Go!Public December 2014 Issue 4

GO!PUBLIC # 4 D e c emb er 2 014

Modern Public Sector Architecture and Design

www.go-public-mag.co.uk

Notes from the Comar design team...

Flush threshold DDA compliant.

Glazing depth up to 62mm.

Slim sight-lines, constant, 5mm smaller than major competition.

Exceptionally low U-values.

Moveable wall: up to 8 doors sliding in one direction.

Market leading adjustability on both hinge and jamb.

comar 7P.i Folding Sliding Door Systems Flexibility in design and longevity are the cornerstones of the newly launched Comar 7P.i FSD, folding/sliding door solution from Comar Architectural Aluminium Systems.

Market research indicated that long term operation and smoothness were key issues, so the Comar Design Team designed-in adjustable door jambs and hinge stiles to allow for up to 8mm adjustment. This means that the end user and supplier can rely on reduced call-backs as the door can be adjusted to suit on-site building tolerances and situations.

In effect, the Comar 7P.i FSD is a versatile moveable wall, with up to 8 doors sliding in either direction, allowing space and light into any project. Even in the winter months the glazed facade offers light by offering the slimmest sight-lines in the market as well as keeping the building well insulated through the trade-marked Comar 7P.i innovative thermal break technology.

FSD

Enquiry No 1

For more information about Comar 7P.i FSD please contact us: + 44(0) 20 8685 9685 Tel: Email: projects@parksidegroup.co.uk Web: www.comar-alu.co.uk

CONTENTS

thirteen

seven

thirty-two

NEW!

READER ENQUIRY CARD E-SERVICE

If you would like to receive further information about any of the products and services featured in this issue, just email us at info@link2media.co.uk, type 'GP414' in the email title, include the enquiry numbers of interest and your contact details. We'll do the rest! (If you'd prefer to fax the information, it's 0845 862 8639, or you can even post it to us!)

Thanks to Craven Dunnill for supplying the front cover photo. Details of their project at King’s Cross pedestrian tunnel be found on page 37. www.cravendunnill.co.uk

page: four/educational buildings twelve/leisure buildings fourteen/healthcare buildings twenty/news twenty-six/environmental control twenty-nine/doors, windows and glazing thirty-one/floors thirty-two/interiors thirty-seven/external works thirty-eight/structures thirty-nine/roofs forty/walls forty-two/opinion forty-five/project news

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Publishers Notes Some of the colour photography used in Go!Public is provided and paid for by contributors towards the cost of production. The publishers do not accept liability for errors that may appear in the publication. The views expressed by contributors in this publication are not necessarily the views of the publisher. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the consent of the publisher.

4 [ EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS

www.isgplc.com

ISG Cements Reputation in Scottish Education Sector The successful completion of projects at New College Lanarkshire and with the University of Glasgow build upon ISG’s growing reputation within the Scottish education sector.

At New College Lanarkshire, ISG has delivered a £4.5 million contract to extend facilities at the Motherwell Campus. A circa 19,000 sq ft extension has enabled the consolidation and enlargement of the existing Student Association and common room facilities, as well as providing additional flexible floor space for general teaching and meeting use. Part of the ground floor extension included the relocation of the existing retail outlet, enabling the introduction of new changing facilities to support the college’s performing arts space.

ISG has also completed a £1.3 million contract to enhance facilities at the University of Glasgow’s renowned School of Engineering. Working across two floors of the James Watt Building, which remained operational throughout the duration of the project, ISG created three new research offices, additional laboratory space, a new reception and break out areas. The scheme included the installation of new mechanical and electrical infrastructure and the building’s roof was upgraded.

ISG has also recently been awarded contracts, with a combined value of £4.5 million, at the University of Edinburgh and with leading independent school Edinburgh Academy.

Working at the University of Edinburgh’s Ashworth complex, which forms part of the College of Science and Engineering campus, ISG will complete the refurbishment of Ashworth 2 – a five-storey building, which was partially upgraded in 2009 and 2013. This final phase encompasses the remaining three floors of the building and sees the reconfiguration of accommodation to create new office and laboratory space. The scheme is being carefully phased to enable vital research facilities to remain operational throughout the duration of the project, which is scheduled for completion in summer 2016.

At the Edinburgh Academy, ISG will replace the school’s existing hockey pavilion with a modern, high-specification facility incorporating six changing rooms, referee’s changing room and a covered terraced area for spectators. The new circa 5,400 sq ft pavilion has been sensitively designed and carefully oriented within the existing tree line on the Inverleith Place site to minimise its visual impact on surrounding properties.

Andy McLinden, ISG’s Scotland regional managing director, commented: “Increasing our visibility within the Scottish education sector remains a core business priority, building upon our enviable expertise delivering schools, colleges and university projects south of the border. Providing certainty in delivery, quality and budget is central to our market proposition and we continue to add many of Scotland’s leading institutions to our growing education portfolio.”

Enquiry No 2

GO!PUBLIC:NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS [ 5

www.kempersystem.co.uk

King’s College School Bowled Over By Kemperol Roof Refurbishment

Sixth form students at King’s College Wimbledon are guaranteed a dry start to the new term, both in the classroom and the cricket pavilion thanks to Kemperol from liquid waterproofing specialists Kemper System. Following installation of the liquid waterproofing system on the sixth form centre, the client was so pleased with the result that they also specified it for the cricket pavilion. The sixth form roof structure itself was in good condition, but the ageing felt roof was beginning to break up.

If the roof had been fully stripped and re-felted, then a considerable amount of air handling equipment on the roof would have had to be removed. By choosing Kemperol, the equipment was raised to allow the waterproofing system to be installed and lowered once cured. There were also numerous skylights that were more easily incorporated into the seamless membrane with the liquid system.

Paul Brown from roofing contractors Avant-Garde Roofing who laid the Kemperol pointed out that insurance was also a key issue. “It can be very difficult for some felt roofing contractors to get insurance on these types of roofs because of the fire risk associated with the torches,” he said. “Kemper System is cold applied so there is no fire risk whatsoever.”

The client was also very happy with the final result. “I was expecting the project to take several weeks, but in the end it took less than a month.” King’s College head of maintenance Jason Sprague said. “Avant-Garde and Kemper did such an excellent job that we asked them to reroof the cricket pavilion, which had started to leak.”

It would have been too expensive to replace the pavilion’s asphalt balcony roof entirely.

Therefore, taking into account the good work already carried out on the sixth form roof, the client chose Kemperol with rubber matting on top of that for extra protection against the cricket shoe studs. Kemperol completely saturates a non-woven reinforcement fleece and cures to form a seamless, monolithic membrane that is tough, flexible and bonds permanently to the substrate – in this case the old asphalt roof.

Enquiry No 3

GO!PUBLIC:NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

6 [ EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS

Brighton School Wins Supacord Carpet Competition St John’s School & College in Brighton is the lucky winner of Heckmondwike FB’s 2014 ‘Carpet for Schools’ competition. St John’s School & College won 100sqm of Heckmondwike FB’s Supacord carpet or had the option of 75sqm of Supacord carpet tiles, with free installation, plus a bespoke logo design to be integrated within the carpet, as well as a commercial Sebo twin motored upright vacuum cleaner. Second prize of a free bespoke logo design within a carpet to a maximum of 2m x 2m, a Sebo vacuum cleaner and £250 went to Bonners CE Primary School in Maresfield, East Sussex and Danetree Junior School in Surrey and three third prizes of £100 vouchers were awarded to St Laurence’s CE Primary School in Coventry, St Thomas a Beckett Primary School in Salisbury and Black Horse Hill Junior School in West Kirby. www.heckmondwike-fb.co.uk

Total Glass Supplies Aluminium Windows For Chester University’s Science Buildings

Enquiry No 4

Nationwide Windows Provides All-Important Space At Brooke School Nationwide Windows is delighted to have helped Brooke School in Rugby increase its wheelchair storage space with the provision of a lean-to conservatory. What’s more, the school was so pleased with the end result that it has been deemed too nice to use for storage, and so will soon benefit the children as an additional area filled with natural light in which to learn. Brooke School relies on funding, however to achieve its goals, so when it came to sourcing the conservatory, budget was always going to be a concern, but Nationwide Windows was proud to rise to the challenge. For more information, call Nationwide on 01788 569 228 or visit www.nationwidewindows.co.uk Enquiry No 5

Aluminium windows and doors from Total Glass have been installed on refurbished buildings acquired by the University of Chester at the former Shell Technology Centre at Thornton, near Ellesmere Port. Total Glass manufactured and installed 35 new aluminium windows in the front elevation of Building 38, a striking 1930s Art Deco building and now the site’s library.

The Sapa Crown 52 window system was specified to replicate the appearance of original steel windows. The windows incorporate Sunguard SN70/37 solar-controlled glass. Sapa ST thermally-broken commercial entrance doors in a matching finish were also fitted in the curved front elevation, providing greater security and thermalefficiency. At nearby Building 58, Total Glass supplied and installed aluminium curtain walling manufactured using the Comar System. www.totalglass.com Enquiry No 6

ROCKFON Mono Acoustic Proves To Be The Perfect Fit Mono® Acoustic TE ceiling system from ROCKFON has been installed at one of the leading academic sixth form colleges in the country, King Edward VI College, Stourbridge.

Architects’ practice Bryant Priest Newman (BPN) specified the ROCKFON monolithic render system for the new teaching areas. The ceilings are fitted in the teaching spaces and drama studio. The spaces are designed to have clean lines with crisp detailing and ceilings which follow the undulating roof form. A standard suspended ceiling would not work here.

The Mono Acoustic TE system can affix to any surface effortlessly, whether it’s inclined, flat or curved. It can be installed directly underneath the existing ceiling or installed on to a grid. The finished result is an elegant seamless acoustic ceiling which realises the architect’s modern minimalistic vision. Mono Acoustic TE is fitted in the ICT laboratories and graphic rooms, continuing the modern minimalistic design in these areas. In schools and colleges, high demands are placed on acoustics specifically with regards to speech intelligibility.

Mono Acoustic TE offers the highest class of sound absorption (Class A) to reduce the reverberation level, contributing to an excellent teaching environment. Fire safety plays an important role in schools and colleges. All ROCKFON products exceed fire safety European standards. Mono Acoustic TE has Class A2 reaction to fire. www.rockfon.co.uk Enquiry No 7 GO!PUBLIC:NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS [ 7

www.altro.co.uk

Altro Xpresslay Helps Slash Time And Cost At New Cardiff School Altro XpressLayTM safety flooring has provided a significant time and cost saving solution in the construction of the new St Teilo’s Church in Wales High School in Cardiff.

The new £26 million school was designed by architects Austin-Smith: Lord. It is a contemporary design, with classrooms clustered in blocks off a main central ‘street’.

Kate Smith, designer at Austin-Smith: Lord, said: “Due to the huge length of space of the school’s main street, the floor construction included many movement joints, which had a knock on effect to the movement requirements of the floor finish.

“The main contractor, Willmott Dixon, suggested that we look at Altro XpressLay as it can be laid straight to slab with no DPM and no fixing joints - creating a huge time and cost saving for the project. We were now confident we had a product that could meet this specific need.

“In addition to the main ‘street’, we specified Altro XpressLay for the break-out areas within each of the school’s blocks that come off the main street. We used a variety of different wedge-shaped colours of the product to delineate different areas. It looks very striking.

“We also specified the product for corridors, some classrooms, and in the toilets and changing rooms in conjunction with Altro Walkway™ 20, which shares the same colour palette.”

GO!PUBLIC:NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

Altro XpressLay is the world's first adhesive-free, truly sustainable safety floor. It is installed using a tape system instead of adhesive, so can be installed without a surface DPM. It can be easily removed post-installation, re-used elsewhere and then at the end of its life be recycled.

The range boasts 41 colours, featuring bright and subtle, sparkle-free designs and decorative chipped options to give you a huge selection to choose from.

Its shared colour palette with Altro Walkway 20 enables you to combine use of both ranges to suit the application. Altro Easyclean Maxis PUR™ Technology ensures the product stays look good long-term.

