With a large variety of models designed to fit any building’s needs, the XS4 One electronic escutcheon fits virtually any door, including wooden and PVC doors as well as those with narrow metal frames. Until now, the Dark Bronze finish was only available for the XS4 ANSI models but this
Bespoke brick slip feature arch lintels from IG Lintels form a distinctive element of a sympathetic and prestigious addition to an Edwardian council estate in the London Borough of Camden. Built between 1901 and 1903, the Grade II-listed Bourne Estate is on the fringes of the Hatton Garden Conservation Area
When it came to providing a range of bespoke brick slip products to achieve intricate brick features throughout the façade on the buildings in the first phase of the Water Yards masterplan at Canada Water, IG Masonry Support was well-poised to deliver the goods. Porters Edge, Canada Water is a
Hardwood flooring is the ideal material for various spaces in your home. The material gives off an attractive ambiance that significantly boosts the overall look of a room. If you’re eager to install new hardwood flooring in your living room or place it throughout your home, it’s an investment that
Moda Living, the UK’s leading family-owned operator of build-to-rent homes, has announced demolition will begin at its Sackville Road regeneration project in Hove as it prepares to create a landmark build to rent neighbourhood for the city. Moda is working with construction company Midgard to deliver 564 high-quality build to
Designer Contracts, the UK’s largest flooring contractor, has developed a digital solution to speedier customer service. The company has designed its own app, named Athena, to enable faster response times to customers and to help deliver key performance indicators. For use by staff internally, Athena was trialled at one of
Commercial spaces have gone through different design transformations through the years. What used to be conventional office structures with cubicles and private rooms are now looking more modernized. For instance, open spaces and natural lighting are more opted by workers and business owners. Also, the cubicles have turned into working
The removal of asbestos is a crucial aspect of waste management in construction sites, factories, and even homes. However, many risks are involved in asbestos containment and disposal, and any wrong move puts workers and the general public in danger. This article will go through the best practices for properly
The first glimpse of the oculus staircase, the first of its kind in the UK, can be seen following its installation at Cardiff Innovation Campus’ sbarc | spark building. The finishing of the oculus staircase is a pivotal moment in the construction of the Innovation Campus. The sbarc | spark
Doors and windows are vital to your home for lots of reasons. They need to keep the weather out, provide security and of course compliment the aesthetics of the property as a whole. Because of all this, they can also be a costly purchase, and most people would agree that
With a large variety of models designed to fit any building’s needs, the XS4 One electronic escutcheon fits virtually any door, including wooden and PVC doors as well as those with narrow metal frames. Until now, the Dark Bronze finish was only available for the XS4 ANSI models but this attractive contemporary finish has now been extended to the XS4 One family as well. The new Dark Bronze option for the XS4 One product rangecompliments today’s design trends and blends perfectly with both white and dark doors, modern style and decoration. With a large variety of models, XS4 One electronic escutcheons are all totally wire-free and networked through SALTO Virtual Network (SVN) and BLUEnet Wireless network for access control in real-time and compatible with smart phone mobile access. They are simple and fast to install without having to replace or drill the door. High security protection is provided via high resistance, hardened anti-drill plates to protect the wiring and reader area. Hardened axes and floating steel balls provide additional protection in the handle area. The new Dark Bronze Finish option has also been added to the SALTO MyLock online configuration tool, allowing users to now visualize this stunning finish for the XS4 One, XS4 One DIN and XS4 One Deadlatch (DL) models on any type of door.
