With its high-quality wellTEC®, colTEC® and planTEC® design sheets, MN Metall has always stood for individual facade design. Now the company has further expanded its portfolio with the wellTEC® vario product line. Under this name, MN Metall offers facade profiles that combine 2, 3 or even more different corrugated, trapezoidal,
Europe’s leading provider of low carbon cement solutions, Ecocem, has opened a world-class innovation centre in Paris to accelerate the development of new technology and products that will help the cement and construction industries decarbonise more quickly. The dedicated centre, known as the Centre of Excellence, will enable Ecocem’s innovation
Plymouth University is piloting the use of an ancient building material called cob to construct a new generation of energy-efficient homes. They have started building a single storey 32-square-metre lab and classroom next to the university’s sustainability hub out of the material which is a mix of soil, water, straw
Stewart Milne Group is selling its market leading timber systems business to focus on investing in the growth of Stewart Milne Homes across Scotland and North-west England. The independent housebuilder and manufacturer of timberframe for offsite construction is capitalising on Stewart Milne Timber Systems’ (SMTS) position as the recognised UK
A Welsh company that has worked on many of Wales’ most iconic buildings is celebrating a key anniversary by giving to and helping charities – rather than holding a physical celebration. AB Glass, an award-winning architectural aluminium and access control specialist, marks its 30th anniversary – and will celebrate by
Leading ceiling systems manufacturer Zentia announces brand relaunch. Zentia, the UK’s market leader in complete ceiling solutions, is putting customers at the heart of its brand and marketing strategy. Following Zentia’s rebrand, which evolved from Armstrong Ceiling Solutions last year, the ‘Above all, you’ campaign will communicate what that means
New research released during Gas Safety Week finds that over half of Brits are open to owning a hydrogen boiler – but despite 90% knowing they are more sustainable than existing natural gas units, most would rather someone else try one first… Sustainability is a huge topic, and we are
Brett Martin’s underground drainage systems including StormCrate55, an engineered Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS), have been specified for a new assisted living facility in Derbyshire. Located in the Brampton area of Chesterfield, the Catherine Street facility features six self-contained apartments and six new build specialist bungalows. Built by contractor Horsman Construction
Staffordshire-based handrail and balustrades specialists, SMART Balustrades, has started work to deliver more than 1,000 metres of stainless-steel balustrades at a luxury waterside residential development in Nottingham. Working alongside Leeds-based property developer KMRE Group and construction company Crown Construction, SMART Balustrades is supplying and installing all of the glass and
Leeds Beckett University has joined forces with Leeds-based ARC Building Solutions in a partnership, part-funded by the Government through Innovate UK. They will work together to create and bring to market new building insulation products – starting with the Retrofit Eaves Insulator – invented and patented by lead academic, Dr
With its high-quality wellTEC®, colTEC® and planTEC® design sheets, MN Metall has always stood for individual facade design. Now the company has further expanded its portfolio with the wellTEC® vario product line. Under this name, MN Metall offers facade profiles that combine 2, 3 or even more different corrugated, trapezoidal, square or zigzag profiles. The fact that very different shapes can thus be combined with each other means that deliberate contrasts can be set within the facade sheet. There are hardly any limits to the design ideas of architects and facade planners, and the question to MN should not be “What products do you have to offer?” but rather “What vision can you make come true for us?”. Wave, zigzag, square, trapezoid…in this order or completely different? With an individual hole pattern or an offset round perforation? With a regular or irregular grid? Made of aluminum, stainless steel or copper? No matter how the more than 60 different profile types from MN Metall are combined with each other, whether perforations or grids are applied or which material is chosen – a facade clad with wellTEC® vario will be unique in this form, because it is manufactured individually for the customer. The company manufactures the wellTEC® vario facade sheets in a process-safe manner from pre-material up to 2,000 mm wide in various thicknesses and construction widths. How the profiles look in practice is already shown by some projects that MN Metall has executed. These include the IPF-Treff Bopfingen and the Fächerbad Karlsruhe. The facade of the IPF-Treff shopping center, which covers a total of 1,635 m², was clad with wellTEC® vario SQ-40/20-20/20, made of gold-colored coated 55HX® aluminum in 1 mm. Part of the facade has offset round perforations. The special highlight: the facade cladding contains a Morse code – so for the insiders, the name of the shopping center can be read in it. The wellTEC® vario facade profile used for the Fächerbad Karlsruhe is a combination of the W-45/60 and W-45/150 profiles. Coated in the color Onyx White Blue, it gives the building an exclusive outer skin that appears in two shades depending on the angle of view and is reminiscent of reflective, moving waves.