Like all Altro safety flooring products, Altro XpressLay offers sustained slip resistance for the lifetime of the product, keeping your risk of a slip or fall to just 1 in a million.

The Altro products at St Teilo’s were installed by CS Flooring, in Cardiff. Owner Anthony Mynett said: “This was the biggest Altro XpressLay installation we have ever done, at 6,250m2. It was a perfect example of how the product can be used to cut costs and accelerate a building programme without sacrificing quality, longevity or aesthetics.”

Anthony Mynett continued: “The beauty of installing Altro XpressLay is that it needs no adhesive, just its own weight alone, plus some strategically placed fixing tape. It’s quick, easy and clean. This means we saved days on the installation – probably cutting it by half. The entire process took us just 12 weeks.

“An added bonus with this product is that individual sections can easily be lifted and replaced if required, rather than having to take up the whole floor and re-adhere. There were some sceptics who didn’t believe that the product would be suitable for this application, but they have been proved wrong.”

CS Flooring also installed Altro DesignerTM 25 safety flooring and Altro Whiterock SatinsTM hygienic wall cladding in the school service and eating areas, using black and red colour schemes to denote raw and cooked food preparation areas.

Altro Designer 25 is a 2.5mm-thick, hard-wearing safety flooring which includes coloured quartz crystals in exciting base colours to enhance any interior scheme.

Altro Whiterock Satins is a durable, grout-free, water-tight smooth wall cladding system designed for building environments that are required to meet strict hygiene standards. The panels provide a stain resistant, wipe-clean surface with no gaps or cracks for bacteria to hide in. It is extremely impact resistant and ideal for tough areas.

Chris Woodruff, Principal Surveyor at main contractor Willmott Dixon, commented on the use of Altro XpressLay on the St Teilo’s project: “It has proved to be a quality product that saved us time and cost on a project where we were able to provide betterment on the delivery programme.”

Enquiry No 8

8 [ EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS

Diespeker: Specialist Skills In Resin Based Terrazzo For Student Campus Students at the University of Westminster’s Marylebone Campus may not appreciate the feat of ingenuity they walk on every day. The floor of the refurbished campus has been created from resin based terrazzo, one of the most durable materials currently available. The requirement at Marylebone Campus was the flooring element of a project undertaken by main contractor Vinci Construction – the conversion of an external courtyard into an internal area that includes a library, café, study section and general circulation area.

Flowcrete supplied its highly decorative epoxy resin floor finish, Mondéco Crystal Ice, an 8mm blend of mirrored and clear glass chippings offering durability with an anti-slip and scratch resistant profile.

Installation of the resin floor was undertaken by London specialist Resin Flooring UK. The floor totalled approximately 2200m². A number of detailed elements of the installation required the niche skills of London marble and terrazzo expert, Diespeker. These included the treads and risers for a low gradient ramp of almost 18m in length, an unusual design combining slope and steps; as the ramp height increases, stairs begin to form on the side of the ramp. This is believed to be the first of its kind, presenting a challenge for Diespeker’s installation team. Diespeker was also responsible for the skirting, wall strings and creation of half-moon shapes that were used in pairs to provide skirting around circular columns of around 1.5 meters circumference.

The resin based terrazzo for these elements was pre-polished at Diespeker’s Bermondsey factory, while the main flooring was polished by Resin Flooring UK’s floor grinding machines to achieve the required smooth and glossy finish. www.diespeker.co.uk Enquiry No 9

The Art Of Acoustics The new major extension to the Manchester School of Art has generated much interest and was a finalist at this year’s Stirling Prize awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects for the best building. Designed by architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, it aims to provide a lively environment and help reassert the Art School and the University on the national stage.

It is also an interesting showcase for demonstrating how noise pollution in large crowded spaces can be overcome by installing Troldtekt acoustic panels.

The architects’ concept is a modern interpretation of the traditional Manchester textile trade warehouse, comprising a highly visible seven storey Vertical Gallery space together with an interactive ‘hybrid’ studio behind. It is described as being more like an art gallery than a university department.

The potential noise pollution from the large open spaces has been solved by installing white painted 1200 x 600mm Troldtekt acoustic panels on the ceilings. The panels are made from 100% natural wood fibres. Their benefits include high sound absorption, high durability, natural breathability, low cost life cycle performance and sustainability.

Troldtekt panels are widely specified throughout Europe to improve acoustics in many different projects, such as schools, swimming pools, commercial and public buildings. Available in various sizes and in three grades from ultrafine to coarse, they can be left unpainted or painted in virtually any RAL colour. Their sustainability was recently recognised with certification at Silver level within the Cradle to Cradle concept. www.troldtekt.co.uk Enquiry No 10

GO!PUBLIC:NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS [ 9

www.steni.co.uk

Steni Cladding Gives New Sixth Form Centre Its Own Identity Cladding panels by specialist manufacturer Steni UK were specified for a new £1million sixth form centre for a multitude of reasons. Four colours of Steni’s fibreglass reinforced polymer composite Colour panels form the rainscreen cladding of the 750m2 centre for 350 students at Ashmole Academy in Southgate, north London.

The white, grey, cream and orange panels were specified by architects Hunters LLP for the modular steel-frame building for five reasons in particular.

Associate director Peter Gibson said: “We specified the Steni panels because they are lightweight, strong, weather-resistant with a long lifespan, and available in a wide range of colours.”

The Colour panels, which feature a smooth surface of 100% acrylic that is electron beam cured without the use of solvents, have a life span of at least 50 years, are warrantied for 40, and are available in up to 60 standard colours.

A total of 250m2 were installed to the main entrance and side elevation on an aluminium sub-frame using structural adhesive over six weeks by specialist subcontractor OSG appointed by main contractor MTX Contracts who are a specialist modular building provider and undertook all aspects of the project, from conception through to completion.

GO!PUBLIC:NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

Hunters’ brief was for new study space and relaxation areas in modern, flexible space, and their design provides a contemporary feel as well as a separate identity for the sixth form centre that nevertheless does not dominate the existing school buildings. It comprises a cafeteria and relaxation areas on the ground floor with a study centre on the top floor, and features a personalised permanent display over two walls of the entrance of Perspex bricks etched with the names of donors to the centre.

Peter Gibson said: “The crisp and clean look of the building complements the existing site and the Steni panels provide an interesting design feature marking the entrance and importance of the sixth form centre. They were used to create a randomised pattern of colours to create an interesting design feature that contrasts with the white wall of the main part of the building.”

OSG director Gavin Byram said: “The project was relatively straightforward apart from the fact it was a live school and a tight site within a courtyard-type location so the scheduling of the panels due to the colour layout and the four colours involved was slightly challenging. But the panels performed very well. There were no issues, they were easy to cut and install.”

Enquiry No 11

10 [ EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS

www.cygnum.co.uk

Locally Sourced Timber Plays Key Role In UEA Enterprise Centre’s Passivhaus Certification Building to Passivhaus standards is the route to better buildings, lower bills and better returns. The future of mainstream construction must look towards Passivhaus to begin leaving a more sustainable legacy for future benefits. And one building in Norfolk is doing just that by targeting two of the most rigorous sustainable built environment standards, BREEAM Outstanding and Passivhaus Certification, through the use of locally sourced timber for the building’s structural timber frame.

Timber is extensively used in modern sustainable construction and the new Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia (UEA) is no different, where the specification of timber products will prove crucial in the successful delivery of the ldevelopment which is set to become the UK’s most sustainable commercial building when complete in 2015. The Enterprise Centre will be the UK’s first commercial building to achieve both Passivhaus and BREEAM Outstanding standards.

An innovative timber frame - Appointed to deliver the main building structure during a six month construction programme, timber frame specialist Cygnum has used timber sourced in Thetford Forest wherever possible in the construction of the 4,600m2 structure. This has included extensive use of Corsican Pine. Once the timber had been sourced from Thetford Forest, located just 30 miles from the Enterprise Centre site, it was processed and sawn locally, then the timber was sent to Cygnum’s factory for processing where it was kiln dried, planed and strength graded to meet the structural engineer’s pre-determined requirements.

Breathable wall system - To keep thermal bridging to a minimum and to achieve a U-Value of 0.11 W/m2k, the external walls have been designed by Cygnum to include a twin frame system with an insulated gap. The build-up of the wall panels features an 18mm taped OSB on the inside for racking and airtightness which is followed by a 140mm cellulose insulated structural stud, a thermal break cavity filled with cellulose insulation and a second 63mm insulated stud. A breathable wood fibre board was then added to the outside to complete the system which allows moisture to leave the panel, whilst protecting against condensation and ensuring the thermal insulation of the timber met the requirements.

Cygnum have also supplied and installed a very large glulam (exposed solid wood) portal frame to support the building and form timber features in the finished structure. With insulation requirements based on Passivhaus standards, Cygnum are using cellulose insulation manufactured from recycled newspaper a ‘low embodied energy’ alternative to standard insulation. “For the first time we wanted to demonstrate that Thetford Forest timber could be used in a construction project.

In reality, we tested it with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in Watford and we found this timber to be of superb quality and more than suitable for applications in the industry,” commented John French, Project Director Adapt Low Carbon Group.

Enquiry No 12

GO!PUBLIC:NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS [ 11

Jet Cox Shines On Lady Margaret School Established almost a century ago, the Lady Margaret School in West London continues to serve the community and has recently been expanded, with over two dozen rooflights of different types from the Jet Cox range bringing natural daylight to the teaching spaces.

Rooflight manufacturer, Jet Cox supplied 28 Cox Glasslights to Anglian Architectural - the specialist sub-contractor carrying out the installation on behalf of Osborne - 10 of which feature rain or temperature sensors. These raise the unit if the occupied space becomes too hot, and close them if rain starts to fall.

The flat roof’s high performance felt waterproofing system is dressed up the kerb to each rooflight to ensure their weather-tightness. Manufactured from thermally broken durable

aluminium with an external powder coating finish to RAL 9040, the Glasslight is one of the most attractive flat glass solutions on the market. The glass surface is uninterrupted giving optimal view and maximum daylight. The Glasslight is available fixed or electrically opening for ventilation. The electric actuator is fully integrated and concealed within the PVC-u lower frame, maintaining the uninterrupted glazing. Jet Cox Glasslights are available in a range of sizes measuring from 400 x 700 mm up to 1000mm x 2400mm – with a comprehensive choice of rectangular and square options in between to ensure there is a rooflight to suit all applications. www.jet-cox.co.uk Enquiry No 13

Carea In A Class Of Its Own At Merthyr Tydfil Leading cladding manufacturer Carea has supplied over 3,000m2 of its Acantha cladding to The College Merthyr Tydfil – a £33 million stateof-the-art building which marks the beginning of a new chapter in the educational history of South Wales. Designed by RMJM Architects and built by Interserve, the College forms a key part of the Merthyr Learning Quarter (MLQ) project – a Welsh Government-funded scheme to radically improve learning and employment opportunities in the region.

For the new building, a cladding system was required that would complement the project’s contemporary architecture. Installed by specialist contractor Massey Cladding, the entire structure was encased in striking Acantha panels – perfectly demonstrating Carea’s ability to create stylish, modern buildings.

Carea Acantha composite stone panels are designed for building ventilated facades with insulation and non-ventilated facades without insulation. Available in a range of colours, textures and sizes, the panels were supplied in Opaline 9029. These were then installed in alternate horizontal bands to create a modern, attractive finish in line with the overall contemporary aesthetic. Installation is quick and simple too with the Carea facade system, as each panel is supplied with specialised horizontal rails that fit onto vertical cladding supports.

With precisely routed grooves on the top and bottom, the simple fix provides a totally seamless finish to maintain the stunning appearance of the project.

Whilst providing improved aesthetics and excellent resistance to damage, the sustainable system is also manufactured using around 95% natural minerals for superior environmental performance. Carea cladding can help buildings to optimise their thermal efficiency to achieve the high standards of modern building regulations. Carea has proved instrumental in the creation of a striking building which looks great, delivers exceptional performance and will continue to serve its community for generations. www.carea.uk.com Enquiry No 14 GO!PUBLIC:NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

12 [ LEISURE BUILDINGS

www.sika.co.uk

Sika Comfortfloor Is A Winner At Leisure Centre The seamless, durable and easy to maintain Sika Comfortfloor has found a new home at a £26 million Leisure Centre in Streatham.