Bespoke brick slip feature arch lintels from IG Lintels form a distinctive element of a sympathetic and prestigious addition to an Edwardian council estate in the London Borough of Camden. Built between 1901 and 1903, the Grade II-listed Bourne Estate is on the fringes of the Hatton Garden Conservation Area and is a jewel in the crown for its owner Camden Council. Internationally significant and originally built by the London County Council, it became a model for influential public housing built in Vienna after the First World War. When it came to its redevelopment and the creation of two new blocks consisting of seventy-five mixed tenure homes, Matthew Lloyd Architects in partnership with Higgins Construction, had the architectural challenge of designing and building new housing that responded to the original Edwardian buildings. Central to the design of the additions is the fine brick detailing which needed to replicate the materials and characteristics of the original architecture. A number of double height brick arches were also created and form a central throughway into new communal courtyards seen elsewhere on the estate. In keeping with the architect’s aesthetic requirements, IG Lintels technical team designed 215mm high flat gauge brick slip feature lintels accommodating a series of brick spans; 910mm, 1360mm, 1472mm and 1585mm. All bricks were cut and bonded offsite onto the load bearing lintels. A consignment of bricks was collected from site to guarantee both quality and reliability in matching the surrounding brickwork. The ceramic bricks were carefully cut in a mitre fashion to conceal the red clay finish underneath and ensure that the ceramic finish on the mitre did not splinter which minimalised brick wastage. All the bricks cut were bonded in a rowlock pattern using BBA approved construction adhesive in a controlled environment without disruption from the natural weather. The patented perforated design of a IG Brick Feature Lintel allows the adhesive to squeeze through the perforations and form a ‘mushroom’ on the inside, providing a mechanical lock between the steel lintel and the bricks. Each prefabricated single piece unit was delivered in line with the build schedule onsite. This reduced health and safety concerns by eliminating the requirement for skilled labour working from height for a prolonged period of time in a busy London area. The contrasting brick types used on the project add to the new design creating pleasing views that clearly define key routes and boundaries. IG’s lintel solutions have ensured the high quality additions to the innovative Bourne Estate will strengthen the character of the conservation area through careful design and close attention to the articulation of the facades. The richness of detail in the brickwork and the quality in construction will ensure the estate will endure for more generations to come.
When it came to providing a range of bespoke brick slip products to achieve intricate brick features throughout the façade on the buildings in the first phase of the Water Yards masterplan at Canada Water, IG Masonry Support was well-poised to deliver the goods. Porters Edge, Canada Water is a mixed use, multi-phased dockside regeneration project in the London borough of Southwark, situated between London Bridge and Canary Wharf. The first phase of this ambitious masterplan included 234 apartments rising up 18 storeys, located in four residential cores surrounding a landscaped courtyard and a 100,000 sq. ft. Decathlon store with a basement car park. The intricate brick features and balconies with brick soffits required IG’s full catalogue of prefabricated components. IG collaborated with delivery architect Stockwool and main contractor Ardmore to design and manufacture bespoke brick slip systems that would achieve the architect’s vision. The Challenge Attractive brick details were a desirable aesthetic for this phase of the Water Yards masterplan. Each residential core of the development was unique. In total six different types of bricks were used throughout the development with a mix of three bricks specified by Stockwool for each elevation. Carefully considered brick combinations were produced to create beautiful brick soffits that are visible throughout the elevations, located above windows, openings and recesses as well as underneath the balconies. When it came to brickwork elements, the size and complexity of the brick soffits on the seventy balconies on the west and north-west elevations presented the contractor with the greatest challenge. IG’s technical team was tasked with designing bespoke brick slip balcony soffits to achieve this aesthetic feature. Additionally, Brick Slip Lintels and B.O.S.S. units were required to provide seamless brick soffits above the windows, openings and recess panels. The Solution Porters Edge was a standout programme for IG Masonry Support and required a great deal of innovation and adaptability. IG’s technical team designed and manufactured a bespoke solution to achieve the brick soffits on the balconies. This solution was the first that used an extended B.O.S.S system based on steel. IG also provided hangers, which were flexible enough for movement between the main structure of the balcony and its system. The brick slip soffit balcony system had to be signed off by both the NHBC and the contractor. To obtain approval IG had to provide many calculations on thermal expansion, to prove that the brick soffit panel would work with the cladding that surrounds the balcony. The challenge here was to illustrate that there would not be any cracking or loosening of the bricks as a result of the thermal and mechanical movement of the balcony. IG also had to undertake Finite Element Analysis (FEA), to demonstrate that the system was able to accommodate movement within the balcony during manufacturing, erection and usage. IG’s prefabricated brick slip balcony soffit solution enabled Ardmore to achieve the desired brick detail quickly and effectively. For health and safety reasons the soffits were designed to be installed to the balcony on the ground. Once assembled, the whole balcony was lifted into position and connected to the building. The complex brick detail achieved above the windows, openings and recesses throughout the development highlights the design versatility of IG’s offsite soffit solutions. Capable of accommodating any brick type or bond pattern, IG’s technical team created both Brick Slip Lintels and B.O.S.S. units for achieving the stretcher bond detail on a combination of 102.5 and 327.5 soffits. As with all of its projects IGMS went above and beyond, adapting its systems to the different sizes and mixture of bricks. Not only does this indicate the strength of its offsite solutions, it highlights the diligence and excellence of the IG team. As a further example of exceptional service, IG Masonry Support supplied drawings and method statements to help the brickwork contractor and engineers onsite. A landmark project in London’s emerging borough of Southwark, the presence of IG Masonry Support’s solutions will ensure the development’s sophisticated brickwork will look good for many years to come.
