VISION One of the most significant challenges architects can face is regenerating an area full of personality, but in desperate need of renovation. The challenge can be even more demanding if the project involves changing the purpose of the site. But that’s precisely what the architects in charge of the
SterlingOSB Zero is one of the most popular panel products used by the UK construction industry; developers, builders, and self-builders alike. It’s the go-to panel for a multitude of roles today – from the basic functional to the trendy aesthetic feature wall – but how is it made and what
CPI EuroMix is delighted to announce the appointment of Wendy McFarlane as its Financial Director. Wendy, who began her role on March 1st, said the dry mortar specialists’ reputation was a deciding factor in her taking up an ‘exciting’ opportunity within the company. She said: “The company’s values and their
City Plumbing has opened a new branch to support local tradespeople and homeowners of Winsford, Cheshire. The new Winsford branch, located at the UK’s first ‘green’ business park, the Road One Industrial Estate, will cater to plumbers, heating engineers, bathroom installers and electricians, as well as homeowners looking to create
Keystone Lintels, the UK’s leading manufacturer of steel lintels, is delighted to once again be awarded ‘Supplier of the Year’ by Buildbase for 2021 in recognition of its outstanding customer service. Keystone Lintels has won this coveted award for the second year in a row having won in 2020. With
Concrete admixture manufacturer Oscrete UK continues its growth trajectory with the appointment of a new NPD and sustainability manager. Former laboratory manager Matthew Gabriel, has been promoted to the new role as the team further develops the company’s sustainability strategy. With a clear focus on strengthening the firm’s commitment to
The effectiveness of education provided to students is directly proportional to the quality of the learning environment where the teaching is delivered. Optimal acoustics, thermal performance, air quality, natural lighting, security and aesthetics work harmoniously together to positively impact how students and teachers stay comfortable and focused, and perform academically.
Aquaspira has delivered an innovative sustainable drainage strategy, designed to reduce 315 cubic metres of excavation and saving around 20 days of construction time, at a new housing project which is underway in Dalkeith. The Northwest drainage specialist was appointed by Cruden Building which is delivering the 79 home development
The Irish group Kingspan, the global leader in high performance insulation and building envelope solutions, continues to increase its presence in the Spanish market, this time with the acquisition of 100% of the shares of the Ribarroja company THU Perfil SL. THU PERFIL is a Valencian firm located in the
James Latham, distributor of timber, panels and decorative surfaces (stand D55), today unveils its Futurebuild (March 1-3, Excel) activity which will showcase a suite of timber-based, sustainable construction and interiors options. James Latham’s stand will be subject to a “take-over” from Kiss House, the innovative homes company, and Passivhaus offsite-manufacturer.
VISION One of the most significant challenges architects can face is regenerating an area full of personality, but in desperate need of renovation. The challenge can be even more demanding if the project involves changing the purpose of the site. But that’s precisely what the architects in charge of the Primrose Hill project in London, had to face. With a project value of approximately £16m this project required a highly sensitive design solution to address a complicated urban context involving 28 neighbouring residential and commercial properties. The transformation visioned by PKS Architects, and developed by main contractor Knight Harwood, involved converting some of the buildings into high-quality apartments and high-specification offices using Kawneer’s solutions. The task was immense and involved six neighbouring commercial properties. The goal was achieved using multiple high-performance Kawneer products. TRANSFORMATION Through site-specific technical visits and studies, Kawneer specified and costed various façade packages and options. The lack of natural light was one of the many problems that needed to be rectified. It was solved using Kawneer’s AA®100 sloped rooflights. Additionally, GT70S windows were specified to replicate the building’s original steel windows to compliment the building aesthetics. For the entrance and balcony doors, the chosen product solution was Kawneer’s AA®720 doors with Glass Balustrading, thanks to the products superior aesthetics and thermal performance. For the curtain wall specification, the natural choice was AA®100 SSG, since it has smooth and seamless glass-to-glass joints without external capping. REALISATION The resulting specification helps to enhance the aesthetics of the building façade and increase the energy performance of the building whilst meeting the cost requirements of the build with Kawneer’s market-leading product range. Shortlisted in the 2017 BREEAM Awards, this development sustainably refurbishes and reimagines a group of six buildings to create 3,500m2 of high specification office space and four new luxury flats. The impressive results haven’t gone unnoticed. The Primrose Hill project won the 2020 GGP’s Best Commercial Installation, by Kawneer’s customer and specialist facade subcontractor, JPJ Installations Ltd. Find out more about Kawneer’s products at www.kawneer.co.uk