The stunning new leisure centre includes an ice rink, swimming pool, sports hall, gym and forms part of the multimillion Streatham Hub Development. With durability key for the flooring of the leisure centre changing rooms and toilet facilities, Sika Comfortfloor was up for the challenge.

Combining noise suppression and durability with a flawless finish, Sika ComfortFloor proved to be the ideal solution – meeting the client’s aesthetic requirements, whilst delivering a hard-wearing system that guarantees outstanding long term performance. As well as ease of maintenance for the facility manager, the seamless Sika system offered toughness, durability and an increased life expectancy – in line with Sika’s commitment to integrating sustainability into its research and development strategy, production processes and entire product range.

Sika Approved Flooring Specialist Entech prepared and primed the floor using Sikafloor 161 – a two part, low viscosity epoxy resin primer. A layer of Sikafloor 330 was then applied to regulate and level the surface before a sealer layer of Sikafloor 305W, completing the total system thickness of just 2mm. Available in a range of colours to meet numerous aesthetic requirements, the decorative and durable system is weather and abrasion resistant ensuring longevity and minimal maintenance.

Sika provides a range of solutions to rejuvenate floors of virtually any size, shape, colour or technical requirement and as these solutions can be applied to a wide range of substrates – from old tiles to vinyl – they can stay in situ so specifiers do not have the added expense, time and landfill disposal of the old failed material.

Enquiry No 15

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LEISURE BUILDINGS [ 13

Wavin Drainage Solutions Find Room At Landmark £60 Million Hilton Hotel Development For a new £60 million hotel development in Bournemouth, the management and control of surface water required a proven long term solution which could work on a challenging sloping site. AquaCell Prime, a geocellular stormwater management unit from Wavin, the UK’s leading manufacturer of plumbing, rainwater and drainage systems, was up for the challenge.

Set to be the first five star hotel in Bournemouth, the new 13 storey Hilton Hotel has been designed by Cube in association with White Ink Architects and consists of a 172-bedroom hotel with 14 exclusive residential apartments above. In addition, there will be an 8-storey 120-bedroom Hampton

by Hilton complex as well as 45 apartments with a 3-storey deep, underground car park and associated landscaping. In order to manage surface stormwater on the sloping site, main contractor McAleer and Rushe Group worked with Wavin on a design which incorporated the AquaCell Prime system to help reduce the risk of flooding.

Manufactured from specially reformulated, recycled material for trafficked and deep applications, more than 600 AquaCell Prime units were specified below a restaurant, terrace and entrance café area in order to create a 160m3 cellular attenuation tank for surface water in the event of any excessive surface water run-off due to torrential rain. With the landmark Hilton set to open for guests in the summer of 2015, Wavin’s AquaCell Prime system and the OSMA UltraRib gravity sewer system will ensure that this leading hotel chain will have a proven stormwater and drainage solution, ensuring effective flood protection for the long term.

Enquiry No 16

Ravenhill Stadium Chooses Franke Washroom Systems Northern Ireland’s Ravenhill Stadium in Belfast, has benefitted from several redevelopments in recent years, the most recent being a £16m investment in three new stands.

Andy Dukelow, Managing Director of Franke Sissons, also known as Franke Washroom Systems, “Ravenhill has a long and compelling Rugby history. We are very proud to have been selected to provide washrooms in this stunning facility”.

Capacity has increased at Ravenhill from 11,000 to 18,000 which meant the ground was capable of hosting a Heineken Cup quarter-final and a RaboDirect PRO12 final on April 5th. Franke Washroom Systems, working in partnership with Harvey Group and Beggs & Partners of Belfast, supplied stainless steel urinals and washtroughs for the washrooms in Aquinas, Memorial and Grand stands.

Robert Hall, of Harvey Group explains “Washrooms are not the most stylish part of a stadia refit but when you consider the numbers of people on site on match days it’s vital that the specification is up to the job! We have to ensure the product will be easy to clean, extremely durable and simple to maintain, and in the event of any kind of damage that we can get it working as soon as possible. Franke Washroom Systems made a major contribution in assisting Harvey Group deliver the three new stands on time and to very high standard. The input of their design department through to the quality of the final product was top notch.” www.franke.co.uk Enquiry No 17

GO!PUBLIC:NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

14 [ HEALTHCARE BUILDINGS

UK’s Biggest Healthcare Project To Be Built Off Site – ‘A Fantastic Building Delivered In An Unreal Timescale’ The UK’s largest and most complex modular building project to be built in the health sector has been handed over and opened on time despite a challenging programme.

The new Women and Children’s Centre at North Middlesex University Hospital was constructed by principal contractor Kier Construction using a Yorkon off-site solution from the Portakabin Group.

The £17.9m contract, which was procured under the ProCure21+ framework, involved the off-site manufacture of the building at the Portakabin Group’s production centre in York.

The centre was built to accommodate the increase in maternity patients and around 2,000 additional births in North Middlesex. It forms part of a major reorganisation of hospital services in the boroughs of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey. The architects and project managers were AHP Architects & Surveyors.

The Yorkon off-site approach radically reduced disruption to patient care and the build programme to ensure the new facilities became operational in line with the Trust’s clinical strategy and prior to seasonal winter pressures.

Catherine Barns, Senior Project Manager at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, said, “Given the extremely challenging timescale for this project, we needed to look at more innovative methods of procurement and construction. By using an off-site approach we were able to deliver a fantastic building of this scale, on time and in an unreal timescale, which was a tremendous achievement for the Trust, Kier and Portakabin.”

“The partnership between the users, Kier and Portakabin worked very well, and in particular the flexibility shown by Portakabin in the face of changing healthcare requirements. Other health professionals from both the UK and internationally who have

visited the building since its completion have been very impressed by our new facilities; staff love its functionality and efficiency, and patients have likened it to a hotel!”

“The project really pushed the boundaries of offsite construction but you would never know it was a modular building constructed in a factory. It is a real credit to the whole team.”

Simon Ambler, Director of the Portakabin Group said, “This is our fourth project with Kier and our largest ever contract for a single building. Its complexities demonstrate just what is now achievable with an advanced off-site solution, in a short timescale, and on an extremely busy hospital site.”

The building accommodates a consultant-led delivery unit with additional high dependency beds, two obstetrics theatres, a neonatal unit, triage centre, women’s outpatient department, and a midwife-led

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HEALTHCARE BUILDINGS [ 15

www.yorkon.co.uk

birthing unit with four birthing pool rooms. A roof top plant room is located on the second floor.

The external appearance of the scheme reflects the design of the adjacent facilities and features rendered façades, ribbon glazing around the perimeter of the first floor, a large atrium entrance spanning two storeys with light wells providing further natural daylight inside.

There is also full height glazing to the stair towers on each of the two wings and large projecting window bays provide a visual contrast to the rendered finish across the building envelope.

The project is targeted to achieve a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating and has a number of sustainability features including a biodiverse green roof with a variety of meadow flowers to part of the first floor, photovoltaic panels above the plant room, and an energy-efficient combined heat and power system.

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152 steel-framed Yorkon modules up to 18m long and weighing up to 18.5 tonnes were craned into position in just 28 days. A 500-tonne crane was used for this operation which took place within the hospital grounds and in close proximity to existing facilities that remained in use throughout. The units were installed partially completed with window frames, first fix electrics, HVAC ducting, plumbing, and a high performance concrete floor.

The Portakabin Group has an extensive track record in the healthcare sector, having completed a wide variety of bespoke building projects using Yorkon off-site solutions, including ward extensions, self-contained theatre blocks, emergency care units, haemodialysis centres, offices, community clinics, and complete hospitals, delivering all the advantages of off-site construction.

Enquiry No 18

16 [ HEALTHCARE BUILDINGS

Radmat Returns Guy’s Tower Roof To Full Health In its challenging city-centre location, Guy’s Tower has undergone a huge refurbishment with the ageing 143m building upgraded to current standards.

Radmat Building Products Approved Contractor Richardson Roofing installed more than 1,000m2 of high performance roofing membranes to help bring the landmark building back to its best.

The refurbishment included the application of new cladding and glazing systems, and thermal upgrade and waterproofing of a 45° pitched roof and a series of inverted terraces. Radmat’s Esha range of membranes proved the perfect solution minimising material cost, application time and waste disposals. For the asphalt covered sloping roof on the 34th floor, EshaUniversal waterproofing was specified with ProTherm PIR (polyisocyanurate) insulation as part of a complete Radmat roofing system.

Made from recycled materials and 100% recyclable – EshaUniversal offered a simple application and the required performance to meet the demands of this complex and sustainable refurbishment. Offering an efficient and safe installation, a 2mm thick EshaBase SA Alu self-adhesive vapour control layer was adhered directly to the existing asphalt using Esha SA Primer.

Due to the wind loading 142m above London, the 120mm thick ProTherm PIR insulation was mechanically fixed to the deck using Radmat ProFast fixings, prior to the mechanical fastening of the EshaUniversal single layer membrane. The resulting roof achieved current Approved Document L requirements for thermal performance. Low level flat roof areas were also covered with the same specification.

On the inverted roofs, on levels 34 and 31, asbestos tiles were safely removed, and the asphalt was overlaid with two layers of Radmat’s EshaGum 3mm reinforced bitumen membrane. The existing asphalt surface was prepared to ensure no defects or blisters across the entire application prior to the installation of the EshaGum, with a 200mm thick Radmat ProTherm inverted roof insulation board installed to upgrade the roof’s thermal performance. Completing the installation was the application of paving slabs on spacers resulting in a series of terraces that now meet the thermal performance requirements of Part L of the Building Regulations. www.radmat.com Enquiry No 19

VARIANT Collection Leading ironmongery manufacturer SIMONSWERK announces enhancements to its high performance VARIANT heavy duty hinge collection.

The latest additions include The VARIANT Finger Protection which protects against fingers being trapped in the secondary closing edges of doors while at the same time satisfying the demand for high-quality, attractive interior design. Thanks to a semicircular door-leaf cladding on the hinge side that complements the door material, the entire finger-trap protection system gives the appearance of being all one piece.

The new VARIANT ‘Care’ option is specifically designed for public sector buildings where frame dimensions need to allow real clearance widths for doors to swing clear at a 90O angle making it ideal for hospital and other health care facilities.

A further development of the VARIANT VX hinge system enables it to safely and reliably cope with providing the necessary support for high performance heavy duty doors with a maximum weight carrying capacity of up to 400kg achieved with a coordinated triple combination of hinge, receiver and cover plate.

SIMONSWERK are Europe´s leading Hinge Manufacturer with a history spanning more than 125 years in the manufacture of high quality brass, aluminium, steel and stainless steel hinges for doors and windows. www.simonswerk.co.uk Enquiry No 20

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HEALTHCARE BUILDINGS [ 17

Hygienic Hospital Access From Tormax TORMAX automatic door systems encourage no-contact access for staff and visitors, making a significant contribution to improved hospital hygiene and security. The TORMAX iMotion range of automatic operators offers a technologically advanced solution. iMotion door drives do not incorporate any of the parts that usually wear out.