Hardwood flooring is the ideal material for various spaces in your home. The material gives off an attractive ambiance that significantly boosts the overall look of a room. If you’re eager to install new hardwood flooring in your living room or place it throughout your home, it’s an investment that requires your full attention. Investing in superior quality flooring for your home, such as hardwood, can provide several long-term benefits. First, it adds timeless elegance and beauty to any space and can be a wise choice if you plan to remodel your home in the future. Hardwood flooring can also last for many years, which is why it’s crucial to choose a suitable hardwood floor for your home. To learn more about hardwood flooring, you can look into custom wood shops such as Elmwood Reclaimed Timber to get an idea of how it will look like once installed. Once you decide to go for hardwood flooring, maintenance is a factor to consider. The material is prone to scratching, and exposure to excessive moisture can increase the risk of rotting. Before installing hardwood flooring in your home, here are several factors to consider to ensure that you’re making the right decision. 1. Interior Design Before deciding on the type of flooring to install in your home, it’s essential to consider the interior of your home first. It would be best to consider the furniture, especially the cabinet trimming, door casings, and other design elements. Doing so will ensure that the floor will seamlessly blend in with your home. 2. Location It’s crucial to note that not all types of hardwood floors work best in all parts of your home. With this in mind, you should carefully think about the areas where you want to install them. In areas below ground level, such as the basement, engineered wood is a good choice. Solid wood is not a suitable option due to the moisture in spaces below the ground. Moisture can rise from the ground and result in problems with solid wood flooring. 3. Subfloor Type Subfloors serve as the base for finished floors in all houses, which should be one of your considerations when selecting hardwood flooring. Generally, the common types of subflooring include particle boards, concrete slabs, and plywood. If you want a versatile option, plywood is ideal since it can support solid wood and engineered floors. 4. Price The price of hardwood flooring includes the installation cost and floor maintenance. It will also depend on the number of years you intend to stay in your current home. If you’re planning to stay in your current home for many years to come, you might want to think about renovating the space and selecting suitable flooring options during that period. Additionally, you should also consider the costs of the removal and disposal of the old flooring. 5. Lifestyle Depending on your lifestyle, you should consider the wear and tear of the flooring you’ll choose. For those who regularly host gatherings with family and friends or have pets around, it’s best to consider a durable type of wood that’s resistant to scratches or damages. You can go for red oak since it’s affordable and resilient enough to endure most damage. 6. Finishing And Staining Options Hardwood flooring is a preferred option for most homeowners due to its beauty and elegance in its natural form. One of the most common concerns in installing hardwood is when the color deteriorates, especially in areas that are constantly exposed to the sun. In maintaining hardwood flooring, you should polish the floor using various finishes to lessen its chances of deteriorating. You can apply any finish of your choice as long as it matches the entire look of your house. 7. Tree Species Various tree species produce distinct hardwood flooring. Each tree showcases unique grain patterns, characteristics, and variations that make them stand out. Here are some of the popular wood types. Oak. You can choose from two types such as red and white. Red oak is a popular option with visible graining and color variations in every plank. White oak, with varying grain patterns, is a suitable option for high-traffic areas in your home. Hickory. When it comes to durability, hickory is the ideal option due to its high density and shock resistance. Ash. The bold graining in each plank, ranging from wavy, straight, or curly, makes it stand out in any space. Conclusion Hardwood flooring is a worthy investment if you want to upgrade the overall look of your home. Before installing hardwood flooring, you should take note of these factors to help you along the way. But one thing’s for sure—once you have installed hardwood flooring in your home, it will give your house that promised lasting elegance for years to come.
