HOME-DESIGNER AND ARCHITECT
MAGAZINE decemBER 2014
Surface Design Show 2015 PAGE 14
Kentish Town Flat Conversion PAGE 18
Contemporary proposal for narrow East London plot of land page 10
DANISH COLLECTABLES PAGE 12
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HOME-DESIGNER AND ARCHITECT
CONTENTS DECEMBER 2014
04 12 16 20 26 32 34 38 40 42 44
Industry News Classic Furniture Events & Exhibitions Bathrooms & Washrooms Doors & Windows Brickwork & Paving Timber & Joinery Industry News Lighting & Electrical Heating & Ventilation Kitchens
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INDUSTRY News
Fosters teams up with Skanska on 3D concrete printing venture Cutting-edge 3D printing technology pioneered by Loughborough University Skanska has launched a 3D concrete printing venture in collaboration with Loughborough University and architecture practice Foster & Partners. Skanska has signed an agreement to use 3D concrete printing technology, under licence, developed by engineers at Loughborough University.
Pay packets not matching firms' optimism, RIBA survey finds Practices say salary hopes being dashed by pressures on margins Architects hoping to cash in on their employers’ optimism about future workloads are being told there is no money for pay rises, a RIBA survey has said. While turnovers may be heading north, salaries are bumping along with practice bosses blaming pressures on profit margins for keeping hold of the purse strings.
The 3D concrete printers are fitted to a gantry and a robotic arm and are currently in second-generation form.
Last month just 12% of respondents said they were underemployed in October – the lowest since the survey began back in January 2009.
The printer deposits a high-performance concrete under computer control and works by laying down successive layers of concrete until the entire object is created.
RIBA director of practice Adrian Dobson said this meant staff were feeling more confident about expecting pay rises.
The printer can make things which cannot be manufactured by conventional processes such as complex structural components, curved cladding panels and architectural features.
But he said: “Margins on projects often remain very tight. This in turn is sometimes making it difficult for practices to meet salary expectations for staff in a tightening employment market.”
The aim of the initial 18-month development programme is to develop the world’s first commercial concrete printing robot. Skanska is working with a number of collaborators, including Foster & Partners, robotics firm ABB and aggregates suppliers Buchan Concrete and Lafarge Tarmac. Skanska hopes to develop a 3D printing supply chain. Rob Francis, Skanska’s director of innovation and business improvement, said: “3D concrete printing, when combined with a type of mobile prefabrication centre, has the potential to reduce the time needed to create complex elements of buildings from weeks to hours.
Dobson said that long-term nervousness about the economy could also be hitting wage rises. “Although we have seen several months of improving levels of work in progress, it does remain noticeable that many practices feel that they still cannot forecast future workloads beyond a fairly short time horizon, and while the overall sentiment remains very positive there remains significant uncertainty about longer-term prospects.”
“We expect to achieve a level of quality and efficiency which has never been seen before in construction.” A team in the School of Civil and Building Engineering at Loughborough, led by Dr Richard Buswell and Professor Simon Austin, have worked on the development of 3D printing technology for the construction industry since 2007.
Sellar hunts for architect for £600m Paddington job Shard developer believes Paddington site has similarities with London Bridge The developer behind London’s Shard skyscraper, Sellar, has begun searching for a design team to work up plans for its next major development, a £600 million mixeduse redevelopment of a Royal Mail site in Paddington, west London. Sellar has begun approaching practices to bid for the role of architect on the project, with the appointment expected in the first quarter of next year. The developer will work with the design team
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on an outline planning application for the 0.5ha former sorting office site, which is expected to be submitted as early as the end of 2015. Sellar was appointed development manager on the scheme last month by the site’s Singaporean investor owners, Hotel Properties and Anchorage View. Royal Mail will hand over the site next month, paving the way for demolition of the existing buildings to begin early next year. Sellar intends to work up fresh designs for the site, replacing earlier designs by Royal Mail
and Fletcher Priest Architects for a mixed-use scheme, which won planning consent in 2012. A source close to the project told BD’s sister title Building it was likely to comprise around 70,000sq m of space, with a construction value of between £250-300 million and a development value of between £500-600 million. The source said Sellar was hunting for consultants who could integrate the site more closely with Paddington station’s railway, Underground and forthcoming Crossrail services.
INDUSTRY News Springburn Winter Gardens winners announced Part IIs take first prize in Glasgow ideas competition Cass graduates James Hand and Nik Klahre have won the Glasgow Institute of Architects competition to find a future for the city’s derelict Springburn Winter Gardens. The pair were picked from a shortlist of five teams in the open contest that attracted 25 entries. They win £1,000 while second-placed City of Play Design receives £500 and third-placed Ruggero Lancia – an architect and research fellow at Glasgow University – will get £250. The shortlist also included Scottish practice David Tinto and Sheffield’s WAP Architects. Hand and Klare said: “We are both thrilled to have been selected as winners. It’s especially meaningful for us as the result has come from a public vote. “We look forward to helping the Springburn Winter Garden Trust work toward the future revival of the Winter Gardens and hope it will once again become a cherished and animated part of the community.” The competition sought ideas for an interactive intervention just outside the dangerous structure to encourage the telling of oral histories gathered through community engagement. The site’s landscaping was also part of the brief. Every entrant provided a computer-generated model which was 3D digitally printed and then taken on tour round the area. More than 300 visitors to the exhibition voted for their favourite. Since the competition was launched Glasgow council has provided funds to stop the derelict structure deteriorating further. Community involvement is said to be central to the chances of saving the 1900 Winter Gardens, the last-surviving civic building in Springburn in northern Glasgow.
Smart planning agents can manipulate system, City Hall told ‘Pendulum has swung quite far allowing developers to get away with what they want,’ says councillor Legislation allowing the mayor of London to intervene in planning wrangles is open to manipulation by smart developers and their agents, the London Assembly has been told. “The process is very easily capable of being manipulated by skilful developers’ agents,” said Mike Franks, chairman of the Mount Pleasant Association. The community activist, a trained architect and planner, was speaking at a City Hall scrutiny debate this week on the mayor’s record of calling in planning applications. One of the most notorious of these was Royal Mail’s application for Mount Pleasant, designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley, Allies & Morrison, Wilkinson Eyre and AHMM. James Murray, a councillor for one of the boroughs involved, said it was theoretically good that the mayor was given call-in powers in 2008 - a decision partly prompted by the long stand-off over Farrells’ plan for Lots Road power station in Chelsea.
Forensic archaeologists start sifting Mac library debris Painstaking process will inform restoration of fire-ravaged building Forensic archaeologists have begun excavating the remains of the Mackintosh Library at the Glasgow School of Art. The painstaking investigative work is part of the GSA’s research and documentation of the building after May’s fire and will help inform the restoration process. The library, one of the finest examples of art nouveau in the world, was completely destroyed, while other parts of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s 1909 west wing were “merely” damaged. The earlier wing and archives survived intact. Specialists from Kirkdale Archaeology will spend the next few weeks sifting layer by layer through the ash in the remains of the library checking for artefacts that have survived or fragments that can be conserved. “Throughout the process we will keep an archaeological record which will remain as a detailed document of where salvageable material was found [which] we hope will help inform the GSA’s restoration programme,” said Kirkdale Archaeology director Gordon Ewart. Similar work after the fire at Windsor Castle provided invaluable information for the restoration and archive teams. Substantial amounts of material were removed from the library immediately after the fire and work has recently begun sifting this for items which could be restored or conserved. Now work has also started on what Alison Stevenson, the GSA’s head of libraries, archives and collections, described as “the most complex and potentially most revealing” project in terms of conservation. “Although the library was destroyed in the fire there are significant remains which we hope will retain artefacts or fragments that will prove invaluable both in terms of our archival records and our restoration plans,” she said.
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INDUSTRY News
Pentonville tonic for Pollard Thomas Edwards Scheme will include car hire business Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects has been given planning by Islington council to turn a former car park halfway up Pentonville Road into more than 100 homes. The north London scheme, which is near the King’s Cross regeneration, will also include new offices for hire car firm Europcar and is being developed by Groveworld. Dilapidated commercial buildings will also be torn down to make way for the new homes. The design will range from five to 10 storeys while the car hire business will be on the ground floor with cars stored beneath a courtyard in a double basement. Apartments range from studio flats to large family apartments and duplex penthouses.
RIBA president's church to be replaced by Allies & Morrison Westbourne Park Baptist Church will be rebuilt with 32 flats and a library Allies & Morrison has won planning to demolish and replace a Baptist church in west London designed by a former president of the RIBA and the AA. Westbourne Park Church was designed by William Henry Ansell with Arthur Bailey in 1961. The pair collaborated on a number of churches including the striking grade II Holy Trinity Twydall Green in Kent and additions to Sheffield Cathedral. Westminster council unanimously approved Allies & Morrison’s plans to rebuild the church, providing new worship and community facilities as well as 32 homes reserved for local people. It will be the third church on the site, the corner of Porchester Road and Westbourne Park Villas in Notting Hill. A Victorian church dating from the 1870s was destroyed in the Blitz, the period when Ansell was president of the RIBA. The project involves the collaboration of the church and housing charity Dolphin Square Foundation which was established in 2005 with an endowment of £124 million with the objective of providing long-term, affordable rental housing in inner London. The scheme places the church in a basement lit by clerestory windows which will also allow passers-by to see in. A children’s library and the flats will be built above, clad in cream brickwork laid in Flemish bond with a vertical grid of white masonry reveals. The massing steps down from the main Porchester Road elevation towards the houses behind. Double-height window openings on the front and a campanile-style tower on the corner are intended to give the building civic presence and to signal its identity as a church. Jon Gooding, chief executive of Dolphin Living, said: “These 32 new homes will help working local people who are not eligible for traditional affordable housing but who are priced out of the rental market to be able to remain within Westminster and mark another step towards our target of 1,000 new homes by 2020.”