Swipe-card access can be incorporated into TORMAX any entrance, allowing smovement throughout the hospital to be carefully monitored. iMotion technology also allows the doors to be linked to a building’s management control system. For operating theatres that require regular deep cleaning, TORMAX offers an IP65-rated door operator that is specifically designed to exceed the requirements of the European Standard for resistance to dust and water penetration. www.tormax.co.uk Enquiry No 21

Yeoman Shield Leads The Way In Dementia Friendly Hospital Yeoman Shield were proud to supply Guardian Handrail, incorporating signage, to a pioneering scheme by Bradford Teaching Hospitals to provide a dementia friendly environment in their hospitals. The Horton Ward at ST Luke’s Hospital was transformed using a grant from the Prime Minister’s “Challenge on Dementia Fund”. As part of the refurbishment, which involved the use of art, colour and signage to help dementia patients to navigate their way round the hospital, Yeoman Shield were approached

by Bradford Teaching Hospital to supply a handrail that would also act as a directional guide. The Guardian Handrail was supplied in a Dusty Grey colour with contrasting accessories in Mid Grey to highlight the corridor openings to doorways and lifts. www.yeomanshield.com Enquiry No 22

Altro Wall Cladding Used In Groundbreaking Clinical Design Altro Whiterock ChameleonTM has been used along with Altro UnityTM 25 safety flooring to create a groundbreaking solution within the new Endoscopy Unit at Mount Vernon Hospital, in Northwood, Middlesex, where infection control and patient wellbeing are paramount considerations.

Bernard Stilwell Architects designed and managed the project. Bernard Stilwell explains the thinking behind the creation of the new unit. “Our brief was to design a self-contained endoscopy unit where patients could relax, receive treatment and recover in a well-structured journey, all within one ward. We have specified Altro safety flooring several times before. Altro Whiterock was an excellent choice: a good range of colours and the potential for a seamless appearance across a variety of surfaces”.

“Keeping infection out of the recovery bay was obviously a key consideration, so the doors had to be easy to clean with as few joints as possible to reduce bacterial invasion, as well as being tough and impact resistant,” explains Bernard Stilwell. “We wanted to ensure that it complemented the rest of the design and colour scheme of the unit to create an overall cohesive feel. With all these considerations in mind, we decided to completely clad the structure in Altro Whiterock Chameleon.” Altro Whiterock Chameleon in ‘Slipstream’ and ‘Pure Innocence’ were specified for ‘decorative’ surface treatment of the door surrounds and adjacent walls in the entrance and patient waiting/recovery areas.

Altro Whiterock White was used in the cleaning rooms, lobbies and corridors. Using the two products together gave flexibility in design and added another dimension to the overall finish.

Altro Whiterock is a cost-effective sheet extruded from a high quality PVCu polymer. It is easy to clean, impact resistant and grout-free. Altro Whiterock Chameleon offers vibrant solid colours, or more natural tones, in a high gloss finish, allowing for bold designs or more muted interiors in a variety of customer-facing environments. Altro Unity 25 safety flooring was also used in the new ward. Available in 18 plain and chipped modern colours, this heavy duty safety flooring is ideal for locations that need to look good and work hard. www.altro.co.uk Enquiry No 24

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Simple Yet Effective Solution Creates A World Of Difference In Dementia Care Home En-suite wet rooms in a new £6.9 million, state of the art dementia care home feature a space saving solution from Pressalit Care that help residents maintain their privacy for washing and showering, while ensuring close eye contact with their carers. The concept of a folding support arm with half-length curtain fitted alongside the bath or shower was first proposed to owners NorseCare by experts at Stirling University as part of their collaboration on the new Lydia Eva Court.

Barron and Smith Architects, part of the NPS Group, who designed the home, approached Pressalit Care to fulfil the solution for the en-suite wet rooms at the new 88 bed care home, which incorporates new technology and learning from the latest research into the highest quality dementia care.

Care home managers wanted to ensure maximum privacy in the bathrooms, while allowing the carers to remain in close proximity to the resident, essential in dementia care. www.pressalit.com Enquiry No 23

18 [ HEALTHCARE BUILDINGS

www.portanews.co.uk

Portakabin Hire Builds Fully Serviced 20-Bed Ward At Princess Alexandra Hospital In Less Than Three Months When additional ward space was required at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow to help the Trust manage increased demand over the winter period, Portakabin Hire constructed a fully serviced 20-bed ward facility in less than three months and handed it over ahead of programme.

The building is on hire for an initial one year and in order to meet the challenging deadline for completion a partnership approach was critical. Portakabin worked closely with the Trust on the design of the new interim Short Stay Assessment Unit and final drawings were approved overnight.

Commenting on the project, Clive Austin, Project Lead Manager at the hospital, said, “We went out to a number of modular building suppliers and Portakabin was the first to ensure a handover date within our timescales.”

“We were confident in the company’s track record and that Portakabin Hire buildings met the required NHS standards. Its Crown Commercial Service framework agreement also allowed us to fast track the order.”

“The new building is tremendous and everyone is delighted with it. It meets all permanent building standards and complies with NHS requirements, which means it will serve us well for as long as we need it. The staff are very happy working in this wonderful new facility.”

“Portakabin worked with us around the clock to meet the deadline. Incredibly, this fully serviced facility was completed in just 10 weeks. The building was handed over three days ahead of programme – a remarkable achievement given the time constraints and scale of the building.”

The gradient of the site required extensive ground works, including five foot foundation pads which Portakabin completed within just one week of receiving the order.

Portakabin handled every aspect of the build, giving the Trust a single point of contact for the entire project. Work carried out included all site works, installation of climate control systems, data communications, fire alarms, nurse call systems, bedhead trunking, medical gas services, automated doors, video entry, furnishings and a link bridge to connect the new ward to the main hospital.

The 747m2 building incorporates a mix of four-bed and single-bed ensuite rooms, a large reception area, nurses’ station, shower rooms, kitchen, utility rooms, quiet room and stores.

This project illustrates how Portakabin Hire can deliver interim building solutions to help healthcare providers meet response times during peak periods, waiting list targets and while longer-term plans for expansion are progressed.

Portakabin Hire can deliver short-term solutions for ward accommodation, recovery suites, dialysis units, diagnostics, out-patient departments and treatment centres.

All the hospital facilities are constructed to the latest healthcare standards, including HTM (Health Technical Memoranda), HBN (Health Building Notes), SHTM (Scottish Health Technical Memoranda) and HAI-SCRIBE (Healthcare Associated Infection System for Controlling Risk in the Built Environment).

Enquiry No 25

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Enquiry No 26

20 [ NEWS

www.brick.org.uk/brick-awards

London Buildings Show Excellence in Brick Two buildings designed and built to complement their immediate surroundings were honoured at the 2014 Brick Awards which took place in November at the Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel in London.

Three awards were presented to the London School of Economics Saw Swee Hock Student Centre: the Best Education Category, the Innovative Use of Brick and Clay Products and the Supreme Winner, the project considered to be the best overall.

The New Student’s Centre, which is located in London’s “city of bricks”, has provided a light and spacious environment for student life to take place. The exterior used a staggering 175,000 handmade bricks to create both solid and perforated areas, with the latter allowing light to both infiltrate and, at night, filtrate to a beautiful pattern effect.

Designed by O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects, the building challenges the conformity of bricks and mortar and breaks boundaries at every level. The use of Coleford Brick and Tile’s Saxon and Wessex Bespoke blend of bricks by Brickwork Contractor Swift Brickwork knits well into the buildings brick surroundings, yet uses it in a strange and captivating way allowing the building to be both rooted and yet truly individual.

The judges called this project a real “Tour de Force and exactly what brick should be”!

Its innovation and outstanding quality is seen extensively throughout. This project is brave, ambitious and bleeds forward thinking, for brick and for architecture.

A new Customer Service Centre and Library in East Ham, London, won the Best Public Building category. Situated amongst Edwardian Buildings that front the busy Barking Road, and the first phase of an extensive regeneration of a listed Town Hall complex, the London Borough of Newham decided to return its core team after years of

relocations elsewhere within the borough. The client’s brief was to create a building of civic presence but was also a natural fit within surrounding area.

Brick was the natural material choice for Rick Mather Architects as the Town Hall conservation area is home to some of the finest examples of Edwardian Grade II* brick and terracotta buildings in Newham. Michelmersh’s i-line bespoke blend and Farnham Red/Light Victorian Red bricks were selected to complement the surrounding re-pressed Victorian and London stock bricks.

Built by Brickwork Contractor Pyramid Builders Ltd, the external appearance of the Customer Service Centre and Library is solid and arranged in large brick planes framed by expanses of glass with some areas of terracotta dressing. A long, thin modular brick has been used in vertical and horizontal courses and to create further visual interest, vertical brick ribbing was used in choice locations. Reveals, soffits and setbacks were also faced in brick. A lime based mortar with 10mm struck joints and minimalist weep holes rounding off the brick detailing.

The Customer Service Centre and Library is a well designed building which sits well in its immediate context joining together the Civic Campus and the Town Hall. It provides a valuable resource for the neighbourhood and will help reinvigorate the town centre of East Ham. The judges felt the quality and use of brick detailing is high and consistent throughout and its solid structure is beautifully put together and well executed.

You can see pictures and find full details of all the winning projects on the BDA’s website.

Enquiry No 27

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NEWS [ 21

www.builtenvironmenthub.org

Success For The Midlands Construction Summit - Building Ideas For A Brighter Future The Midlands Construction Summit - held at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham - was declared a great success, seeing over 300 innovators, leaders, supply chain specialists and high level individuals, all operating in the various key construction sectors, gathering to discuss the Construction 2025 Industrial Strategy.

The event was run by the Built Environment Hub which is a not-for-profit organisation owned by its members - an association of Midlands regional businesses. The idea behind the Midlands Construction Summit was to support and advance the Midlands construction sector through collaboration, knowledge sharing, networking and engaging with government and major public sector bodies, coalescing around the Construction 2025 Strategy.

The Summit took the form of a combined conference and exhibition with a series of interactive workshops aimed to address the key themes of the Strategy, including energy efficiency, supply-chain development, offsite construction, BIM, public sector investment and academic research. David Bucknall OBE, Chairman of the Built Environment Hub commented: “Events like the Midlands Construction Summit are crucial for improving and impacting the industry. Bringing such a wide range professionals together under one roof helps to generate new ideas and discussions that will ultimately achieve growth across all sectors.”

One of the key discussions throughout the day included the sharing of ideas over ways in which to get young people involved in the industry - with new methods to recruit and train staff. There was also a focus on maximising technology options GO!PUBLIC:NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

in order to enhance sustainability - with a strong emphasis on making Building Information Modelling (BIM) relevant across the entire industry and promoting and encouraging offsite construction.

Allan Wilén, Economic Director of Glenigan, stated: “There have been some positive industry trends in recent years, including time predictability and cost certainty, as well as encouraging results in environmental performance - the industry is really delivering on this front with energy usage, water usage and minimal waste on site.”

The key note speaker for the event was Peter Hansford, UK Government Chief Construction advisor, who spoke about improving working conditions - with the vision of setting a benchmark over other industries, as well as providing and recruiting staff with specialist skills and getting industry and academia to work together. The presentation also highlighted advances in technology helping the recognition of performance and energy efficiency.

Peter Hansford commented: “In my role I could easily spend all my time around Westminster but is very important that I get out and meet the regional industry. This Midlands event has Construction 2025 running all through it - that’s both amazing and heartening. I was pleased to hear Constructing Excellence being promoted as the single body to move the whole industry toward a collaborative approach to achieving Construction 2025’s aspirations”.

Enquiry No 28

22 [ NEWS

Arnold Laver Gold Award Winner 2014 Ditchling Museum by Adam Richards Architects

Private Winner House No 7 by Denizen Works

‘Exemplary’ Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft Takes Arnold Laver Gold Award At National Wood Awards 2014 Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft by Adam Richards Architects has taken the Arnold Laver Gold Award in this year’s UK national Wood Awards 2014 competition - the flagship for wood in the best of British architecture, furniture and design. Announced at the Wood Awards winners’ ceremony hosted by the Worshipful Company of Carpenters on the 18th November in the City of London, Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft in East Sussex won the Existing Building category before being crowned the “winner of winners” in front of more than 200 leading industry and architectural figures.

Chairman of the judges and founder of the Wood Awards, Michael Buckley said, “The Wood Awards go from strength to strength. This year there were several possible category winners from the outset but the final debate among the judges was not easy. Part of the strength of these national awards is that the panel of independent judges spent 116 judge-days during the summer personally inspecting the shortlist in order to ensure we are truly celebrating the exceptional.” Fellow judge Hugh Pearman, editor of RIBA Journal and architecture critic for the Sunday Times said, “As the Gold Award winner, Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft sums everything up. It is an exemplary little low-budget rural museum by an architect to note for the future.

