Sept/Oct 2020 Building Products Magazine

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Inspiring construction specifiers for over 40 years

September/October 2020

A roof that lasts a lifetime

Riverstone is one of the hardest, toughest, longestlasting roofing materials in the world.

Subjected to incredible heat and pressure over millions of years, it delivers outstanding aesthetics, durability and all-round performance. And from SSQ, Britain’s natural slate experts, it’s guaranteed for 100 years.

Want to find out more? Speak to SSQ. Call us today on 020 8961 7725 or email info@ssq.co.uk

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I want to see manufacturing marching towards construction

Is there any substance to Boris Johnson's plan?

The race to prevent another major tragedy

INTERVIEW: PETER CAPLEHORN

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD

GRENFELL: THREE YEARS ON

Think of this as Light Steel Framing

EJOT’s advanced fastening capability spans global market sectors, providing solutions to a world of assembly applications. Lightweight vehicle assembly is just one example.

It’s the sharing of this ‘make-lighter-build-stronger’ know-how, that is helping to create new products and installation techniques for the modern construction envelope, on and off site.

Here in the UK our Applitec centre is at the hub of everything we design, test and manufacture; working with the EJOT Group worldwide and forming academic partnerships to embrace the challenges of a changing industry in a rapidly changing world.

EJOT® The Quality Connection

www.ejot.co.uk

CONTENT

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IN THIS EDITION 4 News

Latest news from the construction sector 10 Feature: Residential Development in Focus For this edition, we look at Nordic Copper’s recent project in Bristol 12 Interview: Peter Caplehorn Building Products talks to the chief executive of the Construction Products Association 16 Home Renovation: Create Bespoke For this month's home renovation project in focus, we review a recent South London project from Create Bespoke 20 Feature: Build, Build, Build Is there any substance to Boris Johnson's Build, Build, Build plan? Building Products finds out 24 Company in Focus: SSQ Building Products profiles a leading company within the industry

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28 Feature: Grenfell Three years on. The Race to Prevent Another Major Tragedy 36 Feature: Construction Building products looks at the impact that ‘building in airspace’ will have following the new permitted develop rights

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44 Debate: COVID-19 Construction industry leaders respond to the COVID-19 crisis 46 Project in Focus: Seafront Restoration High tech insulation breathes new life into landmark seafront building

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48 Review: Sustainable products Showcasing products designed specifically to reduce the carbon footprint of both commercial and residential structures 54 CEO in Focus: Paul Richards Building Products talks to industry leader Paul Richards, for its latest CEO In Focus

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58 Sector Review: Kitchens What are the latest trends affecting the kitchen sector? Building Products finds out September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

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FROM THE EDITOR

EDITORIAL Oli Ballard - Editor E: oli.ballard@buildingproducts.co.uk Barney Cotton - Digital Editor E: barney.cotton@buildingproducts.co.uk DESIGN/PRODUCTION Adam Whittaker - Senior Designer E: adam.whittaker@buildingproducts.co.uk Melissa Larkin - Website Development E: melissa.larkin@buildingproducts.co.uk Josh Dornbrack - Head of Multimedia E: josh.dornbrack@buildingproducts.co.uk SALES James Morgan - BD Manager E: james.morgan@buildingproducts.co.uk CIRCULATION Adrian Warburton - Circulation Manager E: adrian.warburton@buildingproducts.co.uk ACCOUNTS Jo Meredith - Finance Manager E: joanne.meredith@buildingproducts.co.uk No part of Building Products Magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the editor. Building Products Magazine will make every effort to return picture material, but this is at the owner’s risk. Due to the nature of the print process, images can be subject to colour variation of up to 15%, therefore Building Products Magazine cannot be held responsible for such variations.

If you would like to get involved or have any news you would like to share, please contact us on 0203 096 2861 or email: editor@buildingproducts.co.uk.

Dear reader, Welcome back to Building Products Magazine! As many of you may know, the magazine was first established in 1977 and it enjoyed a fabulous history before it was paused in early 2020.

Having considered its provenance and status amongst the industry, its current owners acquired the magazine mid-way through this year and have spent this time refining its circulation list and re-engaging with customers and contacts past and present.

You will also see that we have invested in a new editorial, design and commercial team to ensure the magazine and its online presence is first class. We hope the result is what you’ve come to expect from this excellent magazine; and we’re always open to views on how we can continually improve its content and look and feel.

In this edition of the magazine, you’ll find an interview with the CEO of the Construction Products Association (CPA) on page 12; a special feature looking at ‘Build, Build Build’ (page 20) and a ‘Grenfell: Three Years On' feature (page 28) – plus much more.

We’re committed to ensuring Building Products is the industry’s leading magazine – but we need your help too! So please do send us your news and get in touch to see how we can work together.

We looking forward to hearing from you.

Follow us on social media

Yours sincerely,

Our Commitment Building Products magazine are committed to a zero carbon future and support the World Land Trust by using recyclable paper wrap rather than plastic polywrapping, carbon balanced FSC® certified paper which is sourced from responsible forestry, produced in an environmentally friendly way to offset our CO2 emissions.

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Building Products magazine is designed and produced by Business Leader Ltd. 2

BUILDING PRODUCTS IS BACK

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

Oli Ballard – Editor

Mission Statement

Building Products is the essential read for construction industry professionals at every level of the specification chain, providing key decision makers with all the information they need to make the best product choices in a fast-paced and ever-changing sector. Its readership is diverse, comprising architects, subcontractors, quantity surveyors and facilities managers.

HIGH PERFORMANCE FLOOR INSULATION LAYING A STRONG FOUNDATION WITH 16% IMPROVED THERMAL PERFORMANCE Ravatherm XPS X from Ravago Building Solutions, Europe’s largest extruded polystyrene insulation manufacturer, offers architects and building specifiers market-leading XPS insulation for groundbearing and suspended floors in both new-build and renovation projects.

XPS X 200SB | XPS X 300SB | XPS X 500SL | XPS X 700SL

www.ravagobuildingsolutions.co.uk

For technical support and to learn more about our products please contact: technical.uk.rbs@ravago.com

NEWS

F. Ball provides Sky with good news

Aquarian Cladding increases product offering with NaturAL-X

NaturAL-X assembly with corners

High-performance sub-floor preparation products and adhesive from F. Ball and Co. Ltd. have been used to create a blemish-free, high-quality floor finish for one of the main news rooms at Sky News studios in central London.

As well as delivering perfect aesthetics to pass the scrutiny of roaming HD cameras, the flooring had to be super smooth and durable to accommodate the repeated movement of the cameras and other heavy broadcasting equipment.

A combination of luxury vinyl tiles and rubber sheet was installed over a total floor area of 80m2 at Sky’s Millbank Studios, in Westminster. Situated close to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the television studios are often used for political interviews, in addition to general news broadcasts from the UK’s original 24-hour news channel.

Adam Couch, Owner and Director of iFlor Flooring Contractors LLP, commented on the project: “We’re big fans of F. Ball and, following another successful installation using their products at Sky’s Studio 21, which houses Sky’s famous ‘glass box’ studio, we knew we had to use them again for the Millbank project. They’re tried and tested products, and we can trust them to deliver great results. This was no exception.”

For further information on F. Ball and Co. Ltd. Call 01538 361 633, visit www.f-ball.co.uk 4

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

Specialist external brick cladding systems supplier Aquarian Cladding Systems has added NaturAL-X brick cladding to its product portfolio.

It joins the Gebrik insulating panelised brick cladding system and will sit alongside MechSlip as the company’s second noncombustible, A1-rated mechanically-fixed cladding solution.

Aquarian also supply the A1-rated Terreal terracotta rainscreen system.

Like MechSlip, NaturAL-X uses lightweight brick ‘tiles’ with unique profiles to enable them to each be mechanically fixed to any substrate, at any height, via an engineered metal support system, to deliver all the benefits of natural clay brick.

Featuring extruded clay brick tiles and 6063T6 grade aluminium support rails, the system is available in a wide range of colours and textures. Whilst delivering advantages associated with rainscreen cladding, including reduced installation times and associated costs, NaturAL-X brick slip cladding realises a truly desirable finish. And as a non-combustible A1-rated cladding solution, NaturAL-X is suitable for use on buildings over 18m.

Julian Venus, Aquarian’s Sales Director said: “We are delighted to add NaturAL-X to our stable of brick cladding solutions and it puts us in a strong position as, whatever solution a client wants, we can now provide it.”

Aquarian teamed up with industry leaders Ash and Lacy and Ibstock Kevington to distribute MechSlip, and NaturAL-X is Ash and Lacy’s alternative solution based on clay tiles extruded to their unique specification, to fit their rail profile.

Julian added: “At Aquarian, we understand the need to build our product offering and by introducing NaturAL-X we are demonstrating that we are listening to what our valued clients want and continuing to invest in providing the best natural clay cladding solutions for architects, contractors and developers.”

For more information call 0808 223 9080, email info@ aquariancladding.co.uk or visit www.aquariancladding.co.uk.

NEWS

STYLE DELIVERS IMPRESSIVE NEW PROJECT The newly built Waterson Building is home to a boutique collection of luxury residential accommodation located in the heart of Shoreditch, E2.

Aiming to maximise floor space in the stylish lofts, apartments and penthouses, elegant glass enclosed winter gardens are accessed from both the bedroom and lounge areas of many of the properties.

Successfully delineating the winter garden from the rest of the interior, a Dorma Hüppe Varitrans glass moveable wall system has been installed by sole UK distributor, Style.

“The high-quality Varitrans internal partition can be effortlessly moved into position, instantly creating versatile indoor-outdoor space that is suitable for all year-round use, as required by some planning authorities and developers” said Julian Sargent, group managing director of Style.

The Waterson Building offers residents a gated sanctuary that has a 24-hour concierge, with facilities including a library, gym, spa treatment room, saunas and intimate cinema in which to relax and unwind.

Internally, each apartment features high quality oak engineered hardwood timber flooring throughout, bespoke Italian Poliform Varenna kitchens, Waterworks family bathrooms, integrated comfort cooling as well open balconies and winter gardens.

With over 20 years of expertise in the operable wall sector, Style is the sole UK distributor for market leading Dorma Hüppe moveable partitions. Working closely with their manufacturing partner, Style supported the development of the Varitrans system, delivering the ideal solution for contemporary winter gardens in residential settings. www.style-partitions.co.uk

HIGHEST-SPEC FLAT ROOFLIGHTS NOW BEST ON THE MARKET FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY and the first window system it has manufactured from extruded aluminium.

The Rooflight Company’s neo range of flat and pitched rooflights has already been the rooflight of choice for many architects and discerning property developers.

However, like most rooflights on the market, they require triple glazing to improve their energy efficiency.

neo Advance, the stunning new double-glazed flat rooflight from The Rooflight Company, achieves the lowest possible U-value thanks to its aluminium frame and innovative Thermal Shield technology.

The Rooflight Company has launched neo Advance – the latest product in its neo range

Now, neo Advance’s aluminium frame combined with the company’s patented Thermal Shield technology improves thermal efficiency and protects against mould and condensation, allowing for a whole-window U-value as low as 1.06 W/m2k in a double glazed unit, meaning the unit is significantly lighter than its triple-glazed counterpart.

Its aluminium frame also makes it ideal for properties on the coast

where the sea air accelerates the corrosion of steel window systems.

Steve Webber, Managing Director at The Rooflight Company, says, “neo Advance represents a significant step forward in The Rooflight Company’s journey.

“We started out life with one product, our Conservation Rooflight, built from steel to remain as faithful as possible to the timeless style of traditional Victorian rooflights.

“Aluminium is a hugely versatile material for rooflight frames and, combined with our research team’s innovative improvement to thermal efficiency, it means we can deliver to the market the absolute highestspec product possible.”

To find out more about neo Advance and The Rooflight Company, visit www.therooflightcompany.co.uk.

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

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NEWS

NEW SUPPLIER NOVOLUX TO PUT POLYCARBONATE SHEET BACK ON THE MAP A new venture supported by one of the world’s largest independent polycarbonate extruders is set to shake up the UK polycarbonate sheet market.

Novolux, based north of Newport, will supply an extensive array of quality multiwall and solid polycarbonate sheet products made by multi-million pound Italian firm Dott.Gallina who have recently celebrated their 60th Anniversary.

In its Policarb™ range, you’ll find multiwall UV-protected polycarbonate sheets, with multiple air chambers that guarantee excellent thermal performance.

Commonly used for roofing, windows, skylights, greenhouses, porches, canopies and more, Policarb™ products feature a UV co-extrusion on the outward-facing side, giving greater longevity and a 10 year manufacturers warranty.

The company’s Policomp™ range contains solid polycarbonate sheets with UV protection on both sides, making it an ideal choice for all glazing applications and also comes with a 10-year warranty.

Novolux will be offering polycarbonate sheet in several formats – pallet quantities, full or mixed pallets, single sheets or cut to size, bespoke products.

“Reports of the death of polycarbonate sheet have been greatly exaggerated,” comments Novolux National Sales Manager Craig Weatherley.

“In many sectors, it’s still hugely in demand, regularly used in factories, garden centres, sports stadiums, and railway stations, as well as DIY – and in 2020, the market for it has soared, as millions of businesses have rushed to install transparent protective screens to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

“At Novolux, we want to help installers capitalise on those opportunities with great quality products, backed by great service, supplied country-wide.

“We’re not offering low-quality imports from the Far East and Turkey – this

is top-of-the-range polycarbonate sheet, manufactured by a worldleader in the field.

“If you’re interested in learning more about how we can help your business grow, don’t hesitate to give us a call.”

In addition to its market-leading range of polycarbonate sheet, Novolux will also supply roof windows, canopy systems, roof lanterns, loft ladders and various roofing accessories, all from stock and on a national basis.

For more information, call 01495 364300, email sales@novolux.co.uk www.novolux.co.uk

Homes England and Invest & Fund launch seven-year lending partnership to support small builders Homes England and Invest & Fund, a development finance lending platform, have recently announced a seven-year partnership to increase the amount of finance available to SME developers to help them grow and deliver more homes at pace.

The collaboration will create a £25m revolving fund to allow Invest & Fund to support small builders with construction loans of between £400k and £2.5m, funding schemes of two homes and upwards, at up to 80% Loan-To-Cost.

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BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

Applications are being accepted and prospective borrowers should contact Invest & Fund using the contact details below.

Gordon More, Chief Investment Officer, Homes England said: “We are delighted to announce this partnership today which underlines our commitment to supporting the growth of small builders to allow them to continue to diversify the market and become the large builders of tomorrow.”

FEATURE

PUBLIC SPACES

PAVING FOR CHANGE

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nnounced in May, the government’s £2bn postpandemic investment package for cycling and walking provides a unique opportunity to transform the public realm. But it heralds a new approach to the design of hard-landscape and the external spaces around buildings as well, as the trade association Interpave explains.

Although responding to the need for more space highlighted by the COVID-19 crisis, the government initiative is also an opportunity to address other long-outstanding issues including flooding, vehicular pollution, urban heat island effects and climate change. Both well-established and innovative techniques using modular concrete paving systems offer adaptable, lowintervention, retrofit solutions to meet these new challenges, demonstrated in case studies from Interpave, via www.paving.org.uk.

Understandably, local authorities, developers and urban designers may feel reluctant to commit to expensive and disruptive permanent changes in these uncertain times.

But, adopting the principles of ‘modern methods of construction’, factory-produced modular concrete paving and kerb units deliver fast, low cost, retrofit installation with limited intervention work. Then, layouts can easily be altered and units taken up and re-used, if needed, to meet changing needs.

Adaptable Paving These principles apply to all precast concrete block, flag and kerb products. Precast paving products are fully engineered and manufactured under sustainable, controlled conditions – consistently providing accurate sizes, colours and textures, as well as slip/skid resistance and other performance characteristics. The distinct, modular units and designed variations in colour, texture and shape can break up areas giving visual interest and a human scale not possible with monotonous, formless materials.

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So, precast concrete paving offers a unique combination of predictability, safety and accessibility for all, with scope for endless variety in shape, scale, colour and texture giving designers the freedom to enrich the urban environment. Good paving design helps create ‘places for people’ and will help encourage walking and cycling. It is also central to the rejuvenation of our town centres and suburbs as well.

