Leading UK manufacturer Kawneer had its full range of architectural glazing systems specified for a stunning residential development at Cardiff marina. The Kawneer systems were selected for Phase One of Bayscape Ltd’s £40 million mixed-use development, which has been shortlisted for an award. “We specified Kawneer because of the need
Casters are wheels that can be mounted directly to almost any piece of furniture, cabinetry, or machinery to create versatility within the space. They provide ease of mobility as well as shock absorption and protection from damage to floors and backs. Ergonomic movement of your equipment allows you to safely
An acoustic system from Sto has been specified for a £7.5 million museum redevelopment project in London. The StoSilent Distance system has been installed in the Garden Museum, which is Britain’s only museum covering the art, history and design of gardens, located at the Church of St Mary-at-Lambeth. “We specified
For the refurbishment of a popular visitor attraction, the client required a single flooring solution that helped maintain the highest health and safety standards, and enhanced the aesthetics of its exotic exhibits. The seamless, non-slip Sika ComfortFloor® PS-24 system proved ideal for the project. Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port,
A new flooring finish was required for a school atrium which hundreds of children use or pass through each day. Because the atrium floods this area of the school with so much light through a Perspex roof, it meant that whatever was chosen had to be UV stable, hard wearing
Forticrete will be showcasing its innovative range of precision engineered concrete building products at the Build Show, part of UK Construction Week (October 9-11 2018). Amongst the products on display will be its Low Pitched Roof Window System and SL8® large format roof tile. Forticrete’s low pitch roof window system
Polypipe, the UK’s leading manufacturer of underfloor heating systems, has officially launched a £250,000 training facility to inspire the next generation of budding heating professionals. The Doncaster-based firm held the official opening of the state-of-the-art Polypipe Professional Development Centre (PDC) at Kirk Sandall in the town on Tuesday, September 25.
DHF (Door & Hardware Federation) has announced the creation of a new Commercial Department, established to support the organisation’s on-going growth, and in particular, its training offering. Marketing Manager, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens, has been promoted to the post of Commercial Manager, and will oversee the new department’s development, with an emphasis
A mix of metal and mineral systems from Armstrong Ceilings has helped to transform a tired office block opposite Victoria station in London into a stunning mixed-use building. First-time Armstrong specifiers MAX architects specified them to differentiate from the more traditional Category A fit-outs elsewhere in the Victoria regeneration area,
A raft of revised British Standards has prompted the publication of three new technical guides from the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) for door and window hardware specialists. BS 3621: 2017 specifies the performance requirements and test methods for a thief-resistant mechanically operated single-point lock assembly. It gives ironmongers clarification
Leading UK manufacturer Kawneer had its full range of architectural glazing systems specified for a stunning residential development at Cardiff marina. The Kawneer systems were selected for Phase One of Bayscape Ltd’s £40 million mixed-use development, which has been shortlisted for an award. “We specified Kawneer because of the need for a high-quality and trusted product. Crisp detailing was important in the overall design concept and aluminium was essential for the marine environment,” said Andrew Baker, Director of Rio, award-winning architects who have used Kawneer systems on numerous projects. The two blocks of luxury apartments – Whitewater House and Waterford House – both used Kawneer’s AA®100 mullion-drained curtain walling with 50mm sightlines, thermally superior AA®720 tilturn and side-hung casement windows, and AA®545 open-out swing doors. Whitewater House, so named because it also overlooks Cardiff International White Water Centre, was first to complete, offering 56 generously-proportioned one, two and three- bedroom apartments including two penthouses. Meanwhile, Bayscape offers a total of 115 apartments, with optional private moorings, across seven and eight-storeys of apartments which are joined by an elevated garden podium. The ground floors feature a coffee shop, waterside bar and restaurant, commercial/retail units and marina management facility. The luxury apartments, which all feature private balconies or terraces, start at £175,000 and range from up to 624 ft2 for a one-bed, 990 ft2 for two bedrooms and 1,119 ft2 for a typical three-bedroom. Residents also benefit from undercroft parking, a concierge service and lift access to all floors. The impressive floor to ceiling double glazing in every apartment ensures they are light and airy and residents can enjoy the stunning views. The Kawneer systems were installed over five months by a team of up to eight operatives from approved dealer Dudley’s Aluminium for main contractor BECT Building Contractors. Dudley’s, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, also worked with Kawneer and BECT on another Cardiff project – One Canal Parade. Bayscape was shortlisted for residential development of the year in the 2018 Wales Insider Property Awards.