A mix of new-build and restoration, of ancient techniques co-existing happily with the high technology of today, it adroitly uses a mixed palette of materials (including spruce CLT and English oak) that suits its context admirably – and is designed in such a way as to waste practically nothing.”

The Wood Awards judging panel includes Hugh Pearman and Eleanor Young of RIBA Journal, Jim Greaves of Hopkins Architects, Andrew Lawrence from Arup, David Morley, Adam Khan, architectural writer Ruth Slavid, timber engineering consultant Nathan Wheatley from Engenuiti and craft specialist John Wilkie, and the panel is chaired by Michael Buckley. Sean Sutcliffe of Benchmark Furniture leads the Wood Awards eminent furniture judging panel of John Makepeace, Rod Wales and Katie Walker.

The UK national Wood Awards category winners for 2014 include The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London by McCurdy & Co for the Commercial & Public Access Award; House No. 7 in Tiree, Scotland by Denizen Works for the Private Award; Alfriston School Swimming Pool in Beaconsfield by Duggan Morris Architect for the Structural Award, and the small but perfectly formed Studio in Oxford by James Wyman Architects for the Small Project Award.

In the Wood Awards furniture categories, the Bespoke Furniture Award was won by Makers’ Eye – a collective of leading design-makers working in Britain today – for ‘Oak Furniture for the Dickson Poon Centre’ at St. Hugh’s College, Oxford. This project comprises nearly 200 pieces and was supplied to the sort of quality that tends to come from smaller and bespoke makers. Fowler & Co’s ‘Hat Tree’ took the Production Made Furniture Award, which was praised by the judges for its adaptation to the rigours of the production process.

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NEWS [ 23

Small Project Highly Commended Ravenswood by Maccreanor Lavington

Judges Special Award Hand carved oak gothic doors by Jack Badger Ltd.

www.woodawards.com

Chair of the Wood Awards furniture judges, Sean Sutcliffe, said, “This has been another fascinating year for the Wood Awards. One particularly interesting aspect has been to look at the understanding developing between bespoke furniture and design for manufacture – to see how exactly designers are growing to understand the simplification of process that is needed for manufacture and how that can be coupled with quality of design, detailing and materials. On the other hand, there is enormous pleasure when one encounters the creativity, aesthetic understanding, craftsmanship and, often, restraint, that goes into the best bespoke pieces.”

Two Judges’ Special Awards were given this year. The first went to dRMM Architects and team for Endless Stair, created in American tulipwood CLT for the London Design Festival. The judges said, “The Endless Stair was a real one-off, a project that combined being an exciting and accessible piece of public art with research into innovative new ways of using a material, adding to the sum of knowledge as well as providing delight.”

The second was awarded to specialist joinery company Jack Badger Ltd for their Hand carved Gothic doors; two ornate pairs of Gothic oak doors with hand-carved tracery on both sides, constructed using traditional techniques and using 100% oak for the construction, with no glues or screws or modern fixings. Jack Badger worked with its apprentices on the project, giving them a chance to learn new skills which are in rapid decline and also giving them a sense of personal pride and achievement.

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This year, the Wood Awards was launched at Ecobuild in March, and at 100% Design in September the Wood Awards exhibited a gallery of the full shortlist and the shortlisted Furniture categories pieces featured in person.

As the UK’s premier award scheme with over 40 years of supporting excellence in the world’s only naturally sustainable material, the not-for-profit competition is the flagship for wood in the best of British architecture, furniture and design.

The Wood Awards is only made possible by the major sponsorship of the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the Worshipful Company of Carpenters, TRADA and Wood for Good. Other sponsors include American Softwoods, BRE and the Forestry Commission. New from 2014 is the combined sponsorship of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) with the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC), and the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) as a supporter. The Wood Awards Gold Award is sponsored by Arnold Laver.

Enquiry No 29

24 [ NEWS

www.bre.co.uk

BRE And Partners Submit Flood Resilient Plans To Defra Following the news earlier this year that built environment science centre BRE was to work in partnership with flood risk management company Aquobex and architectural firm Baca to develop a design for a Flood Resilient Home, a full report has now been submitted to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The aim of the project is to enable construction of new properties on land in low or residual flood risk areas, which is not currently being developed, to help overcome the current shortage of building land and BRE Construction Director, Stephen Garvin believes the design submitted could go some way to addressing the issues; “The announcement of this project coincided with a series of severe flooding events across the UK, particularly in the south of England.

These events resulted in substantial press interest in flood prevention, including a focus on flood resilient housing and businesses. It has been said that avoidance is the best way to prevent homes flooding, or else many have looked to the Netherlands and their floating and amphibious properties. For severe flood risk (greater than 1 in 75), the floating or amphibious approach, or adopting avoidance measures (e.g. through raising the building above the expected flood level) could be considered.

However, for the majority of homes at flood risk, those which are at flood risk of less than 1 in 75, but greater than 1 in 1000, resilience is the best solution, and as such it is this approach that the project team has chosen to remain with for the FRP design.”

The design approach used in the Flood Resilient Property (FRP) design is innovative and uses the principles of resistance and resilience of the property, but it sets out how to deliver such an approach to the mass market house building sector and the low rise non-domestic market. As the flood depth increases above 600mm, water is allowed to enter the property at a designed safe flow rate through windows and doors. For the windows sensors will be linked to automatic opening devices that

will open when the flood depth reaches 600 mm. The flood doors will have built in devices related to the inundation depth. The controlled inundation of the property avoids the risk of structural collapse through pressure being applied on the walls.

The controlled inundation is linked to a resilient indoor design and construction.

Internally, material choices and design decisions mean that little or no damage will be done to fittings, furniture, services and appliances. Post-flood, once the water has receded, the recovery period will be brief, simply requiring the internal finishings to be quickly dried, cleaned and sanitised. No ‘stripping out’ of materials will be required, and full habitation can be achieved much more quickly as services can be simply switched back on.

New innovative materials and products, or existing products used in a new way, are incorporated into the design to ensure this occurs, such as closed-cell cavity wall insulation and automatic shut off valves on water and electric services, linked to flood alarm systems. In addition, measures will be provided so that a family living in an FRP have all emergency provisions at hand, including dedicated storage space for a flood kit and ground floor escape windows for safe evacuation.

The innovative FRP design has the potential to address the insurability of buildings.

The target area of risk does not concern the highest level (i.e. greater than 1 in 75), but does address less than 1 in 75 to 1 in 1000, where a substantial number of properties are being built. As the insurance market adapts to Flood Re from 2015, the FRP approach will be important to address new development, especially in the absence of any meaningful standards or regulations in this area. For further information on the event, log onto www.resilience14.com Enquiry No 30

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NEWS [ 25

www.flowcrete.co.uk

Specifying Seamless Resin Terrazzo CPD Seminar Flowcrete UK is delighted to announce the launch of its brand new ‘Specifying Seamless Resin Terrazzo’ RIBA approved CPD Seminar. Architects looking to earn CPD points while learning more about the science and beauty of terrazzo flooring can contact Flowcrete UK now to book their place on this informative and beneficial educational opportunity.

The fascinating new seminar provides an in depth background into the traditional history of terrazzo, from all the way back in 9000BC when lime and clay based terrazzo was used in Neolithic structures, right through to the present day.

Flowcrete UK’s Marketing Manager, Ian Jones, said: “Our new seminar has been created to provide architects with a greater understanding of the nature of seamless resin terrazzo flooring – including what systems are available to the market, how they differ to alternative materials and the practicalities of installation and maintenance. This type of flooring is becoming an increasingly popular choice within large-scale commercial venues thanks to its many aesthetic and functional properties. This seminar is a great way for industry professionals to ensure that they stay ahead of the curve when it comes to decorative hard floor coverings.”

During the seminar, a resin flooring expert will cover the many benefits of using seamless terrazzo systems compared to out-dated traditional tiles. Participants will be provided with an in-depth analysis of the various application processes and techniques and they will also learn about the benefits and lifecycle implications of different materials. Flowcrete UK’s latest CPD seminar will also identify the most appropriate cleaning methods to ensure a prolonged life span for seamless terrazzo

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flooring systems, helping clients to get the most out of their investment in the longterm. Seamless resin terrazzo is renowned for delivering the ultimate in design flexibility, with its unlimited colour pallet able to provide a unique and tailored finish for every project. The vast versatility of the material means it can be precast for use on stair treads and risers as well as for wall coving. Not to mention that with the correct cleaning procedures seamless terrazzo can offer a lifecycle as long as the building itself, making it a sound investment for the future.

Terrazzo systems also have a low slip potential in accordance with HSE and UKSRG guidelines, making them a safer option for public places. As well as the fact that the non-porosity of seamless terrazzo eliminates microbial growth and can be used to improve the indoor environmental air quality of a structure. Available across the UK and Ireland, the new RIBA approved seminar lasts for between 45-60 minutes and all attendees are invited to help themselves to a complimentary buffet or light refreshments.

Flowcrete UK is incredibly proud to form part of the RIBA CPD Providers Network and offers a selection of RIBA approved CPD seminars for clients. These seminars are available nationwide to those working in the field of floor specification.

Flowcrete UK is happy to cater for sessions involving any number of delegates and offers seminars that tackle a host of resin floor, screed, decking and wall issues that are commonly faced by the industry alongside a number of important legislative considerations.

Enquiry No 31

26 [ ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL

Quantec HR28C Boiler From Johnson & Starley The Johnson & Starley QuanTec HR28C combi high efficiency condensing boiler with passive flue gas heat recovery (PFGHR) makes it not only arguably the most efficient boiler available on the market but also the smallest. The QuanTec requires no extra space and will replace any gas condensing boiler.

The QuanTec boiler with PFGHR represents the most efficient way of recycling heat and offering optimum energy efficiency. It also gives DHW (Domestic Hot Water) efficiency levels never achieved before within combi boilers with the addition of a pre-heating sanitary water function. www.johnsonandstarley.co.uk Enquiry No 32

Pegler Yorkshire Launches New Range of TMVs

Hunter Shows Its Can Do Attitude In Charlton

As a recognised innovator and market leader in the field of Thermostatic Mixing Valves (TMV), Pegler Yorkshire has once again responded to changing market needs to deliver a new Pegler thermostatic mixing valve range that greatly simplifies the valve selection process whilst at the same time enhancing product performance.

Traditionally, Pegler Yorkshire has manufactured anti-scald valves with enhanced performance for the healthcare market (Type 3) and a separate valve for general and domestic applications (Type 2). The new more compact Pegler PEG402 series of valves meet the requirements of BS and EN standards, are WRAS approved and boast the BuildCert certificate for both TMV3 and TMV2 schemes. www.pegleryorkshire.co.uk

A “can do” approach and a close working relationship with the contactor has helped Hunter Plastics to come up with a solution that made part of the regeneration of the Glades development in London much more straightforward and cost-effective.

The Technical and Fabrications teams at Hunter put their heads together to design and manufacture a bespoke fitting for walkway drainage. Hunter realises that not all product requirements can be met with standard components. So they have a fabrications department that is fully equipped to provide fabrications to overcome these difficult installations. Hunter Plastics, part of the Aliaxis Group manufactures a wide range of PVC-U rainwater, soil and waste and underground drainage systems in the UK. www.hunterplastics.co.uk

Enquiry No 33

Enquiry No 34

Safe As Houses With Kidde Kidde customer Place Group UK is one of the first private landlords to be awarded the respected DASH Landlord Accreditation in Lincoln. All Place Group properties are protected by hard-wired Kidde smoke, heat and CO alarms with back-up power. The aim of DASH accreditation is to encourage and promote good property standards and management practices in the private rental sector and the City of Lincoln Council now endorses and promotes the scheme. he DASH Property Standard, which accredited landlords must adhere to, refers to the ‘Housing Health and Safety Rating System’ (HHSRS). This identifies both fire and carbon monoxide poisoning as primary risks and stresses the importance of fitting appropriate alarms – top of Place Group’s list of priorities.

