Located at the entrance to Trafford Park, No.1 Old Trafford comprises two striking residential towers of 15 and 18 storeys. Surrounded by local landmarks including the Manchester Ship Canal, Old Trafford Stadium, and Hotel Football, the twin-tower development demanded a visually united mortar finish and a supply solution capable of meeting the demands of a constrained urban site. Project at a glance section The brief Domis Construction tasked long‑term brickwork partner Kinlan Brickwork to deliver the external brickwork on the project, who in turn contacted Holcim Mortars due to the strong history of partnership between the companies across multiple North West high‑rise schemes. From the outset, the team required a consistent, aesthetically aligned mortar that would complement the chosen Heritage brick, meet architect expectations on colour accuracy and remain in keeping with buildings in the local area. With limited ground-level space and bricklayers working continuously at height, the site also needed a mortar solution that enabled efficient lifting, storage and next‑day use without risk of downtime. Challenges The project presented several logistical and operational obstacles. Dual carriageways on one side and the canal on the other restricted space for material storage. Mortar also needed to arrive in the afternoon, be moved directly into tubs, lifted up onto mast climbers, and remain workable for bricklaying first-thing in the morning. This meant there was no tolerance for delivery delays, with any missed drops halting bricklayers working at height and creating costly disruption. As a building that will be seen daily by thousands of commuters and residents travelling football fans, even minor colour variation would have been noticeable and therefore unacceptable. This added an extra layer of importance to the mortar colour, which not only had to be in keeping with the chosen Heritage brick, but also had to remain consistent in its pigmentation. The solution Holcim provided GM4 Eco 132 ready-to-use (RTU) mortar to the No.1 Old Trafford project, selected from an on‑site colour showcase and approved by the architects for its warm, light straw‑brown tone that complemented the Heritage brick palette. To ensure uninterrupted progress, RTU mortar was supplied with a 36–72-hour retarder, guaranteeing prime workability when lifted to upper floors.Deliveries were made using Holcim’s pod truck fleet, where the coloured mix is stored in an isolated compartment to protect against contamination and maintain colour consistency. Daily coordination between Holcim’s internal office team and Kinlan’s project managers ensured precise batching, proactive communication, and no missed morning or afternoon delivery windows. Continuous supply was made from Holcim’s Ellesmere Port plant, strategically located to serve Manchester’s construction corridor. These deliveries supported a smooth build sequence and enabled Kinlan’s bricklayers to work efficiently at height during summer and winter seasons. Overall operational discipline — including exact pigment dosing and meticulous pod cleaning — ensured a flawless exterior finish across both towers. Over the 18‑month programme, Holcim supplied nearly 600m³ of RTU mortar, which equates to coverage of approximately 17.5 km² of brickwork. Sustainability considerations Holcim incorporated several measures that supported reduced waste and efficiency throughout the project. Pod trucks, for example, enabled multi‑site “milk runs”, reducing the number of single‑purpose vehicle movements. The retarder also ensured full utilisation of each batch, minimising wasted material and avoiding the mortar from prematurely setting off. In addition, consistent batching eliminated the risk of rejected loads or colour mismatch, reducing remediation and embodied carbon associated with rework. What we achieved in numbers Outcome Ben Douglas, senior project manager at Kinlan Brickwork, said: “The No.1 Old Trafford project was delivered to an exceptional quality, with seamless colour consistency across both towers and zero disruption to the brickwork programme. The collaborative working relationship between Holcim, Kinlan and Domis proved instrumental in ensuring smooth logistics and a flawless finish on one of Trafford Park’s most prominent residential developments.” Steven Howitt, Area Sales Manager for Mortar and Screed at Holcim UK, said: “This project is a stellar example of what can happen when teamwork really comes to fruition. Timings, logistics and organisation were all critical factors in making sure the build ran smoothly and to plan. “Today, No.1 Old Trafford stands as a stunning visual example of efficient supply planning, technical precision and close contractor collaboration — seen by thousands of people each week as they enter the iconic Trafford Park.” To find out more about Holcim UK’s mortar offering, please visit https://www.holcim.co.uk/products/mortar Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

AG, a Tyrone headquartered, manufacturer of low carbon paving and building products, has launched Heathfield, a new clay‑like concrete brick range designed to challenge long‑held assumptions about what brick should be. Developed in response to growing pressure on traditional clay supply, rising energy costs and increasing demand for consistent, reliable materials, Heathfield delivers the authentic appearance of clay with the performance, availability and sustainability of precision‑engineered concrete. The launch marks the latest step in AG’s continued investment in innovation that gives developers and specifiers greater confidence in an increasingly unpredictable market. Each brick is moulded directly from clay samples, with varied embossing applied across each slice offering 27 unique patterns to replicate the natural, irregular surface of clay. This creates a non-repetitive, organic finish across elevations, delivering a timeless aesthetic while avoiding the common challenges of traditional clay. Produced in