Europe’s leading provider of low carbon cement solutions, Ecocem, has opened a world-class innovation centre in Paris to accelerate the development of new technology and products that will help the cement and construction industries decarbonise more quickly. The dedicated centre, known as the Centre of Excellence, will enable Ecocem’s innovation team to focus on testing, evaluating, and improving its new ultra-low carbon solutions which reduce the carbon footprint of the traditional cement manufacturing process by half. Ecocem has always been a first mover. For more than 20 years, the company has led the development of cement which emits just 200kg of CO2 per tonne, compared to the more than 600kg of traditional cement. It currently provides the lowest carbon cement ever used in Europe at scale, reducing the CO2 footprint by over a factor of eight. At the new Centre of Excellence, the Ecocem innovation team will run industrial-sized trials in collaboration with trusted industry partners and universities including Paris-Saclay University and The University of Toulouse. Located in France’s largest research cluster, the Centre’s opening follows recent backing of Ecocem from Breakthrough Energy Ventures – a coalition of private investors led by Bill Gates, supporting innovations that will lead the world to net zero emissions. Laurent Frouin, Ecocem’s Innovation Director, said: “Ecocem is committed to the deep and rapid decarbonisation of the global cement industry. It is essential for the planet and future generations, and it can be achieved through innovation and technology. “The cement and construction industries are developing and deploying a range of emission reduction technologies – Ecocem and our new Centre of Excellence will add a further dimension to these efforts.”
Plymouth University is piloting the use of an ancient building material called cob to construct a new generation of energy-efficient homes. They have started building a single storey 32-square-metre lab and classroom next to the university’s sustainability hub out of the material which is a mix of soil, water, straw and hemp. Principal investigator and professor of environmental building at the art, design and architecture school Steve Goodhew said: “We will create a living lab and demonstration site that will become the centre of attention for a wide range of people – from construction professionals to built environment students.” Contractor Chris Noakes and the university’s estates team are expected to complete the building in eight months. Researchers will monitor the performance of the new walling material using sensors to measure energy use, its life cycle and indoor air quality. The results will be shared with future building designers, contractors and interested stakeholders. Research set to influence industry The University’s Sustainable Earth Institute director Professor Will Blake said: “Students and visitors to the site will be able to engage with this potentially industry-influencing ongoing research project.” Interreg V France (Channel) England and the European Regional Development Fund have invested more than £3.5m in the second phase of the CobBauge project where a full-sized building will also be constructed in France. The first phase developed a new method of using cob that reduced the need for heating and mitigated overheating during warmer weather. Researchers studied a range of different soil and fibre mixes creating a double-layered composite wall combining a denser mix with a lighter weight version for strength and insulation. Brokers Hank Zarihs Associates said lenders were interested in the science of greener materials and were keen to offer construction loans to developers using low carbon emission products. Tokyo University researchers announced recently that they had developed a new form of concrete that can reduce emissions from the construction industry. Calcium carbonate concrete is made from waste concrete and carbon dioxide from the air or industrial exhaust gases. It shows promise as a future construction material, especially in places where natural resources are limited.
