PSBJ October 2021

Public Sector Build Journal October 2021

Healthcare

Education

PIR vs traditional insulation materials – Recticel explores further

Leisure

psbjmagazine.com

Issue 110

TAMESIDE WELLNESS CENTRE New wellness hub, designed by Pozzoni Architecture, brings fun and flexibility to borough of Greater Manchester

Housing

The role of the ‘people architecture’ principle in successful design

Why BIM holds the key to unlocking the ‘golden thread’

WELCOME NOTE

Editor

Hannah Woodger

hannah@redhutmedia.com

Rebecca Kemp

rebecca@redhutmedia.com

Print & Digital Advertising Sam Ball

sam@redhutmedia.com

Jim Moore

jim@redhutmedia.com

Print Design Manager

Tameside Wellness Centre, designed by Pozzoni Architecture, has been created to bring both fun and flexibility to users.

See page 08.

Jack Witcomb

Welcome to the October issue of PSBJ...

Digital Design Manager

Last month, thousands of commuters were left stranded for hours on end on a portion of the M25, after protestors blocked the road campaigning for more action to be taken against energy-inefficient homes.

jack@redhutmedia.com

Matt Morse

matt@redhutmedia.com

Accounts

Rachel Pike

rachel@redhutmedia.com

Sales Support & Statistics

Klare Ball

klare@redhutmedia.com

Publisher Sam Ball

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Red Hut Media Ltd.

30 The Shoreway, St Mary’s Island, Chatham, Kent, ME4 3SL

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The group of activists, known as Insulate Britain, is calling on the Government to put in place a national home insulation programme – starting with social housing. They want the Government to pay to make all social housing energy efficient by 2025, and to produce plans and costings to insulate all UK homes by 2030.

Their stance is that the poorest people in society live in the worst-insulated homes and are paying a hefty price just to keep their homes on the cusp of comfortable. Add to this the rise in wholesale gas prices, occupants are undoubtedly going to be facing quite a bleak winter.

According to the group’s website: “In order to meet UK commitments under the Paris Agreement to stay below 1.5C, and legal obligations under the Climate Change Act 2008, as amended in 2019, emissions from heating and powering homes must be reduced by 78% in less than 15 years and then to zero by 2050. Nearly 15% of the UK’s total emissions comes from heating homes: an overhaul of the energy performance of the UK’s housing stock is needed to reduce the energy demand.”

Their demands are not unreasonable and, truthfully, social housing needs a major reform for the health, comfort and safety of its occupants – however, the actions taken by these protestors have been met with anger and criticism, putting many lives at danger whilst also disrupting people’s livelihoods. One social media user posted from the scene of the traffic chaos, who was in fact prevented from erecting scaffolding on a building to make way for the installation of thermal insulation. How’s that for irony?

Timely, in this month’s issue, we’ve put insulation under the spotlight, with insulation specialist Recticel uncovering the differences between PIR and traditional insulation materials. Turn to page 20 to find out more.

Here at PSBJ, we’d welcome your thoughts and reactions to Insulate Britain, their demands and actions so far, and what you think will be achieved as a result of the campaigns. Please send in your comments to hannah@redhutmedia.com.

PSBJ is a proud supporter of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists.

Contributions are invited and when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and return addressed envelope. No responsibility will be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or in the editor's hands. In the absence of an agreement the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographics or artistic belongs to Red Hut Media Ltd. The Publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and the opinions expressed in editorial material or otherwise do not necessarily represent the view of the publisher. The Publisher does not accept any liability of any loss arising from the late appearance or non publication of any advertisement.

I hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t forget, you can also access all of the magazine’s features, product news and supplier information on PSBJ’s user-friendly and engaging website. Fully responsive, the website allows you to read all the latest stories on-the-go either on your phone or tablet. Simply visit www.psbjmagazine.com.

Hannah

Hannah Woodger • Editor • hannah@redhutmedia.com Find us on Social Media:      @psbjmagazine

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CONTENTS

06 News

A round up of the latest industry news, including charity events, awarded contracts, completed projects and much more.

08 Upfront

Tameside Wellness Centre, designed by Pozzoni Architecture, has been created to bring both fun and flexibility to the borough of Greater Manchester.

12 Leisure

GT3 Architects’ Suzanne Blair explores the pivotal role that the ‘people architecture’ principle plays in the design of successful architectural projects.

08

14 Healthcare

18 Skylights & Rooflights

22 Legal & Business

16 Housing

20 Insulation

24 Education

The pandemic has shone a light on the decline of healthcare infrastructure and so there has never been a more pressing time to discuss how to improve the design.

Paul Trace from bespoke rooflight manufacturer Stella Rooflight discusses the practicalities involved in specifying large rooflights.

Matt Barnes, Head of Health and Housing at Maintel, talks to PSBJ about the common challenges to innovation that Maintel sees in the social housing sector.

How does PIR differ from traditional insulation materials such as mineral or glass wool? Simon Blackham, Technical Manager at Recticel Insulation, explains more.

Carter Jonas discusses how the imminent Procurement Bill presents an opportunity, post-Brexit, to simplify local authorities’ procurement practices.

TG Escapes Eco-Buildings was recently appointed to provide a standalone teaching block for the new High School Leckhampton at Balcarras School.

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CONTENTS

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12

24

26 Talking Point

The Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) outlines the most common methods for the selection and specification of firestopping products.

28 Lighting & Electricals

‘ENHANCED fire-resistant’ cables play a fundamental role in ensuring that emergency and building-critical systems are supported in the event of a fire.

30 Technical Focus

Stewart Little, Managing Director of IRT Surveys, discusses building net zero and the benefits of data-driven decisions for housing retrofits.

32 BIM

ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions explains how BIM software holds the key to unlocking the golden thread between door design, construction and compliance.

28 34 Product Showcase

A dedicated focus of industry news, products and case studies to help specifiers and local authorities make informed decisions.

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05

NEWS

INDUSTRY UPDATES Each month PSBJ rounds up the latest public sector construction updates, from new contracts to industry awards.

Waltham Forest Town Hall regeneration to bring community benefits Waltham Forest Council’s development partner, Countryside, has secured planning permission to move forward with the transformation of the town hall campus to create a brand-new neighbourhood and cultural hub in the heart of the borough, completing the council’s vision of a distinct, welcoming civic space and a 365-day-a-year cultural venue. The development will continue to build on the success of the first phase of works that completed in July 2021 seeing the historic Grade II Listed town hall fully refurbished and the creation of Fellowship Square and state-of-theart water feature, which has been hugely popular with residents and visitors, hosting a series of free summer events and activities, and sees hundreds of visitors each day. The transformation will drive economic recovery in the borough and bring hundreds of new jobs to the area, including over 600 during construction and over 800 supply chain jobs, as well as nearly approximately 160 additional jobs from new commercial and community uses. There will also be a programme for schools and colleges to visit and learn about apprenticeships and training opportunities.

Darwin Group appointed to deliver net-zero modular teaching block Offsite construction specialist Darwin Group is due to start work on one of the UK’s first modular education buildings to achieve both Passivhaus and net-zero carbon certification. The new 631m2 teaching block for St Edward’s school, in Romsey, Southampton, will include six classrooms, group learning areas and a sensory room. As advocates of sustainability, Darwin Group presented the opportunity to support the school in its carbon reduction commitments by designing a net-zero building. The use of modern methods of construction techniques will also ensure minimal waste from the build. The Darwin Group team is working closely with the school to achieve the benefits of a passivhaus building. This is an energy-efficient design standard that provides an almostconstant temperature. This will ensure a comfortable and healthy learning environment, while minimising the energy demand of the building, significantly lowering the school’s operational costs. The 20-week programme will see Darwin Group design every element of the school block, including the completion of surveys and a planning application. The construction phase is then expected to be delivered within 18.5 weeks.

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Godwin Developments submits outline plans for new homes in Shepshed National residential and commercial developer Godwin Developments has submitted outline plans for the creation of up to 50 new family homes on land south of Ashby Road Central, in the Leicestershire town of Shepshed. The proposed scheme, which will be a mixture of house types, is situated on a vacant site next to the established community on Crowson Close and is allocated for housing in the emerging Charnwood Borough Council Local Plan. When built, the development will contribute towards the delivery of much-needed, good-quality family homes in the area, including affordable housing. It will provide parking for residents and cycle storage for every dwelling, as well as private gardens and attractive house frontages. The development is advantageously positioned along the main arterial route into Shepshed with a range of amenities – including local primary and secondary schools, shops, recreational facilities, a wide range of other services and local employment nearby. It lies just over half a mile from junction 23 of the M1 motorway and approximately three miles from Loughborough, the principal settlement in the borough of Charnwood.

SCAPE appoints R&D lead to boost innovation in public sector construction SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities, has appointed Rachel Sudlow as its R&D lead in a newly-created role designed to increase digital innovation across public sector construction. Rachel joins SCAPE following more than 10 years at Balfour Beatty, where she started as a Quantity Surveyor but was most recently focused on innovation and research, working with bodies such as Innovate UK to drive improved digital standards in the construction industry.

The new role will see Rachel work closely with SCAPE’s clients and delivery partners to develop, encourage and apply new technologies and building methods to create more innovative, sustainable buildings. Rachel will also collaborate with various private and public sector partners outside of the construction industry, including funding bodies, research institutions and academia, as it continues to help shape the public sector’s response to the climate emergency.

NEWS

Pick Everard completes East Midlands heart services relocation Farrells, Gbolade Design Studio and Exterior Architecture appointed to London project Southwark Council has appointed Farrells, Gbolade Design Studio and Exterior Architecture as the team of multi-disciplinary consultants that will prepare a design code for the area around Hatcham and Ilderton Road on Old Kent Road, Southwark. The project forms part of the Government’s National Model Design Code (NMDC) pilot and is the only one of its kind trialled on a site in London. The scheme will also provide an additional level of design guidance for the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan and is intended to be read as part of that plan helping to secure its delivery. Working with the team, as well as Momentum Transport Consultancy and Savills who will provide specialist advice, Farrells will produce a guide for the future development of a number of mixed-use, residential and industrial schemes that deliver on the principles outlined in the Draft Old Kent Road Area Action Plan and the NMDC, such as ensuring that schemes are locally-led and fit in with local character, through placing more emphasis on community engagement and design elements such as street character, building type and facade, as well as the design fit-out and specification of industrial space.

The £15m relocation of the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre from Glenfield Hospital to its new city-centre home at Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) has now completed. National independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy, Pick Everard has worked in close cooperation with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust to co-locate children’s congenital heart services in the region within a state-of-the-art setting. The relocation has taken place over three phases of construction, with the first and largest element being a new-build extension to the Kensington Building to house the cardiac outpatient’s department, new cardiac theatre and new hybrid catheter lab. This extension is an innovative three-storey modular design including a basement level and is designed to achieve BREEAM ‘Very Good’ certification. Pick Everard provided principal designer services for all works, and electrical and mechanical design services for the PICU and cardiac ward.

Unanimous approval Historic workhouse to be for £10.5m Peak District transformed into community health centre health and wellbeing hub Property, construction and infrastructure consultancy, Perfect Circle, has been appointed by Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) to provide project management, cost management and CDM advice services on a once-in-a-generation transformation of the former Machynlleth Union Workhouse – currently operating as Bro Ddyfi Community Hospital. The £15m project will see contractor Willmott Dixon deliver an integrated health and wellbeing centre in collaboration with Perfect Circle via SCAPE Consultancy, a direct award framework that drives collaboration, efficiency, time and cost savings. Victoria Brambini, Managing Director of Perfect Circle, said: “We are delighted to be overseeing the regeneration of the Bro Ddyfi Community Hospital, with all of its wonderful heritage.

Originally built in 1860, it has since served several purposes, including a WWII Red Cross auxiliary hospital and the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. Much of our work will involve breathing new life into the historic building, restoring it as an important asset to the local community.”

A state-of-the-art, £10.5m new health centre will be built in the Peak District town of Bakewell after unanimous planning approval was secured. Designed and submitted by Sheffield-based architectural practice, Race Cottam Associates (RCA), the 16,000ft2 new centre is expected to provide healthcare services for approximately 5000 people. Set to be shared between Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust and East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), Bakewell’s new healthcare hub has been designed as a multipurpose, accessible building. It will feature a new clinic, treatment and waiting areas, administration offices, dedicated staff and client parking, and also house a number of existing services including mental health, children’s services, speech and language services, podiatry and physiotherapy. RCA’s approved design was carefully considered to reflect the area’s heritage and ensure the health centre’s modern aesthetic would not detract from the neighbouring, Grade II Listed Newholme Hospital frontage, which is being retained. Extensive study of the Peak Park Design Guide also helped shape the overall design, which includes a collection of long strip buildings with traditional gable-end features.

07

UPFRONT

WELLNESS CENTRE BRINGS FUN AND FLEXIBILITY TO COMMUNITY Tameside Wellness Centre in Denton has opened as part of the regeneration of leisure facilities and sporting provision across the Greater Manchester borough.

well as replacing the A sexisting swimming baths off Manchester Road, the centre is providing other complementary activities and council services, helping to educate and promote health and wellbeing in an enjoyable, fun and dynamic environment.

The aim was to provide many reasons to visit the centre in addition to its main offer of a gym, swimming pool and spa, whether it’s to attend a workshop or community meeting, to enjoy good coffee with Wi-Fi access, or to join activities across a number of multi-purpose studios.

The centre has been designed

by Pozzoni Architecture to incorporate both leisure and non-leisure facilities so that, alongside typical services, visitors will find a soft play area for children, a 10-pin bowling zone, community meeting rooms and a main social space with separate areas for arts performances, a cafe and a library.

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Even the roof of the centre has been designed to accommodate a sensory garden and has extra space for outdoor activities including an outdoor cinema, ensuring that more use of the building is encouraged and across a space that rarely gets used, making it much more efficient.

Dangling carrots The wellness centre is in a prime community location in Denton, only a short walk from Crown Point North Retail Park, and is within five minutes’ walk of the town hall and public library as well as being fully accessible by foot, car, bike and public transport. It has been built on the site of the former Oldham Batteries.

One of the aims of the design was that one-off visitors would arrive at the wellness centre in one context but be encouraged by the dangling carrots of the building’s layout to consider other activities or uses too.

Passers-by, meanwhile, will see activities taking place through the large expanses of windows and feel welcome and encouraged to find out more.

The exterior design of the wellness centre was also intended to be visually striking and iconic, show off and promote its facilities and services as best as possible to the town, with a vibrant and active frontage, all the while remaining open and accessible by everybody, irrespective of age, ability, gender or religion.

Combining style and function The striking design uses local materials and building techniques in new and imaginative ways without alienating or offending, using architectural expression to celebrate and emphasise the building’s individual components.

Glazing has been imaginatively used to allow the centre’s contents to be seen without impacting negatively upon surroundings, for example, the use of north light glazing to the pool provides customers with a view of the facilities without increasing glare on the water, which would affect the experience of people in the pool as well as lifeguards around it.

High-quality materials and their colours have been carefully selected to define the structure and make the building’s approach clearly legible, establishing a sense of place and value for both customers and onlookers.

The original red-brick 20th-century Oldham Battery building set a precedent for the use of materials on the site, with key surrounding buildings in the area also using large amounts of red-brick in their construction. Neighbouring residential properties make use of redbrick facades with contrasting brick bands introduced occasionally.

The new building makes use of the robustness of bricks but with a different colour palette to contrast from the existing built environment and subtly defining what is new. The charcoal bricks are combined with the use of metallic cladding from the first floor to the roof of the building.

These materials were chosen to strike exactly the right balance to achieve the ‘iconic, striking’ building specified by the brief, while bringing harmony with the surrounding residential area, rather than imitating or overpowering it. To help achieve this balance, Pozzoni scaled the rear part of the building so that it aligns with the residential properties at the back. 

UPFRONT

All images ©Pozzoni Architecture



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UPFRONT

Landscaping has been harnessed to continue the integrated design ideals from interior to exterior, providing plenty of space for the benefit of the surrounding area which can be enjoyed all year round. The building setting has been designed to enable access for all, with both hard and soft landscaping, while ensuring the building does not impose on its surrounding but integrates into it.

Flexibility is key The wellness centre is not a traditional leisure centre, with facilities including a bowling alley, soft play area and other wellness opportunities for local residents. The facility includes: 25m x eight-lane main pool and 17 x 10m small pool with integrated moveable floor designed to Sport England specification with 150 spectator seats to cater for local aquatic competition Wet-side unisex changing village and health suite, accessible from wet and dry side 10-lane 10-pin bowling centre 60-station fitness suite including three flexible exercise studios 100m 2 community room/multi-use area 130m 2 double-height soft play area and associated seating Flexible community room to cater for meetings, creche and children’s parties Central public social interactive space, incorporating concierge reception, catering servery and seating for 100 covers, integrated library Four flexible rooms which can be used for parties, GP referral, meetings, etc.

Having been designed with flexibility in use as one of its key drivers, the building and its spaces within have been created in such a way that they can be used for a multitude of activities.

Moveable walls, adaptive fixtures and shared-use areas have been incorporated to allow the building to grow and adapt to its customers and incorporate uses which best serve the changing needs of the community.

At the heart of the centre is the multipurpose social interactive space, which shares several uses that otherwise may have been taken up by a series of less flexible separate rooms. The main space challenges the preconceived idea of a library, cafe, pool viewing and reception area, opening it up into one vibrant and engaging space where people can enjoy watching the many activities going on while enjoying food and drink and something to read.

A community hub This idea of flexibility in use extends into the community, meeting and consulting rooms which can be used for anything from a local support group or a child’s birthday party, to a nurse’s drop-in centre or as formal meeting spaces for local businesses.

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UPFRONT

“It’s been a pleasure to design a building that celebrates wellbeing and openly invites the local community to discover what it has to offer, serving both an important function and also offering flexibility in use for those who live and work in Tameside” – Martin Bransby, Director of the Leisure Sector at Pozzoni

The first floor uses flexibility in design to provide studio spaces which can be used independently or as one combined space, while a separate smaller studio space has been included to the fitness suite in order to provide more focused classes or to be incorporated into the main suite.

The wellness centre has been designed to integrate several local services to provide a more holistic approach to wellness. The centre aims to make wellness and the health agenda more readily and easily available without the need for separate facilities situated in numerous locations.

Customers and local residents will be able to make use of the centre for recreation while also improving their health and wellbeing naturally alongside other facilities provided by the NHS and local authority alike.

The total cost of the wellness centre build came in at £11.5m, which represents incredible value for money – a project of this scale and quality could reasonably be expected to cost at least an additional £5m. This is testament to the entire design team and the contractor Willmott Dixon who understood the vision, bringing challenges in certain areas while keeping within the client’s specified budget.

While its original launch in March 2020 was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning that it had to close after two weeks, the building still fulfilled its community purpose during the UK’s lockdown periods by acting as a distribution centre for much-needed supplies. It reopened in summer 2021.

Martin Bransby, Director of the Leisure Sector at Pozzoni, said: “From start to finish, this has been an incredibly exciting brief to work on. It’s been a pleasure to design a building that celebrates wellbeing and openly invites the local community to discover what it has to offer, serving both an important function and also offering flexibility in use for those who live and work in Tameside.” 

www.pozzoni.co.uk

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LEISURE

PEOPLE-FIRST DESIGN CREATES VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF LEISURE To be able to compete and stay ahead in an ever-changing and demanding world, it is crucial that we pay close attention to the uniqueness of each community we work to serve, understand their nuances and look to gain insights into exactly what the local public want and need from the facility. Associate Director and Project Lead at GT3 Architects, Suzanne Blair, explores the pivotal role that the ‘people architecture’ principle plays in the design of successful architectural projects.

Making a splash

are highly C ommunities invested in their leisure centres and fitness clubs, and so it’s fundamental for designers to spend their time wisely, working closely with any partnerships to make decisions driven by community demands to ensure long-term success.

“We use in-house models, such as Community+, to take an in-depth look at a community to understand how to meet the ever-changing demands and barriers that could prevent community members from engaging with a leisure scheme.

“Our ‘people-first’ approach challenges the status quo and allows the leisure sector to better cater for a much wider range of user groups by allowing various activities to take place in a particular space. By undertaking an in-depth study of the stakeholder groups that could potentially use leisure facilities, we are able to reflect those needs in the design. This is particularly important for local authorities as they seek to position leisure centres as successful businesses, as well as community facilities.

“We place people, not buildings, at the heart of our projects, working to ensure that the spaces we create are not just beautiful but that they

12

deliver real, enduring value to the people who use and operate them long into the future.

“Our rigorous process of listening, challenging, imagining and designing ensures our quality is consistently delivered. Our recently-completed stateof-the-art leisure centre in Hornchurch, East London – which created a multi-purpose, accessible space for the

local community – epitomises this approach. Commissioned

by Havering London Borough Council, we worked alongside Everyone Active and Metnor Construction earlier this year, delivering a spectacular build, underpinned by guiding project principles that are defined thorough collaboration and an understanding of what’s important to both client and community,” explains Suzanne.

By applying thoughtful creativity and engagement that works for the community, the centre offers a flexible space, which accommodates a wide range of different leisure activities. Spanning two floors and covering more than 6000m2, the facility replaces the existing Hornchurch Sports Centre. The scheme includes an impressive, competitionstandard 25m eight-lane pool complete with 250-seat viewing gallery, wet changing village, sauna, steam room and an onsite cafe opening out onto a public plaza.

A separate specialist learner and dive pool has also been installed to offer increased flexibility for the centre. A movable pool floor allows the pool depth to be changed from 0 to 3.7m, facilitating a range of activities, from baby and toddler classes through to diving lessons, aqua aerobics and group wheelchair access.

GT3 Architects worked with world-leading pool expert Myrtha Pools to deliver the outstanding facilities. Both pools utilised the firm’s innovative pre-fabricated steel tank system, as opposed to a traditional concrete tank, to create the custom pools.

LEISURE The accompanying wet changing village uses a resin floor system with underfloor heating, in a move away from traditional tiled flooring. The resin floor allowed for a seamless finish as well as an easier accommodation of the unique curved shape off the changing village.

Getting moving Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre is also home to a fitness suite offering 150 workout stations with floor-to-ceiling windows maximising the beautiful park views. Three multi-function fitness studios, a dedicated spin studio and a large four-court sports hall lend themselves to a host of different activities to suit the needs of Hornchurch’s residents from badminton to basketball.

One of the studios also features Everyone Active’s new FORTIS studio. FORTIS is a group fitness class that offers a premium experience, using the latest technology to deliver the benefits of a traditional highintensity interval training (HIIT) workout.

Designing for change Suzanne adds: “The design of the building responds to its park setting. Natural timber and masonry elevations to the rear of the building help it attune with

the park. Contrasting back-lit polycarbonate and glazing face the entrance plaza, car park and adjacent facilities to showcase the activities within.

“With Harrow Lodge, we really wanted to deliver a modern yet accessible centre that offers fitness, leisure and social opportunities for everyone in the community, while supporting wider activities in the park, blending the design seamlessly to accommodate this vision.

“Inclusivity of every member of the community always plays a vital part within this approach and is something we invest a lot of time into, to ensure these designs are welcoming to all.

From the movable pool floor to the synergy between the leisure centre and the existing park, we designed the centre to combat existing issues of inaccessibility of leisure schemes.

“Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre is pivotal in providing a wide range of facilities to the community and we’re passionate about helping more people to improve their health and wellbeing by getting active. We have already seen many new and returning members come to visit and hope to see even more over the coming weeks.” 

www.gt3architects.com

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HEALTHCARE

HEALTHCARE DESIGN AND THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 Despite the slow return to normality following the easing of lockdown restrictions, it’s clear to see that COVID-19 has left a significant mark on almost every aspect of our lives. Alongside an ageing population, the pandemic has shone a light on the decline of healthcare infrastructure and there has never been a more pressing time to discuss how to improve this design for health and social care.

Félicie Krikler, Director at Assael Architecture, explores further. of hospitals T hewasconcept created with the sole purpose of isolating and caring for the ill. However, during the pandemic, these medical facilities were tested to new limits as they were forced to respond to an overwhelming health emergency.

The organisation of spaces is a key determinant of how successful a healthcare facility can be used, and the pandemic highlighted the huge inefficiencies in our current healthcare environments. Care homes, in particular, which were utterly devastated by COVID-19, were brought to the fore as inherently flawed in their design strategies. Due to outdated floor mapping, physical distancing was next to impossible, and was hugely detrimental to the wellbeing of the residents.

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As we now look to navigate the next few months out of restrictions, what lessons can we take for the future design of hospitals and other healthcare buildings?

Healthcare design is one of the most challenging briefs for architects, encompassing clinical, psychological, sociological and environmental requirements. These buildings are hugely complicated. Not only do they house people during their most vulnerable times, but they need a significant social and financial investment.

A lesson we can learn from the pandemic is incorporating principles of social design into the healthcare built environment, as this design is focused around whole communities or societies.

Hospital design is uniquely complex, reflecting the complexity of patient care and technology – having to be medically sound as well as supportive and comfortable to staff and patients alike. Going forward, healthcare design will need to consider long-term impacts of layout, planning and building typologies, and be built around models of adaptability and flexibility.

An essential area of focus will be humanity, as creating an environment that is pleasant for both staff and patients will prove to be more sustainable in the long run. The design goal should ultimately be a place which doesn’t feel institutional, and caters to the human and emotional needs of patients, without

compromising on the clinical function. We’re already seeing this change in healthcare architecture, with designers pushing for comfortable environments where beauty and aesthetics are equally important as how sterile the surroundings are.

Now that hospitals are in a far better position to cope with patient numbers, we have an opportunity to explore the processes that came about due to the pandemic, such as virtual outpatient and doctors’ appointments. The availability and popularity of video conferencing platforms has made this a smooth transition to digital, allowing for greater possibility on site – less consultation space gives more flexibility for treatment space.

HEALTHCARE Another area that was highlighted during the pandemic was the importance of outdoor space. Not only did it reduce the risk of infection, but it has had a tremendously positive effect on health and wellbeing. Going forward, this is something that should be championed in every healthcare project.

Traditionally, the success of a hospital design would be based on the number of rooms produced, without considering areas for leisure and movement. Now that we realise the importance of physical activity in patient recovery, larger corridors and outdoor spaces will be a priority.

Fantastic work was done in quickly building the emergency Nightingale hospitals, although they were used very little as NHS hospitals proved to have the capacity to treat and care for the very ill patients.

Perhaps there is a lesson here that upgrading and extending

existing hospitals is ultimately more efficient than building new stock.

Now, the main barrier to reform in healthcare is funding. Back in 2019, one of Boris Johnson’s muchscrutinised election promises was to build 40 new hospitals.

In reality, what that meant was six hospitals were to be upgraded by 2025, and 21 others would get seed funding to develop plans for upgrades.

As a sector that’s been chronically neglected and underfunded for many years, we need the Government to commit to sustained investment in order to deliver safe, high-quality care.

In terms of healthcare design, a greater dialogue between what patients require and what we design is needed going forward. Future healthcare projects will see design playing a greater role in what care means and how it’s distributed, as opposed to four walls and a bed. Spatial

quality is a key determinant of how a sick patient will recover. Factors such as light and ventilation are vitally important, but other elements such as beauty

and nature are essential for a patient’s wellbeing and will be a key part of future healthcare design. 

www.assael.co.uk

15

HOUSING

SOCIAL HOUSING: IT’S TIME TO SUPERCHARGE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Matt Barnes, Head of Health and Housing at Maintel, talks to PSBJ about the common challenges to innovation that Maintel sees in the social housing sector, and how these can be addressed. technologies E merging are increasingly critical to how housing associations communicate with residents, whilst simultaneously driving business efficiencies. With an ageing population and a wide demographic, how do you deliver

a communication platform that suits all? How do you collate the information to enable you to better serve Harry, for example, who is 70, vulnerable and not digitally enabled?

2020 pushed millions of us into the working-from-home

environment. Organisations had to change operating models, communication platforms had to become increasingly more agile and flexible, and infrastructure more secure whilst still delivering business continuity and excellent customer service.

Collaboration tools have been key for internal and external communication, but are you looking to take these forward and does your infrastructure have the bandwidth to support them?

According to Gartner research, 47% of leaders intend to embrace flexible working going forward; therefore, there needs to be long-term solutions in place.

Many housing associations are on a digital transformation journey, successfully driving agile working technologies and delivering remarkable customer experience.

However, I have highlighted below the common challenges to innovation that we, at Maintel, see in the social housing sector and how these can be addressed.

Data-driven revolution Housing associations are sat on a goldmine of data, which can potentially drive business efficiencies and customer experience.

Amazon and Netflix are using consumer data to drive efficiencies, revenues and customer satisfaction, but how can social housing get the same results?

You have a wealth of data at your fingertips. From simple information on tenants and their preferences, to the buildings themselves.

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HOUSING Innovation is key to delivering your digital strategy, whether that is to drive customer experience and employee engagement, for instance, VR can assist with house viewings or training, AI to ensure contact centres are more efficient with chatbots that can realign resource, or to scale contact centre seats according to demand for business efficiencies, then you have cloud as the enabler.

Strategy before technology is the way to succeed on your digital transformation journey.

Greater cooperation across the board For example, data-driven analytics and business decisions could allow social housing organisations to identify communication preferences by demographics, ensuring social inclusion, bridging the digital divide, addressing poverty and improving customer experience.

Using data can also enable social housing organisations to make faster, more informed decisions at a business level. Providing them with the ability to understand the communities they serve and to identify overarching trends in terms of the technology they use. This will provide a key direction for the digital transformation journey of those in the sector.

It is key to note that any loss of data is more than just bad news – it can have serious reputational consequences.

Prioritising protection for your organisation from today’s vulnerabilities and against tomorrow’s cyber threats is vital. Consequently, network security, intrusion protection and virus threat management are important considerations for all organisations.

Whilst embracing this wealth of data security must be on the digital transformation strategy, it goes hand in hand. Computer Weekly recently reported there was more data stolen in January 2021 than in the whole of 2017.

Embracing cloud: less talk, more action Due to the pandemic, housing associations, like many organisations, have had to embrace agile working using collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or other cloud-based platforms.

As companies look to emerge from the pandemic, investment in cloud should remain a key part of this journey. The cloud enables organisations to deliver the functionality and capabilities they require quickly and easily, to where you need them. The ability to scale up or down this investment is also key with ever-tightening budgets for many in the social housing sector. Cloud services make it easier and more cost effective for you to consume the technology that can transform your business.

The strategies of many social housing organisations, especially when it comes to digital transformation, must be aligned business wide. Misaligned goals and expectations are causing capital to be misplaced or, in some cases, not invested at all.

From my own experience, I have witnessed first-hand how many teams within social housing organisations have operated within their own silo, each with their own agenda.

There needs to be a coherent collaboration strategy before looking at technology. With this alignment of key stakeholders within the business, the challenges are met head on and the goals are achievable.

The digital transformation of the social housing sector is well underway. However, it is a journey that should not be rushed. By guaranteeing that the issues laid out above are rectified, organisations will sure-up the foundations of their transformation. This will mean providers implement the right technology and continue to provide excellent tenant services, whilst delivering maximum operational productivity and optimising costs. 

www.maintel.co.uk

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SKYLIGHTS & ROOFLIGHTS

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOF Paul Trace from Stella Rooflight discusses the practicalities involved in specifying large rooflights. a bespoke rooflight A smanufacturer, we often see grand plans with expansive areas of roof glazing, as architects continue to seek innovative ways in which to exploit natural daylight. As much as bespoke rooflights can certainly help bring these designs to life, there are some important factors that need to be considered when the glazing is turned from drawing to reality.

In recent years, we have noticed a trend towards larger rooflights, with sizes regularly exceeding 2500mm in width, height or both. While Stella can certainly accommodate these, one has to appreciate the practicalities of weight, transportation and cost.

It stands to reason that the larger the rooflight, the thicker the glass will need to be, therefore, as rooflight sizes get bigger their weight can increase exponentially.

In context, our double-glazed units consisting of 4mm-thick glass weigh 20kgs per square metre and those using 6mm are 30kgs per square metre.

Triple-glazed units are 30kgs and 45kgs respectively. Add the stainless-steel frames

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and hardwood liners into the equation and you can start to see how even a modestsized rooflight can weigh something akin to a small elephant! Indeed, it’s not uncommon for us to produce rooflights weighing in excess of 200kg.

The reality is that when you scale things up, even the simplest plans can start to become complex – a truth that should be all too familiar to architects. But before drawing that large rectangle on a roof plan, it is important to consider how the rooflight is going to be lifted from the ground to roof level and what the weight implications might be for the structure. Stella can weld stainless eyelets to the rooflight frame to aid the lifting process and we would suggest doing this on frames that weigh in excess of 100kg, that is the point where we expect a crane might be required. However, does the site have suitable access for any specialist lifting equipment, and has this additional cost been budgeted for?

The weight of an opening rooflight will also determine whether it is manually operated or requires electric actuation.

We would suggest that our largest manually-operated rooflight be around 1000mm wide or 1400mm high. Anything over this size will generally require electric actuation to lift the weight and, in the case of wider casements, to provide a tight seal. Manually-operating casements are less expensive than electric, so there is a cost element that also needs to be considered when specifying larger opening rooflights.

There is no maximum size in terms of what is possible to manufacture, although it is worth keeping in mind that a single piece of glass with an area over 5m2 becomes significantly more expensive.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to using large, expensive single panes of glazing, such as introducing glazing bars to reduce the unit sizes, linking frames and having more than one

casement. This not only makes the rooflights easier to transport, lift and install, but can also reduce the price.

If a large, single rooflight is the only option for your project, then you must also make sure that it is safe to install. While rooflight manufacturers will be able to provide advice on a suitable specification for the job in terms of materials, glazing thickness, functionality and installation, it is ultimately the responsibility of a structural engineer to ensure that the product being specified is fit (and safe) for the building that it is fitted into.

To avoid any ambiguity, it is fairly essential that the architect, structural engineer and rooflight manufacturer discuss large rooflight installations, likely weights, load bearings, site access and lifting capacity at an early stage to avoid any problems down the line. It is not advisable to leave this for the builder to deal with at the last minute.

SKYLIGHTS & ROOFLIGHTS Another area for consideration should be the safety of large areas of glazing situated high up in a roof structure. Again, much like an elephant, there is a lot of grey area here.

Regardless of size, your rooflight should meet the BS 5516-2: 2004 patent glazing and sloping glazing for buildings standard.

This code of practice for sloping glazing defines that inner panes must always be laminated wherever rooflights are more than 5m above floor level (increased to 13m for panes less than 3m2) or are located over water (e.g. swimming pools). The standard permits the use of toughened inner panes in other applications (for example, where rooflights are less than 5m from floor level), but only where a stringent risk assessment for the particular application has been completed and has concluded that the use of toughened glass does not give any additional risk to those below the rooflight.

No glass is impervious to breakage, so it is important to remember that roof glazing can, and often does, sit high above common areas in a home or office, so there will always be an element of concern if a unit were to break.

Certain industry bodies are calling for all rooflight glazing to include a laminated inner pane to provide greater security in the event that the glass breaks. Much the same as how car windscreens are required by law to be laminated to protect passengers from shattered glass in the event of an accident.

There can be no dispute that laminated glass is safer because it forms a net when broken, which remains in one piece, whereas toughened glass breaks into little cubes and will fall down onto whatever is below.

As laminated glass is more expensive, the industry perhaps sees this as a way of combatting the cohort of cheap flat rooflight products that have flooded the market with potentially dangerous products.

However, laminating rooflight glass creates its own unique set of problems, as annealed laminate is prone to thermal fracture and heat stress. This risk can be reduced by polishing edges, however, the low-e coating is not practical for polished edges as there is a risk of damaging the coating. Swapping the low-e coating for a laminated glass with treated edges is likely to have a negative impact on the thermal performance of the unit. Using products, such as SGG Cool-Lite, on the outer pane can help as this has both solar reflective and thermal coatings but these do not have a self-cleaning coating, which is an important consideration for pitched rooflights as they are usually positioned out of reach.

Thermal stress is created when one area of a glass pane gets hotter than an adjacent area. If the stress is too great, then the glass will crack. The stress level at which the glass will break is governed by several factors. Toughened glass is very resilient and not prone to failing due to thermal stress.

Laminated glass and annealed glass behave in a similar way and the thicker the glass, the less tolerant it becomes, which is an important factor for larger rooflights.

The risk of thermal cracking and heat stress changes throughout the year with the highest risk seasons being spring and autumn due to the low angle of the sun and the lower evening temperatures.

Solar control glass either reflects energy or absorbs it to reradiate the heat outwards. By its nature, it gets hotter than

clear glass and glass that is designed for thermal efficiency alone. Whilst the majority of installations are within the operating tolerance, in some cases fluctuation in heat can put the stress beyond the limits.

Laminated glass is also heavier, which needs to be remembered when planning lifting schedules and structural requirements.

Another issue experienced with laminated glass is a phenomenon called lensing, where images become distorted.

This doesn’t necessarily cause such an issue with flat rooflight glazing where the view is a simple sky backdrop, but on pitched rooflights with a view of a landscape, this distortion will be a problem.

In summary, while there is a growing trend for projects to include more and larger rooflights, it is not as straightforward as just adding them to the plans. Clearly, there is so much more to specifying large rooflights than meets the eye and while your rooflight manufacturer will be able to provide recommendations, ultimately having a better understanding of what glazing is required and involving a qualified structural engineer in the early phases will resolve any issues you may have further down the line. 

www.stellarooflight.co.uk

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INSULATION

PIR PROVIDES DURABLE, SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL INSULATION MATERIALS A building’s thermal performance is determined by the quality of the insulation installed within its fabric. Due to their strength, reliability – and from an installer’s point of view – useability, polyisocyanurate (PIR) panels are increasingly becoming the specifier’s choice when it comes to creating homes which optimise interior comfort and wellbeing. So, how does PIR differ from traditional insulation materials such as mineral or glass wool? Simon Blackham, Technical Manager at Recticel Insulation, explains more.

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ccording to the Insulation Manufacturers Association (IMA), the average UK household spends around £1230 on fuel bills each year, which can be up to 50% more than necessary due to the lack of energy-saving measures being implemented in the home. Poorly-insulated building fabric is a major contributor to domestic energy wastage. To help combat this, the construction industry is increasingly turning to PIR, rather than mineral fibre-based insulation.

There are numerous benefits associated with PIR insulation. Its closed-cell structure means it doesn’t absorb water, allowing the thermal performance and reliability of the product to be retained over time. When it

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comes to installation, the PIR boards are lightweight, less cumbersome to transport and easy to cut. PIR helps reduce onsite labour times and, in turn, overall build cost. Unlike its fibrous counterpart, PIR doesn’t shed fibres – which can be inhaled – and causes less irritation whilst being handled. This results in a more comfortable application for installers, whilst the improved performance reduces energy use, thus benefiting the environment over the lifetime of the property.

Slim composition – powerful performance With a lambda value as low as 0.022W/mK, PIR provides excellent performance.

This, coupled with its slim composition, means it requires less space to achieve the same

U-value as other insulation materials. This is of particular benefit to housebuilders looking to maximise interior living space in multi-property developments with limited plot size. For mineral wool to attain the same level of thermal performance as a PIR panel, a much thicker insulation and overall wall width would be required. Once the cavity width increases, wall-tie lengths have to be lengthened and window and door lintels expanded – the whole building process becomes more expansive and costly.

Unlike fibrous insulation, which deteriorates over time when damp sets in, PIR insulation’s structural strength enables a consistent performance that will last for generations; negating costly repairs and maintaining its thermal qualities. PIR

insulation is also renowned for its adaptability – it’s an ideal solution for a range of applications such as floors, walls, pitched and flat roofing.

Therefore, when it comes to specifying insulation for new or refurbishment building projects, there is much to consider. What insulation thickness is required to achieve the desired U-value?

Will this require the building’s structure or design to be altered? How durable is the insulation, and what is its proven lifecycle? How easy is it to fit, and what will this mean in terms of site hours, labour costs and the project’s overall sustainability?

PIR panels offer a proven solution to each design and installation conundrum. 

www.recticelinsulation.com

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LEGAL & BUSINESS

CHANGES IN PROCUREMENT LEGISLATION: AN OPPORTUNITY TO ‘BUILD BACK BETTER’ George Barnes, Partner at Carter Jonas (London), discusses how the imminent Procurement Bill presents an opportunity, post-Brexit, to simplify local authorities’ procurement practices when selecting development partners, and in doing so, the potential to deliver the Government’s agenda. the last year, the W ithin Government published and consulted upon a Green Paper Transforming Public Procurement, announced the imminent Procurement Bill and published the first National Procurement Policy Statement.

With the revised legislation, the 350 procurement regulations currently in place are set to be removed, and developers looking to work with the public sector will watch with great interest.

Currently, procurement suffers from the problem of a single set of regulations applying to disparate requirements: an authority looking to select a development partner is effectively working from the same playbook as one looking to buy widgets or parking meters.

Public procurement is also seen as lengthy, inflexible and expensive.

The proposals for a new ‘competitive flexible procedure’

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are to be welcomed. However, this is no universal panacea – many of the problems with procurement arise not from the regulations themselves but the way in which they are used.

Authorities must acknowledge the time and cost involved in tenders relating to, for example, the selection of a development partner. It is incumbent on them to ensure that processes are proportionate to the contract being awarded.

However, bidders also need to acknowledge that there are aspects of a selection process which are genuinely required for a judgement to be made by the authority.

Several issues should be directly addressed. One is the prohibition of material changes to a bid post-selection. With a development proposal, this is not practical – once pre-application discussions with the planning authority begin, there will inevitably be changes required to

secure a consent. But, clearly, it is not practical to cancel the whole process because the planners require changes.

Furthermore, procurement cannot be looked at in a vacuum. It has been customary for selection to be based on a weighted basket of considerations, both financial and qualitative. In an effort to encourage buyers to give more consideration to social value, evaluation are to change from Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) to Most Advantageous Tender (MAT). In development, we welcome this approach.

However, it directly cuts across other legislation, significantly the obligation to secure Best Consideration for the disposal of land under Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972. The change from MEAT to MAT must be backed up by changes to best consideration to avoid direct contradiction of S123.

George Barnes is a Partner in Carter Jonas’ London Development team. He advises public sector clients on land and development – from initial feasibility studies through to delivery strategies, marketing and procurement and the negotiation of development agreements and joint ventures.

Public/private partnerships are clearly encouraged, but must deliver ‘value’, along with transparency. The ‘one-sizefits-all’ approach should be avoided at all costs.

Procurement is vital in delivering the Government’s aspirations of levelling up, net zero and ‘building back better’.

Transforming the delivery of major programmes across the country requires a bold approach. But procurement is a notoriously complex area and meticulously-detailed consideration is a top priority. 

www.carterjonas.co.uk

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EDUCATION

MODULAR ECO-BUILDING OFFERS SENSE OF SPACE AND LUXURY The High School Leckhampton is a brand-new co-educational comprehensive school that will serve south Cheltenham. It is being built to cater for an expansion in pupil numbers at secondary level in the area. The school has been commissioned by Gloucestershire County Council but is being “sponsored” and developed by Balcarras.

What was the process for selecting the building provider?

JA: The year previously, the

Eco-Buildings T GwasEscapes appointed to provide a stand-alone modular ecobuilding to accommodate the school’s intake in time for September 2021. The modular timber frame solution provides a fast build process with minimal disruption and delivers a bespoke permanent building designed to last 60 years or more.

Ian Davidson, Assistant Head, and Jeff Arris, Network Manager at Balcarras School, explain the background and their experience of the project.

Why was the building needed?

ID: Balcarras School were awarded the contract for an entirely new school, to teach 900 11- to 16-year-olds, which was due to open in time for the start of the school year in September 2021. The initial phase of

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opening was for 120 year seven students, with subsequent yearly intakes increasing until the school will be operating at full capacity with five year groups of around 180 pupils each.

Towards the end of 2020, it became apparent that the new school building would not be completed in time to welcome the initial intake. The existing school was operating at maximum occupancy and

there was simply no space available to accommodate the new students.

The decision was taken to build a modular suite of four classrooms on the existing school site, each designed for around 30 year seven pupils, to be used for classroom-based subjects (maths, English and social sciences). Science, art, DT and PE lessons will take place within the main school facilities.

existing school had engaged with three contractors to provide a modular building to extend its IT facilities.

TG Escapes won the tender process but it was ultimately decided to not proceed with the project.

However, TG Escapes had sufficiently impressed that they were selected as one of the three contractors invited to tender for the new project and again were the preferred choice. The governors were naturally concerned about timely delivery and potential overspend and engaged Evans Jones consultants to oversee the build, which commenced in January 2021.

EDUCATION

How did you find the process?

ID: I thought it was quite brilliant. My biggest concern was that the building would not be completed on time, but I have never seen a building go up so quickly. Throughout the build, the project manager was very approachable and easy to deal with. Any problems were immediately solved, avoiding any interruptions to the day-to-day running of the existing school site. All potentially disruptive operations, such as crane and material deliveries, were organised to fit the school timetable.

JA: The site was well-managed and the project manager was fully engaged with the school throughout the build, securing agreement before each phase. Regular meetings between the school management team and the project manager were handled thoroughly and efficiently and the building was completed weeks ahead of schedule in May.

What do you think about the building’s quality now it is in use?

JA: It is good and functionally it is working well, particularly pupil flow. We are expecting the outside decking areas to be a very useful space.

ID: Whilst there have been a few snagging issues, these are being well dealt with promptly. The finished look of the building is really good and reminds me of a Grand Designs project. The parents love it and the feedback from staff and students is also very positive. It feels both spacious and luxurious.

How important were the eco credentials?

ID: Very important. Zero carbon and environmental issues have become a big consideration across the education sector.

JA: The speed of construction versus a traditional build process was also of high importance. I was impressed by the lack of waste, helped by the donation of spare materials to the existing school. 

www.tgescapes.co.uk

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TALKING POINT

FIRE SAFETY: BUILDING SERVICES PENETRATIONS In order to comply with Building Regulations, penetration seals should be designed to ensure they can adequately accommodate the required number and type of services. With specifiers under increasing pressure to ensure fire compartmentation is maintained, the Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) outlines the most common methods for the selection and specification of firestopping products, and the importance of independent third-party certification and technical evaluations. has F irestopping historically been considered an activity that can be undertaken by those carrying out the installation on site. As a result, very little consideration has been given to the firestopping of service penetrations during the design stage. The problem with this

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approach is that it makes it very difficult, or even impossible, to install manufacturer-tested and -approved firestopping solutions as there is usually insufficient space available.

Dampers, pipes and cables are sometimes installed within the same penetration when there isn’t an approved test

method for that scenario.

There are also cases of deviations from tested and approved manufacturer details at critical interfaces such as where services emanate from risers. Another challenge is there can be a misunderstanding on ‘who does what?’ as firestopping includes

Iain McIlwee is a Materials Engineer whose journey in construction started in a scaffolding yard in Hanwell in 1995. Iain is now CEO of Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS), the trade body for the £10bn fit-out, interiors and finishing sector.

roles and responsibilities which are not sufficiently considered and allocated.

Generally, these issues occur as a result of a lack of consideration to passive firestopping, a lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities between specialist trades and a lack of ownership.

TALKING POINT

penetration seal should be carried out by a third-partyaccredited firestopping specialist. It should not be left to the M&E contractor, as they may not have the competence to take on that responsibility.

Whenever someone is specifying firestopping products, it’s important that they specify a thirdparty-tested product. In short, this means it has been independently tested by a UKAS-accredited laboratory and it will have a declaration of performance, or other performance rating that has been independently verified. The alternative is that someone has tested it themselves but there are no assurances of reliability and safety. The second part of this is that the contractors who are employed to carry out the firestopping should be third-party certified as a specialist to carry out that work.

Compliance and third-party certification

Design considerations In order to get firestopping right, the industry needs to be looking at incorporating standard solutions and that means the firestopping of service penetrations needs to be considered when the building is being spatially planned and the building services systems are being designed and co-ordinated.

The primary objective is to ensure that third-party-tested and -approved standard firestopping solutions are incorporated into the design.

For this to happen, it is likely that specialist sub-contractors and firestopping manufacturers will need to be engaged earlier than they would be traditionally.

It is also essential that everyone involved in the design and construction stage reads and understands the fire strategy. This should be prepared by a suitably qualified and experienced fire engineer and provide details of compartmentation and the requirements for any passive fire protection. The section on penetration seals should be read and understood by the designer, contractor, installers and checkers of the penetration seals to ensure they are compliantly designed and installed.

To ensure standard tested and approved firestopping details are incorporated at design and coordination stage, best practice is to ensure that the builder’s work penetrations are sized and then subsequently positioned using spacing rules developed from tested and approved details. These spacing rules should include factors such as pipe diameters, insulation thicknesses and edge distances. By doing this, it will ensure that builder’s work penetrations are not under- or over-sized, and will make it easier for the firestopping contractor to seal the penetration in accordance with the tested and approved detail.

Collaborative approach To ensure the best chance of success, service penetrations should be considered collaboratively at design stage with input from the M&E designer, architect, and ideally the partition contractor and firestopping specialist. There are usually several parties involved in the installation of service penetrations and it is important that all those who carry out installation are competent to do so. However, the really important message is that firestopping of the

Compliance is about ensuring that a tested and approved solution is properly selected based on the fire strategy and then installed by competent individuals in accordance with that testing and approved solution.

In other words, the product should be selected based on a standard detail from a manufacturer and then a competent installer needs to be able to demonstrate they have installed the solution based on that standard detail. This becomes an audit trail and demonstration of compliance with Building Regulations.

There are three ways that the industry appears to work in the respect of technical evaluation, with the worst-case scenario being self-declaration whereby a manufacturer might say that its product is tested to a certain standard. However, there is no guarantee that the product will actually have reached that correct standard, so in this case, the specifier is simply relying on their advice or word. The second scenario is a manufacturer will have a test report whereby their product was tested in accordance with ‘X,Y,Z’ and they have a certificate. This, however, raises questions as to whether or not the test sample was actually representative of what is being installed on site. The product test is not installation-specific and there may be design changes. The best-case scenario is thirdparty certification, as that ensures product conformity, as well as a full audit of the company involved in the manufacturing of the product. This will provide the specifier, customer and end-user with the confidence the product has been tested fully in accordance with the latest British standards and is fit for purpose.

A new Best Practice Design and Installation Guide, Firestopping of Service Penetrations, produced by five leading not-for-profit organisations representing the wider construction and fire safety industries (ASFP, BESA, BSRIA, FIS and GPDA), has been put together as a good-practice approach to firestopping on a construction project – from design to inspection – and will enable a project team to meet their obligations to deliver a safe and secure project in terms of penetration seals.

Fire safety in performance, both now and also in the future, is absolutely key and ties into the ‘golden thread’ of transparency and accountability. It is a conversation that should be between all parties including the manufacturer, architect, specialist installer, fire engineer and M&E consultants. Everyone involved in the provision of a fire protection package, at any level, shares liability for its effectiveness and performance when needed in a fire. If properly designed, effective compartmentation is a major measure to protect life safety and buildings. 

www.thefis.org

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LIGHTING & ELECTRICALS

ADDED REASSURANCE WITH ‘ENHANCED FIRERESISTANT’ CABLES Fire safety remains a key focus across the public sector, with Wrexham Mineral Cables Commercial Manager Steve Williams explaining why all hazards need to be identified in order to build a safer future.

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or the last four years, building safety has rarely been out of the headlines.

Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy set out more than 50 recommendations regarding the delivery of a more robust building regulatory system.

In response, the Government has pushed forward with its new Building Safety Bill, seen by many as the most sweeping changes in the last 40 years.

The aim is to make way for a safer future by holding those in charge accountable for any mistakes, and tougher sanctions for those that fail to meet their

obligations. However, a fire at a council tower block in South Norwood – where residents claimed that no fire alarms were sounded – highlights how much work still needs to be done in keeping building occupants safe.

Building a safer future When it comes to building safety, to date, the focus has been largely on identified defects. But it is the unidentified issues – such as the installation of so-called ‘ENHANCED fire-resistant’ cables – which may not be fit for purpose in true fire scenarios, we believe, need to be put under the spotlight.

‘ENHANCED fire-resistant’ cables play a fundamental role in ensuring that emergency and building-critical systems are supported in the event of a fire, providing early indication of a fire, to keep them safe whilst they evacuate and ensure critical circuits remain functional for extended periods, particularly in buildings such as high rise.

In order to meet the requirements in these types of scenarios, ‘ENHANCED fire-resistant’ cables would be specified. They must meet the British Standard appropriate to their type of ‘fire-resistant’ cable or their

chosen application – such as BS 50200, BS 8434-2, BS 8519 and BS 6387. All of which have a variant of time and temperature the cables are tested at under fire conditions.

However, all these standards should provide reassurance that the chosen cable will continue to function in a true fire scenario for extended periods.

It’s, therefore, a concern that currently only ‘fireresistant’ cables that are greater in diameter than 20mm must undergo testing for direct impacts (BS 8519/BS 8491) to reflect falling debris and water jet testing on a single test sample.

For ‘ENHANCED fireresistant’ cables under 20mm, no direct impact test takes place, and the water test is just a spray test. It’s also noted that different stages of each test are carried out on different samples of cable.

As the call for mandatory sprinkler systems in taller buildings gathers momentum, it becomes even more concerning that ‘ENHANCED fire-resistant’ cables most commonly being used in fire alarms, emergency lighting, extraction systems, monitoring systems or even backup generators may not survive fire, water and direct impact.

As a leading manufacturer of what we prefer to call ‘firesurvival’ cables, we have been calling for more stringent testing standards for years, and strongly believe there should be a higher classification of cables introduced. MICC Cable is the only fire performance cable that, in historical testing, has survived over 1000˚C, whilst being subjected to direct hammer blows and a full water pressure test using a fire hose. Regardless of size or construction, if a cable is required to function in the event of a fire, each single cable sample must have to pass a true fire scenario test, helping identify those that can survive, rather than simply resist fire.

In an era of greater accountability, there should be no compromise, and as an industry, we can no longer aim for minimum compliance to get the job done. 

www.wrexhammineral cables.com

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TECHNICAL FOCUS

BUILDING NET ZERO: THE BENEFITS OF DATADRIVEN DECISIONS FOR HOUSING RETROFITS The decarbonisation of the built environment, responsible for almost 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, understandably remains a fundamental focus for the construction industry. Stewart Little, Managing Director of IRT Surveys, outlines how the solution is deep-rooted in innovation and technology, and explores the benefits of data-driven decisions in retrofit projects. nation’s path to A snetthezero continues its acceleration – backed by key reports such as the Prime Minister’s 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution, the Construction Leadership Council’s long-awaited National Retrofit Strategy and the Green Finance Institute’s Financing energy-efficient buildings: the path to retrofit at scale consultative document – an overhaul of the energy performance of the UK’s existing building stock has become even more imperative.

Undeniably, a critical element of achieving net zero will be reducing carbon emissions from existing buildings. This is

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acutely clear when you consider that 80% of buildings expected to be occupied in 2050 have already been built, with these properties anticipated to represent a staggering 95% of future built environment emissions.

Addressing the fabric of the built environment What has become evidently clear, therefore, is major infrastructure decisions need to be made in the near future and implemented at pace in order to forge ahead with eradicating construction’s contribution to climate change by 2050, particularly for affordable housing.

In 2020, around four million houses were occupied by households socially renting, representing a total of almost 16.7% of all households. Reducing emissions to net zero for this sector will require retrofit work that is expected to be in the region of £104bn by 2050, making it a sizeable and costly venture, and one that has become a matter of greatest importance for the construction industry.

Given the scale of the retrofit challenge, having a comprehensive plan in place will undeniably support the existing workforce in delivering the ambitious programme which could

transform the housing stock and address the fabric of the built environment itself.

While the pathway to decarbonisation has a clear destination and starting point, fundamental to its success is understanding and agreeing upon the best, most optimal route to get there. This is where the value of data comes to the fore, arming the industry with critical insights that facilitate smarter decision making.

The power of data The challenge for any retrofit or refurbishment is firstly identifying the issues inherent in existing properties, how much investment will be required to remedy it and if it will deliver a reasonable return on investment (ROI).

It is this regard that data, when paired with accurate visual insights into the condition of buildings – driven by leading-edge technologies, such as infrared thermal imaging – can be deployed to great effect.

A housing survey underpinned by thermal imaging that doesn’t damage the building fabric – thereby creating more expensive problems – can deliver significant value. Such surveys have the ability to reveal

TECHNICAL FOCUS

CO2 FOOTPRINT

everything from half-filled cavities or empty cavities when people assume they are full, to possible insulation defects, weaknesses in the waterproofing of properties and much more.

Poor and inaccurate data can often be impediments to energysaving solutions being deployed with the necessary speed and scale. By equipping professionals with hard data, free from bias that often comes with a traditional building survey, decisions can be based on facts, not assumptions.

DORIC project The Domestic Optimised Retrofit Innovation Concept (DORIC) project is a prime example of the synergy of technology, cloudbased software and data being deployed successfully.

The £5.2m project – backed by the Department for Business Energy & Strategy (BEIS) £50m investment fund – will see 100 homes benefit from a multi-million-pound investment aimed at improving energy performance.

Led by IRT Surveys (IRT), one of the fastest growing thermal imaging survey companies in Europe, the scheme brought together a consortium of Aberdeen City Council (ACC) as Project Lead, SMS PLC as Co-Founder and Supplier of PVs and batteries and Robertson Construction as Main Contractor.

Building on an established relationship between IRT and ACC – which has seen the former thermally image 35,000 council-owned homes, and survey a further 7500 owner-occupier homes under the council’s guidance over a number of years – this latest project started with IRT analysing ACC’s portfolio of 22,000 homes and identifying suitable properties to retrofit.

By uploading the council’s entire portfolio into IRT’s DREam online platform, a previous inordinate array of complex housing data was augmented, merged and filtered to help steer and dictate the programme of works.

What’s more, by effortlessly aligning data with investment criteria, such as The ECO3 Funding Scheme, suitable funding opportunities could be identified for the project.

ACC’s portfolio was assessed against criteria including: whether homes could take PV structurally, as well as external wall insulation, and, most crucially, where the funding would be welcome and the timing aligned with the council’s ongoing investment programme.

While asbestos, orientation, fuel poverty, kitchens, bathrooms,

structural integrity and condition were all factors in determining which homes would be best suited for retrofit.

The DREam output, shared among the consortium, ensured an extensive portfolio of 22,000 homes could be rapidly filtered down to 400 using critical data insights.

Once a total of 150 inhabitants responded to a letter advising they wished to take part in the project, a comprehensive survey process for IRT’s surveyors, in partnership with SMS and Robertsons, was developed and implemented. This resulted in a single assessment to capture all necessary insights to drive retrofitting works, in turn, minimising disruption for occupants.

Unlocking wider benefits By bookending all works with thermal imaging and comprehensive internal surveys on 10 archetypes – comprising airtightness, EPCs, retrofit assessment, retrofit co-ordination and gSkin U-value thermocouples – the efficacy of the project deliverables was attained, while an engaging, simple, visual audit trail was delivered.

The decarbonising of ACC’s assets, and the lives of Aberdonians in residence, was further assured with the implementation of innovative Switchee smart meters and sensors that enabled rapid feedback and two-way communication with the occupant.

As a result, ACC were not only able to extract maximum insights and value, but also facilitate the retrofitting of the next 100 homes using the same model and an intuitive polygonal mapping tool. 

www.irtsurveys.co.uk

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BIM

BIM: UNLOCKING THE GOLDEN THREAD Paul Thompson, BIM Manager for ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions, explains how BIM software holds the key to unlocking the golden thread between door design, construction and compliance.

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B

uilding Information Modelling (BIM) is revolutionising the way we build, providing those involved in public sector construction with the tools they need for more efficient planning, design and building processes.

The uptake of the technology has been rapid, with awareness and usage of BIM rising from 13% in 2011 to 73% in 2020. As adoption has increased, the technology has also developed to support the evolving needs of the construction industry, with platforms now more sophisticated than ever before.

The evolution of BIM technology has coincided with the tightening of Building Regulations within the industry, with emphasis currently placed on the ‘golden thread’ approach outlined by Dame Judith Hackett in her report, ‘Building a safer future’.

She recommends the introduction of a ‘golden thread’ as a tool to manage buildings as holistic systems, and allow people to use information to safely and effectively design, construct and operate their buildings.

BIM Essentially, the ‘golden thread’ is both the information that allows you to understand a building, and the steps needed to keep both the building and people safe, now and in the future. So how can BIM technology help to create a ‘golden thread’ and ultimately make public sector buildings safer?

BIM in practice BIM has paved the way for compliant construction and safe buildings by allowing architects and designers to visualise aspects of a construction project to ensure safety ahead of erection.

For example, ASSA ABLOY’s Openings Studio software application is an add-on to the commonly-used design platforms. This enables seamless extraction of door design intent and all relevant interfaces to assist project design teams to seamlessly develop complete door requirements that meet Building Regulations.

Product information, performance data and budget information are captured within the BIM design environment, and through real-time, collaborative working, these designs can be validated for compliance, functional performance and aesthetics plus presented as 3D views that can be fully re-integrated into the overall project design.

This provides a unique, collaborative tool for all project stakeholders, helping to minimise costs and streamline the data sharing process throughout the entire project lifecycle – from the initial design,

right through to construction, delivery, asset management and beyond.

An extension to Openings Studio has recently been developed, which offers a mobile solution that directly accesses this data for use during the door installation process, ensuring full validity of the finished product prior to project completion – but more importantly, the application enables detailed onsite inspection of doors in service using the same data, thereby verifying continued compliancy. Detailed and summary reports are automatically produced and logged. This unique application provides the essential ‘golden thread’ between the design intent and the door in service.

The golden thread The complete data associated with the door and hardware can be developed in partnership with the architect through collaborative 3D capabilities, seamlessly extracting and inputting all the door information from and to the building model or uploading the data in 2D format from developed schedules.

With linked internal systems, ASSA ABLOY uses this final schedule of information to manufacture the complete doorset solution including the leaf, frame and all specified hardware. The mobile app is then used by engineers on site to install, check and verify the compliant and completed products in line with the specification and schedule during construction.

Finally, the app offers an easy-to-use ‘checkbox’ system to carry out and capture detailed inspections based on the specific details of each door included in the schedule.

The future of BIM This solution is where the future of BIM lies, offering reports to validate if a door has remained compliant or identify what elements of the door need to be corrected or replaced to return the product to the standard required. The software also provides full traceability and ownership of all changes at all stages, including the detailed inspection and service records.

This allows the doorset to be managed as a holistic compliant solution, and meets the expectations outlined by Dame Judith Hackett.

Most importantly, it connects all elements of the doorset through a single source.

This eliminates the risk that doors are pieced together as an assembly of parts from various sources by a joiner or builder on site, and maintained and repaired as a collection of individual door components by a building maintenance engineer.

To enable BIM’s full potential, the industry needs effective tools and software, and when it comes to doorsets and ironmongery, using applications such as Openings Studio can truly unlock the potential of BIM and create the ‘golden thread’ for safer buildings now and in the future. 

www.assaabloyopeningsolutions. co.uk/specification

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ROOFING, CLADDING DRAINAGE & LANDSCAPING & INSULATION

This is backed up by other recent Government and local guidance such as the National Model Design Code, which says: “All schemes will be expected to follow national policy by achieving a 10% net gain in biodiversity. All new streets should include street trees.”

Tree maintenance requirement

MEETING NEW PLANNING REQUIREMENTS FOR TREES Extensive tree planting and retention of existing trees in developments, with provision for long-term maintenance, has just become a priority with new Government policies taking effect. Concrete block permeable paving offers an important opportunity to help satisfy these requirements with irrigation integrated with SuDS, hard surfaces and urban design – as the trade association Interpave explains.

The latest requirements for trees in developments have been established in the July 2021 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for England. The NPPF sets out what local planning authorities (LPAs) will require, when setting local

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policies and also considering planning applications for all developments. The NPPF states that: “Planning policies and decisions should ensure that new streets are treelined and that opportunities are taken to incorporate trees elsewhere in developments.”

However, measures need to be put in place to nurture and allow trees to mature, generally for decades, enabling them to actually deliver their real potential – including net-carbon storage, urban cooling through shading and evapotranspiration, biodiversity and public wellbeing.

So, the NPPF also requires that “appropriate measures are in place to secure the long-term maintenance of newly-planted trees, and that existing trees are retained wherever possible”.

Urban trees and paving have traditionally been seen as in conflict. But this is not the case, with concrete block permeable paving (CBPP) a key sustainable drainage (SuDS) technique to reduce flood risk and make cities more liveable. CBPP offers unique opportunities to collect, attenuate and treat rainwater runoff, removing pollutants before irrigating green infrastructure. Unlike conventional impermeable hard landscape materials, CBPP allows the same pattern of runoff transfer to the ground as natural vegetation, allowing water to reach tree and shrub roots, despite providing an attractive hard surface above.

Local planning authorities now need to incorporate long-term tree maintenance measures in their planning consents and a straightforward spatial solution, such as permeable paving providing irrigation, offers a holistic multifunctional solution.

Beneficial relationship A recent Interpave case study (available via www.paving. org.uk) explored the 20year beneficial relationship between CBPP and trees at the Martlesham Park and Ride scheme. Here, concrete block permeable paving has operated efficiently with minimal maintenance amongst extensive tree planting without root disruption or other issues.

The benefits of CBPP for trees while retaining accessibility are recognised by the current Code of Practice for accessibility in the external environment, BS 8300-1:2018, which states that: “Tree grilles should be avoided. Smooth or paved permeable surfaces should be used wherever practicable.” Permeable paving can be laid level and still avoids puddles without the need for drainage gulleys.

It provides a safe, firm, pothole-free surface for everyone – including wheelchair users and people pushing prams. Two decades of experience in the UK demonstrate the long-term performance of CBPP with minimal, if any, maintenance.

CBPP generally comprises an upper layer of concrete blocks with permeable jointing and laying course, over a sub-base and other structural layers of permeable material for water storage. Interpave is currently exploring new ways of applying CBPP to optimise gradual supplies of water for tree irrigation at both levels, as well as effective interaction with tree planters and proprietary tree pit systems.

Paving layouts are also being considered to maximise the permeable paving catchment area for tree irrigation, particularly outside the protective tree-canopy zone.

Interpave would be pleased to hear from anyone considering integrating permeable paving and trees on projects (email: chris.hodson@paving.org.uk).

Low intervention retrofit Another important innovation, particularly for regeneration, is the retrofitting of CBPP as an overlay to existing, conventional road bases or other hard surfaces. These thin overlays create attractive, safe and sustainable shared surfaces.

They can be particularly effective when used to supply a gradual flow of clean water horizontally into raingardens or bioretention areas with trees and other green infrastructure, via simple slot inlet/outlets, to store water for irrigation and biodiversity, as well as SuDS. Such lowintervention techniques enable transformation of the public realm in response to the raft of recent active travel, low traffic and open space initiatives.

DRAINAGE & LANDSCAPING This approach is exemplified in Bridget Joyce Square, London, an important regeneration project designed

by Robert Bray Associates (RBA) in conjunction with McCloy Consulting for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, which won the top prize at the 2017 Landscape Institute Awards. Here, a typical, adopted asphalt street and adjacent parking areas were transformed for community use with CBPP overlay shared surfaces and tree-planted raingarden basins – an exemplar for future urban landscapes. The basins provide water storage for SuDS to reduce overloading existing drains (in the absence of the CBPP sub-base), as well as for irrigation.

Well-established green infrastructure Interpave revisited the project in August 2021, around five years after completion, and noted that trees and other green infrastructure were healthy, substantial and particularly well-established.

The permeable paving is also performing well and, it is

Before development

2016 – regeneration complete

2021 – green infrastructure well established

Concrete block permeable paving in conjunction with green infrastructure transforms Bridget Joyce Square, London

understood from local sources, experienced no problems during recent extreme summer storms, despite extensive flooding nearby.

RBA Founder, SuDS expert and Landscape Architect, Bob Bray, commented: “All

the plants have grown really well. Birches are particularly sensitive to drought and urban heat island effect but they have thrived here and the vegetation has remained green all summer. The critical thing seems to be that even small

rainfall events are captured by the permeable paving in summer and with larger events concentrated in the basins.”

www.paving.org.uk 0116 232 5170 info@paving.org.uk

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FOCUS & INNOVATION

ROOF FIRE SAFETY GUIDE LAUNCHED BY TN INTERNATIONAL

TNi’s guide, which also advises building owners, looks at the fire safety responsibilities that key individuals have when a flat roof system is specified and installed. It details the background to this important issue in the industry and explains how to interpret external fire ratings such as BS 476: Part 3:2012 and BS EN 13501-5. It also details the in-depth process that manufacturers must go through to achieve a Broof (t4) fire rating and provides advice on how to interpret these fire test results.

As well as exploring the various considerations with both warm and inverted roofs, the guide advises on the fire ratings for terraces and balconies, the latter requiring construction to BS 8579:2020. It also examines how the latest cap sheets incorporate innovative graphite technology, which help prevent the spread of flames on a roof.

TNi’s guide concludes by offering five key tips to specifiers who are assessing the fire credentials of a particular system, and warns that some manufacturers only have fire test data showing one thickness, such as 120mm PIR, which means the data can be rejected if the insulation thickness required is different.

A comprehensive specifier’s guide to fire safety standards in flat roofing has been launched by waterproofing specialist TN International (TNi).

MARLEY WHITEPAPER SHEDS LIGHT ON HOMEOWNER AND TENANT ATTITUDES IN POST-COVID UK As lockdown measures begin to ease, roof systems manufacturer, Marley has published an in-depth whitepaper that brings together the opinions of both homeowners, tenants and specifiers in a post-Covid UK. The new whitepaper, entitled ‘Raising the Roof: Homes and communities in a post-Covid UK’, saw Marley survey 2000 homeowners, social and private housing tenants to understand how the way they view their houses and local communities has changed following the last 12 months. Jo Sims, Marketing Manager for Marley, says: “This research adds important and relevant insight to the ongoing debate concerning the long-term fallout from the once-in-ageneration event the country and the world has experienced. Many have been reassessing how they live their lives, how they want to use their homes, as well as establishing stronger views on the local community in which they have been forced to spend more time since March 2020.”

www.marley.co.uk/raisingtheroofwhitepaper 01283 722588

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www.tnroofingsystems.com 01786 451170 info@tnroofingsystems.com

ROCKWOOL LAUNCHES HEALTHCARE HUB Specifying insulation for healthcare environments is now easier thanks to a new healthcare hub from ROCKWOOL. The ROCKWOOL healthcare hub comprises a wealth of resources to support the use of non-combustible stone-wool insulation for positive patient outcomes while meeting the stringent costand energy-efficiency requirements of healthcare settings. At the heart of the healthcare hub, users will find ROCKWOOL for Healthcare Construction, a new comprehensive guide to designing and building with health in mind. Providing a deep-dive into sector-specific Building Regulations and best practice, as well as case studies and future building methods, ROCKWOOL for Healthcare Construction has everything designers and specifiers need to create a safe, modern healthcare environment.

From the hub, users can also be immersed in the ROCKWOOL Interactive City virtual hospital. Intuitively designed using cutting-edge augmented reality, the environment makes designing and selecting insulation solutions quick and easy.

Through features like zoom, 360º views and pan-able application build-ups, users can explore the ROCKWOOL insulation range across a wide range of facades and applications within public health settings.

www.rockwool.com/uk/healthcare 01656 868400 customersupportcentre@rockwool.co.uk

Softwood timber is the most common material used for decking subframes. Timber is easy to work with, generally readily available and is a naturally strong product with a high strength-to-weight ratio. When correctly specified and installed, timber subframes can have a long service life.

However, there have been many cases of timber subframes that have failed within six years of being installed, often because of a lack of understanding of the requirements of timber, incorrect timber being used in the wrong location and bad workmanship. Timber is inclined to rot, and care must be taken to ensure the structure is adequately ventilated. It is a common belief that all treated timber is suitable for decking subframes, however, this is incorrect as the classification of pressure treatment can make a big difference on the longevity of the frame. For example, an ‘interior-grade’ Use Class 2 (UC2) pressuretreated timber may look the same as an ‘exterior-grade’ Use Class 4 (UC4) pressure-treated timber, however, they carry very different classifications and are designed for use in different locations.

FOCUS & INNOVATION

Timber subframes

Plastic subframes

DuoSpan

DECKING SUBFRAMES: BUILD THEM TO LAST A poor subframe choice or installation can lead to decking being damaged or can even result in decking becoming structurally dangerous and eventually fail.

With so many different subframes to choose from, which one is best and what should you look out for?

Here we look at three options.

Plas-Pro

Plastic subframes can be an excellent alternative for constructing the framework for decks, seating, planters and more. For example, Plas-Pro is constructed from recycled plastic and is strong, versatile and easy to work with. Available in a range of sizes to act as posts, joists and bearers, it can be fitted in a similar way to wood yet never rots, even when placed in water.

The benefits of a product like Plas-Pro are that it can be used in contact with the ground and in water without the need for any airflow ventilation gaps; it can be sunk into the ground and surrounded fully with moisture without adverse effect. Being a non-rot system, it can also be used in areas where the subframe is likely to constantly get wet.

Aluminium subframes A combination of superior strength aluminium and flexible plastic can provide distinct design opportunities for decking and outdoor structures that would be impossible with timber subframes.

DuoSpan is a unique landscape construction frame made with aluminium joists and beams, aluminium brackets and plastic support profiles.

Being made from aluminium, the joists are resistant to rotting or moisture ingress, negating the need for airflow gaps to the framework or end-grain preservative treatment. With other solutions, the profiles aren’t always straight, leading to numerous noggins being required to help in the installation, whereas with DuoSpan, the aluminium joists and beams are almost perfectly straight, resulting in a faster install.

The DuoSpan subframe system comes with a range of fixed and flexible brackets that allow the components to be connected at almost any angle. These brackets are uniquely designed to fit perfectly into the side of the joist, helping each joint sit flush. Screw-locating grooves on the side of the joists and self-drilling screws ensure fast, consistent fitting.

The self-drilling screws provided with the brackets are made from A4 marine-grade stainless steel, and they are coated in a cathodic barrier coating to minimise the potential for galvanic corrosion between the aluminium and stainless steel.

In conclusion, timber, recycled plastic and aluminium subframes all have different attributes and being familiar with the benefits of each and knowing what to use and when can add years to the deck’s longevity.

www.millboard.co.uk 0247 643 9943 enquiries@millboard.co.uk

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ROOFING, CLADDING FOCUS & INNOVATION & INSULATION

EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS FOR RHINO ROCKS, THANKS TO DR SCHUTZ Rhino Rocks is a professional floor cleaning business based in Yorkshire, specialising in both residential and commercial floor cleaning. A family-run business which prides itself on its excellent customer service and quality of work, the team’s expertise covers both internal and external flooring surfaces.

A prospective client contacted Rhino Rocks regarding the restoration of a residential care home in Leeds that was nearing completion.

The building contractors wanted to find a reliable company that could clean and restore some very tired old vinyl floors, within a relatively tight timeframe.

The floors were dry and scratched and needed a substantial amount of care and attention. The contractors had considered various options and

were undecided about whether to replace or restore the old flooring.

However, the Rhino Rocks team were confident that by using the right products on the floor, they could deliver brilliant results, without the outlay of buying and fitting a new floor.

Martin Beanlands, Team Coordinator at Rhino Rocks, explains: “We knew that the product applied must be super durable and hardwearing to accommodate wheelchairs

and older people, who would be using walking accessories directly over the floor daily.

Our choice was Dr Schutz because we’re confident their products deliver fantastic results. Dr Schutz products tick all of our boxes; they are high quality, easy to apply and produce a fantastic finish.”

The Rhino Rocks team used Dr Schutz Turbo Strip to fully remove all the old sealant with 36kg machines, combined with 10kg added weight to fully remove all the wax and residue.

Dr Schutz Turbo Strip is ultrafast and exceptionally effective in stripping surfaces thoroughly and mechanically clean, ensuring they are free from all dust, grease, oil, wax and care films, residues and finishes.

The team’s ultra powerful, truck-mounted floor cleaning machine at 1300 PSI was then used to rinse the floors with a vortex extraction tool. A powerful drying machine was then deployed to dry the floor areas.

To complete the project, three coats of Dr Schutz Ultra High Shine Hard Sealer was applied to the floor for maximum shine and a quality finish.

Dr Schutz Ultra High Shine Hard Sealer is a hardwearing and highly scratch-resistant polymer sealer for the protection of vinyl and linoleum floors. It creates a shiny, nonslip protective film ensuring a high degree of safety.

The project from the start to the application of the final coat, took three members of the Rhino Rocks team six hours, followed by a visit the next day to complete the finished floor.

After the final coat was applied, the area was left overnight to dry and set.

Martin continues: “The results we achieved with Dr Schutz products were superb, and the contractor that employed us was delighted, not to mention the customer who had trusted the work to us, he knew we wouldn’t let him down! We were also delighted that Dr Schutz was able to deliver additional products to site, at very short notice to make it possible to complete the project.”

www.drschutz.co.uk 01296 437827

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WHY DO THE WORLD’S LEADING DANCE COMPANIES CHOOSE HARLEQUIN FLOORS? Professional dancers can spend hours working in a dance studio, it is their place of work and should offer a safe environment fit for purpose. The floor is a dancer’s most important work tool; not only is it the canvas for their creativity, it also gives them protection against slips, falls and longer-term stress injuries.

FOCUS & INNOVATION

Experienced dancers can judge a good floor instinctively as to whether or not it feels right. And if it feels right, they can effectively forget about the floor and concentrate on putting all their focus and concentration into the artistic performance.

Anyone specifying floors for dance should remember that dancers may not be the commissioning clients, but they are the end users. Major dance companies understand this, which is why it is not uncommon to ask their dancers to ‘test’ floors before the final choice is made.

It is a common assumption that a well-designed sports floor will suit the needs of dancers, but this is not the case. Unlike sportsmen who wear increasingly high-tech, air-cushioned shoes to give grip and protect against impact injuries, the modest ballet shoe has barely changed in design since the mid-18th century.

Made from soft leather, canvas or satin, the ballet shoe is very flexible, has a thin sole and offers little protection for the wearer.

There is no doubt, the choice of flooring is critical. For over 40 years, Harlequin has been the performance floor of choice for the world’s most prestigious dance and performing arts companies, theatres, venues and schools.

Harlequin’s experience and reputation are founded on the design, manufacture and supply of a range of high-quality portable and permanent sprung and vinyl floors chosen by the world’s leading venues – from the Royal Opera House, to the Bolshoi Theatre, the Paris Opera Ballet to Queensland Ballet.

www.harlequinfloors.com 01892 514888 architects@harlequinfloors.com

THE NEW FOREST OF LEARNING Erlev school in Denmark’s Haderslev is visionary and award-winning for many reasons. With all columns and beams constructed in wood, it is one of the largest timber structures to be constructed in the country for a long time. It’s also unusual for the teaching method it employs, which comprises studentcentred learning and flexible, open-learning environments. The school has also just won Denmark’s prestigious School Building of the Year 2021.

Architecture firm Arkitema conceived the design based on the principle of a supported forest-like grid of columns in a fixed, modular system. This supports high ceilings lined with Troldtekt acoustic wood-wool panels to create quiet and attractive leaning areas.

Pernille Svendsen of Arkitema Learning is very pleased with the acoustic solution, comprising fine surface wood-wool panels. She comments: “I think that the Troldtekt ceilings are a wonderful match for the wooden structures and the many interior elements in wood. Troldtekt is both an acoustic solution and also suits the overall design catalogue for the school. The panels have a surface that is a bit rough, but in a good way. A school shouldn’t look too fine and polished. It should signal that it can withstand use, hanging things up, exhibiting and moving around. There’s room for change here.”

Founded on the Cradle to Cradle design concept, Troldtekt’s natural and inherently-sustainable panels are available in a variety of different surfaces and colours and contribute positively to a building’s BREEAM, DGNB and LEED ratings.

www.troldtekt.co.uk 01978 664255 info@troldtekt.co.uk

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ROOFING, CLADDING FOCUS & INNOVATION & INSULATION

HOW CONVENIENT ARE PUBLIC CONVENIENCES? Public toilets have long held a certain notoriety. Originally designed for convenience to provide comfort outside of the home, today’s reality is very different. Far from offering ‘amenities’ and ‘comfort breaks’, they are often unhygienic, uninspiring and unappealing – the antithesis of what is required of public washrooms.

As we finally return to shared spaces, it’s time to address this lack of comfort and place a renewed emphasis on hygiene when refurbishing communal washrooms and designing public facilities for offices, shopping centres, restaurants and transport hubs.

Great expectations Nowadays, public washroom users expect cleanliness, aesthetic designs and comfort in terms of touch-free water and soap delivery, and full temperature control. The facility manager demands reliable, safe and hygienic products, in addition to water and energy savings. The installer, for his part, looks for easy

installation and reduced maintenance. The real challenge is meeting everyone’s expectations.

DELABIE’s new range of BINOPTIC mixers and taps, with coordinating accessories, weaves an elegant link between design, functionality, hygiene and comfort. The company’s product designers combined form and function to deliver sleek profiles in matte black, which withstand intensive daily use yet retain their elegant looks.

Touch-free taps Completely touch-free, the user can wash, soap, rinse and dry their hands without touching any surfaces. However, hygiene runs deeper, with key features to reduce

water stagnation and limit bacterial development, such as an automatic duty flush, a smooth interior with low water capacity and a reducedstagnation solenoid valve.

Mixer versions also have a side lever to adjust the water temperature with a maximum limiter to prevent scalding.

User comfort is assured.

Specifying BINOPTIC taps in public washrooms guarantees sustainability.

They avoid unnecessary waste, activating only when a user is detected, and closing when their presence is no longer detected. The flow rate is 3lpm, but can be set as low as 1.5lpm to meet water efficiency standards. Reducing water usage also impacts energy consumption. If less hot water is used, less energy is required to heat it.

Keeping it simple DELABIE’s taps and soap dispensers are batteryoperated and, since they need no electrical connection, they are simple to install.

Maintenance for the electronic taps is also less onerous, assisted by LED diagnostic aids. Parts are standardised and they can be easily accessed without isolating the water supply since the mechanism, solenoid valve and battery are integrated within the body.

As footfall increases, and since hand hygiene has become second nature, the fittings in public washrooms must be resilient. BINOPTIC taps feature shock-resistant mechanisms and sensors, housed in a solid brass body.

The taps and soap dispensers also feature anti-blocking, which ensures that no water or soap is delivered if the sensor is permanently covered.

The matte black range from DELABIE offers a stylish solution to fulfil the complex demands on modern washrooms. Specifically designed for public and commercial places, it delivers user comfort, reduces waste, controls consumption and contributes to good hygiene practices, and all delivered in a stylish package.

www.delabie.co.uk 01491 824449

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ENERGYS GROUP COMPLETES OVER 70 LED LIGHTING PROJECTS AS PART OF PSDS SCHEME Energys Group, one of the UK’s leading decarbonisation delivery companies, has calculated that it has been responsible for the delivery of approximately 20% of the total spend on lighting upgrades as part of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).

FOCUS & INNOVATION

The company, which is based in West Sussex, was involved in over 70 projects that were given the go-ahead under PSDS, equating to a total value of around £6m.

The company estimates that it supplied and installed around 50,000 new light fittings and sensor controls as part of the PSDS projects. Products specified include a variety of Energys’ latest LED solutions, including IntelliDim smart luminaires that can be commissioned via a smartphone app that allows the commissioning of precise light levels and occupancy parameters. In general, installations using IntelliDim can expect to register between 20 and 40% extra savings on top of those normally seen when upgrading from traditional lamps to LEDs. First announced in September 2020, the UK Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme entailed a £1bn fund being made available for public sector energy reduction projects. The primary objective of PSDS was to help decarbonise heating. This meant all applications had to include a heat decarbonisation plan or an element of heating decarbonisation. The scheme also made funds available for other energy-efficient technologies that can make a real difference to carbon and energy cost reduction – including LED lighting.

Energys Group Managing Director, Kevin Cox, comments: “We’re all delighted to have played such an active – and significant – part in supporting the Government’s decarbonisation goals. The response from end-users – teachers, pupils, estates staff – to the new lighting technology has been uniformly positive, while the forecast of carbon emission reductions – approximately 75% at each upgraded facility – speaks for itself.”

www.energysgroup.com 01403 786212 kevin.cox@energysgroup.com

DEANESTOR AWARDED CONTRACT FOR BRIGHTON 3TS HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT

F. BALL LAUNCHES F58 PLUS LVT ADHESIVE F. Ball and Co.’s new Styccobond F58 PLUS is a fast-drying, fibre-reinforced, pressure-sensitive adhesive that is ideal for the installation of LVT floorcoverings.

Its fast-drying formulation enables LVT tiles and planks to be secured from just five minutes following application of the adhesive, allowing for a much speedier installation time. Commenting on the new adhesive, Sales Director Darren Kenyon said: “Styccobond F58 PLUS offers greater flexibility to suit contractors’ needs and preferences, allowing early installation of LVT tiles to significantly reduce waiting time while the adhesive dries and minimising the downtime that areas are out of commission. High coverage rates delivered by each tub of adhesive also represents great value for money.”

www.f-ball.co.uk 01538 361633 mail@f-ball.co.uk

Main contractor Laing O’Rourke has awarded the £1.5m furniture and fit-out contract for the first phase of the £485m 3Ts redevelopment of Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton to Deanestor, a leading fit-out specialist. Deanestor will manufacture around 17,000 items of furniture for the project and will be fitting-out 2000 rooms across the new, purpose-designed, 11-storey building. The bespoke joinery package includes a stunning 6m-diameter main hospital reception desk for welcoming patients and visitors, and using natural walnut hardwood and veneers. 35 nurse stations and staff bases with solid surface finishes and wood grain fascias will be manufactured and installed across the building, together with 40 touchdown bases providing staff with convenient additional workspaces in the clinical areas.

www.deanestor.co.uk/healthcare

01623 420041

enquiries@deanestor.com

VENT-AXIA’S LO-CARBON POZIDRY COMPACT PRO COMBATS MOULD Ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia has supplied its Lo-Carbon PoziDry Compact Pro to successfully tackle persistent condensation and mould in a social housing property. The housing association selected the PoziDry Compact Pro for a flat which had mould in the bedroom and living room. The unit was chosen since it is the ideal solution for combating condensation and mould in problem properties without a loft. Prior to the installation of the Lo-Carbon PoziDry Compact Pro in the property, there was no ventilation. The unit was installed in the flat’s cloakroom and has successfully eliminated the ongoing condensation and mould problem. This is not only protecting the building’s structure but will also positively impact the inhabitant’s health by improving their indoor air quality.

www.vent-axia.com

0344 856 0590

info@vent-axia.com

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FOCUS & INNOVATION

Over time, water damage and mould can affect wooden worktops, especially around areas like the sink, so prevention is better than cure. To keep wooden worktops at their best, treat with Osmo TopOil. Newly-oiled wooden surfaces using TopOil require approximately two to three weeks to completely cure and harden properly before normal usage.

The key benefit for worktop use is that TopOil is extremely water repellent, helping to make surfaces more durable. It is resistant to common liquid spillages such as water, juice, tea and wine, making it ideal for the kitchen. It has a microporous, breathable finish that does not crack, peel or flake. Using the product regularly can prolong the life of your worktop, so you won’t need to replace it.

Treating your worktop

REPLENISH AND RENEW WITH OSMO Wooden worktops look stunning in almost all kitchen styles and colours, offering a warm and stylish finish and timeless appeal. Like all kitchen surfaces, worktops take the brunt of the wear and tear in a busy home, so they need to be cared for properly.

To get the best performance from TopOil, you need to get an optimal volume of this hard wax oil into the fibres of the wood. To help with performance on worktops, the wood will normally require the surface to be sanded to a maximum of a P150 grit grade (depending on the wood species).

To deliver the ideal amount of the finish into the absorbent wood surface, it’s recommended to apply the first coat thinly along the wood grain with an Osmo microfibre roller, flat brush or oil finish applicator fleece. Allow to dry for approximately eight to 10 hours and ventilate the room well while drying. Then, apply the second coat with an Osmo oil finish applicator fleece or a lint-free cloth.

It is possible to spot sand and repair any watermarks. It’s necessary to use the same finish sanding grade to sand back, then retreat those spot areas using the same application technique originally carried out. Once these areas have been allowed to dry, apply a little more oil to build up some protection. Use an Osmo applicator fleece/pad for this procedure.

Finally, care must be taken with the cleaning and maintenance of the TopOil. For regular cleaning (perhaps daily or weekly), this should ideally be carried out with products like Osmo Wash and Care or Osmo Spray Cleaner. These products clean the surface without breaking down the natural oils and wax in Osmo finishes.

The soaps within these products contain a tiny amount of natural oil to help nourish the surface over time. Products, such as washing up liquid, are designed to strip away oils and waxes, therefore, the finish will require topping up if there is high exposure. You could top up thinly with a cloth to the clean, dry surface using Osmo TopOil or Osmo Maintenance Oil products.

Osmo Maintenance Oil is very practical as it is much thinner than TopOil, and there is less risk of building up too much wax on surrounding treated areas.

With the right care, Osmo TopOil can enhance the natural beauty of your wooden worktop and keep it looking new for many years to come.

www.osmouk.com 01296 481220 info@osmouk.​com

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AKW BATHROOM LIGHTING RANGE HELPS THOSE WITH DEMENTIA AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENT The bathroom is one of the most challenging and dangerous places for a person with dementia or visual impairment.

Research has highlighted that people with dementia are twice as likely to fall as others in the same age bracket, with these falls resulting in significantly higher mortality rates. However, addressing something as small as the choice of a bathroom’s lighting can help reduce those falls.

www.akw-ltd.co.uk/lighting

FOCUS & INNOVATION

To meet this need, AKW, a leading provider of accessible home solutions, has recently launched its occupational therapist-specified bathroom taskfocused lighting range into the care sector. According to Occupational Therapist Kate Sheehan, Director of The OT Service, extra task-focused lighting in the bathroom can significantly increase bathroom safety for residents, particularly those with dementia or sight loss, which is why Kate first suggested and then helped design the AKW range.

Stuart Reynolds, Head of Product and Marketing at AKW, explains further: “Kate and a number of other experts in dementia and visual impairment advised us that almost all the care bathrooms they see have inadequate lighting, with shadows, glare and dark areas. Although a single centrally-located LED light may be fine for someone who only has reduced mobility, it very rarely provides enough light for those with dementia and/or sight loss.”

AKW’s Task Focused Lighting can be bought as single lights or as a kit, containing five narrow beam (30°) ceiling LED task lights and accessories including a blue pull cord switch. AKW’s task lighting kit has been designed to give just the right type and quantity of lights to illuminate an 8 x 6ft bathroom space. Additional lights can be purchased for larger bathroom spaces. The ideal layout for the task lighting, as advised by Sheehan, is to have the five task lights placed directly over the shower area, the toilet and washbasin. This helps residents to locate shower controls and toilet flushes easily, as well as to make grooming tasks easier to perform.

01905 823299

TRITON2 MASTER KEY SYSTEM HELPS TRANSFORM ACCESS MANAGEMENT AT BATH NHS TRUST

INTERFACE CONTINUES JOURNEY TO BECOME A CARBON-NEGATIVE ENTERPRISE BY 2040 Interface, a worldwide commercial flooring company and global leader in sustainability, has announced that all carpet tile products made in its European manufacturing facilities from September 2021 features its CQuestBio backing that contains carbon negative materials. CQuestBio is the company’s new non-bitumen, bio-composite backing innovation made with bio-based materials and recycled fillers, which are net carbon negative. Customers who specify Interface carpet tiles with CQuestBio will be able to further support their own sustainability goals with even lower carbon footprint products in their spaces while achieving the same level of flooring performance.

www.interface.com 0800 313 4465 interface.uk@interface.com

The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust is the latest healthcare site to benefit from Triton2, a patented, high-security master key system from ASSA ABLOY, delivering assured security and key control. One of the key features of Triton2 is its long-lasting patent protection. Guarding against unauthorised and 3D key copying, Triton2 is patented until 2036 for guaranteed peace of mind. Keys can only be cut by registered dealers, maintaining a high level of security should a key ever be misplaced. With built-in anti-pick, anti-pull, anti-drill and anti-bump protection, the system’s cylinders exceed the requirements of BS EN 1303:2015, meeting the highest standards for physical security.

www.assaabloyopeningsolutions.co.uk/triton 0845 223 2124 aass-forum@assaabloy.com

PREMIER MODULAR ACHIEVES BOPAS ACCREDITATION FOR ITS OFFSITE SOLUTIONS Premier Modular, one of the UK’s leading offsite specialists, has achieved BOPAS accreditation for its modular living solutions, following its expansion into the residential sector. BOPAS – the Buildoffsite Property Assurance Scheme – is the industry benchmark to give funders, principal mortgage lenders, valuers and purchasers the confidence that homes built using offsite construction will have a life of at least 60 years. It also demonstrates the integrity of the offsite system, consistent delivery and long-term performance to specification.

Premier specialises in the offsite construction of affordable, sustainable and fast-track apartments, studios and multi-occupancy buildings for social housing, build-to-rent, schemes to address homelessness, hotels and student accommodation.

www.premiermodular.co.uk

0800 316 0888

info@premiermodular.co.uk

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DOUBLE SIDED, ACID ETCHED DECORATIVE GLASS We are pleased to announce this new product

NOW IN STOCK

LATTICE

FROST • • • • • • • • •

Balustrades Walls / partitions Office enclosures Shower screens Interior / exterior doors 10mm thickness Low iron Toughened Laminated

MIRAGE Call us for more information 01708 374534 email sales@firmanglass.com or visit www.firmanglass.com Firman Glass, 19 Bates Road, Harold Wood, Romford, Essex RM3 0JH