SterlingOSB Zero is one of the most popular panel products used by the UK construction industry; developers, builders, and self-builders alike. It’s the go-to panel for a multitude of roles today – from the basic functional to the trendy aesthetic feature wall – but how is it made and what goes into it? With the growing need to fully understand the impact of building materials on the environment, specifiers, architects and builders can now follow the creation of SterlingOSB Zero panels from the delivery of timber at West Fraser’s state-of-the-art plant in Inverness right through the continuous line production process. West Fraser’s commitment to producing a sustainable product for the construction industry can be seen from sourcing locally grown timber, thereby cutting embodied carbon from transportation while supporting the local forestry industry, through to the self-sufficiency of the plant where otherwise wasted product is burned on site producing the energy to manufacture the boards. Logs delivered to Inverness are stripped of bark before being fed into a high-speed ring of blades which produces the flakes for the OSB. The flakes are dried, separated and resins added. Sterling OSB Zero is the first OSB product to be made in the UK with zero added formaldehyde, ensuring an even ‘greener’ board that meets all standards with ease. The flakes are then layered in specific orientation to give the boards their strong structural properties. The formed flakes go through a high-pressure and high-temperature press to produce the board. Once cut, the boards are loaded on to the “star cooler” to release the heat from the panel Panels are then cut to size and quality checks carried out before the packs are taken to the warehouse for shipping. The whole process can be followed on an informative video on West Fraser’s You Tube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hefbc6-5LpU and on a downloadable information sheet from the Documents and downloads section of the West Fraser website. West Fraser’s OSB portfolio comprises of SterlingOSB Zero OSB3 and SterlingOSB Zero Tongue and Groove. They are variants of the precision-engineered OSB3 board; BBA-approved and designed for humid conditions, the board contains zero added formaldehyde (ZAF) and is unique in the market by being the only ZAF OSB manufactured in the UK. Produced in Scotland from forest thinnings taken from sustainably managed forests, the board is certified according to the guidelines of the FSC or PEFC. All West Fraser panel products produced in the UK are net carbon negative and manufactured in mills that have obtained the coveted environmental ISO 14001 accreditation. To find out more about West Fraser’s products for housebuilders, get in touch with Dan Clarke – email Daniel.Clarke@westfraser.com or download product brochures from the housebuilder page of the West Fraser website https://uk.westfraser.com/housebuilders/ For further information, call 01786 812 921 or visit https://uk.westfraser.com/
CPI EuroMix is delighted to announce the appointment of Wendy McFarlane as its Financial Director. Wendy, who began her role on March 1st, said the dry mortar specialists’ reputation was a deciding factor in her taking up an ‘exciting’ opportunity within the company. She said: “The company’s values and their ambition made a real impact on me. I was already aware of CPI’s brand success, so I’m delighted to have joined such a forward-thinking team.” Wendy has the skills and experience to make a success of her new position. She completed an Accounting & Finance degree before training as a Chartered Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Prior to joining CPI, Wendy spent 10 years at food manufacturer Devro PLC where she progressed to Global Supply Chain Finance Business Partner. CPI EuroMix is a market leader in the production of dry mix mortars, which are available in a range of colours and finishes to meet the complex demands of specifiers and users. Wendy, who will be based at CPI’s site in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, said she was looking forward to playing a part in the company’s future success. “CPI is led by a fantastic management group and has a strong finance team in place,” she said. “I’m excited to work with and support the team whilst considering how we can bring further added- value services to the business.”