Stewart Milne Group is selling its market leading timber systems business to focus on investing in the growth of Stewart Milne Homes across Scotland and North-west England. The independent housebuilder and manufacturer of timberframe for offsite construction is capitalising on Stewart Milne Timber Systems’ (SMTS) position as the recognised UK market leader by putting the business up for sale at a time when the market is set to grow exponentially. Demand for timberframe has been rising rapidly and its use is anticipated to double in the next five years to meet government housing targets. As housebuilders tackle the dual challenge of achieving net-zero carbon targets and dealing with acute skills shortages, they are increasingly turning to modern methods of construction using renewable sources. Stewart Milne Timber Systems has experienced “stellar” growth in the last five years with a current order book of close to £300million. This growth is attributed to a combination of technical and manufacturing excellence with strong customer relationships with the UK’s leading housebuilders, including Barratt, Taylor Wimpey and CALA. The £100m turnover business, which employs 400 people, has become the undisputed market leader with around 20% of market share. Alex Goodfellow, Stewart Milne Group Managing Director – Strategic Development, who is leading the sale process, said: “With the scale of the opportunity in the growing timber frame market, SMTS presents a highly compelling investment proposition. We anticipate attracting a high level of interest from potential buyers who will invest in order to capitalise on that opportunity.” Stewart Milne Group has been investing in SMTS’ product and manufacturing innovation and capacity at its factories in Aberdeen and Witney to keep up with the extremely strong demand. Increased volumes have led to the creation of a third production facility in central Scotland. Stewart Milne Group’s CEO, Stuart MacGregor, added: “To keep pace with demand, it’s clear that further investment in production capacity in both Scotland and England will be required. As a privately run, independent company, we need to prioritise where we invest in the future. “Since reopening last summer, after the initial COVID lockdown, we’ve seen record levels of activity in the UK housing sector. The strength of our business with its award-winning developments, new homes range and record sales has enabled us to capitalise on these favourable market conditions and positioned us superbly for future growth.” The buoyancy of the current homes market, however, does mean that land prices in Scotland and North West England are increasing rapidly says Mr MacGregor. “We have therefore chosen to divest our successful timber systems business to increase investment in additional sites for Stewart Milne Homes. Using our considerable land buying experience to take advantage of the development opportunities, we will invest in land in the short term and concentrate on growing our homes business in the longer term.” Once a sale has completed, Stewart Milne Group will be primarily focused on investing in the growth of its homes business in Scotland and North West England, reinforcing its reputation as one of the country’s leading independent housebuilders.
A Welsh company that has worked on many of Wales’ most iconic buildings is celebrating a key anniversary by giving to and helping charities – rather than holding a physical celebration. AB Glass, an award-winning architectural aluminium and access control specialist, marks its 30th anniversary – and will celebrate by renewing its commitment to charities associated with the armed forces. AB Glass was founded by managing director Alan Brayley in 1991 after he cut his teeth as an apprentice in the glass and glazing industry. He started by going door-to-door seeking work in the Swansea area and it was four years before the business moved into its first premises. Today, from its state-of-the-art, purpose built, headquarters in Swansea West Business Park, the company employs more than 40 people and supports a 20+-strong team of sub-contracted installation specialists. It has won numerous awards for its quality and environment standards as well as commitment to a number of charities. The business has worked on a host of landmark buildings in Wales including the Royal Mint Visitor Centre, the Royal College of Music and Drama, the Newport city centre campus of the University of South Wales, The Institute for Innovative Materials, Processing and Numerical Technologies (IMPACT), and HMS Cambria in Cardiff Bay, which is now the Royal Navy’s sole reservist base in Wales. It has also worked on a number of important education institutions including the £40 million ‘super school’ in Baglan, Port Talbot, Croesyceiliog School in Cwmbran, Ysgol Carreg Hir in Briton Ferry, Dylan Thomas School in Swansea, Cefn Saeson Comprehensive School in the Afan Valley, Aberystwyth University, Swansea University’s Bay Campus and many phases of student accommodation including a landmark scheme for Fusion Student in Swansea. As it turns 30 this year, it had planned a summer barbeque. Instead, driven by the many challenges that charities have faced in the past 18 months because of COVID-19, it will donate what it would have spent on a party to a number of charities. The company has a strong affinity with the armed forces and the veterans community in this part of Wales. Alan Brayley served in the Royal Regiment of Wales and Royal Welsh for 20 years, finishing his military career as a Sergeant Major. AB Glass has also employed many