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Orms gets green light for office revamp Practice refurbishing Commonwealth House building Camden council has given Orms planning to refurbish and add another floor to a 75 year old building in central London. Commonwealth House was built in 1939 and features a prow clocktower. It was designed by Henry Philip Cart De Lafontaine and stands on the corner of New Oxford Street. As well as refurbishing the facade, Orms, whose founder Oliver Richards was pipped to the post of incoming RIBA president over the summer by Jane Duncan, will be adding a ninth floor rooftop extension for client TIAA Henderson Real Estate. Work will also involve rebuilding the seventh and eighth floors. A single office entrance will be built on New Oxford Street while a pedestrian route called Dunn’s Passage will be reinstated. According to documents submitted to Camden planners by planning consultant DP9, the building will feature nearly 12,000sq m of office space while the current ground floor retail will be ripped out and replaced by nearly 1,400sq m of new shops, restaurants and cafes. Upper floor windows will also be replaced while a flagpole will be added to the clocktower. Oriel windows will be clad in glazed green brick tiles. Some of the external facade is being replaced but officers said “in the long term it is often in the interst of large commercial buildings such as this to be refurbished comprehensively in one go”. The application was carried by 10 votes to 1. Work on the building, which is currently occupied, is due to start next summer.
INDUSTRY News Brits dominate winners in Czech housing contest Three-quarters of slected architects are from UK Coffey Architects, Duggan Morris and Haptic are among the architects appointed to work on residential projects for a €400 million development near Prague. Hall McKnight and Eldridge Smerin were also selected from the shortlist in a competition organised by Malcolm Reading Consultants. In all seven UK and three Czech practices were successful. John Pardey and McGarry-Moon complete the list from the UK along with Czech architects ADR, AI Design and Cigler Morani. Unsuccessful shortlisted practices included Peter Barber, James Gorst, Nord, Piercey & Co and David Mikhail. The winners will each design some of the 220 residential units at Oaks Prague, a highend “residential and lifestyle development” outside the Czech capital which will also include a golf course, hotel and spa.
Garden Bridge attacked as ‘luvvies’ folly’ A campaign group opposed to plans to build Thomas Heatherwick’s Garden Bridge in central London has described it as a “luvvies’ folly”. The bridge has been championed by actress Joanna Lumley but Thames Central Open Space (TCOS) has said the project, which is now expected to cost £175 million, should be scrapped. It scraped through a Lambeth planning hearing last week by four votes to three. The proposed bridge, designed by Heatherwick Studio with engineer Arup and gardener Dan Pearson, would span the Thames from the South Bank, in the
Heatherwick takes ‘garden on river’ idea to New York Designer unveils Manhattan park on stilts Heatherwick Studio has been appointed to design a new park on stilts in Manhattan’s Hudson River. The concept images for the $130 million park on the Lower West Side show an amphitheatre, trees, lawns and paths winding up grassy inclines. The 1ha attraction, designed in collaboration with landscape architect Mathews Nielsen, will stand between the pile fields of Piers 54 and 56 near the High Line. The decaying pier – designed by Grand Central station architect Warren & Wetmore – will be demolished but the timber piles will be retained as a maritime habitat. Pier 54 was where Titanic survivors disembarked from their rescue ship in 1912. Most of the money will come from the Diller-von Furstenburg Family Foundation (DVFFF), set up by fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and her husband movie mogul Barry Diller who described working on the concept as “sheer fun, strife, stimulation and joy”. The couple have teamed up with the Hudson River Park Trust to create Pier 55 Inc, a non-profit organisation, which will build and operate the park. Its board includes several film directors including Stephen Daldry, the man behind Billy Elliot.
He said his enthusiasm held “no bounds” and praised the “tremendous ambition of Heatherwick’s wonderful park”. He added: “Pier 54 was held in great affection by many New Yorkers, with its diverse history of concerts, performances, gatherings and chaos. The chance to rebuild, to reinvent, and crucially to reimagine the old pier as Pier 55 is a true gift.” Heatherwick said: “When I was little I used to come to Manhattan to visit my great aunt who lived here and never forgot being driven down the West Side Highway and seeing the fields of disused pile heads sticking out of the river. “All these years later, my studio and I are honoured to now be growing another set of river piles in the midst of these historic ones to hold up a new phenomenal public park with special spaces for performances.” The City of New York will contribute $17 million and New York State will provide $18 million to build an expanded public esplanade on the shore, near the Meatpacking District. Under a 20-year lease, Pier 55 will fund programming, operations and day-to-day maintenance. During the lease, the backers said they were “committed to providing maximum public access, including during most performances”.
borough of Lambeth, to the roof of Temple Tube station in Westminster. But a spokesman for the lobby group said: “The thousands of local residents, many in social housing, will have their lives blighted. One of Europe’s great promenades and riverscapes will be lost forever – for a luvvies’ folly which provides less than half a football pitch of green open space. We look forward to a legal challenge being mounted against Lambeth’s half-baked decision.”
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INDUSTRY News Mayor interrogated about Crystal Palace briefs Green Party challenges Boris over ‘sidelined’ masterplan Leading Green Party politician Darren Johnson is demanding the mayor of London release the briefs given to two architects working on projects around Crystal Palace. Architecture 00 and GT Architects have both been commissioned by the GLA to work on separate schemes. 00 is exploring future regeneration opportunities in Upper Norwood, Anerley and Penge while GT has drawn up a design concept for the National Sports Centre which is out for public consultation until Sunday. Crystal Palace Park is also the subject of a £500 million plan to rebuild Paxton’s historic palace, with a shortlist featuring Haworth Tompkins and Zaha Hadid.
all the consultants including 00 and GT, which is working with communications firm CSM. He has also urged the mayor to review his approach to the Crystal Palace area. Johnson, twice the Greens’ mayoral candidate for London, said: “I’ve heard from countless angry residents who feel that the mayor is imposing one flawed grand project after another on them, with no coherent vision for Crystal Palace Park or the wider area. “He should publish the briefs he is giving to consultants to reshape the area, and come clean about how plans to demolish the athletics facilities, build a major commercial development on the park’s hill top, and regenerate the area relate to one another.”
Johnson criticised the lack of central vision and transparency which has caused anger in the community. He has tabled a series of questions for Boris Johnson to answer at the next Mayor’s Question Time at City Hall on November 19. These include a demand that Boris publish the briefs handed to
Sheppard Robson wins planning for office replacement Sheppard Robson has won planning for a 10-storey office block beside one of west London’s busiest transport interchanges. Its proposal for 245 Hammersmith Road includes 22,500sq m of office space and 1,200sq m of retail and restaurant space. The building, situated in the borough’s main office district beside the gyratory leading to the A4, will replace a 1980s building known as Bechtel House which was formerly home to TV channels Dave and Gold. The new design reduces the mass of the existing development by forming the building from two parallel wings that are connected by a central core. They will also be set back from the road behind a new plaza leading into a podium garden which is accessed by an 8m funicular. Other features which are intended to make the scheme more welcoming to the community include a public cafe and business lounge on the ground floor. The external façade has angled anodised aluminium windows to minimise solar gain and which the architect said were a response to the terracotta brick of the adjacent conservation area. Mark Kowal from Sheppard Robson said: “The ambition and drive behind this project is to create a significant piece of contemporary architecture and a sense of place that responds to the adjacent Brook Green conservation area while also helping embed this new development within its surroundings. “Through rethinking the form of the building we have created a sequence of outdoor spaces that connect the building to Hammersmith Road as well as unlocking the potential of the central garden space which is currently underused.” The architect is now working on completing the detailed design before work starts on site next year. The building is due to be completed in summer 2017.
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INDUSTRY News New Covent Garden scheme approved London office building work slides Three year low recorded after Cheesegrater and Walkie Talkie complete
Work to complete the Cheesegrater and Walkie Talkie Towers has been blamed in part for the amount of London office work falling to a three year low. The schemes, by Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners and Rafael Viñoly, together previously accounted for a third of all office space under construction in the capital.
Work on £2 billion project expected to start by middle of next year SOM and BDP’s £2 billion redevelopment of New Covent Garden Market has been given the green light from Wandsworth council – despite ongoing worries over the height of some of the scheme’s buildings. Developer St Modwen is proposing significantly higher towers than in a previously consented scheme on the site, where the tallest building was 158m. The Garden would contain 11 towers of 15 storeys or higher, with the tallest, N8, rising to 180m.
Work on the Walkie Talkie to correct the ‘heat ray’ effect, which melted cars last year, is nearly complete and the building’s sky garden is due to open in January. But figures show that wider office construction in central London has now fallen 17% compared to six months ago and is well below the long-run average of 10 million sq ft under construction.
This had attracted criticism from the GLA, neighbouring Lambeth Council and Dalian Wanda, which is developing KPF’s adjacent One Nine Elms project. English Heritage also objected, expressing “concern that these new proposals do not conform to the height guidance of c150m for tall buildings in this area”, as established by the opportunity area planning framework. But councillors voted 6 to 4 in favour of the scheme meaning work could start by the middle of next year. Bill Oliver, the chief executive of St Modwen, which is developing the scheme in a joint venture with Vinci, said: “[The] decision allows us to contribute to the long-term transformation of London’s newest residential and commercial quarter whilst securing the future of New Covent Garden Market by delivering vitally important world-class market facilities.”