City Plumbing has opened a new branch to support local tradespeople and homeowners of Winsford, Cheshire. The new Winsford branch, located at the UK’s first ‘green’ business park, the Road One Industrial Estate, will cater to plumbers, heating engineers, bathroom installers and electricians, as well as homeowners looking to create bespoke bathrooms. Opening today (21st March), plumbing and heating engineers can use the branch to browse through the 20,000 spare parts available from all of the leading manufacturers, receive advice and business support from colleagues who have years of trade experience, and visit the Bathroom Showroom to view its wide range of bathrooms. Throughout its first month, the branch will host Trade Mornings where tradespeople can explore new products and speak with specialists from a wide range of industry suppliers. Electricians will also be able to source essential products from the electrical trade counter which is stocked with over 2,000 electrical products as well as receive advice from experts. Additionally, the branch will be host to The Bathroom Showroom, which offers complimentary 3D design planning, virtual appointments, and tile sampling to help bathroom installers and homeowners create bespoke bathrooms with the exact finish they desire. Paul Glover, Branch Manager of the Winsford branch said, “With experienced staff on hand to offer expert advice and support across heating, plumbing, bathrooms and electrical, we are delighted to be able to offer a one-stop-shop for local tradespeople in and around Winsford. The Bathroom Showroom on site will also help local homeowners create their ideal bathrooms.” The Winsford Branch is located at Unit 3 Artis Park, Road One, Winsford Industrial Park, CW7 3QE To learn more about City Plumbing please visit www.cityplumbing.co.uk
Keystone Lintels, the UK’s leading manufacturer of steel lintels, is delighted to once again be awarded ‘Supplier of the Year’ by Buildbase for 2021 in recognition of its outstanding customer service. Keystone Lintels has won this coveted award for the second year in a row having won in 2020. With over 142 branches nationwide, Buildbase is now part of the Huws Gray Group and is one of the largest builders merchants in the UK. In what was a difficult year for trading, the award was especially poignant for Keystone whose core customer promise has held true. Chris Hemmington-Green, Sales Director for Keystone Lintels said: “This award is testament to the hard work and dedication shown by all at Keystone, from Production, Logistics, SOP, Technical, Sales and Finance. For this to be recognised by one of our key customers is a real indication of the relationship and partnership we strive to develop. During what can only be described as difficult and challenging times, the whole team at Keystone have pulled together and delivered exceptional service to all our customers, and shown we remain the leading supplier in the industry. It is this mind-set and commitment that has seen us through the difficult times and ensures we are best placed to maximise the opportunities that are now becoming apparent as we start to move to some sort of normality.” Raza Naim, Senior Category Manager for Buildbase added: “Keystone Lintels was chosen as the Supplier of the Year for 2021 for the second year running, which has never been achieved before. Keystone does a fantastic job at having touchpoints in all areas of our business, so much so in fact that the Group had far and away the most nominations from our teams. Feedback from sales, finance and procurement was that Keystone just ‘makes it easy’ for us and we have a great relationship with all Keystone Group brands.” Keystone is the largest supplier of steel lintels in the UK and Ireland and carries more stock than any of its rivals. The company also supports merchants with innovative ranges of products which solve problems for the builder and deliver more opportunity, added value and margin for merchants
Concrete admixture manufacturer Oscrete UK continues its growth trajectory with the appointment of a new NPD and sustainability manager. Former laboratory manager Matthew Gabriel, has been promoted to the new role as the team further develops the company’s sustainability strategy. With a clear focus on strengthening the firm’s commitment to sustainable construction, Matt’s two decades of concrete industry experience provides a strong foundation for further developing the company’s sustainability remit. Matt says: “With the environment at the forefront of everyone’s minds and customers looking to increase their use of supplementary cementitious material, my priority is to develop products and processes which support our customers’ own route towards low carbon concrete. “Our role as an additive manufacturer is crucial in helping reduce concrete’s CO2 footprint while finding cost effective, green solutions without impacting performance is key to the future of the construction sector. We are now looking to develop products that can help our customers to use or increase the use of products with a lower eCO2, hence the creation of a role dedicated entirely to this arena.” Oscrete is one of the UK’s leading specialist construction chemical suppliers, manufacturing a comprehensive range of concrete admixtures for the pre-cast and ready-mix market and developing and supplying additives for the manufacture of dry bagged mortars and adhesives. Director Scott Wilson added: “We expect to see continued growth in global demand for construction additives and that demand will be driven by sustainability requirements as well as performance. “Our strategy is to keep product evolution and responsible manufacturing at the forefront of our output. Matt’s promotion is just the first step in our 2022 laboratory development plan where NPD and sustainability will lead our growth and our supply.” Matt joined Oscrete in 2017 as laboratory manager following more than 10 years with Tarmac and Breeden. He added: “This an exciting and an important time as we accelerate our development of new admixtures to help the transition to carbon neutrality. I’m really looking forward to getting my teeth into a role which will help customers – and Oscrete – meet their sustainability goals.”