ex-service personnel and helped many more in other ways. He is a big supporter of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity – the national charity of the British Army – and recently judged the Welsh Veterans Awards. In addition, he will support The Queen’s Green Canopy, a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. As Deputy Lieutenant for West Glamorgan, supporting Louise Fleet, JP, HM Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan, Brayley will also play a wider role in helping organise the Platinum Jubilee celebrations locally. Alan Brayley, managing director, AB Glass, said: “We have been debating how to celebrate this landmark for some time. It has been a tough period for everyone in the past 18 months due to COVID but many charities have really felt it. As such, we decided that rather than spend the money on ourselves, it would mean a lot more to help others – something that has always been central to our ethos as a company. “We will still raise a glass to what we have achieved internally. I am very proud of everything we have achieved. My colleagues and clients have always been incredibly supportive, and I would like to thank them for everything they have helped us achieve – here’s to the next 30!”
Leading ceiling systems manufacturer Zentia announces brand relaunch. Zentia, the UK’s market leader in complete ceiling solutions, is putting customers at the heart of its brand and marketing strategy. Following Zentia’s rebrand, which evolved from Armstrong Ceiling Solutions last year, the ‘Above all, you’ campaign will communicate what that means to customers. Driven by extensive stakeholder research, it focuses on Zentia’s specifier, contractor and distributor partners and their key future challenges and opportunities. The ‘Above all, you’ message derives from the brand’s ethos to work collaboratively with customers and create real value in every project delivered. This, teamed with the company’s reputation for anticipating customer needs, highlights their innovative mentality, and has become one of the four brand pillars underpinning the strategy. The rebrand is only the start for Zentia, with exciting plans for the future including innovative NPD, and investments in both training and customer support, as well as a multi-million-pound investment in manufacturing capabilities. Graham Taylor, director, sales and marketing at Zentia, explained: “Quality, control and endless predictability were just some of the key themes identified – any one of which may be our partners’ key concern at any one time. Our campaign recognises this reality of multiple priorities, but at the same time signs off with a constant – that for Zentia, it’s ‘above all, you’, our partners, who are our priority.” He added: “In this uncertain and ever-changing world, having everything from manufacture to customer support right here in the UK means we are more agile and in control. Together with our forward-thinking culture, this allows us to successfully solve problems for our end user clients.” The multi-channel campaign launches this month (September) across web, trade media, social channels, and direct communications. Visit www.zentia.com for more.
New research released during Gas Safety Week finds that over half of Brits are open to owning a hydrogen boiler – but despite 90% knowing they are more sustainable than existing natural gas units, most would rather someone else try one first… Sustainability is a huge topic, and we are all aware of the need to be more sustainable in our own lives to help protect the future. However, new research launched to coincide with Gas Safety Week has found that many consumers in the UK are wary of welcoming hydrogen gas fired boilers in their home, while over half of Brits quite accepting of this technology and its environmental benefits. Our findings also revealed that almost 9 out of 10 homeowners are influenced by the sustainable credentials of a hydrogen boiler to have one installed in their home. However, over half (51%) stated they would rather someone else tried one out before getting one themselves. As well as their greener environmental credentials, another advantage of a hydrogen boiler is the cost vs other energy efficient technologies. Saving £6,400 versus an electric heat pump was enough to sway over half of Brits (51%) to opting for hydrogen as their future home heating solution. However, whilst the intentions are good, more education is needed still as a significant 59% of Brits do not feel they know enough about the emerging green technology to make a decision about buying one. Martyn Bridges, Director of Technical Communication & Product Management commented; “With around 24mhomes on the gas grid, hydrogen boilers will be a key player in the technology mix for decarbonising our homes. “However, if Government targets are going to be reached and we as a nation are to ‘go green’ in our homes, it is clear from these stats that more education and reassurance around hydrogen gas is needed. “Knowing that over 50% are accepting of hydrogen, it is a big wake-up call that we all need to debunk concerns for the remaining 42% who have doubts– which comes from further education – and move forward to a greener future. There have been several really successful trials in the UK confirming the safe application of hydrogen gas, so it’s now on all of us as a nation to open our minds and homes to the concept of a hydrogen future.” For more information on hydrogen boilers and the future of home heating visit: https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/future-of-heating.