Moda Living, the UK’s leading family-owned operator of build-to-rent homes, has announced demolition will begin at its Sackville Road regeneration project in Hove as it prepares to create a landmark build to rent neighbourhood for the city. Moda is working with construction company Midgard to deliver 564 high-quality build to rent homes, turning a rundown trading estate next to Hove Station into a thriving inter-generational neighbourhood with extensive public gardens. The masterplan also includes 260 care community homes. The development is based on an intergenerational approach and will appeal to both small and large households of individuals – or families – as well as older members of the community. The proposals also include communal lounges, private dining areas, cafes, shops and 50,000 sq ft of office and co-working space to foster emerging businesses/SMEs, five communal roof terraces and open spaces – all designed to enhance community living. Moda Living do not charge deposits from would-be residents, do not levy service charges and the monthly rental includes an extensive range of amenities including access to the gym, internet and reduced electricity costs. Moda is also appealing for local artists to express an interest in producing artwork for an exterior wall at the site which overlooks Sackville Road. ”Now that our regeneration of the Sackville Road site has received planning consent, we’re happy to announce that demolition will begin on Monday 12 July. We expect demolition to take around three months to complete. We’re very excited to see this project get underway and look forward to delivering much needed high quality rental accommodation for the city, together with care home units and much more,” said James Blakey, Planning Director at Moda. “Moda is here to stay, so we want to be part of our local community and to support it. As a result, we are keen to hear from local artists who would like to see their art featured in a prime position and showcase their talent. We’re really looking forward to seeing what local artists come up with to bring the wall to life and connect it with Hove’s history and culture.” Approximately 70 per cent of the site will include new streets, squares, amenity and open spaces. It will create the equivalent of more than 560 full time jobs and more than 150 full time equivalent construction jobs, with many people working on the site coming from the local area.
Designer Contracts, the UK’s largest flooring contractor, has developed a digital solution to speedier customer service. The company has designed its own app, named Athena, to enable faster response times to customers and to help deliver key performance indicators. For use by staff internally, Athena was trialled at one of the company’s regional offices and has now been rolled out across Designer Contract’s remaining 14 regions. Said md, Peter Kelsey: “As we move further into a digital age, we felt the Athena app would be an easy and instant solution for our team to provide an enhanced customer experience. “It was designed in-house so that we could build it to our exact specification and requirements and we’re looking forward to offering our clients quicker query response times.” Designer Contracts, which was recently named as a finalist in the 2020 Lloyds Bank Business Awards, operates across 15 UK regional facilities. As well as flooring, the company provides curtains and blinds, furniture and lighting, and operates a showhome interior design services division.