the third generation company’s state-of-the-art facilities using Enduur 1 advanced concrete technology, Heathfield offers enhanced strength, durability, UV resistance, and hydrophobic performance. Two teardrop-shaped perforations also enhance density and structural strength compared with traditional three-holed bricks. With water absorption around 6% much lower than clay’s 15-20%, and no soluble salts in the mix, Heathfield significantly reduces the risk of efflorescence on site. Cured with renewable energy, the range is more consistent in size than traditional clay, creating uniform bedding joints, sharper finishes, and quicker, more reliable installation while avoiding the uneven joints caused by warped, energy-intensive kiln-fired bricks. Sustainably produced using aggregates from AG’s own quarry, including limestone to enrich colour, the range delivers consistent tones throughout each brick. Currently offered in six traditional colourways, with more planned, the collection provides architects and developers with flexible design options across housing, education and commercial projects. Building on the success of AG’s Woodward bricks, named Responsible Product of the Year 2025 by Business in the Community, Heathfield delivers the same innovative, high-performance qualities as an alternative to traditional clay bricks. Backed by a 60-year guarantee, Heathfield is produced locally in the UK, with typical lead times of just three to five working days, giving builders and specifiers confidence even in unpredictable markets. With energy prices and global supply chains under pressure, many construction materials face significant risk. AG’s low-energy, UK-based manufacturing avoids that exposure, ensuring reliable supply, consistent quality, and a partner customers can trust for the long term. The newly launched range is also part of AG’s broader portfolio of building products, including paving and walling solutions, providing specifiers and developers with a complete, one-stop solution for external materials. Commenting on the launch, AG CEO Stephen Acheson said: “The success of our Woodward range proved that concrete bricks can genuinely compete with, and in many cases outperform, traditional clay. Heathfield builds on that momentum and represents a further step forward in how the industry thinks about brick.” “We set out to create a product that delivers the character and warmth of clay while removing many of the challenges that developers, specifiers and bricklayers experience on site. Every detail has been carefully engineered, informed by close collaboration with the people who use our products day in, day out.” “As the market continues to rethink material choices in light of cost, availability and sustainability pressures, Heathfield offers a confident alternative. We believe products like this will play an increasingly important role in the future of construction, and we are proud to be leading that shift.” Samples of the Heathfield range are now available. For further information, visit ag.uk.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

R-Press fittings from Instantor are now available through BES Limited. A merchant with over 50 years of experience, BES supplies a comprehensive range of products to the plumbing, heating and gas industry. The portfolio includes 15,000 products which are stocked and distributed via BES’s state-of-the-art 77,000 square foot warehouse in Birmingham. Transitioning to press fittings can be a game-changer for ACR installers, providing a safer and faster way to join pipework without the hassle of flame-based methods. R-Press fittings are designed for high-pressure applications up to 48 bar pressure, including refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumps (refrigeration side), VRF and VRV systems. The range offers an extended warranty coupled with highly competitive pricing. BES comments: “We are pleased to add the R-Press fittings range to our already extensive portfolio and to be able to offer customers an even wider choice”. Dan Wild, UK Sales Director, Instantor, adds: “It goes without saying that we are delighted to see the R-Press range being stocked by such a well-established and respected supplier. This continues the excellent progress we have made with Instantor within the UK market, and we are excited at the potential in working with the team at BES going forward.” To find out more about Instantor, please visit the website: www.instantor.co.uk, email sales@instantor.co.uk or call 0121 737 2515. Further information on BES Limited can be found at www.bes.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

AkzoNobel Powder Coatings is helping customers stay competitive and keep production moving by expanding My Interpon Portal with a powerful range of professional services that can now be purchased directly online. Available to customers with a My Interpon Portal account in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain, the services give powder coaters fast, direct access to expert support aligned to operational needs. The expanded offer brings together technical, laboratory and sustainability services that support faster decisions, smoother production and high-confidence results on the coating line. From bespoke color development and lab powder samples to performance testing, technical audits, training and advanced application optimization, each service is built to help customers perform at their best, even under the most demanding conditions. Sustainability analysis tools further enable coaters to understand, measure and reduce environmental impact, while also unlocking productivity gains. Available services include tailored color development, reliable color references and samples such as the Interpon RAL swatch deck, as well as lab powder samples in solid or metallic finishes for pre-production evaluation. These tools give customers confidence at specification stage and help keep projects moving without delay. Corrosion and weatherability laboratory testing