The effectiveness of education provided to students is directly proportional to the quality of the learning environment where the teaching is delivered. Optimal acoustics, thermal performance, air quality, natural lighting, security and aesthetics work harmoniously together to positively impact how students and teachers stay comfortable and focused, and perform academically. Kawneer continuously invests in façade systems that create excellent learning environments, allowing specifiers to choose from a wide variety of market leading products designed and built to the highest possible standards. From a suite of products specifically designed for the Education sector, highlights include the AA®190 TB, a severe duty welded commercial entrance door that offers robust performance, the AA®720 SL window, offering great thermal characteristics and slim sightlines, and our market leading AA®100 curtain wall system, which provides a best-in-class performance. Facing the challenges together With a vast amount of experience in this sector, helping to create buildings that deliver aesthetic, cost and performance requirements, Kawneer understands the challenges faced by architects, fabricators and maintenance teams. That’s why it specialises in aluminium façade solutions that provide excellent performance, best value, unmatched durability, reduced maintenance and a low carbon footprint. Kawneer manufactures high performance aluminium curtain wall systems at its purpose-built manufacturing facility in Runcorn, Cheshire. These products allow specifiers to meet both the technical performance and cost brief of any project, creating excellent learning environments that provide great aesthetics and optimise natural light and ventilation. Leading by example As all aluminium façade products are manufactured in the UK, Kawneer can also guarantee supply and competitive lead times, while ensuring that its systems remain competitive. Fully tested in accordance with the BSI standards, Kawneer products are responsibly sourced with BES 6001 accreditation, supported by Life Cycle Assessments and Environmental Product Declarations for all main systems and low carbon aluminium billet solutions. Teachers strive to ensure the experience and knowledge they pass on to a new generation lasts a lifetime. Kawneer wants the buildings it has helped to create to withstand the test of time and ensure they provide comfortable learning environments for all future generations. Discover more at: Kawneer-education.com
Aquaspira has delivered an innovative sustainable drainage strategy, designed to reduce 315 cubic metres of excavation and saving around 20 days of construction time, at a new housing project which is underway in Dalkeith. The Northwest drainage specialist was appointed by Cruden Building which is delivering the 79 home development at Morris Road in Newtongrange. The scheme will provide a mix of two-storey energy-efficient homes and cottage flats, supporting Midlothian Council’s Local Housing Strategy which is designed to deliver a high priority and cost-efficient contribution to the local housing supply. Mark Stanway from Aquaspira explains: “We were able to rethink the entire approach to construction of the drainage at this site. Seven concrete manholes were original specified each requiring a four metre wide excavation. “By using a strong, compact steel reinforced push-fit solution we were able to reduce the number of vehicle movements to site by 60%, as well as cutting the amount of bedding and backfill by half. “Our access units also reduced the installation of each manhole from an average of four days to around an hour, delivering dramatic cost and timing savings to the job, as well as providing a far more environmentally friendly and safer solution.” Land utilisation was maximised by using the ground beneath the estate roads for all of the stormwater storage, and a simplified, safer, and accelerated strategy used these UK-manufactured push-fit, large diameter pipes with access units as an alternative to concrete. The pipes were installed by GBSS Civils and Plant Hire Ltd, talking about the ease of installation, Andy Paterson from GBSS said: “The 1800mm and 1200mm pipes were much easier to handle and install than similar size concrete pipes which, together with the rapid, very simple fitting of the prefabricated Access Units, made a massive difference to the job” The solution was in-keeping with Midlothian Council’s drive to deliver modern high-quality homes which incorporate energy efficient components within the homes as well as through eco-friendly construction solutions such as this. Midlothian Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing Councillor Stephen Curran said: “This project demonstrates how innovative construction techniques can contribute to making developments more sustainable and are in line with the council’s commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030 as outlined in our Climate Change Strategy.” Aquaspira is on a mission to deliver low carbon construction solutions. The Lancashire-based company has been investing extensively in research and development which has seen the use of recycled materials in its products increased, as well as using solar power in the manufacturing process. The company is working with the University of Birmingham to develop a digital twin to improve design and to investigate the use of recycled materials for backfill to further reduce carbon usage in the construction sector and use sensors in pipes for long-term monitoring and maintenance. This research can make a huge step-change in helping the construction sector achieve Government de-carbonisation targets. Aquaspira’s unique light weight composite pipe already reduces the number of vehicle movements and fuel consumption when compared to traditional concrete products. A significant advantage with the current shortage of haulage drivers. All of these innovations help utility companies, housebuilders and the wider infrastructure and construction sectors reduce their impact on the environment.