Already a multi award-winning supplier of high quality HMO accommodation to students for over 20 years in North London, Place Group opened their Lincoln office in April 2014. They quickly discovered that most demand for their high quality HMO accommodation in Lincoln stemmed from graduates starting their first jobs, rather than students.

To meet this demand, the company has invested in refurbishing period houses in the popular West End and Uphill parts of the City centre. These offer a range of safe, secure studio-style bedrooms, many with their own showers and kitchens, together with communal kitchens and laundry rooms.

In all the Lincoln properties, Kidde’s Firex range has been installed and every studio bedroom now has its own smoke and heat alarm. All kitchens and food preparation areas also have heat alarms, linked to those in each bedroom. In addition, Firex smoke alarms protect escape routes and boiler rooms and Kidde’s hard-wired CO alarms are installed on each floor.

Place Group CEO Rob Hunter commented: “We chose Kidde because there is no second chance to get it right with refurbishment. We wanted to avoid any costly mistakes that could occur if we specified a less established brand and had to make changes later. Moreover, we know that Kidde will support us in future.” www.smoke-alarms.co.uk Enquiry No 35

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ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL [ 27

Stertil Inflatable Seals Save Energy Costs For German Train Company Renowned German train company Bayrische Oberlandbahn (BOB) is saving energy costs and improving working conditions within its service workshops following the installation of bespoke WI inflatable dock seals from Stertil Dock Products.

Comprehensive repair, maintenance and servicing of the train fleet are undertaken at the company’s workshops. However, due to space limitations, it’s not always possible to accommodate the entire length of trains or separate carriages. On these occasions, the large workshop doors need to be left open, to allow part of the train to protrude beyond the workshop, which leads to loss of heat and increased energy costs. However, these problems have now been eliminated following the installation of a special 5000mm high by 4400mm wide shelter incorporating the WI inflatable dock seals.

Originally developed to support loading bay applications, the WI inflatable dock seals were installed to provide a virtually airtight seal around trains. This is achieved by inflatable side and top airbags that automatically self-adjust to different heights and widths. The seal is inflated by a head mounted electric blower and inflates in approximately 15 seconds. Once the blower is turned off, the top and side airbags deflate and automatically retract behind protective, hard-wearing curtains to enable safe and unobstructed movement of trains. www.stertil.co.uk Enquiry No 36

Pureau Ion Exchange Saltless Water Softener The Pureau range uses traditional ion exchange resins to produce superb, soft water for household or commercial use.

The 3 models (Eau 1, Eau 2 and Eau 3) range from 20 litres per minute to 70 litres per minute and are suitable for both gravity and pressurised water systems. As the systems are cartridge based maintenance is simple. The main cartridge lasts an incredible 36 months, the carbon pre filter cartridge lasts 12 months and the post filter cartridge will last for 2 to 3 months depending on hardness levels.

The Pureau Range has been specifically designed to meet the demands of providing a water softener without the use of salt that provides softer water to the touch. Pureau water treatment systems remove a high percentage of scale forming minerals. Water readings of under 100ppm is considered soft. Magnesium and calcium in the water is essential for good health so Pureau systems do not remove it all, just enough to bring it down to accepted soft water levels.

The systems do not waste water or require a power source or drain. There are 3 models which will treat water flows of up to 70 litres per minute. The range is suitable for gravity fed and pressurised water systems, they are also suitable for combination boilers. As the units do not add sodium to the water they can be used on properties with septic tanks.

Purea systems incorporate a raw water feed which ensures trace minerals are left in the water for health, they also provide the perfect water for ice making, tea and coffee. www.aquatiere.co.uk Enquiry No 37

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28 [ ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL

Schools Help Launch New Eco Competition

Pupils from schools in Hatfield, St Albans, Stevenage in Hertfordshire, and Bisham on the Buckinghamshire/ Berkshire border took part in a special eco competition launch at the headquarters of Mitsubishi Electric in Travellers Lane, Hatfield.

The Eco School Competition has seven challenges for pupils who wish to win a prize of £2,000 worth of environmental resources for their school. The competition, which has been created by Mitsubishi Electric under its ‘The Learning Curve’ initiative, is open to all schools and also Scouts, Brownies, Guides, Beavers, Cubs and any other youth groups who are committed to raising environmental awareness amongst their communities.

The competition asks the schools to examine six key areas: Waste; energy; bio-diversity; travel; water; and heath, and then invites the children to take the ‘Green Invention Challenge’.

Entry to the competition is via the dedicated Learning Curve website, where schools can also find out more details about the company’s special educational programme.

The closing date for the Eco School Competition is the 5thJune 2015 and the winner will be announced by the end of the school year. Schools should visit the website to sign up for the competition and find out more details on the educational programme and resources available www.the-learning-curve.org.uk www.mitsubishielectric.eu

British Manufacturer Vent-Axia Wins At Prestigious Housebuilder Awards

Leading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia is celebrating winning Product of the Year at the prestigious Housebuilder Awards 2014. Scooping the award for its revolutionary Lo-Carbon Response™ (dMEV) solution, the Sussex-based company received the accolade in London, at a glittering ceremony held at The Tower Hotel near Tower Bridge.

This announcement follows hot on the heels of the Lo-Carbon Response™ winning the Best Brand New Product Award at the Housebuilder Product Awards 2014 in July. Judged by a distinguished panel of industry experts, the awards recognise innovation and excellence in housebuilding; a key factor as the UK moves towards zero carbon homes. www.vent-axia.com Enquiry No 39

Enquiry No 38

Schell Angle Valves Gaining Recognition In Progressive Plumbing Applications While there continue to be differences between water regulations in the UK and our European neighbours, as well as in some of the technologies our respective industries have come to prefer, most experts – wherever they are based – can agree on certain matters of Best Practice. Connecting outlets such as taps and showers to “Loop” or “Serial” plumbing systems by means of angle valves is one such area of consensus.

Angle valves have in fact been regarded as a standard fitting on the European mainland for decades, with Schell GmbH as a main manufacturer having sold tens of millions, suiting various applications. For they not only offer the ability to instantly isolate a tap for maintenance far more easily than our commonly favoured ‘quarter turn’ under-sink valves, but angle valves can also offer temperature or flow control and their use here is now penetrating from top end specifications into the mainstream market.

Furthermore, the concept of connecting outlets to continuous, as opposed to traditional T-piece installations – utilizing angle valves - is viewed as an ideal way to prevent the collection and stagnation of water in dead-legs: thus combating the risk of deadly legionella contamination.

The importance of avoiding dead-legs has recently been underlined by one of the country’s biggest plumbing supply specialists, Uponor Limited, which has established a new showroom for its SMARTEnds offering; that also makes exclusive use of Schell’s angle valves for all the connections. For a serial system Uponor’s inverted-U SMARTEnds are connected directly one to the next with the highest consumption point (normally the wc) at the end to propagate through flow. www.schell.eu Enquiry No 40

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DOORS, WINDOWS & GLAZING [ 29

www.glassolutions.co.uk

Glassolutions Creates Glass Walkways For Tower Bridge Tourists visiting Tower Bridge can see a unique view of the bridge mechanism and road below – through two new glass walkway floors 42 metres above the River Thames. The UK’s largest processor, distributor, installer and repairer of glass and glass systems GLASSOLUTIONS won the £250,000 contract to design and manufacture the (one-way) glass, which has been inserted into the floor of each of the two 11.5 metre long walkways on the Grade I listed building.

The existing floors were removed and a steel frame was installed into which the new 80mm thick glass floor panels, comprising seven layers of glass capable of withstanding the weight of six elephants, were inserted. The glass specification was developed to accommodate major external forces such as wind loading and the potential impact should a passing vessel strike the walkways. Equally important though was consideration of internal impacts on the glass floors and how to designin a way to easily repair any damage that results from the heavy footfall of 600,000+ visitors a year.

The solution developed by GLASSOLUTIONS was to incorporate a top “sacrificial” layer of glass into the panels. This can be replaced quickly and easily should any damage occur – including the minor scratches and scuff marks that are inevitable over time – without affecting the structural integrity of the floor. This innovative design has already demonstrated its value with a breakage in one of the panels occurring when a heavy item was accidentally dropped during the new venue’s opening fortnight.

GLASSOLUTIONS was able to respond immediately and replace the sacrificial layer from stocked spare glass panes within 48 hours to help the venue get back to full operation quickly. It did its job perfectly in that it prevented any cosmetic damage to the main structural part of the glass floor, which in a conventional design would have

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been far more costly and time-consuming to replace. Chris Earlie, business manager at Tower Bridge said: “There has never been anything as big as this for Tower Bridge in terms of development, and in terms of future-proofing in the exhibition. We were really confident with the solution that GLASSOLUTIONS presented and we’re really happy with the outcome.”

Simon Carin, managing director of Glassolutions, which is part of the international Saint-Gobain group said: “The glass walkways are designed to enhance this already stunning visitor attraction and have certainly created a new talking point. This project is similar to the glass floor installations Saint-Gobain has been involved with at the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Spinnaker Tower view decks in Portsmouth.”

With a wide variety of events and functions held on the walkways, another dimension to the glass panel design was to maintain privacy for venue users when necessary to prevent prying eyes from the passing traffic and pedestrians on the bridge below.

The clever panel design allows for this too, which means GLASSOLUTIONS can replace the top layer of glass at any point to incorporate a privacy feature – and remove just as easily.

Tower Bridge Exhibition tells the history of the bridge through animations and displays, across its towers, high-level panoramic walkways and the atmospheric Victorian Engine Rooms. The installation of the glass walkways is the most significant change to the Exhibition since it first opened in 1982.

Enquiry No 41

30 [ DOORS, WINDOWS & GLAZING

25 Years Of Arched Frames And Force 8 Is Still Ahead Of The Curve Stockport-based VEKA fabricator Force 8 is now able to offer its revolutionary seamless arched frames, nationwide, with a 48 hour turnaround. Managing Director Dennis Sumner pioneered frame bending technology around 25 years ago, realising that the standard industry practice of welding curved sections of profile together to create an arch jeopardised the frame's integrity as well as affecting its aesthetic appearance. Dennis comments, “Developing the one-piece bend was not an easy option which is probably why, even today, none of our competitors have attempted anything similar. It makes sense that an unbroken system retains its strength – the only time we have a weld on a profile bend is on a completely circular window.” www.vekauk.com Enquiry No 42

Award-Winning Halo Fabricator Strikes Again!

Comar Is A Welcome Visitor At Centre Comar Architectural Aluminium Systems; with their approved fabricator PAGE Group Peterborough Ltd recently completed a Visitor Centre in Windsor Great Park. This new building overlooks Virginia Water, an extensive man-made lake set in a picturesque 18th century landscape, situated in the Grade 1 listed Royal Landscape in Windsor Great Park. Its canopied form frames the view of the lake and the echelon form of the building and its terraces overlook the lake and facilities include a kiosk selling refreshments, public toilets and staff facilities. Comar 3 ground floor framing was selected which incorporates the Comar 7auto sliding doors which were specified for the main entrances. For safety, the Comar 7 AFT Commercial Doors were fitted with Anti-Finger Trap stiles which were hung directly from the Comar 3 ground floor framing. www.comar-alu.co.uk

Long-standing Halo fabricator Polyframe is proud to have won a prestigious award at a glittering local awards ceremony. Polyframe was announced as the winner at The Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards. The organisation was shortlisted in the ‘Companies between £10m and £50m’ category, recognising its phenomenal growth over recent years. Sales Director Peter Dyson believes that Polyframe’s dramatic growth during 2014 was the major contributing factor.

Polyframe has been shortlisted for ‘Fabricator of the Year’ at the G14 Awards and at the National Fenestration Awards as well as being nominated for ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ in the Halifax Courier Awards. www.vekauk.com Enquiry No 44

Enquiry No 43

Neaco’s Expertise Meets Demanding College Specification NEACO’s expertise in the education sector was put to good use for a demanding specification at Hymers College in Kingston-upon-Hull, where the company’s Spectrum balustrade was extensively installed within a new state-of-the-art music facility.