can also be ordered online, providing robust performance data to support product qualification and specification decisions. Technical audits, oven curing recording and advanced analysis of reciprocator and application-gun setup, using coatingAI’s exclusive, AI-powered Flightpath Pro software to help improve efficiency, optimize product usage and reduce quality issues across the coating process. The sustainability portfolio includes product-specific carbon footprint data covering raw material sourcing, transportation and manufacturing stages, supporting reporting and compliance requirements. The Eco+ Cure energy calculator further assesses curing-line performance, identifying opportunities to help customers reduce energy consumption, lower carbon footprint and increase throughput. Jorrit van Rijn, Marketing Director at AkzoNobel Powder Coatings, explains how the expanded services reinforce Interpon’s commitment to customer performance: “Our customers operate in a fast-moving, high-pressure environment where performance and reliability are everything. By bringing these services together in one place, My Interpon Portal simplifies access to expert support, helps customers make confident decisions, and keeps production lines running smoothly.”  “Designed with convenience and speed in mind, customers can now order Interpon services whenever they need them, giving them the control, flexibility and credibility to stay ahead of the curve.” To explore Interpon’s expert services available to order online, visit My Interpon Portal. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Heidelberg Materials UK is opening its second sustainability knowledge hub in London, this time based at its Greenwich concrete plant, offering contractors and engineers the opportunity to experience lower carbon materials in practice. The launch follows the success of the company’s flagship evoHub venue in Clerkenwell, which has welcomed over 300 architects, engineers, sustainability consultants and customers for CPDs, seminars and meet-the-expert sessions since it opened its doors in September 2025. These sessions have covered topics such as carbon capture and storage, calculating carbon impact and lower carbon product solutions, in collaboration with our customers and technical experts. The new site-based venue at Victoria Deep Water on the River Thames, will provide visitors with a more hands-on opportunity to see lower carbon material performance in action. It will include making and testing concrete cubes and learning more about the company’s lowest carbon concrete range, which includes supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as evoZero cement, GGBS, limestone fines, natural pozzolans and calcined clay, as well as carbon cure technology and recycled crushed concrete aggregate. “The opening of our second evoHub venue reflects the growing demand for expert-led guidance, accredited CPDs and hands-on training in sustainable construction,” said Marian Garfield, Sustainability Director at Heidelberg Materials UK. “Through evoHub, we are supporting the sector in implementing lower carbon material solutions at every stage in the supply chain, from concept and design through to construction and refurbishment. “This includes through the eight stages of the RIBA design process, as well as offering solutions to achieve BREEAM Excellent buildings, unlock green finance and promote the circular economy.” For more information about both evoHub venues and upcoming sessions, visit:  heidelbergmaterials.co.uk/evohub Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Building solutions provider wienerberger UK & Ireland has this week announced a new partnership with world renowned conservation charity Chester Zoo. wienerberger has pledged to provide product donations for construction projects at the zoo, and funding for a multi-year conservation programme supporting UK native species, particularly terrestrial invertebrates. This partnership formalises the relationship between wienerberger and Chester Zoo, which began in 2024 when wienerberger donated more than 600 tonnes of blue sandstone to help construct a Himalayan-inspired habitat for two rare snow leopards. Big cats Nubra and Yashin, whose species is recognised as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, have since bred and are now raising leopard cub Bheri. In 2025, wienerberger contributed 15 tonnes of yellow sandstone to shape the visitor areas within the zoo’s new Heart of Africa zone – the biggest ever zoo development in the UK. They also supplied a range of bird and bat nesting and roosting boxes from their eco-habitat collection, providing shelter for native bird and bat species throughout the zoo’s grounds. Now, as part of a formal partnership, wienerberger has pledged £50,000 over the next five years to fund Chester Zoo’s programme dedicated to conserving native invertebrate species. Invertebrates are vital for pollination, nutrient cycling, and upholding the resilience of ecosystems that support both our built and natural landscapes. Despite their indispensable role, these often-underappreciated species are increasingly threatened by the impacts of climate change and the ongoing loss of habitats. This partnership strengthens wienerberger’s ongoing commitment to promoting biodiversity, and conserving habitats for both people and wildlife. Maisie McKenzie, Biodiversity Manager at wienerberger[KS1]  UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted to continue our collaboration with Chester Zoo, whose pioneering work inspires millions of visitors annually to make positive contributions to wildlife conservation, both in the UK and around the world. “Our ‘Let’s Build Beyond’ sustainability strategy underscores the vital importance of forging robust partnerships as we pursue our ambition to become a net-zero emission, nature-positive company. We are committed to promoting biodiversity, not only across our own operational sites but also by empowering others to act for nature. We are