Brett Martin’s underground drainage systems including StormCrate55, an engineered Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS), have been specified for a new assisted living facility in Derbyshire. Located in the Brampton area of Chesterfield, the Catherine Street facility features six self-contained apartments and six new build specialist bungalows. Built by contractor Horsman Construction for developer SSL Partnership, the housing’s underground drainage requirements were met by a range of high performance, robust and easy-to-install solutions from Brett Martin. As part of the drainage requirements for this small residential development, a storm water management system was required to cope with any potential storm water during inclement weather conditions and working in partnership with Brett Martin’s technical team, Horsman Construction specified the StormCrate55 attenuation system which proved to be the ideal solution to control excessive surface water run-off. Manufactured from 100% recycled plastic, 84m ² of StormCrate55 modular units were clipped together in a brick bond pattern to create two underground attenuation tanks installed beneath the car park. The lightweight, high strength crates weigh only 15.5kg each and come fully assembled which was good news for the installation team, meaning minimal time was spent installing them on site. For this project, Brett Martin provided the Horsman team with a pre-fabricated geotextile liner which was pre-cut to fit the size of each tank. The one-piece liners done away with the need to cut and join the liner during the install and speeded up the process of sealing both tanks. The outlet from this tank is then controlled through a Hydro-Brake chamber to facilitate a slow release of the stored water back into the drainage system over a longer period. “This was the first time we have used StormCrate but with the excellent technical support from Brett Martin, it was the perfect underground drainage solution for our requirements. Easy to lift and install by hand, and exceptionally strong, the crates were quickly joined using the supplied connectors and met our drainage requirements for this small site in Chesterfield,” said Steve Robinson, Site Manager at Horsman Construction. For infiltration applications, StormCrate55 can also be wrapped in a permeable geotextile, material which allows stored water to slowly seep into the surrounding ground and back into the water table over a period of time. Suitable for installation in landscaped areas, pedestrianised spaces, playgrounds, parking areas, driveways and access zones, StormCrate55 is seen as one way of addressing the problem of flooding and avoiding using an overloaded sewer system.
Staffordshire-based handrail and balustrades specialists, SMART Balustrades, has started work to deliver more than 1,000 metres of stainless-steel balustrades at a luxury waterside residential development in Nottingham. Working alongside Leeds-based property developer KMRE Group and construction company Crown Construction, SMART Balustrades is supplying and installing all of the glass and stainless-steel balustrades for all balconies at The Yacht Club, which boasts uninterrupted views across the River Trent. Featuring 81 one, two and three-bedroom apartments, including penthouses, The Yacht Club is situated on Trent Lane and will offer residents a luxurious waterside lifestyle in a convenient location, close to city amenities. All of the south-facing apartments at the development feature either a large private balcony or terrace, with two installation teams now on site from SMART Balustrades to complete the construction of the balustrades quickly and efficiently. “This is our first project working with both KMRE and Crown Construction, and in terms of size and the number of balconies involved, it’s certainly our biggest project of the year so far,” said David Hough, managing director at SMART Balustrades. “The stunning, uninterrupted views that these new apartments will provide will be priceless, so we’re installing stainless steel balustrades with clear glass infill panels to terraces and balconies to really open them up and make the most of the vistas. We are also providing balustrades to the development’s internal staircases as well, giving a clean and modern look to the communal areas of the building.” Set up in 2017 by David and his brother, Jonathan Hough, and with over 120 years of experience in the balustrades industry, SMART has a sustained demand for its specialist services, both in the commercial and residential sectors. Having recently taken on two new recruits, with another installation engineer joining the team this month, the company continues to grow and is on track to achieve its 2021 targets. “SMART has just celebrated its fourth birthday and everyone is thrilled with the company’s performance and growth in that time. Managing and fulfilling a project of this size is a testament to that success. After a difficult 18 months for many businesses, we are eagerly looking ahead to the future, continuing to meet and excel our goals and expanding our team of skilled craftspeople and delivering excellent customer service to our burgeoning client portfolio,” continued David. “We are delighted to be working with well-known, industry leading companies such as KMRE and Crown Construction, helping to provide unique and beautiful new homes in an idyllic waterside location.”