Built by Hobson & Porter, the £1.6 million scheme includes practice rooms, teaching space and a recital hall sized to accommodate a full orchestra. The stainless steel and powder coated aluminium versions of Spectrum were chosen with glass panel infills to two stairwells.

A spokesman for Hobson & Porter said: “NEACO’s design, product and manufacturing service are superb. Projects like this are subject to tight build schedules to minimise disruption to the college’s activities, so we needed a fast manufacturing turnaround and installation which Neaco provided in time for the start of a new academic year.”

“NEACO provided comprehensive technical support with site survey, design and installation. They achieved efficient completion of the work on site to a high standard whilst minimising disruption to other areas of the site and other contractors involved in the project.”

NEACO also designs and manufactures balconies, structural glass, decking, walkways, cladding, solar shading and adaptive bathing applications including level access shower grilles, easy access shower trays, wet-floor formers, half-height shower enclosures and bathroom support fittings. www.neaco.co.uk Enquiry No 45

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FLOORS [ 31

Remmers Floomix DQ – The Ideal Solution The main production area of the Express Contract Drying factory in South Wales required refurbishment. The existing slabs created significant substrate challenges due to the mixture of old finishes and bare concrete. TPS360, the contractor for the project, was instructed to produce a new floor finish that needed to be slip resistant with good chemical resistance whilst providing an attractive and highly durable finish. Remmers Floormix DQ flooring system was chosen for its special blend of decorative colour quartz aggregate and extreme durability which was ideally suited for this application. Due to time constraints on the program, fast curing resin screeds were installed, to falls, to an exacting standard to avoid ponding. www.remmers.co.uk Enquiry No 46

Lanes Puts London Underground In Picture With Essential Standards

Profloor System Used In Hospital Refurb

Lanes Group’s Rail Division has launched its own version of the company’s innovative and award-winning quality tool that uses cartoon pictures to show how worksites must look to be safe and productive. Essential Standards is being used by more than 120 Lanes drainage operatives working on London Underground (LU) maintenance and repair contracts.

Lanes Group, the largest independent supplier of wastewater, utility and underground pipeline services in the UK, has invested £40,000 in developing Essential Standards for its rail operations. LU selected the initiative as one of three to showcase at a Together We’re Safer health and safety forum for its 500 contractors,=. At its core is a series of cartoon-style images showing 15 worksite set-ups. For each image, there is a process map detailing how the site should be managed. www.lanesfordrains.co.uk

The A. Proctor Group have supplied Profloor Dynamic Deck 26 system to a former hospital site in St John’s, Chelmsford. Profloor Dynamic Deck 26 system provides a high degree of isolation resulting in significant improvements in impact sound insulation and is robust detail compliant FFT5.

Profloor Systems are designed to meet the requirements of the Building Regulations and Robust Details for impact sound. Solutions are available for timber and concrete floors on both new build and refurbishment projects. For further information on our Profloor Dynamic Deck 26 System or any of the other product ranges, please visit www.proctorgroup.com Enquiry No 48

Enquiry No 47

Dallmer Floor Drains Prove Their Fitness At easyGym Dallmer has supplied its stylish CeraLine shower channels for a chain of popular private fitness clubs stretching from the capital to the Midlands: being specified for their high discharge rates and excellent installation characteristics as well as their attractive appearance: proving their all-round fitness for purpose.

The easyGym operates 10 venues created by the group, which had previously spread its wings from airline flights to budget hotels. The Fulham gym, with five female and five male shower cubicles, is one of the latest venues to be refurbished. Dallmer was able to supply the CeraLine W2000 units so that they could be finished on site. This latest contract was carried out by main contractor, Lovebuild. Work was completed on schedule, in June, with the design of the rugged, stainless steel and polypropylene drainage channels helping to speed both the plumbing connections and the laying of the floor tiling.

The two metre long sections of channel feature sanded flanges to ensure a secure bond with the under-tile waterproofing layer; while the height adjustable legs facilitate millimetre accurate levelling. As in this instance the CeraLine is normally aligned with the wall of the shower area to remove water effectively from the surrounding floor surface. In fact with water filling to a depth of 20 mm around the CeraLine W2000, the hydraulic design of the Dallmer channel offers a flow rate of 1.4 litres per second compared to just 0.8 for standard channels.

The CeraLine W2000 can also be laid with temporary blanking plates while the waste water connection is made using a ball-jointed side outlet which is adjustable from 0-15 degrees. A spokesperson for the project team commented: “Dallmer’s CeraLine W2000 channels are ideal for locations like the easyGym changing rooms, where clients expect the facilities to look their best. The CeraLine is simple to work with when positioning and laying the tiles up to their sides, while they also remove water very effectively and are easy to keep clean. www.dallmer.com Enquiry No 49

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32 [ INTERIORS

Aspirational Changing Places Facility At Chorley Town Hall A new Changing Places facility installed in Chorley Town Hall has been praised as “aspirational”. Meeting all the requirements of BS8300 for disabled access within public facilities, the new installation in Chorley Town Hall goes above and beyond the minimum expectations. Andrew Lowndes, UK sales manager at Pressalit Care, specialists in the design of facilities for those with limited mobility, says, “The content and quality of this bathroom are to be praised – this is a fine example of what an accessible bathroom can look like. It is truly aspirational.”

At Chorley Town Hall, the wheelchair friendly bathroom, that provides a spacious environment for those who need the help of a carer, has been designed in coordinating anthracite grey and white for an aesthetically pleasing contrast with adjustable height products from the Pressalit Care range.

Among the Pressalit Care elements included are the Nursing Bench 3000, featuring a head and neck support, and curved contour making the bench extremely comfortable and safe; the Select Wash Basin, which has a concave front edge to help stabilize a standing as well as a seated user, with wall mounted grab rails; and the Select Toilet with hinged arm supports. The electrically powered toilet, with its smooth lines and surfaces for ease of cleaning, not only allows the user to find the most comfortable seating position, but also acts as a sitting or standing aid.

Transferring to and from the toilet can feel overwhelming for frail, elderly or disabled users. It is important therefore that the height of the toilet seat corresponds with the user’s situation and that both of the user’s feet can be placed on the floor, making it easier to balance and transfer. The electric hand control for the Select Toilet is operated with the simple press of a button, and is ideal for multi-user bathrooms where frequent height adjustment is required. As at Chorley Town Hall, height-adjustable products, as specified for Changing Places facilities, can be met from Pressalit Care’s range of specialist bathroom solutions. BS8300 recommends the use of a “large power assisted height-adjustable washbasin” and a “heightadjustable showering/changing bench”, such as those designed by Pressalit Care. www.pressalit.com Enquiry No 50

No Chimney, No Smoke, No Mess Committed to exceptional design and quality, Decoflame ApS is since 2007 the recognised trademark for eco-friendly, contemporary bioethanol fireplaces which add a style statement to any interior. Comprising a large variety of both standard and made-to-measure models, decoflame® fireplaces are manually manufactured and tested in Denmark, with no compromise on safety and quality.

All decoflame® fireplaces can be positioned literally anywhere, since no flue or chimney is needed. Bioethanol has a clean combustion and without smoke, smell and soot emission and therefore minimum maintenance is required for decoflame® fireplaces. www.decoflame.com Enquiry No 51 GO!PUBLIC:NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

MAST SCREENING + SHELVING

PAT.2274974

Standard & custom made items, design & build services, quick lead times Tel. 01923 818282

. Fax. 01923 818280 . Email. sales@shopkit.com . www.shopkit.com

Enquiry No 52

MADE IN THE UK

34 [ INTERIORS

www.decoflame.com

Decoflame Designed Fireplaces Committed to exceptional design and quality, Decoflame ApS is since 2007 the recognised trademark for eco-friendly, contemporary bioethanol fireplaces which add a style statement to any interior.

Comprising a large variety of both standard and mad- to-measure models, decoflame速 fireplaces are manually manufactured and tested in Denmark, with no compromise on safety and quality.

Striving to meet the customers卒 highest expectations, Decoflame proposes a wide range of fireplaceswall-mounted, built-in, free standing-, featuring either a manual burner or an electronically controlled burner- decoflame速 e-Ribbon Fire.

The decoflame速 e-Ribbon Fire combines facility of installation and operation with functional safety, introducing the joy and warmth of a real open fire to domestic and commercial fireplace applications without the need for a flue or chimney. Featuring cutting-edge technology, this remotely controlled burner can be operated using an App available for both iPhone and Android.

Enquiry No 53

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INTERIORS [ 35

New Guide For Specifers Of Blinds

Ceiling Installation From Knauf AMF Goes Swimmingly The Knauf AMF Aquatec ceiling system has been installed in the new pool hall at Leytonstone Leisure Centre, London. The refurbished centre is part of an ongoing £24.5 million regeneration programme.

The hall is equipped with a 25m main pool and a teaching pool.

Architects AFLS+P specified the Aquatec ceiling system to meet the demanding requirements for the public pool. The ceiling has to withstand a tough combination of extreme humidity, a range of temperatures, water, and exposure to the corrosive atmosphere caused by chlorine. AFLS+P are impressed with the ceiling and have specified Aquatec for a number of projects including a further three large leisure centres. www.amfceilings.co.uk

Choosing the right shading product for modern interiors is no longer straightforward and today a specifier needs to know which blinds can help achieve shading and insulation targets for a project, as well as decide between electric or manual control. Then there is a new 2014 UK regulation concerning blind safety which has to be taken into account.

The BLINDS BOOK from Aluzion helps by providing concise information about fifteen different types of blind systems in one A5 book (or download). It includes maximum sizes, technical information, guide prices and some fabric ranges.

Products featured include the COLLEGE blind system for teaching rooms, and the 3E ELECTRIC ROLLER BLIND in mains and battery versions. Copies of The Blinds Book are available from Aluzion. www.aluzion.co.uk Enquiry No 55

Enquiry No 54

e-Ribbon, Electric Fireplaces Committed to exceptional design and quality, Decoflame is since 2007 the recognised trademark for eco-friendly, contemporary bio ethanol fireplaces which add a style statement to any interior. Combining cuttingedge technology and high design, Decoflame​ ApS introduced in 2012 the p ​atented technology decoflame® e-Ribbon Fire™ - an electronically controlled ethanol burner.

Its CEVB Technology (Controlled Ethanol Vapour Burning) allows controlling the fireplace by remote control or as an option via iPhone, iPad or iPod (Bluetooth) using an intuitive operating display providing easily understandable settings and feed-back messages. www.decoflame.com Enquiry No 56

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36 [ INTERIORS

www.ebios-fire.com www.spartherm.com

A Burning Passion For Fire The German premium manufacturer of firing technology Spartherm proudly presents an exclusive range of bioethanol fireplaces branded ebios-fire® which are now also made available for the discerning customer in Great Britain.

Made And Tested In Germany In order to provide an optimum of customer service, the expansive range of ebios-fire® models comprises both standard and made to measure built-in fireplace models in almost any thinkable layout. Great versatility, highest product safety and outstanding German quality are key values at Spartherm's production facilities were all ebiosfire® models are originally designed, crafted and tested by passionate, skilled craftsmen. Test certificates issued by TÜV Germany further underline the outstanding safety of ebios-fire® bioethanol fires, which feature a wide choice of manual and automatic bioethanol burners.

Versatility Is Key The ebios-fire® range of products is available in a vast variety of finishes meeting the requirements of architects and interior designers on an international level.

Please visit www.ebios-fire.com or write to info@ebios-fire.com for further information.

Spartherm – The Fire Company – www.spartherm.com Enquiry No 57

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EXTERNAL WORKS [ 37

Townscape Launches Innovative Solar Bollard Range

Website Features Hauraton Surface Drainage Projects A fully integrated DRAINAGE PROJECTS website, www.drainageprojects.co.uk has been activated by Hauraton Limited a leading provider of surface water drainage systems in the UK. Utilising the latest software, the new website can to be viewed on all digital devices using responsive technology – i.e. the new website automatically resize fonts and images so they can be easily read on I-phone, I-pad, Mac computers, android phones, tablets and Windows computers via the internet. The website also incorporates a Customer Support portal and links to Twitter, Face book, YouTube and Hauraton’s product website www.hauraton.co.uk.