hopeful that some of the invertebrate species supported by this programme could one day thrive on wienerberger sites, provided the conditions are right” Iri Gill, Ectotherms General Manager at Chester Zoo, said: “Invertebrates, which include insects, gastropods, worms and spiders are vital to healthy ecosystems. They make up roughly 75% of described species, are incredibly diverse, and they support and shape equally diverse landscapes and ecologies. Unfortunately, they are in sharp decline around the world, and the UK is no exception. “Chester Zoo projects have helped bring species like fen raft spiders and scarce yellow Sally stoneflies back from the brink, and we have released large heath butterflies into areas where they were regionally extinct. With the support of organisations like wienerberger, we can continue this work to support British biodiversity.” To find out more about wienerberger’s action plan to promote biodiversity and improve people’s quality of life within the built environment, visit www.wienerberger.co.uk/sustainability. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Passiv UK and Worcester Bosch have joined forces to offer advanced smart controls for heat pumps. The Passiv Smart Thermostat now works seamlessly with the Worcester Bosch Compress 2000 Air Source Heat Pump range, making intelligent, energy-efficient heating controls more accessible to UK homeowners.  Thanks to its out-of-the-box compatibility, no additional hardware is required. Installers can fit the Passiv Smart Thermostat with both new and existing Worcester Bosch Compress 2000 heat pumps, making smart heating simple. The Passiv Smart Thermostat then removes the need for an installer to set a weather compensation curve, dynamically optimising the heat pump’s flow temperature to improve its performance.   For homeowners, the Passiv Smart Thermostat makes keeping comfortable effortless. It cuts heating bills and improves heat pump efficiency. Its intelligent controls can optimise energy use according to time-of-use tariffs and rooftop solar generation, supporting decarbonisation efforts while future-proofing homes against rising energy demands.  Ian Rose, Sales and Strategy Director at Passiv UK, said: “This collaboration is a major step in giving both installers and homeowners a simple way to control and optimise heat pumps. Whether a customer is installing a new system or upgrading an existing one, the Passiv Smart Thermostat helps enhance comfort, save on bills and reduce carbon emissions.”  Andrew Keyworth, Head of Business Development at Worcester Bosch, said: “Partnering with Passiv UK allows us to offer our customers a smarter, more efficient heating experience. It gives homeowners greater control, comfort, and energy savings, supporting the move towards low-carbon homes across the UK.”  The Passiv Smart Thermostat is available nationwide through local plumbing merchants and select online retailers.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Heidelberg Materials UK’s plans to build the UK’s first carbon capture facility at a cement works have taken another major step forward with the signing of an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract. The agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Worley continues the company’s working relationship with the partners, who successfully completed the front-end engineering design (FEED) for the project at Padeswood in north Wales. Heidelberg Materials and the UK Government reached a final investment decision (FID) for the carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in September. The company has since been carrying out initial enabling works and the construction schedule is now set to move to the next phase. The facility is set to be operational in 2029, enabling the production of evoZero carbon captured near-zero cement. “This is the next major milestone in our plans to decarbonise cement production at our Padeswood cement works,” said Simon Willis, CEO at Heidelberg Materials UK. “The new facility will capture around 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year from our existing works and enable the production of evoZero, the world’s first carbon captured near-zero cement, on an industrial scale to help decarbonise the construction industry.” MHI is providing the carbon capture technology for the project while Worley will lead the EPCM delivery and provide support to infrastructure development, technology integration and commissioning. “We’re proud to be working alongside Heidelberg Materials and MHI to deliver a facility that will help transform cement production and support the UK’s net zero ambitions,” said Chris Ashton, Chief Executive Officer of Worley. “Our role in this project reflects our ability to enable sustainable industrial solutions and leverage our global expertise in delivery for complex energy and infrastructure projects.” Tatsuto Nagayasu, Senior Vice President (CCUS) of GX (Green Transformation) Solutions of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, said: “We are proud to support Heidelberg Materials in realizing the UK’s first full-scale carbon capture facility in the cement sector. Using our Advanced KM CDR Process™, this project will play a leading role in decarbonising one of the most challenging industrial sectors. Together with Worley, we look forward to delivering this landmark CCS facility that will contribute to the long-term resilience of UK industry and help fulfil the country’s net zero ambitions.” Heidelberg Materials’ plans at Padeswood are part of the HyNet North West decarbonisation cluster, which aims to create the world’s first low carbon industrial cluster through its development of a hydrogen and carbon capture and storage project. The carbon captured at Padeswood will be compressed and transported via an underground pipeline for secure storage under the seabed in Liverpool Bay. For more information about the project visit: Padeswood CCS Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals