The pioneering programme is now even easier for contractors to use. The pioneer of ceiling recycling schemes, Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, has fine-tuned its award-winning* programme to make it as simple and as accessible as possible. It is now even easier for contractors to reduce their environmental impact and divert waste
Manufacturer’s systems now feature on all five Cardiff office buildings by JR Smart. Ultra-green ceiling tiles from Armstrong Ceiling Solutions feature again on the fifth and latest office building to rise in Cardiff’s Capital Quarter redevelopment. Specified by M2M Architects, they feature throughout the office areas at No 4 Capital
The refurbishment of a ward at Bristol children’s hospital includes printed ceilings. Hospital stays for children striving against cancer in the Bristol area are now more positive and stimulating, thanks to Armstrong Ceiling Solutions and its chosen charity Rays of Sunshine, a charity that brightens the lives of recovering children
Good news for Armstrong Ceilings, as the company has achieved record-breaking levels in recycling for the second year on the run, seen with the recycling of some 142,000m2 over the course of last year, with a notable nine members of the company’s Omega network (approved installers) then showcasing their expertise
BDC 321 : Oct 2024
The pioneering programme is now even easier for contractors to use. The pioneer of ceiling recycling schemes, Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, has fine-tuned its award-winning* programme to make it as simple and as accessible as possible. It is now even easier for contractors to reduce their environmental impact and divert waste from landfill which also saves them money from the subsequent taxes as well as from skips and transportation costs. All contractors are now required to do is simply take down the old Armstrong acoustic mineral ceiling tiles** and stack them on pallets. In partnership with the local distributor, Armstrong will arrange collection free of charge*** and the old tiles will be 100% recycled into new ceiling tiles at the company’s production facility in Gateshead. The scheme for the UK and Ireland, which has been in place since 2003, enables Armstrong to minimise its impact on the environment by not only diverting its old products from landfill but also producing mineral ceiling tiles with even higher post-consumer recycled content, currently up to 82%. As well as the support it gets from distributors, Armstrong has also developed a “green” branch of its Omega network of approved sub-contractors, specifically for those installers with proven recycling expertise .. and they claim that as well as saving them landfill tax it also makes then more attractive for main contractors to use. Armstrong’s recycling programme for demolition, construction and renovation schemes has saved 15 million m2 of old ceiling tiles globally and diverted 61,000 tonnes of waste from landfill. And with 2,000m2 of recycled ceiling tiles equating to 7.6 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill, that is a 14,000 kWh saving on energy. Projects have included the headquarters of main contractor Kier Construction, the temporary beach volleyball venue at Horse Guards Parade in London, and the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. A member of the UK Green Building Council, Armstrong also a partner in the Ceilings Sustainability Partnership, a working party of the AIS (Association of Interior Specialists) technical committee, which delivers on the actions within the Mineral Wool Ceiling Tile Resource Efficiency Action Plan (REAP). The REAP plan is intended to help the sector reduce the amount of mineral wool ceiling tiles going to landfill. Armstrong recycling case studies also feature as WRAP exemplars, including Birmingham University Hospital where almost 43 tonnes of ceiling tiles were diverted from landfill and an estimated 19.5 tonnes of embodied CO2 were offset. A new recycling programme leaflet, which has all the criteria information and steps to follow, is available from https://www.armstrongceilingsolutions.co.uk/en-gb/performance/sustainable-building-design/recycling-programmes.
Manufacturer’s systems now feature on all five Cardiff office buildings by JR Smart. Ultra-green ceiling tiles from Armstrong Ceiling Solutions feature again on the fifth and latest office building to rise in Cardiff’s Capital Quarter redevelopment. Specified by M2M Architects, they feature throughout the office areas at No 4 Capital Quarter, the eight-storey canal-side landmark office building designed to BREEAM “Excellent, in the heart of the city’s Enterprise Zone. The Dune eVo MicroLook mineral tiles had already been used by main contractor JR Smart on the five previous office projects and were specified, with their approval, for this latest, 96,870ft2 Grade A building which is now home to Sky UK, legal firm Geldards and financial services company Optimum Credit. The building incorporates the occupational density of open floor plates to suit the current and future needs of modern office occupiers as well as a central atrium, high-quality reception, sixth-floor roof terrace and ground-floor retail and leisure units. Some 11,000m2 of the 1200mm x 300mm Dune eVo panels were supplied to No 4 by the Cardiff branch of distributor Nevill Long and installed on the 2.7m floor-to-ceiling heights by specialist sub-contractor 2nd Generation Facades. Fully recyclable, Dune eVo is the next evolution in ceiling tiles. The tiles provide a balanced acoustic performance of up to 0.65 aw, Class C sound absorption, and a sound attenuating performance of up to 39 dB. The perforation design of Dune eVo is unique to standard tiles, creating a smooth, contemporary finish. Dune eVo has been highly engineered to have a reinforced edge that provides maximum durability and resilience, both in storage and application. It is the first ceiling system in the industry to gain Cradle to Cradle accreditation. Rhodri Morgan of M2M Architects said: “We specified Armstrong Ceilings’ Dune eVo system in the knowledge the client was happy with it on office buildings we had carried out for them.” Armstrong’s area sales manager for the UK’s south-west, Mark Turner, added: “This project showcases what a great visual can be achieved using Dune eVo MicroLook.” JR Smart has continued to bring prestigious new office space to market in the centre of the Welsh capital regardless of the wider economic climate. Since acquiring the seven-acre brownfield site, its Capital Quarter scheme is now home to some of the area’s leading companies and organisations, with all of its office schemes now fully let. Over the past decade, Capital Quarter, which began with the relatively modest (at 37,000ft2) Driscoll Buildings scheme, has provided more than 370,000ft2 of new office space and will eventually accommodate more than 3,000 staff. The wider Capital Quarter scheme is well on track to delivering over 1,000,000ft2 of development including residential, café and student accommodation. Number Four joins the existing office space at Capital Quarter that is already home to Finance Wales, Alert Logic, WSP-Parsons Brinckerhoff, Network Rail, Home Office, Public Health Wales and Opus Energy. The four-storey Driscoll Buildings completed in 2012. Capital Quarter’s first major office building – the nine-storey, 77,992ft2 Grade A No 1 Capital Quarter – followed soon after, with completion in 2014 and subsequent sale to the Welsh Government. The 85,077ft2 No 2 Capital Quarter was completed in March 2016 and in summer 2018 the seven-storey, 77,931ft2 No 3 was completed and part-let to consumer champion Which? JR Smart construction director Gareth Smart said: “It has been a great 12 months at Capital Quarter which is testament to the commitment and hard work of the whole Capital Quarter development team, including our professional advisers and sub-contractors who I would personally like to thank.” More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/
The refurbishment of a ward at Bristol children’s hospital includes printed ceilings. Hospital stays for children striving against cancer in the Bristol area are now more positive and stimulating, thanks to Armstrong Ceiling Solutions and its chosen charity Rays of Sunshine, a charity that brightens the lives of recovering children by granting their wishes and providing support in hospitals. A refurbishment of the oncology day beds unit at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, part of the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, includes acoustic ceilings featuring sky scenes and shoals of fish to reflect its new name as the Ocean Unit. The ceiling systems donated by Armstrong, totalling almost 300m2, were installed for free as a part of a ward wish by specialist sub-contractor H + L ceilings- a member of Armstrong’s approved national network of Omega contractors. The BioGuard ceiling tiles that feature anti-bacterial benefits for healthcare environments were finished with a coating of sky scenes in the recovery bay for older children, a school of fish swimming down a river in the reception/waiting area corridor, and a shoal of fish in a small treatment room. They were installed by a team of three from H + L over two weekends, with the old tiles from the 10-bed ward being sent to Armstrong’s factory in Gateshead for recycling and the company’s streamlined TLS grid, which is up to 20% faster to install, replacing the existing suspension system. Around 35% of the total tiles were white and screen-printed which Armstrong supplied with a number on the back so H+L could follow appropriate layout guidelines. Armstrong became involved in the project after its chosen charity Rays of Sunshine identified the refurbishment of the ward, which had not been updated for 15 years, under its Hospital Ward Wish programme. This works to, among other elements, decorate treatment rooms to transform sterile spaces into stimulating environments which provide a distraction and enable children to respond better to treatment. The refurbishment of the Ocean Unit, which has two six-bed bays and four single rooms as well as four consulting rooms, and looks after all oncology, haematology and bone marrow transplant children up to 19 years, also included new wall art and furniture. H+L director Darren Hopkins said: “When Armstrong asked us to install the project we were more than happy to get involved. It was treated like any other job but the installation team volunteered themselves for the weekend work.” And of the tile numbering system he added: “We have never had to work that way before but it was pretty easy to install by following the instructions Armstrong gave us.” Jane Sharpe, CEO of Rays of Sunshine, said: “A very big thank you to everyone involved in making this happen. The ceiling makeover will make such a massive difference to the children visiting the ward for treatment. It will make their time there so much more bearable and will put lots of smiles on lots of faces.” Jane Thomas, donations co-ordinator for the children’s services division of University Hospitals Bristol, thanked Armstrong for their support in “transforming” the ceilings for the patients and their families. She said: “The work completed by Armstrong Ceilings has made the area a brighter but still calm place for the children to be in, with the fish gently swimming through. Especially popular is the large bay under the tropical picture where the children can recover following treatment.” Isabel Blanco, Armstrong’s marketing communications manager, said: “Our latest exercise for Rays of Sunshine was particularly rewarding as it was easy to see the difference the bright, fun ceilings made to the children.” BioGuard tiles are cleanable and perform to Sound Absorption Class C and Clean Room Classification ISO 5. They are also 85% light reflecting and 95% humidity resistant and manufactured from 42% recycled content. More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/.
Good news for Armstrong Ceilings, as the company has achieved record-breaking levels in recycling for the second year on the run, seen with the recycling of some 142,000m2 over the course of last year, with a notable nine members of the company’s Omega network (approved installers) then showcasing their expertise in the field of recycling enough to quality as “Green Omegas”. In total, the amount recycled has been estimates to have saved contractors approximately £100,000 in landfill tax, but also represents a great result in the field of corporate social responsibility. As for the materials recycled, these are presently, and will continue to be used entirely for the creation of mineral ceiling tiles, then serving to save the company in excess of £28,000 in materials. Looking at to where we can attribute such success, it has been reported that it is specifically the Green Omegas network which has achieved great success in breaking the records, serving as a network of highly specialist subcontractors, both in the fields of traditional subcontracting as well as in that of recycling itself. One of the Armstrong Omegas since, PFP, also then provided commentary on the Omega network through its Managing Director, Boyd Sinclair, who commented: “The benefits of becoming an Omega installer were the closer working relationship with Armstrong, PFP being recommended to clients by Armstrong for projects, and receipt of project leads from Armstrong.” Also as a reputable installer of Armstrong products specifically, the company has seen considerable benefit in competing against organisations only offering labour services. Most notably, this providing an extra layer of confidence in the company when main contractors draw up comparisons between sourcing materials themselves, with labour-only operatives to deliver, against that of the company to offer a complete procurement and installation package – this is partially because it is very unlikely for the average labour-only subcontractor to actually be certified by Armstrong Omega.