Commercial spaces have gone through different design transformations through the years. What used to be conventional office structures with cubicles and private rooms are now looking more modernized. For instance, open spaces and natural lighting are more opted by workers and business owners. Also, the cubicles have turned into working pods that allow better collaboration and concentration while working. As contemporary as all these changes may be, there’s one essential component that could be affected as your office adopt a more non-traditional design—the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. So, whether you’re planning to renovate an existing office or build a new commercial space, make sure you consider how you can better strategize your heating and cooling system in a way that it would still efficiently function despite the changes you’re making. Heating And Cooling Design Tips Ideally, how you plan on heating, ventilating, and cooling the area should be taken into consideration in the early stages of building your commercial space. Such considerations could go a long way in cutting back your expenses down the road. Aside from purchasing bulk or refurbished air conditioning systems and accessories from online companies, such as PTAC4Less, you should also be open to trying other design tips that could maximize the heating and cooling system of your workspace. Here are some tips to note: 1. Choosing The Right Type Of Commercial HVAC Systems Commercial HVAC systems typically come in three types. The single split system is suitable for small commercial spaces as it gives you the flexibility to control the heating in each room. This is perfect if you plan to have server rooms or small offices in the building. Aside from being affordable, the single split system allows other units to remain functioning even when a single unit breaks. The multi-split system, on the other hand, is almost similar to the single split one but the difference is that you can connect up to nine indoor units to an outdoor unit, which clearly helps in preserving outdoor space. Additionally, this system is more aesthetically pleasing compared to the single split one. The last type is the variable refrigerant flow/variable refrigerant volume (VRF/VRV) system, which is ideal for medium to large commercial buildings. Under this HVAC system, you can choose from two different types. The first one is the Heat Pump System wherein you’ll need to choose if you prefer to heat or cool the space. The other system is the Heat Recovery System, which can provide both heating and cooling. This type is perfect for commercial buildings that are partitioned into smaller rooms. 2. Knowing What HVAC System Size To Choose As you design and plan your heating and cooling system, you also need to take into consideration the heating loads that the system will be taking in, depending on where you plan on installing it. To gather this information, you’ll have to determine the size of your commercial space, the number of workers or people who’ll be occupying it, and your purpose in installing the HVAC system. Keep in mind that the purpose will be of great help in potentially knowing the level of heating and cooling that your building will need. Take note that when it comes to choosing the size of an HVAC system, bigger isn’t always better. Air-conditioning equipment that’s bigger than the required load for your building will only provide poor comfort conditions. What’ll most likely happen is your system will constantly turn on and off. Moreover, it’s never going to run long enough to get rid of or even eliminate humidity. What you’ll get instead is a commercial space that’s perforated with cold and hot spot. 3. Ventilate For Better Indoor Air Quality A modern commercial space isn’t just about thermal comfort. It’s also important to maintain good indoor air quality or make it better. To do this, your mechanical ventilation system must be useful in controlling humidity, removing contaminants (viruses, bacteria, dust, and carbon dioxide), and eliminating odors. This function is particularly helpful in these trying times. That being said, your heating and cooling system design need to allow for sufficient intake and distribution of air that’s coming from the outside. Likewise, the conditioned air inside needs to be distributed well. Ensuring that the system works exactly this way should adequately ventilate the space. Final Words Designing and installing the right heating and cooling system for your commercial space is not an easy task. You need to acquire specific knowledge about the process so you can ensure that your office space will get the right HVAC system that it needs. If you’re not too confident that you can handle it on your own, you can leave the task at the hands of professionals. Whichever way you choose, make sure that you’re involved in the process so you’ll be at ease knowing that you’re not compromising the comfort and safety of your employees.
The removal of asbestos is a crucial aspect of waste management in construction sites, factories, and even homes. However, many risks are involved in asbestos containment and disposal, and any wrong move puts workers and the general public in danger. This article will go through the best practices for properly containing and disposing of asbestos but first, let’s start with some basic education. What is Asbestos? Asbestos is a highly durable but dangerous mineral formed from six different natural fiber properties. These properties make asbestos nearly indestructible and a favorite material for construction, roofing, floor tiles, and other building materials. Asbestos is a highly durable but dangerous mineral formed from six different natural fiber properties. These properties make asbestos nearly indestructible and a favorite material for construction, roofing, floor tiles, and other building materials. However, the health risks associated with asbestos exposure, such as mesothelioma, have led to numerous lawsuits and asbestos claim payouts to compensate victims for the harm caused by this hazardous substance. If you believe you have been affected, it’s crucial to seek legal advice to understand your rights and potential compensation. While this mineral is famous for its resistance to heat, fire, and sound, it also causes health complications. If asbestos becomes airborne and is ingested or inhaled, it can cause deadly illnesses like cancer or lung disease. A 2018 report from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health states that asbestos exposure leads to an estimated 250,000 deaths worldwide every year. To curb the number of unnecessary deaths, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created strict regulations defining how asbestos-containing materials should be handled, including how to properly package and dispose of the materials. Companies that violate any of these rules or regulations will incur hefty fines and penalties. Best Asbestos Abatement Practices Asbestos is no joke! Adhering to these five best practices during the abatement process can help prevent potential health hazards and avoid hefty fines. 1. Consider Hiring a Professional Asbestos is a dangerous material and should only be handled by licensed asbestos abatement professionals. They can help assess the severity of a project and have the resources to take care of the issue in a timely and cost-effective manner. An abatement professional will also be up-to-date on all local and federal rules and regulations. 2. Prepare the Area by Following Safety Protocols Before remediation begins, the area must be prepped to prevent accidental exposure to workers or the general public. A job site can be prepped by sealing off the area with plastic, hanging caution signs around the perimeter, and turning off any ventilation systems in the building. 3. Wear the Appropriate Safety Protection Personal protective equipment (PPE) can help avoid harmful exposure to asbestos fibers. Masks, respirators, protective clothing, and gumboots are essential safety gear for anyone involved in the disposal of asbestos. 4. Properly Contain the Asbestos for Disposal As asbestos is removed from the site, it should be wetted to prevent it from blowing around. It should then be double bagged and sealed in an air-tight container. Alternatively, by utilizing an affordable industrial waste bag, it’s possible to capture the asbestos, reduce cleanout costs, and limit worker exposure. Specialty bags are even available that can capture all materials with virtually no dust release and can be sized to fit industrial roll-off waste containers for easy collection, transport, and disposal. These specialty flexible packaging options are also designed to meet OSHA, EPA regulations, and DOT regulations to ensure peace of mind. 5. Follow Any and All Decontamination Procedures People who work in asbestos-contaminated areas must remove their protective clothing and equipment in a designated decontamination enclosure. This helps contain any airborne particles that might be attached to any clothing or gear and will prevent it from escaping into the environment and exposing the general public. How To Dispose of Asbestos? Once the asbestos waste has been properly contained, it can be disposed of. Not all disposal facilities can take hazardous materials such as asbestos. Be sure to check which disposal sites have the appropriate license before trucking the waste all the way over to the facility. Many resources are available online to find suitable disposal facilities. It’s also possible to see if the facilities require certain packaging to be used during transport or disposal to mitigate environmental hazards en route to the landfill. In Conclusion Knowing how to eliminate asbestos-containing waste is an essential part of occupational safety, especially in construction sites. Using proper asbestos containment and disposal techniques as well as packaging designed to encapsulate airborne particles will reduce potential health hazards and hefty fines. Trey Castleberry works with PacTec, Inc. and its sister companies, the global leader in flexible waste packaging solutions for industrial and nuclear facilities. His team has a proven track record of helping waste generators and haulers streamline their business models, work more efficiently, ensure compliance, reduce budgets, and gain new business.
The first glimpse of the oculus staircase, the first of its kind in the UK, can be seen following its installation at Cardiff Innovation Campus’ sbarc | spark building. The finishing of the oculus staircase is a pivotal moment in the construction of the Innovation Campus. The sbarc | spark showpiece starts at the ground floor as a social stair and forms breakout zones to each level which are curated differently, becoming destinations to users on other floors. Bouygues UK, the construction company building the £300 million state-of-the-art Campus, worked with Taunton Fabrications to design and install the staircase, which was designed by architects Hawkins\Brown. The staircase is a sculptural, open staircase travelling through a slanting void. Its name is taken from the oculus design, which depicts an eye that allows light to flood into a space. It aims to drive engagement and collaboration between the varying departments and uses of the sbarc | spark building. The Innovation Campus is being built on the site of a disused rail yard and comprises two buildings. sbarc | spark will be home to the world’s first Social Science Research Park (SPARK), alongside CardiffInnovations@sbarc – Cardiff University’s creative space for start-ups, spinouts and partnerships. The Translational Research Hub will be home to two world-leading scientific research establishments – the Institute for Compound Semiconductors and Cardiff Catalysis Institute. Mike Baynham, Operations Director for Bouygues