Multifunctional Surfaces for the Future The multi-functionality potential of precast paving is expanded further with concrete block permeable paving, uniquely placed as an essential, multifunctional sustainable drainage (SuDS) technique. In addition to safe, attractive paving for any application, it also provides an inherent drainage system requiring no additional land take for water storage, treatment or conveyance.

It eliminates pipework, gulleys and manholes, and generally costs less than conventional drainage and paving.

But permeable paving also traps vehicle pollution from surface water

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

runoff before it reaches our rivers and streams. It can also help reduce the urban heat island effect, with evaporation of rainwater within the paving. And this is in addition to the high albedo – or heat reflectance factor – available with concrete block or flag paving generally, compared with asphalt.

In addition to new-build schemes, recent regeneration projects have demonstrated the benefits of retrofitting concrete bock permeable paving as a thin overlay, replacing conventional street surfaces and drainage, over existing paving bases.

This innovative approach opens up real potential for fresh, attractive and adaptable surfaces delivering multiple benefits to existing streets and hard landscaped areas in the post-pandemic era.

visit: www.paving.org.uk

Not all riser doors are fire tested equally.

Ensure legal compliance with bi-directional testing Our renowned 4000 Series riser doors have always been specified by architects for delivering the highest standards in third party fire certification without compromising on architectural design.

Unlike the rest of the industry, we fire test our riser doors from both sides to ensure legal compliance and still achieve 240 minutes certified fire rated performance.

Given the choice, why would you specify anything less?

www.profabaccess.com

01827 718 222

sales@profabaccess.com

Part of the Access 360 Division of Tyman

FEATURE

NORDIC COPPER FOR TODAY’S HOUSING For each edition of Building Products we will be reviewing a stand-out residential development. For this edition we look at Nordic Copper’s recent project in Bristol.

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major new residential building in Bristol exemplifies the role of copper cladding to define high-quality housing developments – irrespective of tenure – with its 170m long façade clad in Nordic Brown Light preoxidised copper. But copper also satisfies essential performance, sustainability and safety requirements for modern housing, as architectural copper producer Aurubis explains.

demolished in the 1990s, and provides 136 apartments for rent or for sale, including purchase through Shared Ownership. Project architect Nick Brown explained FMA’s design strategy: "The factory building that occupied the northern edge of the site was particularly significant, not just for the local area, but Bristol as a whole. Without it, the northern edge of the site felt incomplete and it was an obvious decision to create a new building, enclosing the parkland and addressing the street and retail park to the north."

Designed by Ferguson Mann Architects (FMA), the Copper Building is the second phase of Bristol’s Lakeshore residential development for Urban Splash, set in 10 acres of established landscape surrounding a lake. It follows FMA’s redevelopment of the iconic Grade II listed former headquarters of Imperial Tobacco, designed during the 1970s in the International Style by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM).

The new Copper Building replaces the SOM-designed factory, 10

Material Context Nick explains: "The form and language of the Copper Building were always intended as a reference to its Cor-ten steel clad predecessor.

Although our initial design included Cor-ten steel cladding, as it developed, we sought a more friendly and economic material to speak of the industrial heritage of the site, yet in a warmer and more refined way – a material with some life, that would patinate subtly over time.

"The warm colour of the Nordic Brown Light pre-oxidised copper, along with the longevity, sustainability and natural credentials of copper made it the perfect choice.

"The rigorous 3.6m wide structural grid that defined all elements of the SOM-designed, Mies-inspired Phase 1 building was a key driver in the design of the Copper Building.

The lake frontage is an open grid of timber-clad balconies with generous glazing.

Image courtesy of Ferguson Mann Architects

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

"However, the street and end facades are more varied with a mix of 3.6m,

RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN FOCUS

7.2m and 10.8m ‘design bays’, defining a mix of 1-bed, 2-bed and duplex apartment types.

"A particular design challenge was to bring some fun and visual interest to the street façade of a building that is 170 metres long. Here, the apparently random fenestration belies an underlying structure of bays and rhythmic pattern of windows and vertical seams in the copper cladding that tie everything together.

The Nordic Brown Light copper cladding also continues into the fully-glazed central atrium."

Attention to Detail Nick continues:"Key to the success of the building was the precise detailing and execution of the Nordic Brown Light copper cladding. For example, we avoided a crude coping on the top and instead developed a concealed parapet cladding detail so that the vertical seams silhouette against the sky, yet still achieve a robust roof-edge detail.

"At the outset of the project, the installer set out a full-size cladding bay to identify potential issues with FMA, allowing details to be refined. The new Copper Building still maintains a dialogue with the neighbouring Cor-ten clad Lakeshore building and they both sit comfortably together, just as the original factory and office did.

Importantly, local feedback about the building has been really positive."

Copper’s unique architectural qualities are defined by its naturally developing patina – which cannot be replicated successfully using other materials with surface coatings.

The patina film provides impressive protection against corrosion and can repair itself if damaged, giving exceptional longevity. A complex combination of factors determines the nature and speed of development of patina over the years. So, it is not surprising that factory-applied surface treatments are popular to provide straightaway oxidisation and patination of copper surfaces to a selected level, particularly for vertical facades.

Natural Processes With Nordic Copper from Aurubis, the processes involved are very similar to those taking place in the environment and utilise copper mineral compounds, not alien

Image courtesy of Ferguson Mann Architects

chemical actions. As used on the Bristol project, Nordic Brown products are pre-oxidised at the Aurubis factory to give straightaway the same oxidised brown surface that otherwise develops over time in the environment. The thickness of the oxide layer determines the colour – either Nordic Brown Light or the darker Nordic Brown – and the darkening oxidisation process continues in the natural environment.

Other Nordic Copper surfaces include Nordic Standard ‘mill finish’, while Nordic Green and Nordic Blue are factory-applied patinas developed with properties and colours based on the same brochantite mineralogy found in natural patinas all over the world.

Essentially, they enable designers to determine both the colour and intensity of patina for each project with ‘living’ surfaces: as well as a solid patina colour, other intensities can be created revealing some of the dark oxidised background material.

Nordic Copper alloys include Nordic Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, initially with a similar colour to Nordic Standard, gradually changing to a stable, dark chocolate brown.

Nordic Brass – which can also be supplied pre-weathered – is an alloy of copper and zinc with a distinctive golden yellow colour. Nordic Royal is a golden alloy of copper with

aluminium and zinc, giving a rich golden through-colour that is very stable. It retains its golden colour and gradually loses some of its sheen as the oxide layer thickens with exposure to the atmosphere, resulting in a protective matt finish.

Sustainable and Safe Copper is a natural element within the earth’s crust with an unrivalled lifespan, no maintenance and full recyclability. It requires no decoration or cleaning, saving resources, cleaning chemicals and cost. With an ‘A1 (non-combustible material)’ fire classification to EN 13501-1, copper is also suitable for cladding tall buildings, using appropriate constructions. It is also non-toxic and safe to handle, as well as non-brittle and predictable to work. Copper’s inherent antimicrobial qualities make it ideal for touch surfaces internally as well.

Nordic Copper visit: www.nordiccopper.com email: g.bell@aurubis.com

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

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INTERVIEW

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BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

PETER CAPLEHORN

‘I WANT TO SEE MANUFACTURING MARCHING TOWARDS CONSTRUCTION’

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n each edition of Building Products Magazine, we will be talking to an industry leader to get their views on the future of the sector. For this edition we spoke to Peter Caplehorn, who is the Chief Executive of the Construction Products Association (CPA).

Can you tell us more about the CPA? We represent – as the name suggests – construction products, manufacturers and suppliers. We are very grateful to represent 85 per cent of the UK construction products industry, which is made up of direct members, businesses, and many UK construction trade associations.

We are a small team of twelve in total and traditionally we have been based at the Building Centre in London. Our role is to represent our members at government’s table and to look to shape regulation and policy for the good of the sector.

Engagement with policy members is also key as we want to understand what is coming down the track, so we can share this information with our members.

How have you found the last six months?

It has been unreal, but I believe it has brought the best out of the industry. Perhaps sometimes you need a crisis to do this and bring people together, but at the same time, it is not something I would like to happen again.

I have been in this industry for a long time and I have always worried that it is very diverse with lots of different elements not always working in tandem and rarely does it come together as a cohesive force as it has recently.

Have you ever known a six-month period like this?

I never thought I would see a period like this. I started in the construction industry in 1970 and up until now I have gone through a few recessions and you get to a point where you can say – ‘yes it’s going to be tough but we’ll get through it.'

I never thought we’d get to a point where we would see the country stop and we would re-evaluate our lives and the economy like we are now. It is interesting as at the CPA, we’ve been trying to promote video conferencing for a long time now, as a mechanism to cut down on domestic and international travel.

Cont.

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

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INTERVIEW

Is Build, Build, Build the stimulus the UK construction sector needs?

I believe in part that it is. We have achieved some things out of direct reaction to the circumstances, but other elements have a longer-term shelf life like relaxing the laws which allows construction workers to work longer on site.

It has also been good to see supply chains coming together to have a conversation about supply and demand and a product availability group came together early to collaborate on this.

Overall, the rhetoric has been good from government, but ‘Build, Build, Build’ is long overdue.

Do you think changes to PDR – which are allowing people to build upwards – will encompass other buildings?

Yes, I do I think it will be developed over time. There are other planning changes coming through to building and safety regulations as well, which I think will also make a positive impact.

We’re trying to get to a point where everything in the industry joins up for the first time, unintended consequences are driven out of the system and we’re reacting to the demands of the new economy in relation to housing and demand for offices.

The high street is evolving too, and we are seeing different demand from industry and construction needs to react to this by producing good environments and safe buildings.

How do you see the economic recovery being shaped?

The economics team at the CPA is trying to understand how we might come out of this, and we have published several scenarios which provide different outcomes, such as a flat recovery or K-shape or V-shaped recovery.

The honest answer is that nobody really knows, but the best bet based on our data is a V-shape recovery – but with a long leg on the outrun, that may look like a tick or square route symbol. The jury is out on how long that leg will be, but the early results are encouraging so far.

"WE HAVE SOME SERIOUS CARBON COMMITMENTS TO MEET AND THE SCARY PART IS THAT DURING THE LOCKDOWN PERIOD WE ACHIEVED JUST ABOUT THE CHANGE IN CARBON DEMAND NEEDED BUT WE WOULD NEED TO DO THIS FOR ANOTHER TEN YEARS. "

Have you seen any trends developing in the sector due to the circumstances?

One of the unintended outcomes of ‘lockdown’ was the sheer volume of people who were on furlough, and this influenced a spike in home improvements such as outside landscaping, terracing, and fencing.

I would say though that the home improvement boom was driven by the furlough scheme and good weather and I don’t believe it’s sustainable.

This was a welcomed boost for this part of the sector, but when we talk about construction, we mean the main thrust of big projects around housing and infrastructure and we are seeing an upward trend here too. But we must re-balance the economy to ensure there is a distinction between government incentivisation against real growth and productivity.

Moving onto the subject of skills – how do we attract more young people to work in the industry?

We must kill the images of the past where the industry is seen as dirty, hard graft and often adversarial. We are definitely much further along in this respect and the reality now is that much of the industry is high-tech and innovative, and there is a big push towards more manufacturing and less site work.

We also need to completely rid the industry of danger and I have long been campaigning for health and safety improvements on site. Thirty years ago it was appalling, and there is still much to do, but as an industry we’re getting on top of this.

Regarding Brexit – do you foresee an impact on skills?

A shortage of EU labour and an ageing demographic in the industry is giving us a double challenge. I do find it alarming that we are still talking about this rather than taking action to deal with the problem.

Many companies in the industry are doing great things around tackling the skills shortages.

What do you feel will be the wider impact of Brexit?

I am quite worried as there are several things which have yet to be resolved. We are saying that we are out of the EU, and we may be on

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BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

PETER CAPLEHORN

paper, but not physically, as nothing has changed. There are many nested issues which are going to be difficult to unpick as we move from EU regulations to UK regulations.

We do not want to end up in a situation where we will need to look at European standards, but we will have less influence on them.

What role do you see modular and offsite construction playing in the future in the UK? I have been interested in different methods of construction for a long time and people will have their own view on what they see as modern construction.

I like to frame it as we need to get manufacturing marching towards construction. What we are trying to

achieve is to take decisions away from construction sites; and where all decisions have been made in a factory.

It is not about one material or group or any one way of doing things: it’s about looking at different ways of constructing an asset and minimising waste, improving accuracy and performance, and having better health and safety records.

This aligns well with the overall aspiration in the construction sector of boosting productivity and giving people better buildings.

What does the sector need to do regarding sustainability?

We have some serious carbon commitments to meet and the scary

"ONE OF THE UNINTENDED OUTCOMES OF ‘LOCKDOWN’ WAS THE SHEER VOLUME OF PEOPLE WHO WERE ON FURLOUGH AND THIS INFLUENCED A SPIKE IN HOME IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS OUTSIDE LANDSCAPING, TERRACING, AND FENCING."

part is that during the lockdown period, we achieved just about the change in carbon demand needed but we would need to do this for another ten years. This gives you an idea of how far off the pace we are.

There is much being done to promote zero carbon and take carbon out of the production process, but once again, more needs to be done.

What would your message be to our readers?

There have been a couple of times I have reflected on the fact that this must have been what it felt like when we went to war back in the 1940s and our lives were completely turned upside down. Of course, it has not been anywhere near as bad as a World War, but this is the closest our generation has ever been.

For our sector, we will continue to develop and innovate new products and we need to make sure we shout about them more and we are excited to be working with some of the leading companies within it. 

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Follow us on: September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

15

HOME RENOVATION

MAKING SPACES MEANINGFUL – CREATE BESPOKE TRANSFORMS SOUTH LONDON HOME

A

lexander Owen Architecture and design and build specialists Create Bespoke collaborated on a stunning renovation that turned a cramped, fragmented semi-detached property into a cohesive living space bursting with character.

It was already a miracle – a house in London with a more than generous garden.

But homeowner Ellen Barnard had a distinctive vision for the West Norwood property – one that would see it transformed into a stylish, sunlit space, with a central hub that would honour a love for cooking, dining and entertaining, and serve as a focus for family life.

The problem? The house as it stood was charming - but a very long way from the airy, sociable space Ellen was envisaging.

A huge fireplace chimney effectively split the property in two. The kitchen and dining rooms were on separate floors – hardly ideal for having guests.

And as a whole, the house was often either too dark, or too bright - an existing rear-end side extension only had one window, while in other parts of the property the low afternoon sun could be blinding.

In short, there was a lot of work to do – and the considerable task of making Ellen’s ambitions a reality fell to Alexander Owen Architecture, and

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London design and build specialists Create Bespoke.

Creating a cohesive space Alexander Owen were commissioned to open up the property’s divided living spaces, creating an extensive kitchen dining area, a WC, a utilities room and a boot room, celebrating its vast, previously obscured garden.

A wraparound extension in red brick was proposed, aligning with the brick detailing on the rest of the building, and giving a nod to the traditional materials the house was originally made from.

A huge space on one side of the semi-detached property would be used to place the boot room, which would then lead naturally into the utility and on into the kitchen/dining area.

“The client wanted a central space that would act as the hub of the house, and feel like a cohesive whole”, Richard Bridges of Alexander Owen Architecture explains.“When we started, the house was anything but that – the ceilings were different heights, the kitchen and dining areas were on different levels, and it generally felt like a series of compartments rather than a unified living area. We needed to change that.

“Due to the sheer scale of the extensions, it was important to create different zones for each function of the space, but still maintain natural light, good circulation, and ensure you had views on your journey from

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

the front to the rear of the property.

“The structure was designed to hide the traces of the original compartmented spaces, giving the illusion of a large square kitchendining space that flowed into the utility and boot room at the same level.

“We worked closely with the client to tailor the size and layout of the zones to suit their needs. Then, through a combination of roof lights and glazed openings between rooms, we made sure there that your eye was drawn through the property, and there was always a connection to the amazing rear garden.

Cont.

CREATE BESPOKE

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

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HOME RENOVATION

CREATE BESPOKE

“We wanted to make the most of the garden, so placed the steel-framed windows to give double-aspect views, and ensure the house got sunlight all day long.

we knew we needed to give it special attention. In the original plans, it was quite a conventional, traditional design, but we suggested something more individual.”

“Equally, though, we needed to make sure there wasn’t too much sun. We used deep soffits to act like a solar shade, and a fast-growing vine on an external pagoda to provide an additional screen. Over time, the vine will mature, and the family can tailor it to suit their needs.”

Andy and his team worked with Alexander Owen and combined stylish, contemporary black Fenix fronts and panels with stained walnut detailing and open shelving, along with some really striking quartz marble-effect worktops.

Importantly, no roof lights were positioned in the kitchen-dining space, drawing attention to the large picture window looking out on the rear garden.

What’s more, all the door and window frames were designed to horizontally align with the main architectural features, ensuring your eye line is always connected as you move from one space to another.

“Even outside, we wanted to maintain that same sense of cohesiveness, and maximise the family’s connection with the garden,” Richard continues. “That’s why we arranged the external seating to align with the internal structure.

The boot room combined red terracotta tiling finished with antique wax and a walnut veneer, while the utility was given a micro-screed finish.

“One key centre-piece was a large, live-edge dining table we designed and made from walnut and bespoke steel, with black powder-coated legs,” Andy explains.“We also made a 5-metre long floating walnut bench seat, which we upholstered in a vibrant palm leaf fabric.

“In the design, the worktop ran right up to the windows. The intention was to give the impression that there were no barriers between the interior and exterior when the windows were open.

“It sounds simple in principle, but it took a lot of work when the site was still in the shell phase to ensure everything aligned exactly, and that the worktop didn’t obstruct the window opening mechanism.”

Making spaces The floating seating area was another aspect that required a lot of thought. Steel reinforcements had to be installed into the walls early on in the process to give enough support for when the seating itself was fitted later on – which meant it was crucial they got the positioning right.

“This project required intensive effort over an entire year,” says Andy. “At Create Bespoke, we believe that our environment fundamentally affects our state of mind, and when you’re working on something as personal as someone’s main living area, it’s vital you get it right.

“But the reasons it was sometimes challenging were also the reasons it was so rewarding – this is exactly the sort of project we started Create Bespoke to tackle, and we, and the client, are delighted with the final result.” 

“A late addition to the project was an outside hot tub and shower.

We positioned both to make sure they still had great views down the garden, but also felt connected enough to the main seating area to provide another entertaining space. It means there are dedicated entertaining areas inside and outside the house.”

A hub with heart But if Alexander Owen provided the framework, it was Create Bespoke who filled in the details.

“This project was a real labour of love for us,” says founder and director Andy Young. “Ellen’s house had a huge amount of potential.

But its structure and feel weren’t in alignment with her lifestyle or her values.

“She wanted something warm and convivial, without being stuffy or overly traditional - airy and spacious, without feeling sparse or clinical. And it was our job to help her achieve that.

“The kitchen was clearly going to be the heart of the finished build, and so 18

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

▴ (L-R) Richard Bridges of Alexander Owen Architecture and design with Andy Young of Create Bespoke

“THIS PROJECT WAS A REAL LABOUR OF LOVE FOR US. ELLEN’S HOUSE HAD A HUGE AMOUNT OF POTENTIAL. BUT ITS STRUCTURE AND FEEL WEREN’T IN ALIGNMENT WITH HER LIFESTYLE OR HER VALUES.” Andy Young

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FEATURE

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD –

ANALYSIS OF BORIS JOHNSON’S NEW DEAL Building Products investigates

P

rime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced a ‘New Deal’ which puts jobs and infrastructure at the centre of the government’s economic growth strategy.

But as with anything, the devil is in the detail. So what was outlined in the plan?

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£1.5bn this year for hospital maintenance, eradicating mental health dormitories, enabling hospital building, and improving A&E capacity. This will improve patient care, make sure NHS hospitals can deliver worldleading services and reduce the risk of coronavirus infections.

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£100m this year for 29 projects in our road network to get Britain moving, from bridge repairs in Sandwell to boosting the quality of the A15 in the Humber region.

Plus £10m for development work to unblock the Manchester rail bottleneck, which will begin this year.

He set out his commitment to ‘build, build, build’ in order to upgrade Britain’s infrastructure and skills to fuel economic recovery across the UK. In this announcement he said at the time: “It sounds positively Rooseveltian. It sounds like a New Deal. All I can say is that if so, then that is how it is meant to sound and to be, because that is what the times demand. A government that is powerful and determined and that puts its arms around people at a time of crisis…this is a government that is wholly committed not just to defeating coronavirus but to using this crisis finally to tackle this country’s great unresolved challenges of the last three decades.

“To build the homes, to fix the NHS, to tackle the skills crisis, to mend the indefensible gap in opportunity and productivity and connectivity between the regions of the UK. To unite and level up. To that end, we will build build build. Build back better, build back greener, build back faster and to do that at the pace that this moment requires.”

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Over £1bn to fund the first 50 projects of a new, ten-year school rebuilding programme, starting from 2020-21. These projects will be confirmed in the Autumn, and construction on the first sites will begin from September 2021.

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£560m and £200m for repairs and upgrades to schools and FE colleges respectively this year.

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£142m for digital upgrades and maintenance to around 100 courts this year, £83m for maintenance of prisons and youth offender facilities, and £60m for temporary prison places, creating thousands of new jobs.

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

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£900m for a range of ‘shovel ready’ local growth projects in England over the course of this year and next, as well as £96m to accelerate investment in town centres and high streets through the Towns Fund this year. This will provide all 101 towns selected for town deals with £500k-£1m to spend on projects such as improvements to parks, high streets, and transport.

The plans are clearly ambitious and, in the Autumn, government will also publish a National Infrastructure Strategy which will set a clear direction on core economic infrastructure, including energy networks, road and rail, flood defences and waste.

But what does it all mean to those in the building products space? To find out more we spoke to a group of industry experts to find out their reaction.

“JOHNSON IS FOCUSING ON THE BIGGER PICTURE, WITH REGARDS TO INFRASTRUCTURE, MAKING IT EASIER TO GET CONSTRUCTION WORKS STARTED AND PROVIDING HELP WITH ACCESS TO FINANCE. THIS IS ENOUGH TO CREATE MOMENTUM WHICH IS THE RIGHT APPROACH.” Adam Tusk

BUILD BUILD BUILD

CONTRIBUTORS Steve Richmond Head of Marketing & Technical, REHAU Adam Tusk Chief Operating Officer SIDERISE Group Ltd and Chairman of the Construction Products Association (CPA) Marketing Integrity Group James Lee Director, GGF

Steve Richmond

Adam Tusk

WHAT DOES THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MEAN FOR THE SECTOR YOU REPRESENT?

and façades, the continuing strive

by Government to remediate unsafe buildings is a big confidence boost. "

Steve Richmond:“Any additional money for construction is always a positive, especially after the industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is the question of how much of the total announcement is actually new money. There is still a huge gap between supply and demand for new housing so hopefully this will improve the number of new homes built per year.

WAS IT MISSING ANYTHING IN YOUR OPINION? WHAT FURTHER SUPPORT DO YOU FEEL WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE FROM GOVERNMENT?

adapting to a new way of working after COVID-19, it’s hard to predict if it will have a significant impact on the industry.”

"However I’m concerned that focusing purely on the numbers of new houses and not on the quality, sustainability or the affordability of them can cause us issues for future generations.”

Adam Turk: “It's all about confidence.

Our industry suffers too many peaks and troughs, all of which affect employment and investment, and these are usually driven by confidence. Manufacturers make long term investments, whether that be in machinery, people or product development, and their Boards have to see that there is longevity for these plans, which are often bold and sector-leading.

"It is these investments which drives our growth opportunities overseas and which provides for us the competitive advantages that also make British companies successful in export markets.

“Specifically in our sector, which is focused on passive fire protection for high rise buildings, and with particular emphasis on the external envelope ie protecting the cladding

Steve Richmond: “I believe that there is not enough emphasis on sustainability and low carbon technologies in this current proposal.

All new houses built from now until 2025 will not need to meet the Future Homes Standard and therefore will likely need additional capital investment in the future to meet the required energy efficiency levels to reach zero carbon.

"In addition, the health and education sectors have received further funding but there is a growing need for brand new schools to be built in many areas due to increasing demand which will need further investment going forwards.”

Adam Turk: “Johnson is focusing on the bigger picture, with regards to infrastructure, making it easier to get construction works started and providing help with access to finance. This is enough to create momentum which is the right approach. The industry across the wider supply chain, from clients to product manufacturers, has to now pick up the gauntlet and create the activity. There is enough in the Government’s message to get us started. It's up to us now.”

WILL THIS BE THE BOOST THE BUILDING SECTOR AS IT IS PLANNED DO YOU FEEL? Steve Richmond: “It’s welcome but with the construction industry still

Adam Turk: “It should be enough to help companies to retain staff, and continue with their investment plans. But, it will be carefully watched for signs that it is working, and the confidence it is creating will be shortlived if it doesn’t start happening soon.

“Speed of action is key, and this Government has done well in this regard through the crisis economically, and needs to continue to see initiatives like this through into implementation quickly.”

WHAT DO YOU FEEL WILL BE THE LONG-TERM IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SECTOR? Adam Turk: “There has to be a recognition that COVID-19 has taught us a different way of living and working, much of which is going to continue regardless of what happens with the virus. I think that will change habits and consideration needs to be given in the built environment and the impact this will have as to where we live and work, the space we require for both, and how buildings need to be designed differently.

“I think offices will become more about meeting spaces and less about work spaces and homes will need to have work space built in. We also need investment in our internet infrastructure.”

Cont.

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

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COMMENT

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD? James Lee – Director of External Affairs at the Glass & Glazing Federation analyses government’s plans It may sound a lot, but when broken down and put into context it is a relatively small boost to a UK construction sector worth approx. £112bn per annum.

The Green Homes Grant Scheme pales into further insignificance when the actual scheme measures are scrutinised. It is divided into primary and secondary measures.

The primary measures are insulation (solid wall, cavity wall, loft and roof) plus low carbon heating, such as air-source or ground-source heat pumps, or solar thermal systems, which provide renewable ways of heating your home.

James Lee

T

he Prime Minister’s announcement of a “New Deal” at the end of June was encouraging and covered many different areas of economic growth, but it must surely have been of particular interest to all in construction when he stated, “Build back better, build back greener, build back faster”.

It almost goes without saying, but for encouraging words to be meaningful they need to be backed by actions.

So far the Government has revealed its short term plans to 'build back greener' with the announcement of the Green Homes Grant Scheme, scheduled for September. The Scheme is projected to improve the energy efficiency of approximately 600k households in England, with each successful applicant receiving a £5k voucher. It amounts to around a £2bn home improvement fund from the Treasury, to be spent or committed to by 31 March 2021.

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The secondary measures include glazing, but a homeowner can only replace single glazing with double, triple or secondary.

Here comes the rub. A homeowner has to spend an amount of the voucher on primary measures before a secondary measure can be claimed. The cost of the secondary measure must be equal to or less than the primary measure.

So for glazing there are a few factors that make the Green Homes Grant Scheme not hugely exciting.

Firstly the majority of homes in the UK have double glazing and most have pre-2002 double glazing, which means they will not be particularly energy efficient. These windows under the scheme can’t be replaced because they aren’t single glazed.

The second problem is the secondary measure having to equal or be less than the primary measure.

Out of a £5k voucher, this will not leave much scope for modern energy efficient double, triple or secondary glazing.

The third problem is the availability of installers to do the measures.

The Government has still to fully reveal the criteria to establish what it will take for installers to become

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

approved suppliers of Green Homes Grant Scheme measures. It is estimated this will involve signing up to a new scheme or system at more cost and inconvenience for the likelihood of very little return.

The obstacles make the 'build back greener' promise seem more like a panacea for many, rather than a long term health plan.

The Prime Minister’s boast to 'build back faster' looks more inviting and some of the proposals put forward could work well and help rebuild the construction sector.

Since the June announcement, there have been measures in place such as cancelling stamp duty on properties under £500k. This could mean more available cash for home improvements for new buyers. There’s also the plans to accelerate the planning system. This should also mean more works can be carried out quicker.

In addition, the Government has pledged to invest roughly £4bn to upgrade public buildings including schools, hospitals, courts, prisons and town centres. Some will say this is long overdue, but nonetheless it is still encouraging if not overwhelming.

Given the situation, the UK Construction industry should prepare for a continuation of a sobering trading environment ahead.

COVID-19 has not gone away. It is now a part of everyday life that we

"THE PRIMARY MEASURES ARE INSULATION (SOLID WALL, CAVITY WALL, LOFT AND ROOF) PLUS LOW CARBON HEATING, SUCH AS AIRSOURCE OR GROUND-SOURCE HEAT PUMPS, OR SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEMS, WHICH PROVIDE RENEWABLE WAYS OF HEATING YOUR HOME."

JAMES LEE - GGF

all have to deal with. To compound matters, the Brexit transition period ends on 31st December and there is uncertainty around the final outcome especially on the matters concerning the movement of goods and labour, changing legislation and data protection.

Before then, on 23rd November, the Chancellor will make his Autumn Statement which will outline the budgetary spend for 2021 and beyond. This announcement should give a clearer idea of the Government’s plans to grow the economy in 2021.

The Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) has been involved in the Government’s work streams on economic growth for the UK housing, repair, maintenance and improvement sectors. The GGF has suggested that Government looks at the following ways to grow the

sectors and improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings and the environment.

These include: • A three year VAT holiday on all energy efficient measures and products installed in existing UK buildings.

• An energy efficient scheme that addresses the replacement of pre-2002 windows and doors by offer substantial incentives to homeowners.

• More funding to upskill and train those entering and operating in construction. In particular, those in the window and door installation sector.

• More emphasis on competent person schemes such as FENSA to ensure windows and doors are being fitted professionally and legally in England and Wales.

When the Prime Minister boldly announced “Build Build Build!” for many it conveyed rousing rhetoric and real intent. The proof of the pudding though is in the eating. The zero carbon 2030 and 2050 targets are still a long way off, consumer confidence is still low with many facing an uncertain future.

The economy, in the PM’s own words, is needing “turbo-charged” and that means more than passionate speeches and mere soundbites.

Admittedly, the circumstances could be better, but the opportunity now exists to devise and deliver game-changing plans for the short and long term future of the UK construction sector. The time is now, but the question is; can the Government seize the opportunity and put the UK on the road to recovery. 

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

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COMPANY IN FOCUS

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BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

SSQ

◂ SSQ’s 560 million year-old Argentinian phyllite makes for pristine, long-lasting roofs

SPANISH SLATE PIONEERS CELEBRATE 40TH ANNIVERSARY In each edition of Building Products we profile a leading company in the industry. For this edition, we look at SSQ and their journey over the past 40 years.

M

arking four decades in business, SSQ were the first to bring imported slate to the UK. Its Managing Director reflects on his journey.

Forty years ago this year, SSQ founder Ahmed El-Helw, then working for the Qatari Foreign Office, found himself at a Spanish trade show looking at a display of natural slate.

He had met a Spanish teacher on Qatar National Day, who’d invited him to a mining exhibition in Ponferrada, the capital of Spanish slate quarrying.

"WHAT I DIDN’T REALISE IN THE EARLY DAYS IS THAT IT’S THE INDIVIDUAL QUARRY, MUCH MORE THAN REGION OR COUNTRY, THAT MAKES THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE WHEN IT COMES TO SLATE QUALITY. " Ahmed El-Helw

They were demonstrating how thinly slate can be split and cleaved, and Ahmed stood and watched. He found it fascinating – so fascinating, in fact, that he’d dedicate the next four decades of his life to the same material.

“I was young in the beginning, and very confident,” Ahmed explains. “I knew that Spanish slate had huge potential, and that I wanted to sell it in the UK, but at the time I understood very little about the product itself.

“I just travelled around Spain visiting quarries, sat down with a phone and the Yellow Pages, and before I knew it, I had my own business. I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of my wife Vildan.

“I still remember my first sale – a retired army colonel in Somerset who’d been put on a three-year waiting list for Welsh slate. I delivered in two weeks.”

Learning from mistakes But by his own admission, Ahmed still had a lot to learn about natural slate.

At the time, he just used whatever he could get his hands on, and before long, that policy saw him run into difficulties.

“In the slate trade, good quarries are like gold dust,” Ahmed continues.

“They’re incredibly rare – but when you find one, your life instantly becomes a lot easier.

“What I didn’t realise in the early days is that it’s the individual quarry, much more than region or country, that makes the biggest difference when it comes to slate quality.

“I’d seen exceptional slate from Spain – so I just assumed that all Spanish slate would be of that quality.

“I was wrong – and when the slate I’d sold started to fail, it proved to be a very costly mistake indeed.”

Finding a game-changing quarry However, Ahmed wasn’t deterred.

He commissioned an extensive geological survey of North-West Spain – home to dozens of slate quarries – with the aim of finding the very best material the country had to offer.

Cont.

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

25

COMPANY IN FOCUS

SSQ

His research led him to Del Carmen - the outstanding quarry SSQ has gone on to work with exclusively for over thirty years.

“When I first found it, Del Carmen was selling exclusively into the French market – and France has the strictest slate testing standards in the world.

If slate’s not at least specification standard, it’s not even allowed in the country,” Ahmed explains.

“I was able to tempt them away and in doing so SSQ became the first company to bring French-approved slate to Britain.

“It was fantastic slate, but at the time, the marketing was very generic and uninspiring. I knew that if we built a strong enough brand around Del Carmen, it would go on to be an enormous success in the UK. British backlash But UK British architects and homeowners were delighted by the pristine Del Carmen slate SSQ was now able to supply – the British slate sector were less enthused.

“Our competitors mounted quite a colourful campaign against me.”

Ahmed recalls. “They’d got it in their heads that I was Spanish myself – actually, I was born in Egypt, and can say ‘si’, ‘buenos dias’ and that’s about it. They had pictures of the Spanish Armada on magazine covers and everything.”

“But luckily for me, it backfired – I became the most famous person in the slate sector, and sales and enquiries went through the roof!

“In the end, the European Commissioner got involved and stopped the campaign against me.”

Finding phyllite By the late ‘90s, though, SSQ was looking to expand. Ahmed had learned that slate was a supplydriven business, and was very keen to find a quarry of his own – but sourcing one to buy in Spain proved impossible.

It was then he decided to set his sights further afield – and in 1999, SSQ acquired its own phyllite operation in La Repressa, Argentina.

“Phyllite is the next rung along on the geological ladder from slate”, says Ahmed. “Really, it exists in the perfect 26

sweet spot. The extra millennia spent underground have made it harder and stronger than slate. But it’s not yet become so hard that it’s impractical for roofing purposes.

“Owning our own operation allows us to deliver outstanding quality phyllite, which we call Riverstone. We’ve had it extensively tested, with impressive results. Assessed to ASTM C406 standard, Riverstone was awarded an S1 rating, indicating it will last a minimum of 75 years.

It’s also been tested to see how reactive the iron oxides on its surface are. Highly reactive iron oxides lead to discolouration and leaching over time. Riverstone, on the other hand, received T1 classification – meaning it’s highly unlikely that any leaching will occur.”

Slate that lasts a century But whether it’s Del Carmen slate

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

from Spain, or Riverstone phyllite from Argentina, SSQ are fanatical about product quality.

“We’re a British-based company, but we’ve got staff in both Spain and Argentina focused purely on quality assurance.

“They’re uncompromising - and tasked with ensuring that every piece of slate and phyllite we provide meets the most exacting international standards.

“It’s because of their tireless work that we’re confident enough to guarantee our best products for a century as part of our recently launched Ultra Cover scheme – which sees our roofs backed with third-party insurance for material and labour for 100 years.

“In many cases, that means the roof will outlive the building it’s installed on.” 

www.generixfacades.com | 01922 716 480 | enquiries@generixfacades.com

FEATURE

GRENFELL TOWER:

THREE YEARS ON THE RACE TO PREVENT ANOTHER MAJOR TRAGEDY – by John Osborne

A

luminium Composite Material was blamed for the Grenfell Tower disaster, but the real culprit was probably a surprisingly poor culture aided by pressure to build at the lowest cost. John Osborne considers what and who were really to blame for the tragedy and what the building and construction industry has learnt since.

It is said that a poor workman blames his tools, so it seems astonishing that the disaster occurred. British construction professionals are highly trained from the most junior to the most senior. Information is generally shared throughout all stages of a project. The industry is also rigorously regulated.

Although the Government was concerned about ACM there was also concern about High Pressure Laminate (HPL), and Metal Composite Materials (MCM) cladding.

When something goes wrong some people pass the buck. Following the disaster there was a major review of materials, practices, and building culture.

Paul Nash is a former President of the Chartered Institute of Building.

He has been actively engaged in raising awareness of key issues affecting the construction sector and is a Member of the Industry Safety Steering Group chaired

by Dame Judith Hackitt that is providing strategic oversight of the Government’s Building Safety Programme in the wake of the Grenfell Tower Fire.

He also chaired the CIOB’s Quality Commission which was established 28

Mr Nash says that “the issues identified in the report in part echoed the findings of CIOB’s own investigation into quality which had identified a cultural issue from top down and bottom up, and recommended the need for better training and education on quality”.

Paul Nash

following the Oxgangs Primary School wall collapse in Edinburgh to investigate the issue of quality in construction and what needed to be done to improve it.

Following the tragic events at Grenfell Tower on 14th June 2017, attention focused on the combustible cladding material that had contributed to the rapid spread of the fire, so called ACM. He explained: “After the fire at Grenfell Tower a lot of emphasis was rightly put on the need to remove combustible cladding from high-rise residential buildings and the Government created a £600m fund for remediation of ACM. But at the same time, the government announced an Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety to better understand what needed to change in the industry if we were to ensure that there was never another Grenfell”.

The report of the review entitled Building a Safer Future was published in May 2018 and highlighted systemic issues within the industry that had a created a ‘race to the bottom’. It made a number of recommendations aimed at raising standards of building safety in the industry.

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

That investigation followed the collapse in January 2016 of the external gable end wall of Oxgangs Primary School in Edinburgh in high winds. Although no children were killed, the report of the independent inquiry stated that this was only due to “a matter of timing and luck”. The cause of the collapse was insufficient brick ties and missing head restraints.

But the CIOB’s review of quality also highlighted the Lakanal House fire which occurred in a tower block on 3 July 2009 in Camberwell, London.

Six people were killed, and at least twenty injured, when a high-rise fire developed and spread through a number of flats in the twelve-storey building.

Mr Nash said: “The inquest into the fire at Lakanal House found that the cladding panels, which had been fitted to the outside of the building as part of the refurbishment, had contributed to the spread of the fire”.

He explained: “Following Grenfell I don’t differentiate between quality and building safety”.

Both incidents occurred before the Grenfell Tower tragedy. It may seem surprising that a major review of standards and education in the residential sector is being carried out post Grenfell because all British construction professionals are highly trained and standards in the United Kingdom are very high.

However, Mr Nash said: “Ultimately it was a failure of quality and the

GRENFELL

problem was systemic. “When you look at the direction the industry has taken in the last 10 to 15 years a lack of regulation and increased competition has driven a race to the bottom”. He believes there is “considerable room for improvement, some of it driven by improving standards of competency and some driven by regulation.”

The recommendations of the Building a Safer Future report have now been incorporated into a new Building Safety Bill which was published for pre-legislative scrutiny in July 2020.

The Bill will lead to the introduction of a new Building Safety Regulator and also proposes a new regulator for construction products. “Those who design, construct, own and manage higher risk buildings will need to comply with the new regime and will face civil and criminal penalties if they don’t” says Mr Nash. “This includes a requirement to submit information about the building to the Regulator at key gateways and for owners to register buildings in scope of the Act.” Many companies go beyond compliance. Hannah Mansell, Group Technical Director of Masonite U.K. explained: “Masonite manufactures doors and best practice in fire door safety is a critical focus of

our business. However, it’s not just about adhering to legislation, it’s about going over and above what legislation requires us to do, over and above what certification demands of us”.

She said this means “going over and above by testing products with safe over runs, by repeatedly testing the worst case scenarios so that our stakeholders know that Masonite fire doors will perform when needed.

It is about being transparent with product information, embedding traceability and controls into our products to such a level that we mitigate risk by designing it out.”

Ms Mansell continued: “The construction sector continues to have a culture of trying to push risk up and down the supply chain, no one wanting to take control of the hot potato and put their neck on the block.

Hannah Mansell

their legal and moral responsibilities for keeping the building occupants safe. There can be hundreds of people who have a hand in making sure fire safety products work when it matters.

“But every single person involved in the chain of managing fire safety products needs to understand

Cont.

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

29

FEATURE

At Masonite, we support the fire safety industry by manufacturing and supporting the products and systems that allow hundreds of thousands of people to be safely protected by our fire doors. The wider industry must be unrelenting in challenging its culture, competency and they must start implementing new controls now, rather than waiting for legislation to dictate.”

Better education and more investment in testing will go a long way to preventing fires but everyone involved in a project must understand the appropriate standards and resist pressure from clients to cut budgets.

Douglas Masterson

Douglas Masterson used to manage an architectural ironmongery business in Belfast. He is currently Technical Manager at the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (and is also the deputy chair of Working Group 12, focussing on competence in construction products and is also a member of the Competence Steering Group.

Mr Masterson said that one of the things that came out of the Grenfell Tower disaster was a need for more education and a better understanding of products specified.

“Everyone must be familiar with the appropriate standards”, said Mr Masterson. He added that “a huge amount of effort” goes into producing standards.

Another challenge is what will happen to European standards. A lot of time and effort has been spent on producing harmonised and voluntary product standards. Mr Masterson said the UK Government 30

are still to fully clarify the position on acceptance of European standards in the United Kingdom post-Brexit.

He said that too often education and standards are sacrificed at the expense of cost.

“You can spend a lot of time, perhaps two to three years, working with an architect to specify the correct product only to find that the project is lost due to substitution of inferior quality product because of cost”.

He added that this practice of “spec breaking”, also known as “value engineering” is “hugely frustrating” although this practice is widespread throughout the whole construction industry.

However, the industry also faces the challenge of meeting government targets to improve the environmental performance of buildings whilst ensuring those buildings are safe for those who live in them, which Mr Nash says is a particular issue when it comes to retrofitting existing building stock. Whether replacing cladding to improve thermal performance or retrofitting sprinklers for life safety, the industry will be looking to the construction products sector for solutions that are safe, practical and cost effective.”

SFS manufactures building envelope subframes which support a variety of cladding systems supplied by other OEMs. Simon Fielden, Sales Director and David Fraser, SFS’ NVELOPE® Business Unit Manager are extremely aware of the need to supply environmentally friendly products.

In line with Mr Nash’s comments, ventilated rainscreens can greatly increase thermal performance when retrofitting old building stocks, but must be completed with due regard to fire safety to help protect residents in high-rise buildings.

They said: “It took a tragedy to stop companies value engineering the correct material out of the tender process. There is now a much more detailed understanding of the requirements of the much-maligned Part B of the Building Regs and associated Approved Document B is universally understood.

Prior references to a variety of fire safety classifications were

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

“WHETHER REPLACING CLADDING TO IMPROVE THERMAL PERFORMANCE OR RETROFITTING SPRINKLERS FOR LIFE SAFETY, THE INDUSTRY WILL BE LOOKING TO THE CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS SECTOR FOR SOLUTIONS THAT ARE SAFE, PRACTICAL AND COST EFFECTIVE.” Douglas Masterson

often described without any real understanding or scrutiny of such claims”.

They added: “All SFS product lines fall within the A1/A2 category and some have been included in 8414 testing. Components which are not compliant and cannot reasonably claim exemptions from the aforementioned regulations will no longer be specified and will disappear from our market”.

"Fires can occur anywhere if the appropriate materials are available and if the conditions can spark a fire.

It is all to easy to blame discounting and poor education, but according to Woodsafe, which claims to be an expert in fire safety, wood which is probably the oldest material used to build houses, is safe. Also, standards are different in Scandinavia which has vast forests.

“In Scandinavia, we have slightly different building standards than in England, especially after the tragic Grenfell Tower fire” explained Thomas Bengtsson, Chief Executive Officer, Woodsafe. “The cause of this fire was not wood (wood was not in the facade) and it would not have been as dramatic if wood had been used, even if it had burned”.

He added: “Woodsafe's products are tested in combination with the underlying substrate, e.g. according to SP-Fire 105 which is a design test corresponding to three floors.”

Valuable lessons have been learnt from the Grenfell Tower tragedy. New materials, especially composites, are constantly being developed. It will be interesting to see how the building and construction industry responds to the challenges of building the next generation of safe, affordable highrise residential buildings. 

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COMMENT

REVIEW OF THE

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AROUND FIRE SAFETY?

I

t’s almost 25 years since the Fire Resistant Glazing Group (FRGG) joined the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) in a merger designed to amplify the sector’s message to Government, that fire resistant glazing was vital to contain and prevent the spread of fire and smoke in buildings.

Today, the GGF FRGG maintains the same messages and is committed to the development and advancement of best practice in the manufacturing, testing, specification, application and installation of fireresistant glazed systems.

The FRGG operates at many different levels to convey the messages. From presentations at exhibitions such as FIREX International through to technical groups and roundtables with Government on changes to regulations.

In 2017, the Grenfell fire tragedy saw the issue of fire safety heightened in the media like never before in modern times. The Government inquiry and review followed by the subsequent Hackitt Report placed all building materials under the spotlight.

Immediately after Grenfell, the GGF offered Government the expertise

Steve Bond 32

of the FRGG, which includes the leading manufacturers, intumescent suppliers, certifications and test bodies, fire resistant glazing installers and consultants. Their collective knowledge was offered to help with the inquiry and to help shape the fire safety element of Building Regulations.

Steve Bond, Chairman of the FRGG, comments: “The GGF Fire Resistant Glazing Group was and still is, constantly working on maintaining and raising fire safety standards as well as raising the profile of fire resistant glazing systems and their importance to fire safety in buildings.”

The most recent area of fire safety the GGF has been working on is the product testing of glass balconies, barriers and balustrades. This issue emerged when the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) amended Building Regulations (SI 1230) with respect to the ban of combustible materials in the external wall of buildings. This extended to specified attachments on relevant buildings.

Regulation 7(2) requires that all materials which become part of an external wall or specified attachment achieve European Class A2-s1, d0 or Class A1 except for components exempted in Regulation 7(3).

Glass in window and doors are

Ben Wallace

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

exempted, but glass balconies, barrier and balustrades at present need to comply with the regulation to be able to be used on relevant buildings.

The GGF set up a Joint Trade Association industry working party to discuss the technicalities of this issue and submitted a comprehensive response to the Government consultation on the matter. It also formed an internal working group which has also submitted a considered response to the “Review of the ban on the use of combustible materials in and on the external walls of buildings including attachments’.

Ben Wallace, GGF Senior Technical Officer, commented on the work the GGF has carried out on this important consultation: “The GGF has fully responded to the Government consultation through the GGF’s Approved Document B Working Party and by submitting all supporting evidence. We will await further information to keep our members and the wider industry updated and are fully expecting a further review of Approved Document B in the near future.”

The Fire Safety Bill 2019-2021 is still going through the parliamentary process. The Bill will amend the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and provide greater clarity on the duties of the Responsible Person or duty-holder for multi-occupied, residential buildings.

When the Bill was first announced (in March 2020), Minister for Security, James Brokenshire said; “We remain committed to implementing the recommendations made following phase one of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and the government has already made major reforms to building safety. The bill will help bring about meaningful change to improving building safety.”

GRENFELL

The draft Bill has gone through two readings and a Committee Debate in June in the House of Commons and is now at the report stage to prepare to go through three further readings and consideration of amendments before attaining Royal Assent and becoming the law. The dates for the further readings and enactment in law have yet to be set, though it is anticipated to be towards the end of 2020 through to spring 2021.

So where does this leave glass and glazing and the GGF FRGG? Steve Bond adds, “Our involvement with various Government departments, local authorities, key influencers and other related trade bodies is long-standing and continuous. We have also been working with FENSA on the development of a new competent person scheme for the installation of fire resistant doors and associated glazing. When it comes to fire resistant glazing it is important that the fire resistant glass is installed as a tested or certified system. This includes competent installation.

Performance can be negatively affected by poor installation. Getting the installation right is vital for the whole systems to work effectively.

In addition, the FRGG is also working with GGF Training on the development of fire resistant training courses for installers.”

◂ Image courtesy of DTACC Architects and SCHOTT

◂ Image Copyright Pilkington UK

◂ Image Copyright Pilkington UK

The bill will provide a foundation for secondary legislation to take forward recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase one report, which stated that building owners and managers of high-rise and multi-occupied residential buildings should be responsible for a number of areas including:

• Ensuring fire safety instructions are provided to residents in a form that they can reasonably be expected to understand

• Regular inspections of lifts and the reporting of results to the local fire and rescue services

The bill will also give the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government the powers to amend the list of qualifying premises that fall within the scope of the Fire Safety Order by way of secondary legislation, enabling the government to respond quickly to developments in the design and construction of buildings.

• Ensuring evacuation plans are reviewed and regularly updated and personal evacuation plans are in place for residents whose ability to evacuate may be compromised

• Ensuring individual flat entrance doors, where the external walls of the building have unsafe cladding, comply with current standards

With Government lobbying, technical updates, education and training and raising the profile of the importance of fire resistant glazing to make buildings safer, the FRGG is certainly one of the most active Groups within the GGF infrastructure.

Steve Bond summarises: "The subject of fire-resistance within construction has been a highly focused topic for many years. As the leading voice of the industry, the GGF with the FRGG has to be at the heart of demonstrating not only the use and function of fire resistant glazing systems, but also why it should always be at the forefront of the minds of those responsible for fire safety in buildings.” 

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

33

FENCING & DECKING

HOW THE MATERIALS OF THE FUTURE ARE CHANGING THE FACE OF BRITAIN’S GARDENS

P

aul Smith, head of marketing at F.H. Brundle, discusses the modern materials shaking up the fencing and decking sectors.

Since the turn of the millennium, rapid advances in technology have seen traditional materials increasingly replaced with stronger, longer-lasting and easier to maintain alternatives.

It’s unlikely the humble timber fence or metal railings will ever disappear completely from Britain’s gardens – but now, it’s got serious competition.

New man-made materials like WPC – wood-plastic composite – can deliver the timeless timber aesthetics that homeowners like so much, but without timber’s many drawbacks.

Where wood is susceptible to rotting and warping, WPC products are water-resistant. Where timber needs costly, time-consuming and regular maintenance, WPC products require virtually none – and what’s more, its longer life-span means it needs replacing less often too.

Long-lasting, easy-maintenance decking WPC has quickly become a leading material in the decking sector, as well as becoming popular for fencing, cladding and more.

At F.H. Brundle, for instance, we supply the popular Rinato™ range of WPC fencing and decking – offering the look of wood, without the hassle.

With the option for a woodgrain finish, it’s able to offer much-soughtafter traditional aesthetics. But it’s much stronger, longer-lasting, and virtually maintenance free.

Rinato combines Forest Stewardship Council-certified recycled eucalyptus wood and non-toxic recycled polyethylene or polypropylene, making it both incredibly strong and environmentally friendly.

What’s more, Rinato products also come backed with a 25-year guarantee!

But WPC isn’t the only modern alternative challenging timber’s dominance.

Aluminium was once a material you’d associate with sleek commercial buildings and high-end windows and doors – but now, the style and strength that’s made it so popular in other sectors is seeing it increasingly adopted elsewhere, too.

Just this year, for instance, we’ve unveiled our new innovative Synergised™ decking system.

Designed in the UK, Synergised decking is made from structural-

34

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

grade 6063 T6 aluminium, and finished with a 100 micron Qualicoat™ premium powder coating, making it ideal for hightraffic areas.

Stylish, versatile fencing In recent years, we’ve seen aluminium and WPC shake up the fencing market, too.

Long-lasting, maintenance-free and easy to handle and install, lightweight Marano slats and boards come in both a realistic golden oak timber effect finish, and a stylish and contemporary anthracite grey.

Within the Marano range, you find a variety of different systems.

Elements is arguably the most versatile – letting you create striking, ultra-modern fencing with a combination of double-sided boards, aluminium strips, and acrylic panels.

Marano Convex slats can be fixed to the external face of virtually any fencing posts, for a striking and quick-to-install privacy fence.

Our stylish Marano Stripe fencing boards are double-sided – on one side, you find a contemporary flat design, while they feature a traditional grooved effect on the other.

NEWS

BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Park Heights is a prime project at the forefront of Network Homes’ transformation of the Stockwell Park Estate. Comprising of 159 high-quality apartments with large private balconies, a sky garden and communal terraces across its 20 storeys, Park Heights needed a non-combustible solution for its external spaces to ensure the security of the building and its residents, aligning with recent changes in fire legislation.

The development is beautifully constructed, infiltrating new life into the surrounding area with light colour schemes, clean lines and contemporary aesthetics. This design was winner of the RIBA London Regional Award in 2017. The scheme celebrates the best architecture in the UK and around the world. The build also received an award for its design at the National Housing Awards in 2016.

EnviroBuild provided around 900m² of fire-rated Luxury Italian Porcelain from our Ergo collection for two terraces on this award-winning project, including the rooftop space. Being scratch, stain and fade resistant, our paving was a brilliant addition to the range of resilient materials installed on this build. We additionally supplied complete substructure for balconies across the development.

STRIKINGLY VERSATILE

Defined and specified to meet Class A1 and A2 to EN13501-1 standards, our non-combustible paving solutions are fully compatible with the latest developments in fire safety legislation. Using gaskets with adjustable steel pedestals, slip-proof rubber membranes and secure paving spacers, EnviroBuild’s A-Class firerated systems meet the needs of a wide variety of both commercial and residential spaces to provide security, strength and adaptability where it is needed most.

With the Gebrik cladding system, you are assured of a simpler, faster brick façade that performs precisely as it should.

Tried, tested and simple to install, our solutions provide you with the freedom to create strikingly versatile buildings.

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September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

35

FEATURE

IS BUILDING IN AIRSPACE THE FUTURE?

B

uilding products looks at the impact that ‘building in airspace’ will have following the new permitted development rights (PDR) brought in by government.

Building upwards has long been something touted as a solution to the UK’s housing problem; and an approach that has long been adopted in other countries. Now seemingly keen on the idea government recently confirmed that a new permitted development right (PDR) would allow upward extensions of two-storeys on existing blocks of flats.

Coming into effect on August 1 2020, the new PDR enables property owners to progress with upward extensions of two additional storeys on detached blocks of purpose-built flats without the need for planning permission.

Such developments remain, however, subject to a number of approvals and there are exceptions. It is knowledge of these intricacies, that Click Above believes has positioned it as a go-to source for enquiries.

Those in favour of the move say it could help with the UK’s chronic shortage of housing, although there are no guarantees any new developments will be aimed towards first-time buyers or those struggling to acquire housing.

Laith Mubarak is Click Above’s Acquisition’s Director and leads on the firm’s rooftop acquisition strategy.

The new PDR is subject to a number of exclusions that include buildings that have become residential only after a previous change of use; the existing building being less than three storeys in height and must contain flats; the building being constructed before July 1948 or after March 2018; or the building being located within a Conservation Area (or similar).

There are also several clauses that must be adhered to with regards to the dimensions of the extension.

Click Above is an airspace developer.

Many in the sector have been asking what is next and could the legislation eventually cover other buildings.

He comments: “This isn’t simply a case of throwing up prefabricated units to increase housing supply and the enquiries we’re fielding are from prospective partners who appreciate the potential of this exciting development.

Hinesh Chawda, who is Director at Life Less Ordinary, a boutique property developer, comments: “Legislative changes around permitted development rights should never be solely focused on going further, building higher or pushing the boundaries simply because it’s possible.

“Whether we’re talking to private freeholders, social landlords or local authorities, their concerns are often the same: ‘is my building suitable for this type of extension?’,‘how will the existing residents be affected?’ ‘how long will there be on-site disruption for?’ and ‘can I engage with a single team to realise the successful completion of such a project?'"

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BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

"THE KEY IS THAT ANY PDR SHOULD ONLY EVER EXIST TO DELIVER A POSITIVE OUTCOME, ALL WITHIN THE CONFINES OF MEETING A NEED AND DELIVERING A QUALITY END-PRODUCT." Hinesh Chawda

CONSTRUCTION

Laith Mubarak

Hinesh Chawda

“We started Life Less Ordinary by identifying the opportunity to utilise PDRs to develop high-quality office to residential conversions, primarily for the first-time-buyer market. We have subsequently moved into traditional development as well as airspace development, where we convert the unused airspace above existing properties into well-designed new homes. The key is that any PDR should only ever exist to deliver a positive outcome, all within the confines of meeting a need and delivering a quality end-product. Whilst current PDRs achieve that, I can’t foresee a need to add further changes.”

To find out more about the potential impact it will have in regards to the construction of new buildings, Jo Davis – who is National Head of Planning, Development and Regeneration at Avison Young – comments: “The impact of the PDR for upward extensions is unlikely to have a significant impact on the construction of new buildings as it is only existing in purpose-built detached blocks of flats.

“More important is the new Class ZA that has been introduced for the demolition and rebuild of vacant blocks of flats or detached employment buildings.

Whilst this would not require planning permission, it

Jo Davis

would require a Prior Approval application and there are a number of factors that must be considered including design and external appearance, impact on neighbouring amenity and the provision of appropriate levels of daylight to new houses and flats. There are restrictions to when this right can be used, but in allowing for demolition and redevelopment of existing buildings, it will be an important route to consider for owners of such buildings.”

Jo continues by saying there are several hurdles that need to be met before you can build.

She says: “The overall height of the extended building cannot exceed 30m in height and the extension should not be more than 7m in height with each additional storey limited to 3m in height or the height of any existing storey, whichever is the lesser.

Cont.

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

37

FEATURE

“There are also several matters that should be satisfied through a Prior Approval process, not least demonstrating that adequate natural light is provided to new dwellings. A separate part of the new legislation also requires that the amenity of neighbouring occupiers in terms of daylight/sunlight is considered through a prior approval process.

“In practice, the changes cannot be used on mixed use developments, for example, a block of flats with a nonresidential ground floor use, which is often incorporated into development to add to street level activity. This may limit how many developers seek to pursue this approach and may limit its use to smaller blocks of flats particularly as there is an alternative of demolition and redevelopment.

"It may however benefit local authority or housing association-owned blocks of residential flats where it gives the potential to increase the number of affordable homes being developed.”

"LOCAL AUTHORITIES WILL NEED TO MEET THIS CHALLENGE BY ENSURING THAT PLANNING OFFICERS ARE FULLY TRAINED IN INTERPRETING AND ASSESSING DAYLIGHT IMPACTS INCLUDING COMPLIANCE WITH ANY BRE GUIDANCE." Jo Davis 38

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

Jo does say though that the move is a clear sign that government is laser focused on boosting the sector.

She comments: “Overall, the introduction of the new PD right shows Government support for density and building upwards in cities and will feed into the debate around whether ‘up’ or ‘out’ into the Green Belt is the correct approach for new homes. It is clear given the timing of the changes and the Prime Minister’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ speech that the impetus is to stimulate economic recovery and increase levels of construction.

“The challenge will be in the detail and the level of information needed to demonstrate to a local authority that the impacts are acceptable, particularly on daylight/sunlight. Local authorities will need to meet this challenge by ensuring that planning officers are fully trained in interpreting and assessing daylight impacts including compliance with any BRE Guidance.

"This will be a critical element of any prior approval application and is a more onerous requirement than seen previously.

“As there are subjective judgments that would need to be made through the prior approval process, for some developers it may be more effective, with a greater chance of a well-designed and successful outcome, to prepare a full planning application collaboratively with a local authority.”

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FEATURE

HOW IS OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION SOLVING CHALLENGES FACING THE UK ECONOMY?

I

n this article, David Harris, Managing Director of Premier Modular – one of the UK’s leading offsite specialists, looks at the renewed focus on offsite construction and how it is helping to address some of the challenges now facing public services and the UK economy.

40

There is definitely a surge in interest in offsite construction, particularly in the residential sector. The benefits of taking a manufacturing approach to construction are clear and have been well documented – but are now more relevant than ever before: •

Programme times can be reduced by up to 60%

•

Cost benefits can be up to 40% with greater cost certainty, higher productivity, fewer defects, a faster return on investment and earlier occupation

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

•

There are significant reductions in on-site labour, with all the associated health and safety benefits – a critical advantage in these times of social distancing

•

There is less disruption and fewer vehicle movements to site, resulting in reductions in pollution and congestion in our towns and cities

•

Waste is reduced by up to 90%.

The Implications of Covid-19 on the Offsite Sector The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted

OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION

We have five factories in East Yorkshire, spanning 12,000sq. m.

These all remained at capacity throughout the lockdown and continue to do so. We have always said it is easier to manage health and safety in a controlled factory environment – as well as to maintain consistently higher build quality.

Our buildings move through the factory in a sequential process, so it is relatively easy to avoid work being carried out by different trades in the same area at the same time.

This makes social distancing much more controllable in a factory than on a construction site. We extended working hours to allow us to create more space in the factory whilst minimising any impact on productivity and output. Work was separated out in the factory by having teams working in specific cells.

During the pandemic, work continued on all Premier sites, with the exception of just two projects which have since re-opened. This proves how offsite construction can mitigate the effects of the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 and demonstrates how it can reduce risk.

Desborough Road Development

David Harris - Director, Premier Modular

in a renewed focus on offsite manufacturing. UK construction was already facing huge challenges around productivity which has a major impact on the affordability of delivering new public sector projects – from hospitals to schools and affordable housing.

In a recent report published by Mace, ‘each UK operative on site produced around 20% less per week compared to construction workers in Germany’. That is a shocking figure.

The short-term impact of Covid-19 on UK construction has been dramatic with many projects being halted completely during the lockdown, which will result in cost increases and delayed completion. Sites have re-opened but many are having to operate at a reduced level to maintain social distancing requirements. This situation contrasts sharply with our operations and really does illustrate how offsite manufacturing can reduce the risk of delays and cost increases.

“DURING THE PANDEMIC, WORK CONTINUED ON ALL PREMIER SITES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JUST TWO PROJECTS WHICH HAVE SINCE RE-OPENED. THIS PROVES HOW OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION CAN MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF THE RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED BY COVID-19 AND DEMONSTRATES HOW IT CAN REDUCE RISK.”

What we need now is for more enlightened clients and building designers to better understand how offsite manufacturing methodologies can be applied to the specification and delivery of construction projects.

There should be a more collaborative approach to procurement and an approach that at least does not disadvantage against offsite solutions.

The Skills Issue There are clear skills shortages across the construction industry. We are less affected because we employ a multiskilled, permanent workforce but we still have to attract new talent into the offsite sector with a manufacturing mindset.

As the offsite industry continues to mature, we will need new skillsets to deliver higher productivity, enhanced quality, and improved sustainability and health and safety performance.

Cont.

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

41

FEATURE

Build Build Build!

We have welcomed the Government’s recent announcements, particularly the reforms to the planning system which should stimulate the construction sector and support economic growth.

Key for the offsite sector are the changes to remove the need for a lengthy planning process to demolish and rebuild vacant buildings to create new housing.

Making it easier to develop brownfield sites and to repurpose land owned by Government are also important measures.

As an industry, we now need Government to support local authorities and housing providers in driving the uptake of offsite construction. We have to continue to encourage innovation in construction to ensure new homes meet green targets, use new technology and minimise impact on the environment.

We are expanding into the offsite residential sector. Our building systems are well suited to mid-rise housing schemes and we fully fit out the apartments offsite in our factory.

We have the capacity to produce up to 100,000sqm of living space per year in a single shift, enabling us to work on large-scale developments – from student accommodation and build-to-rent schemes, to key worker accommodation and housing for homeless people.

Inside the Premier Modular production factory

We are currently delivering a £7.5m contract for Buckinghamshire Council to construct 58 apartments which will provide facilities for homeless people and their families in urgent need of housing. Work on site is underway while the apartments are being manufactured and fitted out in our factory. The homes will be delivered to site this Autumn for completion in 2021.

The Increasing Use of Offsite in Other Sectors The Government has also announced significant investment in healthcare, infrastructure, and education and with a welcome presumption in favour of offsite. This means we are expecting the number of offsite projects to continue to increase.

Our permanent buildings division provides bespoke offsite solutions for schools, hospitals, infrastructure and commercial projects and our interim buildings division supplies high quality site accommodation to both tier one and regional

42

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

contractors in London and across the UK, along with interim school and hospital buildings. We are therefore well placed to capitalise on the rising demand.

In the education sector, we are anticipating a rise in school projects which were delayed by the pandemic. The pressure to deliver these buildings in a shorter time to meet the required number of school places is likely to result in wider use of modular construction.

Flexibility will be key. Offsite manufacturers who can provide buildings manufactured and fitted out entirely offsite – or with the expertise to marry offsite with traditional construction methods to create hybrid solutions – can better meet individual project requirements.

Likewise, there should be the flexibility to work as a principal contractor directly for the client, as a supply chain partner to a main contractor or using construction management.

Then the opportunities for offsite are tremendous. 

NEWS

Fastening technology building bridges within light steel framing EJOT UK’s decision to join the Light Steel Framing Association (LSFA) will help unlock the potential for greater development and application of rapidly emerging technology given its cross-sector experience in fastening systems and its engineering pedigree.

Unlike any other fastener manufacturer of construction oriented products, EJOT is unique.

It brings together products and expertise from the industrial and engineering sectors.

Synergy with lightweight engineering assembly The joining of different lightweight material compositions within engineering applications is as much to do with the measured precision of installation tools and techniques as the fastening products themselves.

“We are already seeing the adaptation and integration of highly technical industrial engineering processes into the planning and specifications for various modes of offsite construction and this will transform next-generation building processes,” says EJOT’s Technical Business Development Manager in the UK, Brian Mack.

“For example, we are finding increasingly that innovations developed for automotive assemblies are supporting the development of construction products and installation processes, with engineers on both sides of the fence now sharing common ground within joint project arenas.”

Dedicated research, development and testing Testing and technical support for the

development of fastening products and installation systems is provided by the EJOT Applitec Centre which is based within the company’s UK manufacturing centre in North Yorkshire - with additional expertise provided by sister laboratories around the world.

EJOT’s UK manufacturing centre is in Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire.

Visit www.ejot.co.uk or call 01977 687040.

We’re setting the bar higher For the past 35 years we’ve helped improve the quality of safety and installation standards for powered pedestrian doors.

As a leading voice for our industry, we work with the BSI and CEN and provide opportunities for members to influence future standards.

Be part of the conversation as a member of ADSA.

#bepartoftheconversation

For more information visit: www.adsa.org.uk/membership or tel: 01827 216136

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

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DEBATE

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY LEADERS RESPOND TO THE COVID-19 CRISIS

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rexit aside, the rapid global spread of COVID-19 has quickly eclipsed other influential issues for the construction industry. On top of the significant disruption to millions of people’s lives and a worrying level of causalities, the economic damage is evident for all to see. As the UK heads into the worst recession for decades many businesses are starting to think about how to navigate the months and years ahead.

In the face of certain challenges and a number of unknown risks, business leaders are concerned about how their companies will be affected and what they have to do next.

We wanted to ask several leaders in the construction industry about how the Corona crisis has affected their businesses and how they plan to move forwards.

AHMED EL-HELW FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR, SSQ The SSQ Group is one of the world’s leading suppliers of slate and phyllite for use by the construction industry. Formed in 1983, it has built a worldwide reputation for sourcing and marketing high-quality, natural slate products for roofing and architectural use.

Q. How has Coronavirus affected your business?

No business could escape being impacted by the Coronavirus crisis in some way – and the three-month lockdown severely hampered our ability to operate day-to-day, and inevitably led to a drop in enquiries and sales.

But at the same time, we count ourselves lucky - we weren’t devastated in the way so many firms in retail and tourism have been.

Q. So, you have managed to weather the storm?

We’ve been fortunate in several respects. Firstly, the product we’ve specialised in for forty years, natural slate for roofing, cladding and flooring, is often used on ambitious architectural projects planned years in advance – meaning work didn’t instantly dry up in the way it did for some in other sectors.

Secondly, we were well prepared – albeit for the wrong reasons!

▴ Ahmed El-Helw - Founder & Managing Director, SSQ 44

We import slate from the prestigious Del Carmen Quarry in North-West Spain – Del Carmen slate is one of our most popular products, and we’re the exclusive distributors of it everywhere in the world apart from France.

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

It feels like a different world now, but this time last year the biggest challenge any of us could see on the horizon was Brexit. The deadline was getting closer, and at times it looked like we genuinely might leave without a deal.

That’s why we took the decision to ensure we had high levels of stock here in the UK, just in case a No Deal Brexit caused disruption.

As it happened, that wasn’t an issue – but it did mean we had plenty of product when Coronavirus arrived.

Q. What are some of the challenges you’ve faced due to Coronavirus?

Lockdown itself was a huge adjustment for the SSQ team, and me in particular. For forty years, making sales has always been about building face-to-face relationships.

I get to know my customers and their businesses, and many have gone on to become good friends.

All of sudden, that wasn’t an option anymore, and that took a lot of getting used to.

However, we quickly adapted – our Zoom CPD sessions, led by our Specifications Sales Director Barry Saltmarsh, proved especially popular.

Q. Do you have any thoughts around product innovation and what is required going forward?

Slate has been around for a long time – hundreds of millions of years, in fact. As long as humans are building, there’ll be a demand for it.

So, in the long term, our prospects are extremely good.

The coming months will be challenging and unpredictable, but I’m confident our sector will weather them, and still has a very bright future ahead of it.

COVID-19

Q. How has the profine Group responded to the Corona crisis and what impact did it have on your business and sector?

The whole industry was affected.

Everything shut down overnight.

The immediate impact on us was that existing orders couldn’t be fulfilled. We also had to implement a plan around furloughing certain employees in our team.

▴ Gareth Jones - Managing Director, profine UK Ltd

GARETH JONES MANAGING DIRECTOR, PROFINE UK LTD Profine Group produce PVC profiles for windows and residential doors.

The group is made up of the wellknown fenestration brands KBE, KÖMMERLING and TROCAL.

It was definitely an unprecedented event. As a business we faced significant challenges. One of them was that we had acquired essential assets from the Aperture Group during lockdown. Essentially, due to the purchase of those businesses, we recruited 70-80 new team members in the space of 48 hours. This process was made incredibly difficult due to the effects of coronavirus.

Q. Have you seen a slow-down in your sector or has it largely not been affected?

Since we came back from lockdown the sales have been incredibly strong and over that pre-COVID-19.

Existing orders have had to be fulfilled and new orders have been very strong indeed. But we have to be cautious as to how long it will last.

Q. Have you had any issues around import/ export during this time?

Most of our products are sourced from Germany, but with the newly acquired extrusion facility in the UK we will soon be extruding PVCu profiles here. We are already harnessing our new lamination facility to cope with demand.

Q. What has it meant for acquiring skills?

We have an existing facility in Lichfield and newly acquired assets including manufacturing in Huthwaite. With the Aperture business having suffered particularly badly over the last 6 months we have found a number of staff that were previously laid off in the local labour markets. This has been a positive message locally.

Q. Do you have any thoughts around product innovation and what is required going forward?

As part of profine Group we have considerable resources both in terms of expertise and from a finance point of view. With the newly acquired essential assets from Aperture Group, the Evolve, Legend and Warmcore brands will see investment as will our main and premium KÖMMERLING brand.

LEADING PROPERTY CONSULTANCY LAUNCHES NEW PROJECT IDENTIFICATION APP ‘DCW INSIGHTS’ On Tuesday 15th September, Dean Ward, Managing Director of the DCW Group, launched DCW Insights, an innovative and automated project identification app.

With a built-in due diligence checker and a comprehensive suite of wider management Dean Ward – Managing Director and information services, this platform promises to transform project timescales and productivity.

Investment viability checks can typically take up to 6 months to complete. Now, DCW Insights allows users to achieve this in just minutes. The platform is highly secure, automated and Cloud-based, using a single interface

for all property development activity and information, including business agility and speed of decisionmaking.

DCW Insight’s features are vast and comprehensive; providing you with the latest planning guidelines, speedy identification of viable development opportunities, local planning feedback, a polygon mapping tool, detailed demographic analyses, dynamic financial metrics, property template creation tools, land purchase tracking software and more, the platform promises to enhance every stage of your due diligence.

With over 15 years’ experience within the residential and commercial property sector, Dean has a unique understanding of the struggles faced by developers. He is thrilled to have created a platform which eliminates the unnecessary hurdles we often face, allowing for your assessments to be completed quickly and accurately.

DCW Insights is truly bringing the industry into the 21st century.

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

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PROJECT IN FOCUS

HIGH TECH INSULATION BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO LANDMARK SEAFRONT BUILDING

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former hotel on Morecambe’s windswept seafront has been restored and re-purposed with the help of high-performance insulation from Icynene.

The Victorian coastal resorts of the North West have had a fairly difficult time in recent years. The boom in flyaway package holidays in the sixties and seventies led to a rapid decline in visitor numbers and a steady fall from the graceful elegance they once enjoyed.

Blackpool soldiers on with its candy floss and kiss-me-quick hats, still drawing day trippers eager to experience the famous lights and beach side attractions.

Blackpool’s rather more genteel sister resort of Morecambe followed a different route and now hopes to

see a renaissance of fortune with the coming of a major new attraction the Eden Project North - to the towns famous Bay. Modelled on the hugely successful Eden Project in Cornwall, Morecambe’s long waited new development hopes to become an important go-to attraction, bringing back much needed tourist revenue to the area.

In anticipation of the expected increase in visitor numbers, some of Morecambe’s famous landmark buildings are also experiencing their own change in fortune with restoration and re-purposing at the heart of the town’s rebirth.

Re-charging The Battery One of these is the imposing Battery Hotel, dating back to the 1900 and built within pebble-skimming distance of the sea by the Thwaites Brewery Company.

Built in 1900 within pebble-skimming distance of the sea, The Battery is exposed to the prevailing westerly winds from the Irish Sea

Ian Bond, owner of the Battery takes up the story. “I was born in the area and have a love of Morecambe and a passion for restoring old buildings.

The Battery has one of the best locations in the town with views over the Bay to the Lake District Fells, so when it came up for sale, I was at the head of the queue” Ian bought the Battery in early 2014 and is close to completing a painstaking restoration and conversion into high-end, serviced holiday apartments. The exposed location however, brought with it restoration challenges as well as development opportunities.

He continues “The Battery faces right into the wind and weather coming off the Irish Sea, so when we set about the reconstruction, insulation and air tightness of the structure were a top priority.”

High-performance insulation Insulation specialists Heatlok Installations Ltd were brought in at an early stage to advise. Heatlok’s Greg Raby explains. “Old buildings like these are notoriously difficult to insulate with conventional materials. Air leakage is also a huge problem as so much heat loss in a building can be put down to bad construction detailing, which can lead to gaps and air leakage – draughts to you and me.”

“THE BATTERY FACES RIGHT INTO THE WIND AND WEATHER COMING OFF THE IRISH SEA, SO WHEN WE SET ABOUT THE RECONSTRUCTION, INSULATION AND AIR TIGHTNESS OF THE STRUCTURE WERE A TOP PRIORITY.” Ian Bond

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BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

SEAFRONT RESTORATION

Icynene is an open cell, “breathable” insulation with a claimed a Global Warming Potential of 1

Icynene is applied as a two-component mixture that comes together at the tip of a gun forming a foam that expands 100-fold within seconds

For the Battery project, Heatlok recommended FoamLite, a highperformance spray applied insulation system from Icynene.

Icynene FoamLite is applied as a two component mixture that comes together at the tip of a gun forming a foam that expands 100-fold within seconds, sealing all gaps, service holes and hard to reach spaces, virtually eliminating cold bridging and air leakage.

It was developed in Canada to cope with their extreme weather conditions but, unlike urethane foams of 20 years ago, Foam Lite uses water as the blowing agent. The reaction between the two components produces C02 which causes the foam to expand.

As it expands the cells of the foam burst and the CO2 is replaced by air, creating an open cell, “breathable” structure with outstanding insulation properties. From an environmental perspective, Icynene claims a Global Warming Potential of 1 and an Ozone Depletion Potential of 0.

Nor does Icynene emit and harmful gases once cured.

“WE HAVE A RICH ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE IN THE NORTH WEST AND IT’S GREAT TO SEE THESE PROUD BUILDINGS FIND A NEW PRODUCTIVE PURPOSE, OVER 100 YEARS SINCE THEY WERE BUILT.” Ian Bond

Near Passivhaus standards of air tightness Ian Bond’s enthusiasm for the project is clear. “We’ve gone for energy efficiency and minimal carbon emissions in every aspect of the restoration. Our aim is to get to near Passivhaus standards of insulation and air tightness. We’ve incorporated solar panels, air sourced heat pump technology for underfloor and water heating and each of the seventeen apartments is connected to an automated mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system. Energy consumption should be very low.”

Icynene FoamLite has been applied throughout the building. External walls have been internally lined with timber studwork and insulated to a thickness of 100mm and faced with 50mm thick foam backed plasterboard [FBP]. The roof structure was sprayed to a thickness of 150mm and similarly faced with 50mm FBP. The year-long restoration has been approached with great sensitivity.

Period internal features have been retained and original materials reclaimed and re-used wherever

possible. Externally, the cream Yorkstone walls have been cleaned and re-pointed and the original rainwater goods and iron-work beadblasted and powder coated before re-fitting.

The Battery is due to be completed shortly, after which Ian Bond will turn his attention to two further classic buildings on Morecambe seafront.

“The Battery project has taught us a lot about the restoration and repurposing of historically important buildings” commented Ian. “We have a rich architectural heritage in the North West and it’s great to see these proud buildings find a new productive purpose, over 100 years since they were built.”

For more information on Icynene Spray applied insulation: www.icynene.co.uk

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

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REVIEW

REVIEW:

SOME OF THE INDUSTRY'S MOST SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS

T

he UK construction industry is a major contributor to levels of air, water and ground pollution. It is responsible for nearly 4% of particulate emissions and more water pollution incidents than any other industry.

Those shocking statistics are a stark reminder that government targets for a climate neutral UK by 2050 are ambitious to say the least.

Innovative technology looks set to provide much needed solutions for an industry looking for new, greener

materials and products. Several UK construction industry companies have taken it upon themselves to try and create cutting-edge yet environmentally conscious building materials for the future.

With that in mind, what are the sustainable products that architects, specifiers, builders and quantity surveyors should be looking out for? Here we speak to several businesses that create products designed specifically to reduce the carbon footprint of both commercial and residential structures.

INFRA-RED HEATING SOLUTION

By Energy Carbon This innovative young business from Sussex is committed to providing low-energy heating products.

Tell us about your product. What does it do?

Energy Carbon provides a fast, cost-effective and energy efficient heating technology developed by experts from Germany’s University of Stuttgart.

Thin heating fleece just 0.4mm thick can be plastered into the ceiling or sited behind the plaster board to provide the same safe, healthy infra-red heat babies receive in incubators.

We cover around 60% of the ceiling, which means that occupants feel the warmth throughout a room rather than in specific areas as with infra-red panels. We can even cut holes for lighting with no issues.

What’s more, it needs no specialist trade to install - just a plasterer or dry liner and an electrician.

What makes your product sustainable/energy efficient?

Most conventional heating works on the principle of convection.

Radiators draw cold air from the floor, pull it across the heat source, which causes it to heat up and rise to the ceiling. When that air cools, it falls, and the cycle begins again.

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The problem with that is it takes time.

The process needs to repeat until the whole air mass in a room has warmed up.

potential of infra-red technology for years, but in the early days it was frustrating - the implementation was often very poor.

Infra-red is much quicker and more economical - occupiers feel the benefit sooner, and it uses less electricity as a result.

We always used to say, ‘we wish they made this in Germany’ – we knew that, given Germany’s history of engineering excellence, and rigorous testing and accreditation regimes, the Germans would do the concept justice.

It’s also highly durable and longlasting with a design life in excess of 50 years – other alternatives will likely need replacing several times between now and 2050.

What were and are the challenges you faced when developing the product?

We’ve been passionate about the

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

But then, we found that a German manufacturer had taken up the infra-red gauntlet. We got in touch, and managed to secure the UK distribution rights.

SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS

MODULAR PANEL SYSTEM

By Green Life Buildings (GLB) Green Life Buildings are taking small but significant steps on the path to providing top quality construction materials with less impact on our environment. Managing Director, Chris Williams talks to us about GLB’s innovative building products.

This panel removes the combustible element from external walls above 18m yet still provides an insitu build option. This is important for us because it provides options to our contractors using techniques they’re already familiar with.

Tell us about your product?

The GLB advanced building system is an innovative, lightweight, adaptable, and exceptionally durable sandwich panel system used for walls, floors and roof. It uses advanced insulant core technology to deliver an affordable alternative form of construction material.

Will you be launching any other similar products?

Outside of the hybrid panel, we won’t be producing any new sustainable products for a while. Our focus is platforming the product and to demonstrate the positive difference it can make to builds. An added benefit to our panels is the thermal mass of the walls can incorporate low voltage heat mats that act as radiators.

How is it sustainable/energy efficient?

The rigid panel is more than 90% air. It is made up of two galvanised welded steel wire meshes joined by connectors and enclosing an expanded polystyrene sheet. Because of this, it provides the best carbon footprint per U value. Just 80mm of our low carbon concrete provides a structural wall with a carbon footprint of only 33kg/m2.

Each home built using the system can reduce energy expenditure and carbon emissions by at least 65% compared to traditional builds when built to passive house U values.

Do you have plans to develop the product further?

It’s more a case of re-invention, with 35 years of product knowledge, GLB and M2 can adapt to the UK needs.

With our digital manufacturing capability, we can adapt to regulation changes easily. One example of this is the creation of our hybrid panel.

We need the 80mm concrete for structural integrity but why let it do just one job when it can also be solar shading and thermal store.

Did you face any challenges when developing the product?

The technology was developed by EMMEDUE in Italy and has been used to construct over 1 million buildings all over the world.

Despite this success, our initial challenge has been convincing those in the decision-making process (such as heads of lending and quantity surveyors of the systems worth) that it’s not just a new type of brick.

Thankfully that perception is changing rapidly. The new hurdle is dealing with the junk science out there especially relating to carbon benefit.

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

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REVIEW

 Hundreds of Victorian Sliders sash windows have graced a stunning coastal housing development in Seamill, West Kirkbride

ECOSlide

By Victorian Sliders Victorian Sliders are Europe’s largest specialist manufacturer of PVC-U vertical sliding sash windows. Based in South Wales, Victorian Sliders are big believers in sustainable solutions.

Their ECOSlide window system is a great example of this.

dramatically increases the airflow in a room. The cool air that comes in pushes warm air out, meaning there’s less need for air conditioning and electric fans.

South Wales – therefore limiting the transportation of goods between suppliers, which make a major contributor to a company’s carbon footprint.

It also contains recycled thermal inserts, and uses low-emissivity glass.

Can you tell us about your product and where it fits in the market?

ECOSlide is a cost-effective and sustainable PVC-U sash window product. We designed ECOSlide to be A-rated as standard, with the option for an A+ rating with units filled with Argon gas. This increases home insulation and reduces fuel usage and costs.

What other things do you do to be energy efficient as a company?

At Victorian Sliders HQ in South Wales, we’ve developed our own marketleading PVC-U recycling facility.

Did you face any challenges when developing this approach?

Reaching this stage hasn’t been easy – it’s required years of sustained investment. But it’s meant we’ve been able to become one of the most self-sufficient fenestration businesses in the country, producing one of the greenest sash window products on the market.

How is it sustainable/energy efficient?

Every component of the ECOSlide window can be recycled up to 10 times with current technology – and in future, as that technology improves, this is likely to increase.

Sash windows tend to offer better energy efficiency than casements simply because of how they operate.

When both sashes are opened, it 50

That allows us to take old plastic window frames and turn them into PVC-U thermal inserts, that play a critical part in delivering ECOSlide’s excellent energy-efficiency performance.

For a business of our size, we also have a relatively low carbon footprint - we carry out the whole manufacturing process in-house, thanks to our long-standing commitment to supplying the best quality PVC-U sash windows.

Almost every component we use, we manufacture ourselves here in

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS

THE V3 TILE

By Pavegen Pavegen is the global leader in converting footfall into off-grid power, clean electricity while captivating audiences. They supply to cities all over the world with installations in London, Hong Kong and Washington, to name but a few. It can power off-grid applications such as lighting, and environmental monitoring, while capturing meaningful analytics for building managers and city planners. Here they talk to us about their unique and sustainable smart tiles.

Can you tell us about your product and where it fits in the market?

Pavegen is a smart tile, that can generate off-grid energy through the simple power of a footstep. Pavegen is suitable for pre-build and retrofit and is durable for busy streets. We see Pavegen playing a key role in smart cities all over the world.

What makes it sustainable/energy efficient?

Each step taken on the Pavegen creates around 2-4 watts of off-grid clean electrical energy or around 5 watts of power for the duration of a footstep. This can be used to help power lighting and similar applications.

Because the energy created is participation-led, Pavegen increases awareness for key sustainability issues and promotes green credentials with each activation.

Pavegen has additional functionality that uses an app that builds communities, increases connectivity between users and their city, and provides citizens the opportunity to personally contribute steps to help build smart, more sustainable cities and destinations.

Do you have plans to develop the product further and if so how? / Will you be launching any other similar products?

We are expanding on our functionality tools via the app to create an incentive function that will provide businesses with the platform to create a reward scheme for steps taken in their buildings.

In addition, building owners and developers can use Pavegen to create an experience that will delight, educate, incentivise, build communities, and provide unique insights into their audience’s behaviours and values.

What were the challenges you faced when developing the product?

Engineering products for the built environment is one of the hardest engineering challenges in the world second to making technologies survive deep underwater or for space flight. One of the biggest challenges when developing the product was ensuring that the product could withstand vandalism.

The products need to take the weight of huge forces such as trucks driving over the product, withstand the temperature fluctuations from night to daytime, and have the toughness to last for 20 years plus in the built environment. ▴ The new Pavegen technology, the V3, is sleeker and far more efficient, generating over 200 times more power than the first model manufactured in 2009.

After building in excess of 700 prototypes for production we have finally got to a point where we are very happy with the product’s performance. It works in sub-zero environments to deserts in the Middle East.

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

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REVIEW  It’s very simple to retrofit an aerator with flow regulator

DUALCORE AERATOR

By Neoperl Neoperl is a UK designer and manufacturer of water conservation products for the trade and commercial sectors. Some of their products include tap aerators, check valves, flow regulators, diverters, shower hoses and swivel adapters.

Simple yet effective, Neoperl’s sustainable flow regulators really are impressive.

Can you tell us about your product and where it fits in the market?

We are the world’s largest suppliers of water regulator products. Our flow regulators and aerators can be found in most showers, taps and boilers across the UK. Many of these products can also be retrofitted providing great water saving solutions for the home, hotels or workplace.

Flow regulators can make an enormous difference to the performance of the products that they are fitted in as well as save significant amounts of water.

What makes these products sustainable/energy efficient?

Flow regulators limit the flow of water.

They control how much water runs through an appliance (tap or boiler) regardless of external water pressure fluctuations.

Movement, heating and treatment of water all require significant amounts of energy. Any reduction of any of these will reduce the carbon impact and feed into a solution to help net carbon zero.

These products help builders to reach carbon footprint targets in new build and ensure a more sustainable build.

Do you have plans to develop the product further and if so how?

We are constantly developing new products to suit client requirements.

This is mainly to ensure maximum performance of an appliance e.g. tap, boiler or shower.

▴ Flow regulators and aerators are precision made devices that save water

We have started to develop products designed to be retrofitted to a tap or shower head.

This is an aerator combined with a flow regulator, a small hidden component positioned in the spout of a tap. It shapes the water to produce a non-splashing stream and can also be designed to add air to make the water pleasantly soft. Combined it regulates the flow, saving both water and energy (as less water is heated).

Will you be launching any other similar products?

One of our latest products incorporates Dual Core (DC) technology as an enhancement of the Pressure compensating Aerator. It is considered an ‘all-pressure’ aerator as it can provide a fully aerated stream starting from as low as 0.2 bar. This is a significant benefit over other PCA® aerators that may have to

be matched to the specific pressure range in each installation.

It’s great for installers that may not have the technical knowledge of the professional plumber.

What were the challenges you faced when developing the product?

Developing new flow regulators and aerator products is always difficult.

To the uninitiated, they are simply a piece of plastic and rubber. What is often misunderstood is the level of precision that goes into designing the specifics of the shape and profile of the flow regulator and how the Dynamic Control Ring (DCR) interacts with this to maintain the designed constant flow rate.

It is also critical that the internal parts of the aerator shape and control the water stream for the end user to have the best possible experience for their intended use.

Every product mentioned in this article and many more besides will change the way that buildings will be constructed in the future. The challenge to bring the construction sector's CO2 output down is well and truly on.

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BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

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CEO IN FOCUS

MOVING WITH THE TIMES W ▴ Paul Richards - Managing Director, Aquarian Cladding

ith the Covid-19 pandemic proving to be the latest challenge the cladding sector has had to face, Paul Richards, Managing Director of award-winning external brick cladding systems supplier Aquarian Cladding Systems, speaks to Building Products Magazine about how the industry must learn to adapt – and how Aquarian have tackled these headwinds to make sure they are still at the forefront of the industry.

For each edition of Building Products, we will interview a leading industry figure. For this edition, we speak to Paul Richards, CEO of Aquarian Cladding.

PAUL, IT’S BEEN ANOTHER CHALLENGING TIME FOR THE CLADDING SECTOR HASN’T IT? The industry has certainly faced several difficult challenges in the last two years, including the ban on combustible cladding on residential, hospitals and schools above 18m, and the uncertainty of Brexit. Like every industry, however, the pandemic could turn out to be the toughest yet.

HOW HAS THE CLADDING INDUSTRY CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? There is of course a much greater sense of responsibility and caution when specifying and using materials on buildings of any scale and the recent publication of the draft Building Safety Bill will see greater onus on suppliers to take responsibility for the materials they supply and how they are used.

Specifiers now have a much better understanding of the principles of rainscreen cladding, however it’s fair to say that following the recent devastating failures at Grenfell and Bolton, there remains a lot to be learnt. Though the testing and accreditation processes have always been in place, whether for fire, weather-tightness etc, suppliers have sometimes been too slow to invest or have used clever marketing to confuse specifiers.

The breadth of testing is improving but in our experience, the data and content of certificates are 54

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

not well enough understood - by specifiers, warranty providers, and funders. Worse still, politicians can be too quick to make sweeping, often ill-informed statements, without considering the consequences.

The devastating result of ill-informed decisions to select, supply, use and approve materials that were not proven to be fit for purpose are now being replaced by illinformed decisions by confused stakeholders to use only A1 and A2 materials - regardless of height and exposure! Or buildings are being falsely condemned simply due to a lack of knowledge of how they were constructed, so perfectly viable solutions are being missed because of a lack of data and understanding.

An even worse problem is that leaseholders are facing mental health issues as a result of living in apartments deemed unsafe and valued at zero through no fault of their own.

With budgets tighter than ever, I am concerned that we are not currently seeing enough investment in widening the range of products and solutions in the industry, and this will likely remain the case due to an understandable nervousness to innovate in these volatile and complex times.

HOW HAS AQUARIAN TACKLED THESE CHALLENGES? Since the ban on combustible cladding on residential buildings over 18m, which was the ‘sweet spot’ for our brick cladding system Gebrik for years, we have had to re-position ourselves, and so have invested in product research and development to increase our product solutions for customers. Our offering still includes Gebrik, which, despite numerous large scale fire tests to prove its

PAUL RICHARDS

◂ Impressive: Aquarian Cladding’s Gebrik creates the look of a traditional brick façade on New Retort House, part of the £15m Brandon Yard development on Bristol’s harbour, installed by Massey Roofing, designed by AWW Architects and built by Speller Metcalfe for Acorn Developments

safety in fire is classed as a combustible and therefore only suitable for buildings up to 18m, and two noncombustible, mechanically-fixed brick cladding systems – MechSlip, and NaturAL-X – which can be supplied over 18 metres. This has put us in a strong position as we have a tested and accredited brick cladding solution for any building, whether constructed on-site or off-site and over or under 18m.

In addition, the pandemic has allowed us time to assess our business model and look at how we can continue to improve our service by adding even more value to the supply chain, for example with our Approved Installer Network, and soon to be released accompanying app.

It is already clear that staying agile and adaptable in these unpredictable times is being welcomed by our existing and new clients.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF OFFSITE MANUFACTURING? With the government declaring its preference for offsite manufacturing, and the method featuring heavily in the CLC’s Roadmap to Recovery following the Covid-19

“WITH BUDGETS TIGHTER THAN EVER, I AM CONCERNED THAT WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY SEEING ENOUGH INVESTMENT IN WIDENING THE RANGE OF PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS IN THE INDUSTRY.” Paul Richards

lockdown, offsite and modern methods of construction (MMC) have been put in the spotlight.

Our cladding systems are perfect for use with other offsite solutions. We can either supply to volumetric providers at their factory or on site; or as a hybrid to be used with panellised, closed panel solutions, which are produced offsite and assembled onsite ready for cladding.

The rise of offsite and MMC is certainly where we see our future, as demand is already keeping the team very busy and with potential for us to increase capacity we are very excited by the opportunities of the predicted growth in this sector of the market.

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE CLADDING INDUSTRY IN THE FUTURE? There are still lessons to be learned in terms of material use and we need to find a more pragmatic solution to where we are currently. There will inevitably be product development into solutions that are A1 and A2 however we should be careful not to over-engineer knee-jerk solutions which are too expensive, heavy, and slow to build with.

Modern methods of construction and offsite manufacturing are here to stay, and we must therefore develop and promote safe, cost-effective cladding solutions that have been rigorously tested and supplied by companies that provide the complete turnkey solution of quality controlled products with the highest level of professional technical, commercial and installation expertise.

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

55

CASE STUDY

STRIKING THE RIGHT NOTE NEWTON WATERPROOFING INSTALLS BASEMENT SOLUTION FOR WORLD-FAMOUS MUSIC COLLEGE

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hen London’s world-famous Royal College of Music underwent major renovations and needed a comprehensive waterproofing solution, there was only one company to turn to.

As the leading independent designers and suppliers of structural waterproofing systems, Newton Waterproofing and Newton Specialist Contractor MacLennan were perfectly placed to provide a completely dry environment in the iconic building’s vast basements.

Opened in 1883 by the future King Edward VII, the Royal College of Music in South Kensington is one of the world’s greatest musical conservatoires for gifted musicians.

Recent major renovations included incorporating advanced acoustic, air handling and climate control measures to allow even the most delicate and valuable instruments from the College museum to be played.

As part of the project, MacLennan designed and installed a waterproofing system across five different basement and sub-basement levels that would become auditoriums, a library, an atrium, and music rooms, all with specific and bespoke requirements.

The ideal solution To start, Newton 104 crystalline waterproofing was applied to the structure to protect against the capillary

"WE WERE THRILLED TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A PROJECT AS HIGH-PROFILE AND ICONIC AS THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND IT’S YET ANOTHER PROJECT THAT SHOWCASES OUR WATERPROOFING SYSTEMS ON A MASSIVE SCALE." Warren Muschialli

56

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

movement of water. Movement joints between the new and existing structure were also protected with Newton 106 FlexProof.

To provide a guaranteed solution however, a full Newton CDM System was then installed throughout the internal spaces to make sure any ingressing water is safely captured and managed.

All levels were also linked together with Newton’s maintainable Basedrain drainage system, and no less than five of Newton’s Titan-Pro sump chambers with dual NP400 pumps were installed to remove the captured water.

The perfect result The waterproofing was completed within budget, on time, and backed by MacLennan’s full installation guarantee and PI cover on the design, while MacLennan were able to schedule the work to allow students to access the building during the project.

MacLennan’s MD Ian MacLennan commented: “This is yet another extremely large and prestigious project we have partnered with Newton Waterproofing on to deliver a guaranteed solution.

“As always, the Newton team are great to work with, as they are with every project we carry out together. Great products, great systems, and great service means that we can always provide the best result for the client.”

NEWTON WATERPROOFING

Royal College of Music, London

For Newton Waterproofing’s MD Warren Muschialli, it’s yet another success story for the company and its Specialist Basement Contractors.

“Listed buildings are part our country’s heritage, and in many cases are of huge importance, much-loved and need to be protected.

We were thrilled to have been involved in a project as high-profile and iconic as the Royal College of Music, and it’s yet another project that showcases our waterproofing systems on a massive scale,” said Warren.