Casters are wheels that can be mounted directly to almost any piece of furniture, cabinetry, or machinery to create versatility within the space. They provide ease of mobility as well as shock absorption and protection from damage to floors and backs. Ergonomic movement of your equipment allows you to safely and easily re-configure living and work spaces for maximum comfort, convenience, or efficiency. The quick roll-out makes cleaning a snap. Storage boxes or cabinets that are ready to roll may be utilized as additional space for a variety of purposes, including seating or additional work surfaces. Equipment that is not being utilized may be rolled out of the way, freeing up the space for other purposes. Finding the right caster for the job is not difficult, but there are many to choose from and getting the right one can be a key factor to optimizing that newfound versatility for your shop or home. You Get What You Pay For Sometimes it doesn’t pay to cut corners, and if you are putting your shop space on wheels, it pays to pay a little extra. The quality of the housing and axle assemblies will reflect the durability of the unit in general. The quality and type of wheel will directly affect the ease of your roll and how long the wheels will hold up under use. A failed wheel assembly can not only result in damage to the item on wheels, but to floors, walls, and potential injury to people involved. Taking the time to find the right casters for the job can save time and money later. Caster Characteristics The load rating is the amount of weight that a wheel is able to maintain on a continuous basis. Load ratings for wheel assemblies are generally listed as light (75 to 200 pounds), medium (200 to 300 pounds), heavy (300 to 500 pounds), and industrial (over 500 pounds), depending on the expected weight of the load. Wheel mechanisms may be locking or free-wheeling, fixed-, or swivel-mounted, single- or dual-wheeled. Locking mechanisms stop rolling or swiveling motion as appropriate for Single- or Double-locking casters, respectively. Wheels may be hard, impact resistant, or pneumatic for maximum shock absorption on uneven or difficult terrain. Wheel attachment designs may include a mounting plate that is screwed or bolted to the bottom of the piece or may consist of a pin or leg that is inserted into a receiver hole. Measurements including the diameter of the wheel, radius of the swivel rotation, and overall height from the base of the flange to the outer edge of the wheel should be considered when calculating spacial requirements. Colson Series 1 wheel sets are an easy way to set your environment rolling. They are available in a variety of sizes and configurations to match the needs of your free-wheeling designs. The zinc plating and raceways that are double hardened provide rugged performance and durability. Colson’s multi-temperature grease will maintain lubrication during extreme temperatures. The Performa wheels are chemical-, thermo-, and weather-resistant. They are non-marking, somewhat cushioning, and quiet on hard surfaces. Proper planning, procuring, and placement can give your life a little versatility with a whole lot of ease.
An acoustic system from Sto has been specified for a £7.5 million museum redevelopment project in London. The StoSilent Distance system has been installed in the Garden Museum, which is Britain’s only museum covering the art, history and design of gardens, located at the Church of St Mary-at-Lambeth. “We specified the StoSilent Distance system for a number of reasons,” explained Alun Jones of Dow Jones Architects. “The building work involved the creation of a cluster of copper-clad pavilions around a cloistered garden area. These house two new educational spaces and a cafeteria, and they are connected by a number of covered walkways. These spaces feature concrete floors and floor-to-ceiling glazing, so in order to achieve an acoustic environment with a reverberation time of less than 0.8 seconds we used a Sto seamless acoustic ceiling. Having used the Sto solution on a previous project we were confident that it would be perfect for the museum, and Sto worked closely with us to create a balanced acoustic system which would satisfy all the different requirements.” The StoSilent Distance system provides a modern, clean, monolithic alternative to the standard options. It is ideal for situations where, as with the Garden Museum, these surfaces must be suspended to accommodate services, and where the ceilings were being used as negative plenums for air extraction and movement. The StoSilent Distance system utilises its own Sto SC400 metal framework, and StoSilent Distance 110 boards. The boards are manufactured from 96% recycled glass and can be integrated with lighting, grills and other M&E considerations. StoSilent boards are permeable, and have a honeycomb-like structure which allows noise and sound to dissipate through a void space and so balance the acoustic environment. StoSilent Distance is a lightweight system, and unlike exposed grid and soft tile alternatives, the boards will not sag or delaminate. It can be used to create many different design features, including seamless, inclined planes or curves, or sharp and consistent joints. The benefit to the architects and end user is that the system can also be repaired and refurbished throughout the lifetime of the building without greatly negating the value of the acoustics, wherever the system has been installed.
For the refurbishment of a popular visitor attraction, the client required a single flooring solution that helped maintain the highest health and safety standards, and enhanced the aesthetics of its exotic exhibits. The seamless, non-slip Sika ComfortFloor® PS-24 system proved ideal for the project. Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire is home to Europe’s largest collection of sharks, as well as a host of stunning sea-life such as rays, otters and tortoises. Due to the differing floor finishes throughout the attraction’s ‘Venom’ display area, the client required a single flooring solution that made for a clearer, lessconfusing viewing experience for visitors. The new floor had to offer high levels of slip resistance on account of over-spray from a nearby cascading waterfall feature creating wet surface areas, hence the specification of Sika ComfortFloor® PS-24, a tough, solvent-free, polyurethane, seamless system. Contractor, Mike Thelwell Flooring, was selected to install the new surface, which had to be built-up in places to correct the removed floor’s differing heights. As well as its robust resistance to heavy footfall and slippage – even when flooring becomes wet – Sika ComfortFloor® PS-24’s decorative properties were crucial to its specification. It is available in a wide range of bespoke colours to suit all environments, with the client choosing a two-tone effect to create an ‘earthy’ feel in the aquarium’s Venom area. The system’s seamless aspect provided another appealing feature, as it makes the flooring simple to clean and hygiene standards easier to uphold in busy, commercial spaces. Mike Thelwell, Director at Mike Thelwell Flooring, said: “The project was complex and specific to the client’s requirements, but Sika ComfortFloor® PS-24 ensured challenges were easily overcome. We worked closely with Sika and the client to ensure the surface was fitted within the agreed timeframe. We are extremely proud of the floor we’ve provided for this popular attraction. Our team’s installation skills, in conjunction with Sika’s superb floor system, made for a very successful project.” With the Sika ComfortFloor® PS-24 system, which comprises Sikafloor®-3000 and Sikafloor®-300, two-part elastic, aliphatic, low-VOC, self-smoothing polyurethane resins, the aquarium has been furnished with a surface that looks as good as it performs. Non-slip, smooth and stylish, the new floor succeeds on many levels, helping enhance the visitor experience for the many thousands of people who cross the attraction’s threshold throughout the year.
A new flooring finish was required for a school atrium which hundreds of children use or pass through each day. Because the atrium floods this area of the school with so much light through a Perspex roof, it meant that whatever was chosen had to be UV stable, hard wearing and safe. With hundreds of children crossing the floor each day in the Radclyffe School in Oldham, Greater Manchester, priorities were for an improved decorative finish which was safe, suitable for steps and compatible with existing large expansion joints as there had been a lot of movement in this building. The system also had to be economic, hard-wearing, easily cleaned, have low odour during application and chemical resistance, slip resistance and non-dusting. Sherwin-Williams’ technical flooring experts looked at their diverse range of options for this specific application covering 800 sq metres. The floor finish chosen was a multi-coat resin system incorporating decorative multi-coloured Resuflake, with clear seal coats ensuring strong UV stability because of the amount of natural light coming into the area. This complements adjacent flagstone areas in the school atrium, and provides a continuous flooring system which is safe, easily cleaned and hard-wearing for the long-term. Because the system was applied to a concrete substrate, it also became a part of the building rather than an add-on and meets all original requirements. Contact Sherwin-Williams, tel +44 (0)1204 556420, email sales.uk@sherwin.com or see https://protectiveemea.sherwin-williams.com/
Forticrete will be showcasing its innovative range of precision engineered concrete building products at the Build Show, part of UK Construction Week (October 9-11 2018). Amongst the products on display will be its Low Pitched Roof Window System and SL8® large format roof tile. Forticrete’s low pitch roof window system has been specifically developed to enable roof windows to be installed at pitches as low as 10° – much lower than many other systems, when used with Forticrete’s Centurion roof tile. Designed primarily for single storey extensions, the revolutionary system includes a patented two-piece tray drainage flow system. This stops water pooling and leaking by collecting water running under the tiles, dispersing it and controlling its flow into the guttering with no overshoot. The SL8 roof tile is another innovation designed to meet the increasing demands of the roofing market. With just 8 tiles per square metre needed it provides greater coverage with approximately 20% less tiles required per roof. It also has the visual characteristics of natural slate with benefits that no other interlocking tile can match. John Lambert, Managing Director of Forticrete, says the Build Show is the ideal opportunity to discover Forticrete’s range of products. He comments: “With well documented waiting times for popular building products, and margins being squeezed, we’re actively encouraging everybody in the supply chain to look at the alternatives, such as products made from concrete. Our precision engineered range includes products which are revolutionary in design and meet the growing demands of the construction sector. By considering materials that are sustainable, durable and have a more competitive price point, it provides a win-win for everyone in the supply chain.” Forticrete, part of Ibstock plc, is a leading manufacturer of concrete roof tiles, architectural masonry and walling and cast stone. Visit Forticrete at Stand B642 or visit www.forticrete.co.uk.
Polypipe, the UK’s leading manufacturer of underfloor heating systems, has officially launched a £250,000 training facility to inspire the next generation of budding heating professionals. The Doncaster-based firm held the official opening of the state-of-the-art Polypipe Professional Development Centre (PDC) at Kirk Sandall in the town on Tuesday, September 25. The facility features specially-designed training spaces to give trainee and experienced plumbing professionals the opportunity to improve their practical skills. It is set to become one of the UK’s leading training centres for professional heating engineers, installers, plumbers and merchants. The courses on offer at the PDC include BPEC-accredited courses on installing warm water underfloor heating, apprenticeship training and guides to domestic ventilation product installation. The PDC will also now be home to the technical design team and the new underfloor heating senior management team. Rachel Smith, Polypipe Underfloor Heating general manager, said: “We are naturally delighted to fully open this wonderful facility. We want to further strengthen our position as the market leader for underfloor heating solutions and a key part of that is the level of service and support we offer to our trade customers. Offering accredited training and development for heating professionals is a key part of that support. “The new PDC will also help us tackle the skills gap head on by working with schools and colleges to help train the plumbers of the future. It will also ensure that Polypipe continues to serve the local and national workforce by developing new talent. We hope that the centre will demonstrate just how much training plays a fundamental role in our business model for many years to come.” Dignitaries who attended the opening ceremony included Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones, Doncaster Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dan Fell and Cllr Bill Mordue, Doncaster Council cabinet member for business, skills and economic development. Mr Fell said: “It was a pleasure to be at the opening of the Professional Development Centre with Mayor Ros Jones. A great facility that demonstrates Polypipe’s massive commitment to training and people.” Tracy Richardson, president of Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), presented a plaque to commemorate the centre being granted CIPHE-accredited status. Polypipe has a strong focus on investment in professional training and development, having relaunched its Registered Heating Engineer Network (RHEN) earlier this year, which provides heating engineers and plumbers with free access to training courses and events, and helps small firms generate new business. Rachel added: “Our partnership with heating engineers, is founded on the skills, expertise and professionalism within the plumbing and heating sector and we want to support that in the best way possible. “By making the RHEN free to join we want to open our training courses and aftercare business support to a wider demographic of professionals, helping them to achieve their business goals in 2018 by offering new services to their customers.”
DHF (Door & Hardware Federation) has announced the creation of a new Commercial Department, established to support the organisation’s on-going growth, and in particular, its training offering. Marketing Manager, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens, has been promoted to the post of Commercial Manager, and will oversee the new department’s development, with an emphasis on streamlining training course booking processes and delivering the very best service and value to its members. With responsibility for overseeing both marketing and training functions, Patricia, who has worked at DHF for three years, will be tasked with taking the trade association’s training department ‘to the next level’, including offering online booking facilities for all training courses and ensuring that new entrants into the industry are presented with the opportunity to become proficient with the necessary accreditations, qualifications, such as NVQ, and CSCS cards. DHF, established in 1897 and committed to raising standards, is renowned industry-wide as the ‘go to’ place for technical advice and training. Regarded as a ‘centre of excellence’ with an expert team of professionals that can provide help and support across all sectors, DHF’s distinguished training programmes provide delegates with a deeper understanding of legislation affecting supply, installation, maintenance and repair. To date, more than 2300 delegates have successfully completed one of its four training courses and earlier this month, DHF moved its head office premises to ‘The Barn’ at ‘Shuttington Fields Farm’, a larger office space with a state-of-the-art Training Academy, demonstrating its continued commitment to training. “Training remains one of DHF’s biggest growth areas,” says Patricia. “The creation of a new Commercial Department will enable us to co-ordinate and restructure our training offering to ensure our programmes continue to provide both members and non-members with the support, technical expertise, information and knowledge they need to operate in their chosen sector, successfully and compliantly. Currently, DHF has four training courses on offer: the well-established two-day Diploma courses for Automated Gates and Industrial & Garage Doors, the one-day Industrial & Garage Door Certificate course, and now the recently-launched one-day Automated Gate Safety certificate course. Additionally, DHF will continue to work with BRE on the Fire Door Inspection training courses. I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to develop this department and look forward to a new and exciting chapter in DHF’s continuing expansion.” “Patricia has more than proved her value as a key member of DHF’s senior management team; she was therefore the logical choice for taking the association’s training provision forward,” said DHF’s CEO, Bob Perry. “In a year that has seen tremendous growth and a move to improved office facilities, we look forward to the next stage for DHF and congratulate Patricia on her new position.” For further information about DHF’s training provision, please visit: https://www.dhfonline.org.uk/training.htm
A mix of metal and mineral systems from Armstrong Ceilings has helped to transform a tired office block opposite Victoria station in London into a stunning mixed-use building. First-time Armstrong specifiers MAX architects specified them to differentiate from the more traditional Category A fit-outs elsewhere in the Victoria regeneration area, as well as for their high quality and flexibility. Armstrong’s perforated metal D-Clip island or floating ceilings in RAL 9022 (pearl light grey), a modern and modular absorber solution for exposed concrete ceilings, feature on all six office floors (11,000m2), while white mineral Ultima+ 600mm x 600mm boards in an exposed 24mm grid were used in the back-of-house areas. The redevelopment of 25 Wilton Road for client Royal London Asset Management has raised the bar by delivering a refurbishment project that performs both commercially and functionally in the same way as a prime commercial new-build. At the same time as retaining the post-tensioned concrete frame of the structure, the project incorporates three new lightweight steel floors of 14 high-quality rental apartments (4,000m2) into a building previously used exclusively for commercial purposes, leading to social and environmental benefits for the area. What was then Parnell House was completed in 1995 but while structurally sound it was underperforming at £35/ft2 and with leases coming up, MAX were asked to take a look at the building. Once fully let it will have increased in capital value threefold or by 271% once the £38 million project costs have been taken into account. While the existing concrete structure has been retained, bold new articulated facades transform the building’s relationship with its strategic location. It appears to subtly transform as one moves around it, revealing a depth of facade through striking cobalt-blue folds. The ‘fanned’ bays, along with the infill of the six floors of existing atria, considerably increase the lettable area and the light levels within a new set of highly-flexible and efficient office floor plates. Ground-level retail, café and lobby spaces enliven the streetscape. MAX architect Ashley Gilbert said: “The scheme set out to provide prime grade flexible office space designed to appeal to a wide range of user profiles. The idea was to differentiate the space from the more traditional Category A fit-outs being delivered elsewhere within the wider Victoria regeneration area. The high quality and flexibility of the Armstrong metal D-Clip island ceiling allowed us to accomplish this. “The office floorplates employ an innovative hybrid system, running conventional services around a perimeter racetrack of perforated aluminium suspended ceiling tiles. At the same time, the approach carefully reveals a select palette of visible services in areas of exposed ceiling, where the original post-tensioned slabs are exposed and used to provide 3.3m floor-to-ceiling heights.” The Armstrong ceilings were installed for main contractor Kier, who replaced all of the M&E systems in the building, by specialist sub-contractor Roskel Contracts who had a team of up to 20 operatives on site for 11 months. The Ultima+ board tiles are Cradle to Cradle™ certified and perform to Sound Absorption Class A with 87% light reflectance. The Armstrong galvanised metal D-Clip system, which features sound absorption levels of up to 0.45αw through an acoustic fleece inlay, was a new one to them. Armstrong solution design manager Nick Harper explained: “The original design intent from the architect was to create multiple metal rafts which would span across the whole ceiling within the office spaces to help cover up the exposed soffit and any M&E services. “Numerous discussions and design proposals had been put forward with the ceiling options swaying towards either F-H 600 panels, D-H 700 hook-on metal rafts or D-Clip clip-in metal rafts. Due to the number of services behind the rafts, which required regular access, it was decided that the D-Clip system would be best suited for this application. This was due to the fact that the panels can swing down on the grid without having to fully remove the panels and bring them down to the ground. “Another advantage to this system is that the grid is almost completely hidden behind the ceiling panels. The only visible grid would be the threaded rods to the soffit” Roskel Contracts’ managing director Tony Partridge said: “It was easy to construct once you understood the system. The tiles were very durable considering the amount of times they were removed for the M&E works. 95% of them had to be removed immediately after fixing and reinstalled some months later, then approximately 25% were taken out again and reinstalled.” Ashley Gilbert added: “The design team was initially tasked with creating initiatives to add value to the building through improvements to the landlord areas. Accordingly, the project started out as a circa £5 million light-touch refurbishment. However, we soon recognised the potential for increasing the volume and height of the building and adding a new residential use. “The value created by introducing three floors of rental apartments on top of the existing structure fundamentally changed the development appraisal and enabled a comprehensive cut-and-carve of the existing office and commercial areas. The brief therefore evolved to include the creation of a prime office development and high-end apartments, as well as mixed-use space at street level, all to be delivered in a highly sustainable way. Leveraging a shift in attitudes to holding residential assets for the longer term, we created a horizontally-layered mixed-use building with residential above office and retail.” Matt Bird of Royal London Asset Management said: “Our vision and collaborative approach with our architect, consultants and contractors has enabled us to deliver considerable added value and excellent returns on investment for our customers from a tired office building on a tight central London site. 25 Wilton Road adds another strong asset to RLAM’s growing property portfolio. “By re-using the existing structure, adding a new mix of uses and taking a creative architectural approach we have created a unique product in a thriving area of London, giving the building a new lease of life. At the same time, we have demonstrated our
A raft of revised British Standards has prompted the publication of three new technical guides from the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) for door and window hardware specialists. BS 3621: 2017 specifies the performance requirements and test methods for a thief-resistant mechanically operated single-point lock assembly. It gives ironmongers clarification on how to conform to BS 3621 and the classification for locks in respect of other British and European standards. BS 8613: 2017 covers Finger Protection Devices for Pedestrian Doors. It will help specifiers, architects, facilities managers, health and safety and risk assessment professionals to select the appropriate finger protection products to prevent entrapment at the hanging stile of doors. In January 2018 BS 8300 was revised and the 2009 version was withdrawn. The 2018 version was split in to two standards, one covering the design of an accessible and inclusive built external environment and the other on the design of an accessible and inclusive built internal environment. The Guild’s new technical guide on this particular standard focuses on the second topic as it is the most relevant to the architectural ironmongery industry. It gives an overview of the history of accessibility legislation and goes on to give further detail about specific ironmongery products to which this that this standard applies. Douglas Masterson, GAI technical manager, says: “Architectural ironmongery companies play a crucial role, working with architects, contractors and others to schedule and specify the hardware for every door and window in a building and to produce a full fixing schedule of hardware items. So it is important that our members are up-to-date with the latest standards.” To access the latest technical briefings, go to the membership area of the GAI website: www.gai.org.uk For further information, contact Douglas Masterson on technical@gai.org.uk.