Hawkins Brown sets up Manchester office Firm expects to employ a dozen staff at site Hawkins Brown has opened a new office in Manchester which it expects to house around a dozen staff. The firm’s office in London’s Saint John Street employs just over 160 people but the practice, which was founded in 1988, has decided to expand north to take advantage of increased workloads north of the M25.
year,” he added. “I think we have missed out on jobs because we didn’t have a Manchester office even though I’ve always seen us as a national practice.” Hawkins, who is from Nottingham and did his degree in Sheffield, said clients were looking outside London for new developments because the cost of land is cheaper. “We think that a lot of our knowledge is transferable across the whole of the north,” he added.
Co-founder Roger Hawkins said the firm currently has an office in He said the firm expects to carry out a number of housing and the middle of Manchester but will move into standalone premises transport schemes from the office as well as higher education and school – particularly independent schools – work. next April. It is being headed by partner Katie Tonkinson. “There is more work going on in Manchester than this time last
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Contemporary proposal for narrow East London plot of land
This proposal is for a series of dwellings in a rapidly gentrifying area of East London, and was developed for a competition. The site is a narrow strip of land owned by the Peabody Trust, which was previously occupied by garages.
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The approach was to create a contemporary London street that also has a sense of familiarity by referencing ideas from traditional housing stock. The design is conceived as a ‘miniature terrace’ and the front elevation of each house is split into three sections, each corresponding to the proportions of a typical period terraced property. The brick facade of each section is treated with a varying degree of soot wash, a finish now commonly applied to some of the finest London townhouses to replicate the character of facades from old, which had been naturally blackened by London soot.
Soot washing allows the brick and mortar to have uniform character and colour, however the varying soot finish on each section further reinforces the division and suggests the idea of each house as a terrace in miniature. A lighter timber finish at ground floor creates a continuous horizontal treatment, drawing inspiration from the continuous rusticated stucco commonly found to the ground floor of a traditional London terrace.
Services: Outline design, 3D modelling Competition entry Location: Morpeth Road, London E9 Project architect: Ben Ridley
architectureforlondon.com
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Classic Furniture
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brand of high performance concrete as well as Jotun the World’s leading manufacturer of paints, coatings and powder coatings which have been used for a number of prestigious international projects including the Returning to London’s Business Design Centre between 10-12 Eiffel Tower. February 2015, Surface Design Show is the only event in the UK that focuses solely on interior and exterior surfaces. With an There will also be a packed of events and 80% increase in exhibitor uptake the breadth of new products programme entertainment including the Preview to discover in 2015 will be astounding. Evening’s Live Debate hosted by RIBA Since its inception in 2005 the show has become the Journal on Tuesday 10 February. The destination for industry people to see, touch and explore the ever popular PechaKucha Evening latest materials for the built environment, gain new insights and will take place on Wednesday 11 February and will provide an informal network with like-minded designers, architects and suppliers. and fun presentation of inspirational Next year’s event is already proving to be a huge success. All slides for the onlooking architects of the ground floor and mezzanine has been filled with key and designers. exhibitors leading the organisers to extend the show to the BDC’s balcony area to meet the demand for space. There will be Hosted within Surface Design Show over 120 exhibitors including Mundy Veneer, specialists within and presented by Light Collective the veneer industry and the exclusive UK distributors of Tabu and the Institution of Lighting products, CD (UK) who for over 30 years have been the sole Professionals is Light School, an area dedicated to lighting. Light School distributors of Corian in the UK. is designed to educate and inspire Surface Design Show is also delighted to be welcoming new visitors about the latest in lighting exhibitors to the show including RAK Ceramics the world’s design and lighting products. largest ceramics manufacturer, Hi Con a leading European
Discover the latest innovations in surface design at
Surface Design Show 2015
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Global Color Research™ will also return to the Show. The influential consultancy and creators of colour forecasting publication MIX Magazine will work with acclaimed surface designer Giles Miller to present Colour Collaborations. This exhibit will focus on the vital colour and material trends for 2016 and their importance within design. Part of the outstanding success of the Show is the commitment to recognising excellence with the Surface Design Awards. The Awards recognise examples of progressive design and the use of innovative surfaces in projects both in the UK and internationally. The Awards presentation will take place on Thursday 12 February 2015, the last day of Surface Design Show. Registration to attend is free for professional visitors via the Show website: www.surfacedesignshow.com @surfacethinking #SDS15
Events & Exhibitions
SHOWING OFF AT THE JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW The all-new 2015 January Furniture Show will be a three-day event held from Tuesday January 13 until Thursday January 15 in five packed halls at the Birmingham NEC and is a must-attend event for interior designers, buyers and specifiers who are looking to see an array of furniture and lifestyle companies. Supported by many of the furnishing sector’s biggest and best known names, the January Furniture Show will play host to companies such as Duresta, Greenapple, Parker Knoll, Gascoigne Design, Ercol, Wade, Collins & Hayes, Iain James, Tetrad, Henderson Russell and Alexander & James. They will be joined by major suppliers from France, Italy, Germany and the Far East who will all be showcasing their latest products and developments in the home and gift sector. Said Laraine Janes and Theresa Raymond, co-directors of the January Furniture Show: “For those who have a business in the gift or home furnishing market, this show provides the ideal opportunity to view new products. It’s the first opportunity of the season to see a selection of the very latest new and exclusive launches, with a strong emphasis on home and lifestyle.” Here’s a taster of what to expect: Ancient Mariner Furniture offer a stylish vintage leather chair, hand aged to give it an authentic look, also made in a button back version. Well known brand Baker Furniture will be exhibiting several new collections including new additions to the highly popular reclaimed ranges. They will also be exhibiting established ranges including the Salisbury range, made from solid timber painted with oak tops. Ercol launch the Bianco dining collection - A casual kitchen dining and occasional collection, painted in a contemporary chalk white complemented with matt lacquered solid oak table and cabinet tops for a modern country look. Bucking the trend in the reproduction traditional furniture cabinet market, Iain James will again be featuring their successful collections of Burr Walnut occasional and dining ranges, along with selected feature pieces of Burr Oak, Mahogany and Japanese Ash.
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Serving independent retailers, select department stores, interior designers and garden centres, Libra has one of the largest and most diverse collections of interior design accessories, homeware, giftware, lighting, furniture and wall décor in Europe and will be featuring a number of its products on its stand. European based designer and manufacturer of luxury, decorative products Piaggi Art & Living uses sophisticated but eco-friendly materials such as solid wood and art glass to form intricate and contemporary patterns and shapes in its mosaic mirrors, glass art panels, and uniquely designed furniture. For over 45 years, Tetrad have been hand crafting high quality classic furniture which has taken its place in homes throughout the UK and abroad. The January Furniture Show 2015 will run midweek from Tuesday January 13 to Thursday 15 and be located in Halls 1-3 and The Pavilion. The 2016 show will run for three days from Sunday 24 Tuesday 26 January. For further information and a full list of exhibitors visit www.januaryfurnitureshow.com
Register FREE Online
Kentish Town
5 Flat Conversion NW5 2PM Architects T: 020 7604 4339 (or) 020 7193 5865 studio@2pm-architects.co.uk | www.2pm-architects.co.uk
2PM Architects were appointed to produce detailed design drawings for the conversion of this warehouse space in Kentish Town, NW5 into a contemporary high-end flat. Works were completed on site in Summer 2014. Warehouse Flat Conversion, Kentish Town 2PM Architects design for this flat conversion project was conceived to retain the character of the existing building and add to it with a contemporary new living space. The original brickwork walls are exposed and retained internally, as are the steel windows. Period style radiators have been added to the space, supplied through a new energy efficient heating system. The layout of the flat is centred around the main living space and kitchen, with new bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms at either end. Architectural Finishes High quality finishes have been specified throughout the flat, including a new engineered floor, minimal framed sliding doors and designer electrical
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accessories and light fittings. These contemporary additions are selected to complement the industrial aesthetic of the existing building – the lights for example, flood the exposed concrete ceilings and original beams, giving the space texture and character. Bespoke Kitchen and Bathrooms The kitchen has been individually designed to suit the space and conceals the new boiler and services as well as providing storage and a well proportioned cooking area. Each of the bathrooms has been carefully designed to complete the refurbishment, including a steam room shower to one of the ensuites, with remote steam controls, and lighting.
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Bathrooms & Washrooms
5 Tips for Making Small Bathrooms Feel Big When you’re limited for space in your bathroom, it can feel impossible to fit everything in, but you can still conjure up elegant, yet functional space.
Get rid of the clutter Toiletries, bottles, children’s toys and ornaments all make small spaces feel even smaller. Store all of these things away – out of sight in a cabinet somewhere. It will have an immediate impact. Limit yourself to a few choice things which complement each other, and your bathroom. Place them somewhere visible, but out of the way e.g. a window ledge or on a shelf.
Keep the designs to a minimum The same logic behind de-cluttering your bathroom applies to the designs you should choose to use. A small bathroom is best suited to simple, clean lines, limited designs and contemporary features, so hold yourself back from complicated patterning or art work and go for a simple finish, such as natural stone tiles on the walls and floor.
Let there be light Light levels probably influence people’s perception of space more than anything else. Sunlight reflecting off walls and surfaces creates the impression that a room is bigger than it otherwise seems to be. You can take advantage of that fact by using every opportunity to have big windows or a skylight in your bathroom. But even if natural light isn’t able to reach your bathroom, there are ways to use light to show off the space. Once you’ve got light into the room, you want to let it bounce around as much as possible! Use clear glass shower screens instead of frosted glass or shower curtains. And remember, mirrors are your friend.