Leeds Beckett University has joined forces with Leeds-based ARC Building Solutions in a partnership, part-funded by the Government through Innovate UK. They will work together to create and bring to market new building insulation products – starting with the Retrofit Eaves Insulator – invented and patented by lead academic, Dr Matthew Brooke-Peat. Through the two-year programme, academic experts at Leeds Beckett University’s Leeds Sustainability Institute (LSI) and Leeds Business School will support ARC in setting up a specialised new product development department within the business to invent and bring new products to both the retrofit and new-build housing markets. The pilot project will be the Retrofit Eaves Insulator (REI), invented and patented by Dr Brooke-Peat and co-inventor Professor Christopher Gorse, which will allow homeowners to make their dwellings more energy efficient and cost effective. Dr Brooke-Peat, Architectural Technology Course Director at Leeds Beckett, explained: “A problem area for insulating existing buildings is at the eaves – the junction between the external walls and roof – which can result in high rates of heat loss. We have seen this in research projects in the LSI and have needed to find a solution to this energy efficiency problem for a long time. “A large market opening up currently is the retrofit market – thermally upgrading a building; which could be just the loft or the full house, including the walls. The eaves need to be insulated as part of this process – and, where the roof covering is already fitted, this is a tight space. We needed to invent an insulation product that could resolve the problem and be fitted easily in a confined space with restricted access.” The patent has now been licensed by Leeds Beckett University to ARC – with funding of £161,000 through the Government’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) programme to support the development of the REI and a whole new product development department for ARC. Neil Weeks, Managing Director of ARC, said: “ARC has worked in tandem with Leeds Beckett University for a number of years, using expert knowledge and skills to identify heat loss and carbon reduction in the new build sector. “The refurbishment sector is a vast market and existing homeowners of properties pre-2005 are in a unique position – to be able to reduce their carbon impact whist also reducing monthly heating bills. “ARC is keen to identify key opportunities for products that can positively influence carbon reduction are key to the long-term growth strategy of ARC as a business.” The KTP will begin with the recruitment of a full-time KTP Associate, who will be an experienced graduate. They will work with ARC and the academic team in establishing the processes and infrastructure needed to set up the new in-house product development department. The academic team will be led by principal inventor, Dr Matthew Brooke-Peat, providing the technical expertise relating to the invention and the construction industry; alongside the team at Leeds Business School, led by Paul Rhodes, Lecturer in strategic marketing and new product development – bringing expertise in finance, management and marketing. Dr Brooke-Peat said: “It is exciting to see an idea borne out of research coming to fruition as a marketable product, which will then be in use for a positive effect. It’s about implementing energy efficiency, which reduces carbon emissions – and in existing buildings.” “If we are going to stand a chance of meeting our targets for carbon emissions, we need to be looking at the existing building stock, which will still be around in 2050 when we are aiming to reach our zero-carbon target. This invention will help move us towards that. It is exciting to contribute to something so important that could go into many retrofit roof insulation projects going forward. The scale of its potential is vast.” Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) aim to help businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills within the UK knowledge base.
