CM residual moisture). Time trials indicate the removal of subfloor preparation for installations provides a circa 50% time saving. BAL Flexbone VAried is a bonded mat system for heavily trafficked areas. Waterproof, it features patented GripLock Technology for superior adhesion and a unique bone structure for faster fixing than traditional cavity mat systems. Less adhesive is required on the mat surface, and trials indicate adhesive can be spread on the mat surface circa. 30% faster. The bonded mat is perfect for high load-bearing and commercial areas such as shopping malls, airports, car showrooms, office building and hospitals. As well as innovative products, BAL provides a full support service including free NBS specification writing, CPDs, on-site consultancy and more. www.bal-adhesives.com
It cost millions to complete and has been described by its award-winning Japanese architects as a ‘living room for the city’. V&A Dundee, which sits on the banks of the River Tay in Scotland, is part of a £1 billion waterfront transformation. It opened in September, attracted world-wide publicity and thousands of visitors due to its futuristic exterior and impressive gallery spaces. Inside, as part of the monumental development, air distribution products were supplied by expert manufacturer Waterloo Air Products plc. Beyond its curved concrete walls and cutting-edge construction, a state-of-the-art cooling and ventilation system was installed. Waterloo first became involved with the V&A Dundee Museum project five years ago, in 2013. Discussions began with design engineers, Arup, about how to create a comfortable, controlled environment in the V&A Dundee. This was made possible thanks to VAV controllers providing a dynamic range of duty into the gallery and other areas. Waterloo also supplied air terminal devices for the building and they were used throughout the museum including the kitchen, various meeting rooms and the washroom facilities. As part of the project, designers researched and identified the most appropriate form of renewable energy for the building. Faced with the complexities of high ceilings, unusual angles and varying visiting numbers within the gallery, Waterloo worked with Arup to create the perfect environment. Waterloo’s WRS and WLMD – variable air volume controllers – were installed to control the volume of air passing through the ducts, to the air terminals, independent of the air volumes supplied from the air handling unit. Air handling units are designed to automatically cope with variants in footfall so it will increase air volume when a high number of visitors are in the building. Overall, energy-efficiency is a big consideration for the project. V&A Dundee, with its cavernous entrance, has no straight external walls and has been designed to create the appearance of a Scottish cliff face. Inside, there are two gallery spaces – one dedicated to Scottish design which features 300 exhibits, and the other for temporary exhibitions. It’s the only other V&A museum anywhere in the world outside London and designers wanted to create a place of inspiration, discovery and learning. Its mission was to enrich lives through design, whilst continuing to be a welcoming state-of-the-art space for people to enjoy.