Take it easy on the colours The simple fact is that light shades (white, cream etc.) light up small rooms, making them feel bigger. So when you’re choosing paint colours or picking out tiles remember: lighter is better! If you honestly cannot do without colour, you can use coloured mosaic tiles to set a colour scheme, and then use colour coordinated things like towels and bottles to tie the room together.
Storage is your friend There’s a huge variety of bathroom furniture available which has been designed for extra storage space with smaller bathrooms in mind. Corner basins and units can be ideal ways to increase your storage capacity without intruding too much into your bathroom. Another tip: Raising your bathroom furniture off the floor creates the illusion of more floor space, so going for wall-mounted basin could be an ideal way to maintain the illusion of a bigger bathroom. If you’re looking for more ways optimise your bathroom space, you’ll find loads of inspiration on Victoria Plumb’s Love Bathrooms site.
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Bathrooms (even the smallest ones) have the potential to be superb, modern rooms. Some simple design tricks, suitable furniture choices and the right accessories can create your ideal space.
Introducing our new black shower enclosures : Zephyros At Novellini we understand that you desire something more individual than just a shower room. That’s why we created a comprehensive Glass, Wetroom and tray brochure that features a range of both stylish and practical solutions. Zephyros is one of latest ranges that are both practical and stylish, Featuring many options including our New Matt Black Enclosures Working with Novellini allows you the freedom to create a truly individual showering experience every time.
www.novellini.com | info-uk@novellini.com
bathrooms & washrooms
AKW EXPANDS LARENCO® RANGE TO ACHIEVE OPTIMUM FLEXIBILITY Independent living solutions provider AKW, now offers customers further flexibility after expanding its existing range of Larenco® Glass Screens with its innovative Modular Glass Screen System.
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lean and ontemporary in appearance, the Larenco® Glass Screen range takes aesthetics and performance a step further. Boasting more than 800 configurations and a variety of door types for tray and wet floor installations, the expanded range provides an array of options to create a stylish and functional space. The new addition of the Larenco® modular glass screen system provides greater access, more options and versatility to ensure there is a model to suit all requirements. Through its fixed panels and shower doors, both of which are available to be configured within an enclosure, the range provides installers with the ability to create additional space within the bathroom and opt for inline or side panels. Three types of Larenco® doors have also been developed, with
each new model compatible with all other Larenco® doors, fixed inline panels and fixed side panels. The Single Door offers the clean look of a single glass door, while the Bi-Fold Door splits vertically and folds in on itself, allowing unobstructed access, and easy installation in smaller bathrooms.
Duolinx
Spring operated handle.
The Duo and Duo Care Door split horizontally, making them ideal for those requiring easy access for carers, and with AKW’s unique spring-operated Duolinx® handles mean an easy open and close is always achieved for user or carer. The handles are springoperated and connect the top and bottom door sections ensuring that the screens are easily opened and closed, providing more flexibility. Both the Bi-Fold and the Duo Care glass screens feature strong magnetic seals to aid water retention. Additionally, the Duo
Care glass screen includes a 6mm lightweight clear toughened glass for added safety. Incorporating the latest glass protection technology, Stay Clear coating, Larenco® Glass Screens are easy to clean and maintain to a high standard. Stay Clear coating reduces water spots caused by limescale and mineral deposits and keeps bacteria growth to a minimum, resulting in the pristine finish of the screen being retained.
AKW Shower Set VM0195
Stuart Reynolds of AKW, said: “The expanded range of Larenco® Glass Screens means there are now over 800 configurations available offering our greatest selection of functional and practical living solutions. Design is an important aspect for our bathrooms and we have ensured that the latest additions to the range retain cutting-edge features, yet still provide functionality for users across the mobility spectrum.” To support its customers further, AKW has introduced the Larenco® Configurator app, offering a clever and easy-to-use tool to take you smoothly through the steps of choosing the right glass screen configuration. For more information complete range, visit www.akw-ltd.co.uk
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the
STEAM FREE MIRRORS AND WARM FLOORS TM WITH demistaTM AND Tired of peering through a steamed up mirror when applying makeup, styling hair or shaving? There is no need to wipe clear, or open windows wide on a frosty morning, when you install a self-adhesive demistaTM pad behind the mirror. Simply wire into the lighting system or use a separate switch to ensure a clear view in the steamiest of bathrooms.
Why step out of the warm bath, or shower, on to a cold floor TM when you can have the luxury of under floor comfort heating. The system is safe to use in wet areas, ideal for bathrooms, wet rooms, kitchens and other areas where water may be split. Tel: 01932 866 600 Email: sales@demista.co.uk Web: www.demista.co.uk
Bathrooms & Washrooms
Award For Axor Lamp Shower Axor LampShower takes Silver at the House Beautiful Awards 2014
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n Thursday 13th November, The Science Museum in London was the venue for the 11th annual House Beautiful Awards. Hansgrohe, the German bathroom fittings and shower specialist, was awarded the Silver Award for the Axor LampShower designed by Nendo in the category of ‘Best Bathroom Product’.
Axor Shower Products Win Innovation in Design Award Axor ShowerProducts by Front wins Gold for Innovation in Design at the Designer Kitchen and Bathroom Awards 2014
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n Wednesday 12th November, Hansgrohe, the German bathroom fittings and shower specialist, was among 400 professionals from the kitchen and bathroom industry invited to attend the annual Designer Kitchen and Bathroom Awards 2014. Held in the new venue “SuperNova” in central London the awards luncheon celebrated excellence in professional residential design and innovation in new product design. Hansgrohe was delighted to receive the Gold award for Innovation in Design in the bathroom products category for Axor ShowerProducts by Front. Twelve judges drawn from all corners of the industry recognised the design merits of Axor ShowerProducts by Front which won ahead of hundreds of entrants.
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Launched in 2013 by Axor, the designer brand of Hansgrohe SE, Axor ShowerProducts by Front allows users to experience water pathways in their original form. Designed to draw attention to the hidden aesthetics of technology in a particularly elegant way, it turns pipes, joints, valves and funnels into charming design objects. A total of five Axor products for the shower zone bear the signature of Front: a hand shower; a shower set consisting of a hand shower, a wall bar and a shower hose; an overhead shower as a ceiling or wallmounted version with two different spray types and a showerpipe consisting of a thermostat, a heightadjustable overhead shower and a hand shower.
A total of twenty two product categories were recognised for excellence in the homes and interiors market including Best Carpet, Best Lighting, Best Storage, Best Kitchen and Best Bathroom Product. A crystal glass trophy was presented to the Gold and Silver award winners in each category. Awards were presented by celebrity designers throughout the evening including TV gardener David Domoney, TV personality and builder Tommy Walsh, TV presenter and architect Oliver Heath, actress Jane Asher and interior designer Naomi Cleaver.
Editor of House Beautiful, Julia Goodwin, introduced the Awards which were presented inside the IMAX cinema of The Science Museum and for which there were over 1,000 entries from across the homes interiors sector. Famous TV presenter Nick Knowles also attended to collect his award for Favourite Home-Related Celebrity as voted by the readers of House Beautiful magazine. Martin Mongan, Managing Director, Hansgrohe UK comments, “We continue to successfully break new ground and play an active role in the design of the bathroom of the future and are delighted to be recognised for our product innovation by the judges at House Beautiful magazine.” This award for Axor LampShower joins a growing list of international accolades including the 2014 Red Dot Awards for Product Design and the Interior Innovation Award 2014
Say NO to bathroom Pull-cords Sensors can be fitted behind most materials to suit your particular dĂŠcor!
www.sensor.co.uk Tel: 01548 511498 ~ Fax: 01548 511393
Doors & Windows
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Doors & Windows
overall aesthetic.
Using rooflights to make the most of natural light
The glass on the central feature rooflight appears to disappear into the building fabric, forming a seamless integration between the glass and building envelope.
Broombank is a RIBA award winning new build house designed by SOUP architects, situated on the edge of River Alde in Suffolk. The balance architecture
between
nature
and
The brief, as stated by SOUP, was to ‘create a relaxed contemporary house within a reconsidered, “natural” landscape that blurred the site boundaries to its neighbours and adjoining marshland’. The location therefore remained a strong focal point throughout the entire project, with each aspect of the build designed to accentuate the stunning views of ‘outstanding natural beauty’. As Patrick Walls, from SOUP explains, the central motif was to ‘try and control the sense of arrival and movement through the house by creating an entrance courtyard to the front which didn’t give a direct view through to the River Alde’. He goes on to say that ‘the view is kept and created by the front entrance; you move through into the main living space which then opens out onto the wide landscape’. The property itself has been kept minimalist in style; large open space and concrete floors remain neutral in colour to further highlight the surrounding greenery. The unfolding relationship between nature and architecture is maintained through the property via the carefully positioned rooflights that allow sunlight to pervade the building. Using rooflights to make the most of natural light As part of the architects vision to incorporate as much outdoor space as possible, Glazing Vision were delighted to supply a range of bespoke rooflights to make the most of this natural source of light. The central feature Glazing Vision supplied was a Bespoke ‘Eaves’ Flushglaze Rooflight [3650mm x 1685mm]. This was positioned within the stairwell, enabling light to flood into a typically dark, enclosed space using both horizontal and vertical sections of glass. Glazing Vision’s ethos of ‘minimal framework’ made them the natural choice when it came to the roof glazing on this building. In order to achieve the goals of the design brief, the avoidance of visible framework was critical to the
As communication is essential when dealing with small details, Glazing Vision provided detailed general arrangement drawings. These included recommendations on how internal finishes might be carried out in order to minimise, and in most cases, completely hide any supporting framework. Frameless glass finishes are not always easy to achieve. One of the critical design requirements of glass used in any building project is to resist the loads created by wind pressure and snow, as this can dictate the maximum single pane size permitted before the deflection of the glass exceeds what is considered safe. Glazing Vision calculated the appropriate thickness and type of glass to meet the specified requirements. After initially assessing the unit and the deflection of glass to wind pressure, Glazing Vision felt that there might have been a risk of fracture, due to the sheer size of the horizontal pane. Refining the design for better performance The rooflight therefore had to be considered with a new specification to deliver the appropriate safety requirements. Glazing Vision’s standard glass specification of 6mm toughened glass was increased to 10mm thickness on the horizontal plane in order to minimize deflection. The eaves unit was designed in house at Glazing Vision by one of their experienced cad designers, before being expertly installed to meet the new specification. Without these revisions, further framework would have been needed to support the horizontal pane of glass; splitting the pane into two sections in order to strengthen the large unit. Ultimately, the overall flow of the glass and minimalist appearance of the property would have been interrupted. The homeowner’s requirement for a haven of peace and tranquillity was fulfilled, primarily due to the carefully planned use of light and space throughout the design build. Installing the bespoke rooflight required a high level of skill and attention to detail. Glazing Vision were able to adapt their designs to deliver the best possible performance, meet safety requirements and to achieve the desired, minimalist aesthetic. Watch the video at www.glazingvision.co.uk/broombank
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doors & windows
BROWSE, CLICK
THE DOORS ARE ON THEIR WAY For online kitchen, bedroom or bathroom doors, look no further than KBB
K
BB Replacement Doors is an on-line service supplying doors, drawer fronts and end panels for kitchens and fitted furniture from the established Bellissimo range. From the comfort of home or on the move, customers can simply select their favourite style of fitted furniture for kitchens, bedrooms or bathrooms, order online and wait for their doors to be delivered. There is also a Trade Zone for qualifying customers. It is an ideal service either for those with the skills to undertake their own project, or who want to work with trusted craftsmen but source their own product online. The Bellissimo brand has been established in the UK for six years, but represents a successful, highly-reputed business which goes back more than a decade.
Any style, any colour Customers can choose from 10 ranges, covering more than 50 styles, and more than 150 colours. If that isn’t enough, there is always KBB’s unique ColourMatch Service which covers all the RAL colours and can match any shade from the major paint manufacturers. KBB covers everything from vinyl wrapped to timber veneered doors including high gloss, matt and handleless. KBB serves customers throughout the UK, Republic of Ireland and beyond, and its industry experience means it can provide all customers with expert and professional advice, and exceptional customer care before, during and after sales. Samples can be requested to ensure the style and quality is just right.
One hour delivery timeslot KBB offers a 10-day delivery service with a 1hr delivery timeslot along with SMS text updates and confirmations, which is unrivalled in the market. KBB also takes time to check that each component is expertly packed to ensure safety in transit. With hundreds of successful deliveries to its name, from homeowners to contractors installing multiple kitchens, KBB will step up to the mark for any project. Satisfied customers This reaction from a customer in Paisley is typical: “I was very impressed with the whole service. It was very easy to use and I didn’t have to do anything. The email updates were very good, the order arrived when promised and I liked the email telling me the delivery timeslot. I would definitely recommend KBB if you are looking for replacement doors.” Another customer, this time from Chippenham, was similarly enthusiastic: “I had to pass on my delight with the service and quality of the replacement doors for our bathroom. Ordered late on Wednesday and delivered in advised timeslot the following Wednesday! I would definitely recommend KBB and use again if needed.” KBB general manager Andrew Johnston says: “Bellissimo is just the right range of products for us to supply through KBB’s online service. Their range is unmatched, and their service, including made-to-measure, has earned them a strong reputation. Customers buying doors, drawers and other elements through KBB can be assured of a great product, unbeatable choice and competitive prices, all backed by a well-established and respected brand. Ordering from KBB will be a great start to their project.” Call KBB on 0800 1124973 or go to www.kitchenbedroomdoors.com
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Doors & Windows
Husky Telescopic 80 P C Henderson extends the possibilities for partitions with the Husky Telescopic 80. For a natural modern or period look, the new Husky Telescopic 80 systems from P C Henderson allow large timber doors of up to 80kg to become neatly stacked sliding partitions. These systems use a toothed belt and pulley system to link the doors together, by moving the lead door, all of the doors travel simultaneously with minimal friction and noise. These new systems have been designed to be discreet as they require no guide channel meaning that there are no dust traps and they also make them easier to install across a variety of applications. The coveted adjustable floating guide is also a key feature of these telescopic products as there is no need to attach additional guides to the floor eliminating trip hazards. P C Henderson, leading manufacturer of sliding and folding door hardware, created the systems to allow two or three door leaves to be concealed in one wall on the same side, maximising opening space in addition to reducing the wall space required for operation. In addition to this the Husky Telescopic 80/4 system allows four doors to centrally part simultaneously and stack either side of the opening. These versatile products are also non-handed meaning only one leaf is required to be in contact with the frame and can be specified with an Anodised Aluminium or Aluminium Mill finish track.
Whether a large domestic or commercial project, customers are now able to match their practical and space saving needs for versatile room layouts with a cosy or sleek timber aesthetic. Ideal for creating both an open plan living area and closed separate rooms for warmth and privacy, the Telescopic system is yet another quality product from P C Henderson. With over 90 years’ experience, the manufacturer aims to continue providing the best service and products to meet interior design trends and technological innovations. A range of handles and accessories from P C Henderson are also available for this product including fascias, flush pulls and locks. Offering guidance to customers, Henderson’s computer based service assists in the specification of the appropriate sliding door hardware. The EXPERT service is totally free and offers fast and accurate specification and a no obligation quotation. P C Henderson is a member of the Door & Hardware Federation which represents all the key manufacturers and installers of industrial, commercial, pedestrian and garage doors and powered gates, as well as manufacturers of locks, building hardware and architectural ironmongery. To download the latest digital brochure please visit www.pchenderson.com
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doors & Windows
Welcome to Swish Design Studio Swish have launched a ground-breaking Mix & Match range with 11 exciting new finials cleverly designed to work with both 28mm and 35mm diameter poles.
esign Studio poles, finials and accessories are available in 4 finishes Graphite, Satin Steel, Antique Brass and Chrome which will complement any decor.
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The Design Studio pole kits come with a standard collar which you can choose to upgrade to either a contemporary or classic design. You can truly design your own look by following these 3 simple steps: 1. Choose your pole – length, finish and diameter 2. Select the finial that complements your look 3. Complete your design by choosing from a range of accessories including collars, rings, holdbacks and brackets. Design Studio also allows you to create a bespoke bay pole which will suit most bay windows. Design Studio Bay Poles are sold as a set in both 3 and 5m options and include 2 corner joints which can be adjusted to suit most bend configurations. Sets are available in 28mm and 35mm diameters in all 4 Design Studio finishes. Sets come complete with passing brackets, rings and joiners. For those who want to create a return bend a one bend bay pack is available as an accessory pack along with additional passing rings and brackets. Top fix passing brackets and recess brackets are also available for those more intricate installations. t30t
Stressing over the brick shortage? Our facing bricks are in stock & available
lansdowne tumbled
www.tobermore.co.uk | 0844 800 5736 |
kingston smooth
BRICKWORK & PAVING it’s impossible to know whether it has contributed to the untold suffering and exploitation of India’s stone workers and natural resources.
Design Brief: The Ethics Of Imported Stone Malcolm Gough, Business Development Director at Natural Paving Products (UK), calls for greater awareness of the unethical practices that plague the imported stone trade. The UK is now importing more stone than ever from developing economies such as India, with some serious consequences for the quality and ethics of the supply chain.
Inaccurate or even fake product labelling can also mislead specifiers about the longterm performance of products. CE Marking for example, is now a requirement for products sold in the EU, but the significant cost of becoming fully CE Marked has led some of the smaller players in the Indian stone market to apply incorrect labels to their products and pallets.
Many illegal quarries in India employ child labour, in direct contradiction of international labour standards. It’s been estimated that there are around 1 million children working in the Indian stone industry . Additionally, the environmental impact is huge, causing extensive environmental and agricultural damage.
A huge part of the problem is that the stone industry has no certification scheme to offer specifiers real assurances about products’ quality and origin. Without such measures it can be hard to make informed decisions when it comes to choosing imported stone, therefore the only way to be absolutely sure of a product’s origin is to buy from suppliers that offer genuine Declaration of Performance certification.
While the pressures of delivering projects on budget will always tempt some specifiers to choose cheap imported stone,
At Natural Paving Products, we’ve dealt with this challenge by investing in our own quarries. We now own seven Indian
Mobility Kerb Development Project Inspires New Standard Product Line For Brett
So far, the kerb style has been successfully put to use across four districts of South Yorkshire, predominantly throughout private development sites, which have and will be adopted by the local authority, as Jamie Gledhill, Northern Specification Manager at Brett Landscaping explains:
A specialist mobility kerb that has been installed across regions of South Yorkshire has proven so successful that manufacturer Brett Landscaping, has added the product within its standard paving catalogue, thus making it freely available to national developers and local authorities alike. The kerb, which features an upstand of 30mm between carriageway and footpath provides adequate channel drainage, and also aids mobility for wheelchair users and pushchairs; while a protruding lug at the rear of the kerb helps to hold it reliably in place. This subsequently provides greater stability throughout the kerb’s lifetime.
“In modifying this traditional style of kerb, we’ve developed a product that is extremely high quality, has proven capability and is also cost effective. So far, it has been introduced across adoptable roads throughout Barnsley, Doncaster & Rotherham, with the most recent installation having been completed within a private housing development by Persimmon Homes.” The Brett Landscaping kerb is also among the solutions used by Sheffield City Council Highways Adoption Group. Jamie goes on to detail why the concept for developmental improvement was made: “We felt that introducing a nib at the rear of the kerbstone would be a progressive development; one which would be beneficial, not only to aid level setting, but actually increase the longevity of the stones; as a more stable installation
quarries and are partner in two others, meaning we have full control over the products we supply from the point of extraction, to end delivery. In addition, we have recently invested in two new factories in India, which enables us to produce the design-led, sawn styles of stone that are growing in popularity throughout the UK market. We’ve also invested a significant amount of time and more than £200,000 in the process of fully CE Marking our products, which included comprehensive testing, the introduction of factory production controls and the production of a detailed Declaration of Performance (DoP) for each product. The challenges faced by the Indian stone market are not insignificant but the demand from the West will continue to grow, delivering a major boost to developing economies. Choosing to source materials from responsible suppliers with ethical trading principles, however, is the only way to ensure these benefits filtering all the way to the worker at the rock face. For more information please visit www.naturalpaving.co.uk is far less likely to be affected by potential vehicular impact.” He explains that the success of and demand for, the re-designed kerb in South Yorkshire has spurred Brett Landscaping’s impetus to feature the adapted product within its standard catalogue, and continues: “In reconfiguring this kerb solution to better mobility solutions, we have developed a more appropriate option than some of our alternative block paving kerb units, namely due to the unique rear lug element that benefits installation wherever mobility access is required. Our success in South Yorkshire has given us confidence that it is, of course, appropriate for use anywhere in the country. “Because its design makes it eminently suitable for so many applications we’ve now decided to roll the mobility kerb out into our standard Commercial Range catalogue, enabling many more contractors to gain from the improvements we’ve made in this vital area of mobility access.”
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Timber Expo
Reports Record Visitors Numbers Organisers of Timber Expo today announced the 2014 exhibition was the most successful in the event’s four year history - with over 6,000 visitors attending the show. Event Director, Loretta Sales said: “Timber Expo has grown year on year and this represents a 30% increase on the 2013 visitor numbers! There was a real buzz around the event which is
with the organisations you want to time wasting and is well worth the visit.” David Kemp, Sustainability Manager for Social Housing, Procure Plus. On behalf of TRADA, organisers of the seminar programme, Rupert Scott said: the built environment. The format went down well with visitors and all chairmen
China, Ghana, Russia, Kuwait, India, Malaysia, Canada and New Zealand. Exhibitors came from over 30 countries to showcase innovations from across the globe.” Loretta added: “This is not purely a numbers game however, and attracting the right sort of visitors is crucial, so we are delighted to report an increase
A sessions because of the great content their subject well.“ Judged by a panel of independent experts, media and industry partners - each year the Timber Expo Awards winners are:
contractors - many with live projects.”
Eco Curves by Jagram – Award for
The Structural Timber Association (STA)
Cellecta – Award for Best Shell
Timber Expo as the launch platform for their new Structural Timber magazine. With an objective to engage and inform, the magazine features in-depth case studies, introductions to structural timber solutions and articles on, for example, ‘Closing the Performance Gap.’
SIG RoofSpace – Best Custom Built Stand at the Show:
Another feature of the event hailed a great success was the Timber Buyers &
The real test of an event’s success is Timber Expo have reported that nearly 60% of exhibitors signed contracts at the show for the 2015 event, when it 07 October.
attendees is testament to this: “It’s a great event. A lot to get out at a personal level and the Buyers &
B & K Structures, the UK partner of the X-LAM Alliance said:
time. It’s very structured, well organised, I would highly recommend it.” Atit Kumar, Architecture Business Owner, Tesco Stores Ltd.
excellent opportunity to meet with both existing and future client audiences in
An excellent forum to explore ideas, innovations and an excellent event to promote a growing industry.’ Elspeth
for innovation and project involvement
“A very user friendly experience – the time at the show, allowing me to get Manager, ASDA.
This year we have met with several Architects, Engineers and Developers and discussed projects in the pipeline, large developments and live projects that are awaiting design input – for us it is an absolute vital constituent of the recommend participation, wherever you sit within the supply chain.”
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Shakespeare House Hackney, London Through its transformation of a 1930s block of
council flats in Hackney, east London, BPTW has proved that refurbishment need not be a second-class citizen.
W
ith an estimated 80% of all UK housing that will exist in 2050 already built - 75% of it before 1975 - it is clear that refurbishment will play as big a role in expanding Britain’s housing stock as new-builds. Yet refurbishment is still seen as the poor relation to new-build, a patchwork of remediation and repair that can lack the glamour or ambition of new-builds. For some, no matter how inventive the retrofit, it is always constrained by what existed before. However, a newly renovated block of flats in east London is determined to prove otherwise. Until its revamp by bptw Partnership Architects, Shakespeare House in Hackney, which reopens this month, was an unassuming if surprisingly contemporary-looking block of council flats dating back to 1934. With its yellow London-stock brickwork, flat roof, casement windows and strip balconies, it slotted easily into the familiar urban sprawl of London housing.
Clare College, Cambridge Student Housing Newnham Court’s postgraduate homes continue Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture’s successful relationship with the University of Cambridge.
I
f a work staple for many an emerging architect is a house, or at least an extension, for their mother, it is a designer’s alma mater that can then provide sustenance to its favoured offspring in later years. The latter is certainly true for Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture director Simon Tucker who graduated from the University of Cambridge’s architecture department, has taught there since, and has been one of the practice’s long-standing connecting strands to the city and its university. Former departmental head Peter Carolin came to the opening for CVA’s most recent Cambridge scheme, 32 post-graduate student housing units for Clare College on Newnham Road.
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The project is the latest in a line of CVA projects for Cambridge colleges. Next up, alongside Sarah Wigglesworth Architects and AOC, is a phase of the university’s 141ha North West Cambridge town extension where some 900 homes, a school and shops for staff and students will soon take shape. Newnham Court student housing by Cottrell + Vermeulen Architecture Tucker attended Churchill College, home to Sheppard Robson’s 1959-68 set of brutalism-lite quads and an earlier CVA housing scheme that mediates deftly between the rich dark brick of the college
and a nearby Baillie Scott house. The success of that scheme was instrumental in Clare College choosing the practice for Newnham Road, which is about 10 minutes away from the college proper in a village conservation area that has been absorbed by the city and whose high street is now an unappetizing part of the ring road despite the nearby presence of the Mill Pond and Sheep’s Green. The college has sold off properties scattered across the city in order to bring postgraduate students together on the one site — a set of workmen’s cottages fronting the road and a backland site formerly inhabited by garages and decaying outbuildings. The constraints were tough: to the south side the forecourt canopy of a petrol station, to the east the busy road — while on the other flanks are the bucolic gardens of a set of more than usually articulate neighbours including David Owers who, with Leslie Martin, was the architect of the Kettle’s Yard gallery. Newnham Court student housing by Cottrell + Vermeulen Architecture
Today, however, Shakespeare House has been transformed. A new storey has been added, yellow brickwork replaced by black, new balconies and windows installed and the building’s entire elevational and massing composition altered. It looks and feels like an entirely new building. “It may be an existing building,” says bptw partner Justin Kelly. Pre-renovation, Shakespeare House exhibited the familiar litany of problems common to much post- and pre-war social housing in Britain. The four-storey U-shaped block of 24 flats was blighted by small units (one-beds of 34m sq), poor thermal performance (150mm single-leaf external brick walls), a lack of balconies, inadequate amenity space and a crumbling fabric. Three cores and no lift meant circulation was inefficient and, without a clearly defined main entrance, multiplication of entrances
exacerbated security problems. Refurbishment has taken place both internally and externally. Internally, 18 flats have been created principally by knocking through party walls to create larger units and adding three additional flats on a new fourth floor. Homes are Lifetime Homes compliant and meet Code for Sustainable Homes standards. Internal circulation space has been radically reordered. One clearly defined main entrance and circulation core replaces the previous three and is accessible through a doubleheight space located at the centre of the U-plan. A lift has also been installed for the first time. But it is outside that the most radical changes have taken place. The most striking difference is the brickwork. The building has been over-clad in a black Corian bonded brick slip
system, fixed to the outer face of the existing brick walls. This is stack bonded, abandoning the traditional stretcher bond of the original bricks. There were various reasons for choosing the system. “Structurally we had to have a brick slip solution as a solid brick outer leaf would have been heavier and required bigger foundations,” says Kelly. The choice was aesthetic too. “We wanted to create a modern vernacular that was traditional but in a contemporary way. We looked at other materials such as render and timber but many of those can deteriorate. We wanted something strong and robust that would remain timeless. It also had to sit comfortably with its context we consulted extensively with the conservation officer on this. Shakespeare House proves that refurbishment need not be the poor relation of newbuild. It shows that even the most
complex and constrained original fabric can still be comprehensively transformed by bold imaginative thinking. That Shakespeare House achieves this within the constrained budgets of the social housing sector and with an architectural language marked for its powerful simplicity is to the design team’s credit. It is also a timely lesson in how the remainder of our vast existing housing stock can be similarly rejuvenated. Project team: Architect bptw partnership Client Islington & Shoreditch Housing Association Main contractor Indecon Building Structural/M&E Engineer Clancy Consulting Cost consultant Cox Drew Neale
a brief for a variety of accommodation ranging from self-contained units to shared houses. CVA has used the refurbished terrace as a buffer to the traffic with kitchens and bathrooms located to the street side of the three floors of accommodation that has been squeezed into the narrow spaces between the existing party walls. The upper floors are miniature maisonettes that push into the roof space via lead-clad dormers to allow sleeping platforms above the living areas. Space is tight but every inch used (desks under staircases and storage above, for instance). Source: Cottrell + Vermeulen Architecture Newnham Court student housing by Cottrell + Vermeulen Architecture The scheme is phase two of the housing development, the first element of which was a refurbishment by Bidwells of a row of cottages to the north-east of the CVA phase. Bidwells has mirrored the frontage buildings with more accommodation in a neo-vernacular block to the rear.
CVA’s task has been to refurbish a second row of seven cottages, link it back to the phase one scheme with an infill building and provide a new-build garden block behind the street frontage that didn’t intrude too much on the neighbours’ amenity. The whole has been arranged around an interior court intended as the focus of the site’s new student community. As is usual CVA practice, extensive consultation was undertaken with staff and students, including investigating large-scale models of room layouts that resulted in
Project team: Architect Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture Contractor Barnes Construction Project management 3i Project Management Structural engineer Engineers HRW Services engineer Michael Popper Associates Quantity surveyor Gleeds UK
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INDUSTRY News Government Says Laws Regulating Architects Will Stay
A government review into the future of the Arb has said the industry still needs regulation based on protection of title.
and remove layers of red tape. RIBA president Stephen Hodder said: “I want to see effective streamlined maintenance of statutory But the future of the Arb protection of the title is still up for grabs with ‘architect’, one that the second phase of offers value for money the review now looking for architects, reduces at whether the Arb unhelpful bureaucracy for continues regulating architects and schools architects or whether this of architecture and offer should be handed over proper protection for the to another group such as British consumer.” the RIBA. The Department for The RIBA, which supports Communities and Local statutory protection, has Government, which is already said it expects responsible for the Arb, this phase of the review announced the review to provide “clear definition in the spring and asked of the minimal remit of for evidence on whether the registration body” architects need to be
Revenues returned to Sheppard Robson Ltd as the firm said there was now more optimism about upcoming workloads in the UK. The firm said its turnover in the year to March 2014 was up to £9.3 million from £9 million last time. Among the schemes it completed during the period was the Siemens Middle East headquarters (pictured) in Abu Dhabi.
“There remains a case for continued light-touch regulation based on protection of title,” the department said. But it said the second phase of its review will see it “working with all parts of the profession to identify opportunities to simplify the role of the regulator to focus on ensuring a level playing field for UK architects to compete in the European Union and beyond”. It is also looking at regulation by an independent body – which is currently carried out by the Arb.
Confidence returning to UK, says Sheppard Robson said: “The positive performance is in line with increased confidence in the construction and property markets.
“The directors expect the general level of activity to increase and they look forward to the future with confidence, owing to there being a Operating profit slipped strong pipeline of new from £655,000 to business.” The number £290,000 but in a statement accompanying of staff employed by the firm stands at more than the results, the firm 280, up from the 222
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regulated at all, and if so how.
last time. In a statement, the firm said: “These figures are the results of Sheppard Robson Limited (SRL) and are not the group accounts which consist of the Sheppard Robson Partnership and the practice’s subsidiary limited companies, one of which is SRL; the Sheppard Robson Ltd accounts are not at all representative of the practice’s total turnover and profit.”
Kpf’s ‘Jenga’ Tower Approved After Minister’s Eleventh-Hour Decision Lambeth council has approved KPF’s proposal for a 50-storey block of 450 flats in Vauxhall after an eleventh-hour decision by the communities secretary not to call it in. The New Bondway scheme on the southern side of the gyratory was referred to the mayor of London and Eric Pickles because of concerns raised by English Heritage that it would spoil views of Parliament. Boris Johson stepped aside but on September 9 Pickles directed the local authority not to approve it “without specific authorisation”.
previous plan for a 42-storey skyscraper designed by Make which was thrown out at public inquiry in 2011.
Two months later he had still not issued a decision but the council’s planning department went ahead and recommended councillors approve it.
KPF has also designed the neighbouring One Nine Elms towers which, at 58 storeys, could be the tallest residential scheme in London when built.
They had previously “resolved to approve” it in August despite complaints from local residents that it will cast their flats into the shade.
The news comes as transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin approved the £1 billion Northern line Tube extension to Nine Elms. The two new stations on the route will be designed by Grimshaw while initial design and engineering work on the line was carried out by a team which included specialist transport practice Studiodare.
Just before Tuesday’s meeting Pickles confirmed he would not force a public inquiry. The Communities Department declined to comment when contacted by BD yesterday. Nicknamed the Jenga Tower because several floors of the 179m building cantilever over a lower block containing “affordable” flats, New Bondway replaces a
Lambeth council leader Lib Peck said: “This major infrastructure is vital to Vauxhall’s regeneration and the opportunities that’s bringing for local people.”
trying to access the bridge.”
Garden Bridge Says Parties of 8 are ‘Protest Risk’ People wanting to visit Thomas Heatherwick’s Garden Bridge in groups of eight or more will have to apply for permission.
be granted conditional planning.
It says: “All groups of 8 or more visitors would be required to contact the Garden Bridge Trust The stipulation is to request a formal visit contained in Lambeth to the bridge. This policy council’s recent would not only assist planning report to its visitor management but planning committee. It also would discourage recommended the bridge protest groups from
The Garden Bridge Trust, which made the planning application, is a registered charity set up last year to lead the fundraising for the bridge, which is expected to cost £175 million. The trust declined to comment. The bridge will be closed for 12 days a year for fundraising and community events with revenue bridge’s upkeep. The bridge will close its doors for six hours a day as well, opening between 6am and midnight. It is set to cost £3.5 million a year to operate and maintain.
Cheesegrater Tests Continue Into New Year Results of the investigation being carried out on steel bolts at the Cheesegrater are now expected in the new year, its developer has said. Two bolts broke off the Leadenhall Building in the City of London earlier this month and British Land said all 3,000 were being tested as a result.
Feud between greyhound and football supporters sparks rival proposals Sheppard Robson has submitted plans to demolish one of the last greyhound tracks in London and replace it with a football stadium and 600 homes. The scheme, which is being billed as a chance to bring AFC Wimbledon “back home”, is proving contentious with dog racing supporters
Sports Fans Square Up Over Wimbledon Stadium Site backing a rival proposal.
imminent but Taggart said: “We intend for this Led by a former chairman stadium to be on a par of the Irish Greyhound with Royal Ascot. We Board, Paschal Taggart, will also include a worldthese £100 million class squash centre, plans would rebuild the gymnasium, dance studio greyhound stadium to and medical centre.” a design by Belfast’s Hamilton Architects and Merton council is due to add around 400 flats. determine the application early next year. A planning application is not thought to be
and structural engineer. We expect to make a further announcement concerning the results in of the investigations in the new year. In the meantime, our occupiers continue to fit out; we are receiving fresh interest in the building and carrying out inspections.”
The building is 58% let with another tenant widely expected to be that of the building’s Chief executive Chris architect – Rogers Stirk Grigg said: “Two steel Harbour & Partners. bolts breaking, and part The lease on its current of one falling from the home in Hammersmith fifth floor of the building, is due to run out in was a shock to all early 2016 and the concerned. However the architect is believed to building remains open be interested in taking as there is no risk to the over one of the floors at structural integrity.” the Cheesegrater. In interim results released by the developer yesterday, the company said: “A full investigation is being conducted by the building’s contractor
In its results for the six months to September 30, British Land saw underlying pre-tax profits go up 6% to £155 million.
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Lighting & Electrical
Morpheus Trimless Dolly Switch from ®
Focus SB
Unique to Focus SB®, the Morpheus range is a semiraised plate design that is fitted without screws, giving a sleeker, smoother finish to your electrical accessories.
The range incorporates a full range of British made interiors, including the latest audio visual fittings, along with the more standard rocker switches and sockets. The latest addition is the Trimless Dolly Switch which gives a modern twist to a traditional design and is available in one, two, three and four gang switch plates. All Focus SB plates are hand-finished in their Sussex factory to the highest standards and are available in a large range of finishes. Bespoke solutions are also available to suit a client’s specific requirements. t40t
Free delivery to mainland UK and no minimum order charge.
www.focus-sb.co.uk or call 01424 858060
Heating & Ventilation SURVEY REVEALS QUICK RESULTS FROM VENTILATION SYSTEMS A recent survey of 200 homeowners who had bought a ventilation system from EnviroVent revealed how over half of these householders had experienced improvements to their health or home within two weeks of its installation. Out of 200 customers, all stated that they had seen an improvement to either their homes or their health as a result, with over a third of customers (37%) saying they had experienced improvements to their home or health within a week and just over half had experienced improvements within two weeks or less. The survey also revealed that 1 in 8 homeowners had bought a ventilation unit for health reasons, mainly as they suffered with asthma. 91% of people who had bought a ventilation product did so to deal with condensation, which was closely followed by dealing with mould (69%) and a musty or damp smell in the house (32.5%). 95% of the 182 customers who had the unit installed because of condensation noticed an improvement in this. Rebecca McLean, Marketing Director at EnviroVent, said: “Poor indoor air quality is a problem for many homes, which may trigger
or exacerbate health issues associated with respiratory or dermatological problems. Poor ventilation is also an issue for homes too, causing condensation-dampness and mould, which can look unsightly and damage the fabric of the building. It is encouraging to hear that customers experienced improvements to either their health or home so quickly and we are keen to spread the message to other homeowners who have put up with stale, musty air in their homes for too long!”
in fresh, filtered clean air from outside, usually the loft, and gently ventilating the home from a central position on a landing or the central hallway in a flat or bungalow. EnviroVent’s range of Mr Venty® products control humidity and moisture levels, so mould and condensation problems are significantly reduced.
Typical customer comments included: “Our house was so bad with condensation and now we don’t get any at all. The mould has all dried up too and the horrible damp smell that we suffered from for years has gone.”
For more information on improving the air quality in your home, find your local EnviroVent Specialist Ventilation Advisor, via the website www.envirovent.com or by calling 0845 27 27 807.
EnviroVent is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of ventilation systems. The company has over 20 years’ experience in delivering sustainable products that are built to last the life cycle of a building. As a UK manufacturer, EnviroVent has a network of approved installers throughout the country. The company offers a complete service from survey, design and manufacture, project design, supply, installation and commissioning. EnviroVent is one of the pioneers of Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) which works by drawing
Mitsubishi Electric reshapes air source heat pump market Mitsubishi Electric has launched the next generation of its market-leading Ecodan air source heat pump range with a host of new initiatives that increases heat up efficiency by 17 per cent, makes remote monitoring easier to access, thereby aiding applications to Government initiatives, and also introduces a whole new way of heating a cylinder.
Ecodan was the first inverter-driven air source heat pump in the UK to receive MCS (Micro Certification Scheme) certification and the first UK-manufactured unit to receive the prestigious Eco Label. It is also the only air source heat pump that have received the Noise Abatement Society’s ‘Quiet Mark’ and the first to offer intelligent room sensing as standard. Mitsubishi Electric has invested heavily in R&D facilities at its UK manufacturing plant in Livingston to focus on the experience of the homeowner, simplifying the installation for the contractor, and making maintenance and monitoring even easier “We have set out to develop an incredibly sophisticated machine with a simple front end”, adds Halliwell.z
The developments include the UK’s first use of a plate heat exchanger in a domestic cylinder and patented Scale-Stop technology to remove the risk of limescale build-up.
The next generation – the FTC5 range, which is available from January 2015, includes a complete new range of new cylinders which focus on improvements in heat loss performance; hot water recovery efficiency and time; and ease of installation and use. up efficiency by 17 per cent over previous models.
The launch comes as the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) moves from its legacy stage into supporting new market growth, with the company developing the advanced range to answer the growing need for renewable heating in the UK.
For more information visit: heating.mitsubishielectric.co.uk
“This is our fifth generation of heat pump solutions and we have looked at just about every aspect so that we can maximise efficiency and ease both installation and operation”, explains Max Halliwell, Product Marketing Manager for the domestic Ecodan range. “We are proud to have been first to market with several initiatives in heat pumps and this new generation continues that trend by putting Ecodan streets ahead of any other system”.
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Heating & Ventilation
‘OFF-GRID’ HOUSE IN SOUTH WALES
HEATED USING THERMASKIRT
An innovative house in South Wales is combining multiple energy efficient technologies, including ThermaSkirt heated skirting board, in a bid to provide self-sufficient, renewable energy generation and water resource solution in an off grid setting.
T
he flagship project has been jointly developed by SSE, Caerphilly County Council and BRE (Building Research Establishment) and is undergoing monitoring to establish the viability of future off-grid homes. The ThermaSkirt product was specified due to its compatibility with renewable energy sources such as solar and biomass, and its high heat transfer ability with low running temperature make it an energy efficient alternative to conventional radiators. The off-grid house project was conceived due to the Davies family needing to relocate closer to the livestock they keep on the South Wales hills near Manmoel. Planning permission was granted for a two storey dwelling in May 2011 and due to being completely ‘off-grid’
for electricity, gas and water the opportunity was taken to test a combination of renewable energy technologies and gain insight on the impact of living and running a business sustainably. Hot water is produced via a 20kW biomass boiler that is fuelled using the family’s own woodland that surrounds the property providing a self sufficient supply of logs. The hot water is then circulated through the heated skirting board to provide an even heat to the perimeter of each room. The compact design of ThermaSkirt allows it to free up space that would otherwise be taken up by wall-mounted radiators. The system is easy to fit in any type of room with none of the disruption associated
ThermSkirt
heating skirting board system has been used for a flagship ‘off-grid’ house project in South Wales that combines multiple energy efficient technologies in a bid to provide self-sufficient, renewable energy generation and water resource solution in an off grid setting. ThermaSkirt was specified due to its compatibility with renewable energy sources such as solar and biomass, and its high heat transfer ability with low running temperature make it an energy efficient alternative to conventional radiators.
with installing underfloor heating. ThermaSkirt achieves a similar heat pattern as that of underfloor heating and has an equally rapid response to changes, with each room being controlled separately in seven different zones. In a recent study ThermaSkirt was used to investigate the efficiency of heated skirting boards compared to traditional radiators. It was found that ThermaSkirt had a 50% higher heat transfer coefficient of 12.6 W/ m² °C compared with the 8.4 W/m² °C of conventional panel radiators. The high transferred convective heat flux is due to the low fitted position of the radiant baseboard combined with the exposure of colder air along the entire length of the skirting board increases the thermal gradient and its ability to transfer heat to the room. The project will be monitored over a three year period under the Exemplar Programme run by Construction Excellence Wales with the generation and consumption of electricity, heat and water being constantly measured to provide valuable data on sustainable living. Further information on ThermaSkirt is available from Discrete Heat on 0845 1238 367, by emailing: martin@discreteheat.co.uk, or by visiting the company’s website at
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Kitchens
CONTEMPORARY HOME DESIGN Contemporary Home Design began 15 years ago from a small home based office, designing and manufacturing bespoke made kitchens bedrooms and living rooms. As the demand grew in high quality bespoke home furniture, our business grew. At the time we only had an online portfolio, we soon realised our customers wanted to touch and feel our products as well as visualising it, so we decided to open up a showroom. We travelled to Germany every year for 4 years before deciding to introduce the branded side of the business. We chose the leading high quality German brands due to the excellent customer care they provide to us as their retailer and our customers. We are now a well-established lifestyle company, offering our customers all the necessities they require for their desired room. We deal with only the top leading brands in Europe and UK and have the most up to date technology at the best affordable prices. From kitchens, bedrooms and living areas, to flooring, lighting, home automation and central vacuum system; and to complete it with kitchen essentials, mirrors and 3D wall panelling. We have it all here at CHD, come along visit our lifestyle showroom and you will be astonished with what we can do for you!
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MADE IN IN GERMANY GERMANY MADE
We design and manufacture bespoke and custom made kitchens, bedrooms and living interiors. We can make bedrooms ceiling-to-floor and wall-to-wall to give it a very sleek look. The designer and manufacturer work very close with the customer to come up with creative and original ideas to meet the customers’ needs. High quality German material and accessories are used in the manufacturing of the furniture. We aim to provide 18mm rigid carcasses, in a wide range of colours and wood effect finishes. Every fraction of our portfolio is inspected to guarantee our detail for perfection and to ensure that it has met all of our customers’ wishes. We have cherry picked the most well-known and best manufacturers of kitchens and bedrooms in Europe to give our customers a range of choice from design, style and idea. We keep up to date with the technology in and around Europe to make the desired living space extraordinary. We have an amazing range of German kitchen brands –Schüller, Next125, Ballerina and Beckermann. A Kitchen made in Germany is a kitchen guaranteed for life, from the day you purchase your kitchen, the German manufacturers will give you excellent service for up to 15 years and more ensuring your kitchen works and looks the part. www.chduk.com | info@design-home.co.uk
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Designers & Suppliers of the “WOW� factor since 1987
01202 546 546
sales@kitchenhouse.co.uk | www.kitchenhouse.co.uk
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116-118 Castle Lane West, Bournemouth, BH9 3JU
supplying throughout the south
Kitchens
SieMatic unveils the SE3003 and S2-R Increasing its portfolio of components for designing elegant kitchen and living spaces, customers can now select this new door style which features a distinctive raised 6.5mm edge, defining the minimalist lines of the cabinets. It can be chosen in three new sophisticated metallic finishes; gold bronze, nickel and matt black, in addition to three new warm and natural wooden tones; sand oak, matt black oak and walnut. There are also three new painted shades; Titan White, Nutmeg and Umbra. This curated selection of finishes encourages the integration of light and dark elements to create beautiful and intriguing contrasts, ideal for modern kitchen and living spaces. A special new feature door is also available with a metal frame and 6.5mm glass slats. These proportions are also mirrored in the new 6.5mm worktops which are available in a composite or ceramic finish. The S2-R presents a handle-less door with a recessed grip slot, whereas the SE3003 has two handle options. The 362 handle discreetly underscores the cabinet, whereas the distinctive 262 handle can be used for greater definition with its bolder and larger form situated on the door. With this new combination of components
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and materials, even more interesting, timeless and unique kitchen and living spaces can be created. Pictured above is a SieMatic kitchen and living space with a mixture of SE3003 and S2-R doors with the signature raised 6.5mm edge. The island features handleless S2-R cabinetry in Lotus White and a Gold Bronze silk gloss finish, with a StoneDesign 6.5mm composite worktop in Supreme White. The surrounding kitchen units utilise S2-R and SE3003 cabinetry in Umbra and the special feature glass doors to the left. SieMatic kitchens employing SE3003 and S2-R components retail from ÂŁ20,000 including VAT. For further information or for stockist details, please call SieMatic on 0161 246 6010 or visit www.siematic.co.uk
Precision Engineering
QUARTZFORMS Absolute White
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to see why QUARTZFORMS designs are proving popular with KBB designers, architects and retailers.
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For more information on QUARTZFORMS or to request a sample visit www.qfdistribution.co.uk or call 01245 243929.
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