“It’s also a fine example of our elite Specialist Basement Contractors. MacLennan have previously dealt with some of the largest waterproofing projects in the UK, so were perfect for providing a solution across five levels on this project.”

Waterproofing provide the best waterproofing and damp proofing systems for all structures, from new and existing domestic properties to large-scale commercial developments.

The company supply an advanced range of waterproofing materials which allow them to design and install effective, robust, and third-party accredited Type A, B and C waterproofing systems in accordance with current legislation and best practice.

Newton also work closely with specialist contractors and specifiers to develop and maintain their knowledge of waterproofing methods and products with online CPD webinars and e-learning modules. As a reward for their efforts, attendees of Newton’s online RIBA approved CPD webinars will receive a £5 voucher for Uber Eats.

The best pedigree Waterproofing experts for over 170 years, Newton September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

57

SECTOR REVIEW

FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY NOW THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND KITCHEN DESIGN

P

eople have learnt to adapt to a different way of living in recent times and this is certain to have a significant impact on kitchen trends moving forwards. For many, the kitchen has really become the heart of the home; a space not just for cooking and eating but for working, socialising and family bonding too. The way homeowners use this important room will inevitably lead to them really looking to reflect their personalities and needs in the design of this space.

This will make flexibility and adaptability the driving forces behind kitchen design in the years to come. At Keller Kitchens, choice and versatility is a prioritised sector of the company ethos. Offering a multitude of options - from lighting, to cabinetry, to 1950 colour options - continues to be a priority and a strength for Keller.

Changing attitudes towards kitchen function may look like opting for multi-use options for many. Think multi-plan as opposed to open plan, as consumers begin to favour physical dividers between the rooms of the home. The benefits of compartmentalising the home are not just physical; this can create emotional differentiation between areas for working and areas for relaxing. Utility rooms are likely to be on the increase too whether through introducing an entirely new room or creating a clever division within an existing kitchen and introducing additional sink and tap areas.

Clever storage solutions and innovative ways to make the most

58

of space will also be prominent considerations for kitchen design.

Spending more time at home is likely to have magnified the chaos that comes with badly-designed storage options. Regardless of space, good kitchen design can make the most of what there is available, allowing for optimum functionality. We will see pull-outs and drop-downs featuring more in kitchens on the smaller size as well as kitchen islands with their own storage areas.

It’s not just storage that we can expect to see a design revolution for, fresh thinking will take to the fore in all aspects of design. Traditional features will always retain a certain appeal but even classic kitchen schemes will benefit from contemporary twists and modern technology. After having spent so much time at home, energy is likely to be refocused into really making every aspect of the home perform at and look its best.

Beyond sole focus on appearance and practicality, sustainability will continue to be a prime consideration for many and with more urgency than ever before. More consumers are now striving for environmentallyfriendly options and consider this to be as important a consideration as anything else. Keller Kitchens has been a pioneering force in bringing sustainability to the kitchen industry, having implemented a completely carbon neutral production process since April 2017. This is realised, for example, by generating electricity with solar panels and converting waste into heat. Keller compensates the emission that remains by having trees planted and contributing to wind energy projects.

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

We can all appreciate that sustainable options are now a real possibility and so there is a responsibility to ensure that these options are implemented. At Keller Kitchens, this commitment to the environment demonstrates the ability to balance high-quality, aesthetic kitchen design with consumer desires for ethical business. Consumer choice is no longer based on design and functionality alone but ethical considerations too, and this has to continue to influence kitchen design.

Keller Kitchens rises to the challenge of preserving the planet’s resources with a circular approach. This essentially means that environmentally-aware methods are implemented in every stage of the manufacturing processes.

Keller selects materials that are both ethically and environmentally responsible; for example, by using wood that comes from sustainablygoverned forests. This careful consideration can also be seen in the product selection for the kitchens with Keller offering the possibility to choose material with FSC® quality mark, Greenpanel® worktops and water based paints alongside recyclable packaging.

We work in a solutions-based industry which is consistently changing and developing in response to our changing lives. Recently this has been escalated to a level not previously experienced. That being said, when it comes to new trends and new demands the best manufacturers, designers, retailers and developers alike will embrace these changes with a sense of excitement.

KITCHENS FEATURE

“CHANGING ATTITUDES TOWARDS KITCHEN FUNCTION MAY LOOK LIKE OPTING FOR MULTI-USE OPTIONS FOR MANY. THINK MULTI-PLAN AS OPPOSED TO OPEN PLAN, AS CONSUMERS BEGIN TO FAVOUR PHYSICAL DIVIDERS BETWEEN THE ROOMS OF THE HOME.” Tim Spann

▴

Tim Spann - National Sales Manager, Keller Kitchens

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

59

FEATURE

INNOVATIVE, SUSTAINABLE FLOORING SOLUTIONS FIT FOR A BETTER NORMAL

W

e Brits spend around £30bn on household goods and improvements every year. It’s undoubtedly already a huge industry. But this year, under pandemic-induced lockdown with a large portion of us working from home or furloughed, it looks set to grow further. Many of us have taken this time to improve, makeover and/or renovate our homes. So much so that online sales of building materials in the first half of March 2020 saw demand at record levels, with up to 48% year-on-year growth. Time spent doing DIY increased by a massive 147%.

60

This shows no sign of abating, especially in light of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s stamp duty holiday. In the weeks following, Rightmove and Housing Today reported a 15 per cent increase in house sales; buyer enquiries were 75% higher in July than a year ago, and housebuilders’ shares soared. Homeowners on the move will be looking to makeover their current homes to help with the sale. Others will already have an eye on making changes to their new home.

We caught up with IOBAC Ltd.’s CEO, Paul Woolvine, to discuss why now is as good a time as any to re-evaluate the flooring solutions we choose.

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

Now is the time for change “The UK government has already set its stall out to ‘build, build, build’ its way to recovery, which points to what is likely to be a huge increase in demand for building materials, including flooring solutions.

It feels like a transformative time for the built environment; an opportunity to do things differently and better than before. And that’s what we’re all about at IOBAC. “Why not make the flooring solution you choose – whether you’re a housebuilder, homeowner, or flooring contractor – an inherently more flexible and sustainable one?”

FLOORING

construction and built environment sectors and making measurable progress towards delivering net zero carbon.”

“While the CLC’s report is encouraging, sustainability has, unfortunately, always been at the mercy of market forces,” continues Paul. “Stakeholders too often opt for traditional solutions deemed ‘cheaper’ than newer, more innovative solutions. It’s these market forces that risk stifling the sustainable innovations that the construction and housebuilding industry so desperately need. Now is an especially important time to keep green building principles at the forefront of everyone’s mind.”

Indeed, the need to ‘build back better’ has been addressed by prime minister Boris Johnson and the government’s Race to Zero campaign, as well as by the CLC’s Roadmap to Recovery. Specific details are, however, currently sparse.

“There are a multitude of materials that need to be properly governed if vital green benchmarks are to be hit,” says Paul. “Concrete is often cited as the construction industry’s ‘dirty’ addiction, but in our world, traditional flooring solutions – ones that are unsustainable to manufacture, require adhesives to affix, and are difficult to recycle – are the problem.”

Sustainability from the ground up The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the environment and what we’re doing to it into sharp focus.

There’s no doubt it was front of mind for the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) when it wrote and published its recent Roadmap to Recovery, an industry recovery plan for the UK construction sector.

Sustainability and a decarbonised society are placed right at its very heart, proven with the inclusion of this statement under its key outcomes and benefits: “Reducing carbon emissions and improving the sustainability and resource efficiency of the

"FASHIONS AND OUR OWN TASTES AND NEEDS ARE CONSTANTLY EVOLVING AND IT CAN BE AN UPHEAVAL EACH TIME WE REDECORATE. IT CAN ALSO BE EXPENSIVE AND TIMECONSUMING. BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY."

Greater flexibility and design freedom In the UK, on average, we decorate our living room every 25 months, our bedroom every 29 months, dining room every 37 months, and hallway every 45 months. Amazingly, a quarter of all UK homeowners admit that their home is in a constant state of redecoration. Over a lifetime, that’s a lot of redecorating.

Paul comments: “Fashions and our own tastes and needs are constantly evolving and it can be an upheaval each time we redecorate. It can also be expensive and time-consuming.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. If people had the option to change their flooring quickly and easily, by themselves, in just two to three hours, how many more would opt to do it? They may even opt to do just that rather than redecorate an entire room. Add to that the options to stow away the flooring that’s been uplifted for re-use, recycle it in an environmentally-friendly way, or simply just swap some sections that are more worn than others, and you’re left with a transformative solution to what is an old problem.”

The solution?

IOBAC claims to offer a solution to the issues Paul outlines above. It comes in the form of its Ezy-Install underlay system, incorporating a unique dual-grip technology that enables “faster, cleaner and easier flooring installations.”

“Ezy-Install is what we call our dry-laid magnetically receptive underlay,” explains Paul. “It takes away all of the messy, time-consuming issues that arise with traditional solutions. There’s minimal sub-floor preparation needed, you simply roll out the underlay and cut to size. It is waterproof, naturally anti-microbial, easily cleanable, durable and manufactured using recycled rubber from old tyres. It’s perfect for reuse time and again and ticks all of the sustainability boxes. Combining a metallised, magnetically-receptive base with a high-grab dry adhesive tack, it utilises dual grip strength for optimum hold between underlay and surface flooring. The underlay adhesive is plant-based VOC-free resin, manufactured predominantly from renewable castor oil.”

The final step is to fix magneticallybacked tiles into place – much like putting a fridge magnet on a fridge – or attach a standard backed tile using IOBAC’s MagTabs.

Cont.

September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

61

FEATURE

FLOORING

"UNDERFLOOR HEATING IS STILL THOUGHT OF AS A COSTLY, LUXURY OPTION. AND A DISRUPTIVE, COMPLEX OPTION AT THAT."

graphene technology to create an amazingly efficient underfloor heating solution. Simply lay the heated Ezy-Install underlay as before, connect to a power source in the skirting board and install magnetic flooring tiles on top.

“MagTabs are simply little magnetic squares that transform ordinary floor coverings into magnetic ones.

Magnetic on one side and selfadhesive on the other, they work by locking tiles tightly together in two dimensions – horizontally and to the Ezy-Install underlay vertically.

As IOBAC’s flooring system is wet adhesive free, surface tiles are uncontaminated when uplifted and can therefore be easily recycled or reused, unlike tiles fixed with adhesive which are often difficult to uplift and recycle.

Things are hotting up The government’s recent Green Deal announcement is set to help homeowners make energy-saving improvements to their home and find the best way to pay for them. As you would expect, heating and, more specifically, underfloor heating, is one of the improvements listed under the Green Deal criteria. This is, of course, framed by the wider context of the UK government’s target to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

More efficient heating solutions will undoubtedly have a central role to play in reaching this objective.

After all, almost 40% of all human greenhouse gas emissions in the world come from buildings, with more 62

than half of these from residential properties. The fact remains, however, that underfloor heating can still be overly complicated and excessively expensive, which is why it’s another part of the flooring world that IOBAC is looking to transform.

“Our heated flooring solution was developed to overcome some of the issues commonly associated with conventional electric mats and water-based underfloor heating systems,” explains Paul. “Underfloor heating is still thought of as a costly, luxury option. And a disruptive, complex option at that. It’s also complicated and time-consuming to remediate any issues with traditional systems and, vitally, they’re not as efficient to run as expected. They often have long heat up times and no option for renewable energy inputs.”

IOBAC aims to offer a more energyefficient and cost-effective solution.

Paul says: “Crucially, our solution is non-disruptive. There’s no disturbance to existing pipe and/or electric systems and adjusting floor height isn’t an issue as our solution is just 0.5mm thick. On top of that, it’s easy to remediate by simply removing the floor tile and underlay. This special heated version of the Ezy-Install Underlay utilises super-conducting

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

“Our aim with this solution is to make it three things: non-disruptive (which we’ve touched on), cost-effective and sustainable. In terms of costeffectiveness, it’s highly efficient to run and quick to heat up to 27oC, not to mention the far-reduced install and future remediation costs.

Sustainability wise it can be powered by renewable supply (either DC or AC), it’s water-based with 100% solid coatings and made using recycled additive.”

There is also a perhaps lesser-known advantage – and particularly pertinent given the current health crisis – to this solution: health benefits.

“The solution creates radiant infrared heat, which is said to have numerous health benefits, from pain relief, reduction of muscle tension and improved circulation, to boosting of the immune system and lowering of blood pressure. It is even thought to be able to help to fight infections and inhibit airborne micro-organisms found in RNA viruses, including coronaviruses, by stimulating the body’s metabolism and production of white blood cells.”

A better way forward It does feel like a transformative time for the built environment. Demand for building materials and flooring solutions will continue to be high and homeowners, housebuilders and flooring contractors will be faced with numerous building material options. As Paul said, perhaps it is time for society to opt for “newer, more innovative solutions”. It doesn’t have to be a new normal, as has been quoted so often in recent times. Rather, the building materials and flooring solutions we choose now can help contribute to a better normal.

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September/October 2020 • BuildingProducts.co.uk

63

CASE STUDY

BUILDING SUSTAINABLY AND COST-EFFECTIVELY

A

rchitects and contractors are under ever-increasing pressure to reduce both build cost and time on projects, while considering climate change and the use of sustainable building materials.

For Green Life Buildings (GLB), safety, savings, and sustainability have been the key principles at the forefront of its advanced building system using EMMEDUE (M2) technology.

From its factory in Corby, the only UK factory that produces the system, GLB is providing innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective structural building solutions for independent builders, developers, housing associations and local authorities.

The science behind the system The core feature of the M2 building system is a modular panel comprising of two galvanised welded steel wire meshes joined by connectors and enclosing an expanded polystyrene sheet, which is then assembled and sprayed with shotcrete on site to provide structure and weatherproof properties.

This rigid core provides intermate contact between the insulation and the structural face, allowing the lightweight system to construct buildings that achieve high levels of energy efficiency and strength.

Finished panels of rigid or mineral wool insulation both can provide more than 120 minutes of fire protection (REI120).

The panels can form walls, floors, roofs, stairs, and internal partitions, and can also be curved to create architectural features, giving architects complete freedom in their designs.

The system can be applied to whole modules or hand carried in panels onto building sites with challenging access.

GLB Managing Director Chris Williams is under no illusions why the system is so effective, explaining: “The material science behind the GLB/M2 system, which is lightweight but has a compression strength of at least 10 times that of a breezeblock, is what makes it work, and why timber, steel 64

and wood cannot compete if we are genuinely serious about cutting carbon.

“The versatility and adaptability of the panels mean there is no design restrictions and it can be dressed in a range of finishes, including bricks, timber, tiles or render as standard.”

Huge benefits GLB’s advanced building system has several huge benefits, none more so than making house building easier.

It can be carried on site by hand, eliminating the need for cranes, while one truck holds the complete M2 kit for one whole house.

A complete watertight house can be built in just five to six weeks, while GLB can provide up to 4000m2 of kit per day and have the capacity to supply material to build 3,000 houses a year.

The rigids panel are more than 90% air, providing the best carbon footprint per U value, and each home built using the system could save 40 tonnes of carbon. The home can also reduce energy expenditure and carbon emissions by 65% compared to traditional builds.

A raw structure made with GLB panels can cost up to 40% less than a traditional structure of comparable market value.

Chris said: “The great thing about this product is it helps make life easier for contractors, installers and everyone else involved in the process. It works for any type of structure and keeps things simple – saving time, money, and energy.”

BuildingProducts.co.uk • September/October 2020

A rich history – an even better future?

Despite being a modern method of construction, the technology is over 35 years old and was born out of an accident in Italy when a school collapsed. EMMEDUE engineers designed the system to be safer, stronger, and more sustainable to produce.

With 70 factories around the world in 30 countries, the panels produced using the EMMEDUE (M2) technology have been used to construct over 1 million buildings all over the world using offsite construction in various ways, from modules through to panels provided for the self-build market.

“GLB has fitted into the space to provide affordable construction materials into the market, and for architects, contractors and specifiers, it provides the perfect solution,” said Chris.

“And for 15 years I have had the benefit of living in one of the homes built using the technology and it continues to balance warmth and cooling while providing me with a solid home that I could not have afforded to construct using any other method.”

To see what is capable with the GLB building system, or for more information, visit www.greenlifebuildings.co.uk.

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