The Irish group Kingspan, the global leader in high performance insulation and building envelope solutions, continues to increase its presence in the Spanish market, this time with the acquisition of 100% of the shares of the Ribarroja company THU Perfil SL. THU PERFIL is a Valencian firm located in the Polígono Industrial Masia Baló in Ribarroja de Turia (Valencia) of more than 30 years in the manufacture of metal ceiling profiles and solutions. The acquisition of THU by the Irish Kingspan Group opens a new stage after 7 years of management in the hands of the investment company ZRISER, which allowed THU to innovate in new product lines and reach new markets. The transaction has been closed after the approval of the National Commission of Markets and Competition. This operation will promote the international development of THU while complementing Kingspan’s current offer in enclosure solutions with the incorporation of technical ceilings and profiles. Gabriel García, General Director of THU, says: “I am very pleased to be part of Kingspan’s industrial project, which is also a clear global market leader. I am convinced that this integration will bring additional benefits to our clients, boost our international development and offer great professional opportunities to THU employees”. For further information, please visit www.kingspan.com
James Latham, distributor of timber, panels and decorative surfaces (stand D55), today unveils its Futurebuild (March 1-3, Excel) activity which will showcase a suite of timber-based, sustainable construction and interiors options. James Latham’s stand will be subject to a “take-over” from Kiss House, the innovative homes company, and Passivhaus offsite-manufacturer. Central to the experience will be two 3 x 3 x 3 m sections from the Kiss House residential construction system which visitors can explore in their own time, and that will double as a seminar space. Bespoke tours will be available of this innovative and sustainable building system which has the potential to improve the quality and performance of residential housing. Experts will be on hand to outline the latest sustainable developments in timber and surfacing. The panel of specialists will include manufacturers Accsys Technologies and WISA along with Kiss House designers. In addition, the James Latham team will be on hand to showcase its innovative carbon impact calculator. Both carbon footprint and biogenic carbon content are now shown on key James Latham documentation such as quotations, delivery notes and invoices, meaning users can fully understand the carbon impact of the products they choose. The distributor will also be celebrating some of the most exciting, sustainable surfacing and timber options on the market, including: Accoya – a FSC modified timber, developed by Accsys Technologies, with properties that match those of the best tropical hardwoods Finish Line Cladding Collection – a Latham’s exclusive with 12 unique colour options including the highly contemporary Slate Grey, Apricot and Charcoal finishes WISA Birch Premium Plywood – made from Finnish Birch this offers a beautiful light look with good strength properties, it’s a good base for lacquering, varnishing and staining Garnica Ultralight Poplar Plywood – an ultralight sandwich panel with XPS core, made from 100% European poplar from sustainable plantations. Its light-coloured faces and premium quality internal sheets make it ideal for painting and laminating/film coating. Garnica Duraply Poplar Plywood Panels – these offer exceptional durability due to an innovative ply-to-ply treatment which delivers fungi and insect resistance even under the most adverse weather conditions. The panel’s core and faces are made from sustainable European poplar. This is a Marine Plywood alternative with a great environmental story Valchromat MDF panels – engineered coloured wood, a wood fibre panel which is coloured throughout and offers high physical performance. The fibres are individually impregnated with organic dyes and chemically bonded by specifically developed resins. Commenting on James Latham’s Futurebuild experience, Stuart Devoil, Group Head of Marketing, says “The climate crisis is the biggest challenge facing us, and so we’re using Futurebuild to focus on three key things. Firstly, sustainable innovation, with Kiss House bringing to life just what is possible to achieve on the low carbon front using timber to create wonderful homes. Secondly, we’re celebrating the very real materials innovation that is afoot within timber and surfacing. Lastly, to build more sustainably, data is absolutely fundamental and so we’re using Futurebuild as a way to introduce our carbon calculator to visitors.” He added, “We wanted to collaborate with Kiss House as its broadly wood-based solution uses several grades of timber to produce high-quality, very-low embodied carbon homes. This perfectly illustrates how important timber will be in ensuring a sustainable built-environment, along with how this most traditional of materials is increasingly being used as a lynchpin element to very real innovation.” You can find James Latham at stand D55. The distributor is also part of the Futurebuild Innovation trail which consists of 14 specially selected, future-focused exhibitors.