UK in Wales, and project lead on Cardiff Innovation Campus, said: “It’s amazing to have witnessed this staircase taking shape over the past few months. The expertise of Taunton Fabrications and the amazing vision of Hawkins\Brown have all come together to create a spectacle in this truly one-of-a-kind building. “The way the staircase was constructed is also very unique as the stairs weren’t installed directly above each other, as traditionally happens, but are offset at each floor level. Several methods of installation have been reviewed over months to come up with the best way to install the stairs safely and practically.” Mike explained: “Our great team here at Bouygues UK came up with a solution to install each stair after each floor slab was built and then construct the next floor above the stair with a cleaver configuration. These temporary works was designed by Taunton Fabrications and the RC frame Contractor, 4D Structures. This was then repeated on every floor. It is a complex but exciting construction project and is amazing to see it come to fruition.” Julia Roberts, Partner and Education & Research Sector Lead of Hawkins\Brown said: “The oculus staircase was designed as a stimulating setting that fosters collaboration between researchers, practitioners and policy-makers. To develop this design, we worked with our computational design team and produced a script that allowed us to create a parametric model of the oculus void for best coordination with structures and M&E design teams. This also enabled us to create a game engine walkthrough which you were able to experience on a VR headset – it proved to be a powerful design development tool which actively involved the University and building users. “This was the first time we utilised game engine technology on a project, and it’s very rewarding to see it taking shape on site.” Professor Damian Walford Davies, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, said of the finishing of this milestone in the project: “The oculus is the light-flooded heart of our building: a visible symbol of the connections and configurations between people and projects that this space beautifully enables, as much as a practical thoroughfare.”
Doors and windows are vital to your home for lots of reasons. They need to keep the weather out, provide security and of course compliment the aesthetics of the property as a whole. Because of all this, they can also be a costly purchase, and most people would agree that it makes sense to invest in top quality options rather than cutting corners and feeling the consequences further down the line. But what about the hardware that secures doors and windows in place; is it still worth pushing the boat out in this instance? Here is a look at why you can definitely justify spending more rather than only being interested in economizing. Wear and tear is inevitable In terms of practicality, doors and windows are certainly a very functional part of the average house, which of course means that they have to put up with a lot of punishment day after day. Constant contact from humans, with doorknobs being yanked by excited kids and windows being flung open when the toast burns for the umpteenth time, means that wear and tear can take its toll on the hardware. When lower tier materials are used, this obviously increases the likelihood of faults and outright failures occurring. The old adage of ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ rings true here, so avoid wasteful spending if you can. Replacement is straightforward Another piece of good news about high end window and door parts, like those sold by Reflect Window, is that installing them is no harder than installing any other piece of hardware in this context. So long as you have the right tools to hand, you should be able to swap out worn components for fresh, sturdy replacements without needing to call out a specialist to take care of this. Even relative DIY novices can get to grips with well made hardware. Style is worth paying for While there are some budget-friendly hardware products which manage to look much more expensive than is actually the case, in reality you can easily tell the difference between parts that are at the higher end of the price spectrum because of the care, attention and material quality that has been ploughed into their design and production. This is not just about the way that the components look, but also about how they feel. Even if they look good on the outside, a quick touch of a cheaper handle or latch will instantly reveal its lower end nature. And as this is something you are going to be touching almost every day, spending more to improve the experience is certainly a consideration. Variety comes at a price Enter into any number of public buildings or mass-built homes and you will notice something of a cookie-cutter approach in terms of the hardware used on doors and windows. A handful of standard designs are reproduced over and over again, to the point that things can start to seem a little bland even if you cannot put your finger on exactly why this is. With high end hardware, variety is very much on the cards, and you can choose everything from ultra-modern examples to newly made options which have nevertheless been produced to fit in with design trends from bygone eras. Finishes are fabulous The final thing to think about when browsing high end hardware for doors and windows is the kind of finish you want. Variety will once again come into play, and whether you want a matte black look or one that veers towards polished brass or shiny plated metal, you should have your needs satisfied. Hopefully you now appreciate the advantages of investing in quality hardware. The only challenge you face now is choosing which to pick. Whether you rely on personal preference, professional reviews or customer feedback, do your research and you should be able to get hardware that ticks all the boxes.