The new website headlines sector case studies where Hauraton products have been installed, a selection of Latest Projects; projects completed in the last few months, and a Projects Archive; projects completed in the last three years or so. A News Archive is available of the latest company and product announcements. Readers can access the new website via the QR code shown; you will have to download the QR application on to your smart device first, to allow access. www.hauraton.co.uk Enquiry No 58

Street furniture manufacturer, Townscape Products Limited, has unveiled its first range of environmentally friendly solar bollards. solispost™ bollards are solar powered illuminated bollards which utilise cutting edge technology. The innovative bollards offer two levels of illumination; they provide continual illumination after dark at a low level and a higher level of illumination is automatically activated as a person approaches the bollard.

This new combined bollard and lighting solution requires no electrical connections and provides lighting which is visible from 10 metres at lower level lighting and 20 metres at its brighter setting. solispost™ bollards are designed with four vertical solar energy collection panels each with a power point tracking input to maximise solar energy gathering. The solar cells powering the LEDs in solispost™ bollards are powered by ultra violet (UV) light, rather than sunshine. www.townscapeproducts.co.uk Enquiry No 59

Craven Dunnill Cracks Tile Challenge Of Kings Cross Curved Tunnel The newly opened King’s Cross pedestrian tunnel in London features a tiled floor of interlocking triangles, set along a sloping curve. The conceptual design of the floor complements the other key elements: the canopy, the fin section and the integrated art-wall of LED lights.

Craven Dunnill successfully solved the geometric and mathematical challenges created by the irregular floor, providing the required technical CAD expertise and supplying the water-jet cut tiles to an accuracy of 0.1mm.

The project brief stipulated a floor tile for the 90m tunnel with a Low Slip Potential for Pendulum Slider 96, in two shades of grey, which needed to fit onto a curved floor, in line with the LED light panels.

Additionally, the floor tiles needed to be over 1200mm wide, to modulate with the faceted LED lightwall. Craven Dunnill sourced the high quality, Italian-made tiles which are unglazed, rectified and are PTV 40+. In addition, floor tiles were supplied for the escalator hall and steps.

David Talbot of Craven Dunnill was responsible for calculating the individual tile components for water-jet cutting and worked closely with the flooring contractor DMC Contracts. He explains: “From the outset we knew this floor would be a complex and difficult challenge; the simplicity and beauty of the finished floor belies the complications and trials we faced during the design and production processes”.

The CAD plans for the tiled floor were created life-size and included allowances for the 3mm wide joints, intermediate movement joints and site construction joints.

The plans were then tailored to an accurate site survey of the enclosed tunnel, to achieve the pinpoint accuracy required. It was this critical site survey which revealed that the floor curve varied slightly, unnoticeable to the naked eye but crucial when calculating the water-jet cutting calculations. The tunnel links St Pancras International and King’s Cross St Pancras Underground stations to the King’s Cross’ public area, via One Pancras Square and was opened summer 2014. www.cravendunnill.co.uk Enquiry No 60

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38 [ STRUCTURES

www.keesafety.co.uk

Kee Klamp Celebrates 80 Years Of Safe Structures!

Kee Safety, the leading supplier of roof top and ground based guardrail, is celebrating the 80th anniversary of its popular Kee Klamp fitting, the product at the heart of hundreds of thousands of safe tubular structures across the globe.

“We are delighted to reach this impressive milestone,” comments David Hill, Kee Safety’s Group Marketing Director. “From humble origins in the agricultural sector, the use of Kee Klamp fittings has evolved considerably over time. Today, the Kee Klamp fitting is a reliable mainstay in a wide variety of guardrailing, handrailing and other safe structure applications thanks to its versatility, durability and ease of use“.

The Kee Klamp fitting was originally designed in 1934 by Gascoignes Ltd, the milking machine specialists. It was created to meet a requirement for safer, more hygienic milk production, helping to create tubular-based stalls for dairy herds, quickly, easily and without the need for any welding on site. Instead, Kee Klamp fittings are installed using a standard hex key, with each product incorporating an integral set screw to lock the respective fitting safely and securely onto the tube.

From this initial success, Kee Klamp fittings soon gained wider appeal. During World War II, they were used for applications including barrage balloon wind shields and aircraft and gun turret maintenance. Post War, the Kee Klamp fitting became a common sight in racking structures, platforms, handrailing and other safety structures.

Overseas expansion and the development of an international distribution network followed. The 1970’s also brought fresh directions as the fittings began to be used in home furniture and shelving, thanks to a new, attractive galvanised

finish. In 1977 an independent company Kee Klamps Ltd was created and the pace of innovation and product development quickened again.

Today, Kee Klamp fittings remain a major product range within the portfolio of the Kee Safety Group, a UK based global safety company with offices in Canada, China, France, Germany, Poland, UAE and USA. The off-the-shelf product range is one of the largest on the market, providing fittings for every possible application. Alongside Kee Klamp fittings, the business also includes the aluminium corrosion-resistant Kee Lite® range and Kee Access® fittings typically used to create safety handrailing that complies with the requirements of the UK Equality Act and other tubular structure applications.

“The Kee Klamp fitting has been on quite a journey since its invention in 1934,” adds David Hill. “The reasons for its early success are still its major strengths today. Versatility, reliability, speed and ease of assembly are as important in building safe structures as they ever have been, if not more so. The Kee Klamp fitting may be 80 years old, but on this basis it remains a product with a long and very bright future ahead.”

Enquiry No 61

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ROOFS [ 39 SAFE_ARCHTECH_JUNE14_103X257_Layout 1 28/05/2014 16:35 Page 1

Maximum protection Minimal effort

Conservatory Roof Sales Drive 30% Growth Forecast At Metrotile UK A surge in sales for roofing of conservatories is behind more than 30% of projected annual growth at leading lightweight tile firm Metrotile UK. The Chippenham-based company has just sold its millionth tile in 2014 and is forecasting sales of 1.16 million tiles this year, turning over record figures of £7.1 million with net profits expected to reach £679,000.

Driving the performance is major rise in the sale of tiles for conservatories, which has provided 25% of the firm’s growth this year in addition to Metrotile’s continued success in other roofing sectors including private and local authority homes and retail & leisure.

John Cunningham, Managing Director of Metrotile UK, said the benefits of lightweight steel tiles for conservatory roofs are beginning to become common knowledge. www.metrotile.co.uk Enquiry No 62

Safesite’s GUARDRAIL range is designed to provide permanent edge protection where regular access is required. The flexibility of the systems offers the choice of free standing edge protection including standard, raked, radiused, folding and counterweight free systems, as well as collective protection for metal profile and standing seam roofs, providing a solution for every situation. As fall protection specialists, Safesite offers the complete range of health and safety solutions, from site survey to design and installation – all backed by system training and annual recertification.

In Keeping With Tradition Tradition was the name of the game for Paddock Johnson Partnership architects, when the company was charged with restoring and converting a grade two listed building in the historic village of Port Sunlight, Merseyside. It was because of this that the company opted to specify Rosemary Clay Classic roof tiles, Arris Hip Tiles and clay Valley Tiles from Redland when it came to replacing the roof. Hesketh Hall had fallen into serious disrepair when Port Sunlight Village Trust decided to have it converted into luxury one and two bedroom apartments and give the building a new lease of life. The tiles combine the quality of hand crafted clay with the benefits of modern day machinery. www.monier.co.uk Enquiry No 63

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Guardrails / Mobile Man Anchor / Demarcation / Mobile Valley Frame Fragile Roof Access Solutions / Kee Anchor Beam / Ladder Restraints Self Closing Gate / Life Line Systems

Enquiry No 64

www.safesite.co.uk

40 [ WALLS

Photographs courtesy of CWZG Architects - www.czwgarchitects.co.uk

www.lignacite.co.uk

Smaller Than A Block, Larger Than A Brick Lignacite’s Roman Bricks are available in a full range of over 50 colours, textures and finishes, created to offer a contemporary and flexible module for Architects and Designers. The Roman Brick is either cut from our standard size block, or formed in a special block machine mould, we can therefore offer this format in all of our colours and texture combinations to create a large variety of different effects.

Polished and Planished finishes allow crisp, clean lines, whilst splitting or shot blasting the product creates a softer more weathered appearance.

As with all Lignacite products, Roman Bricks are manufactured from a range of different aggregates and incorporate a high percentage of recycled materials such as shell, recycled glass and mother of pearl. The units measure 440mm by 65mm, one third of the size of a traditional block, thereby allowing designers considerable flexibility and scope to create a unique look. The unit weighs less than 7kgs, a third of the weight of a full size block, meaning that there are no HSE lifting issues.

Lignacite Roman Bricks use half the embodied energy of standard clay bricks.

Being twice the length of a conventional brick, they can be laid more quickly.They also do not ‘swim’ making the build process faster and more cost effective.

Whilst creating a contemporary look, the use of Roman Brick can also facilitate new buildings to blend into more traditional settings. Our aim is to work alongside designers to create unique products that compliment individual projects. This can include using the recycled aggregate from an existing building on a site, through to incorporating almost anything from natural sea shells to luminescent powder coated glass.

This product has been used to great effect in a number of recent projects including the Athlete’s Village in the Olympic Park and Blackpool’s Tower of Love.

Lignacite’s Roman Brick range is now available in slip form as part of Gebrik’s lightweight, insulated panel system.

For further information please call us 01842 810678 Enquiry No 65

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www.marmox.co.uk

Thermoblock Offers The Right Formula For Autosport Test Facility The construction of an advanced new testing facility for motor sport engines in Wales features the use of Marmox Thermoblocks at ground floor level, specified in order to help comply with the latest edition of Part L to the Building Regulations. The Sports Engine Testing Facility at the University of South Wales Pontrypridd is being built by Willmott Dixon Construction Limited working as main contractor.

While the 1,000 square metre, two-storey structure utilises a steel frame, the exterior walls are being raised in cavity blockwork with the Marmox Thermoblocks in two different thicknesses subtending both the inner and outer leaf. Developed specifically to deal with the issue of thermal bridging, but able to carry full structural loadings, the specialist units have been supplied through the local Jewson Builders Merchant for installation by the groundworks sub-contractor. 200 of the Thermoblock 140 mm size variant were laid as the perimeter to the ground-bearing reinforced concrete slab; virtually eliminating heat loss at this critical wall/floor junction.

Then a similar number of 100 mm wide Thermoblocks form the bottom course to the outer leaf. Each block features a layer of alkali-resistant fibreglass moulded into the top and bottom surfaces in order to provide a strong bond with standard sand and cement mortar. The stepped end joints to the blocks though are formed using Marmox Acrylic Sealant to help create an additional horizontal moisture barrier.

The individual blocks are formed of XPS which has a lambda value of 0.033 W/mK, containing a series of load-bearing concrete columns to transmit and distribute the weight of the masonry above.

A spokesperson for the project design team commented: “Countering linear thermal bridging at the perimeter of the floor construction is a crucial aspect of compliance with the latest version of the Building Regulations for non-domestic as well as

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residential properties, and the Marmox Thermoblock offers an ideal answer to the challenge. They achieve the required psi value while being both robust and simple to install.”

Individual Thermoblocks are 65 mm deep – equivalent to a course of bricks - and with the 15 mm overlap at either end give an installed length of 600 mm; being available in options of 100 and 140 mm. As well as masonry walls, they can be employed in timber frame construction and at other positions such as beneath window openings or at first floor level, the roof-wall junction and under party walls. The XPS with its ultra-low thermal transmittance increases the path for heat loss, to outperform what are termed Enhanced Construction Details.

While these cut heat loss by between 35 and 55 per cent, utilizing Thermoblocks can reduce CO2 emissions still further to between 60 and 90 per cent, offering an important contribution to the points required in SAP calculations. Crucially, being able to employ a defined, very low thermal transmittance – derived by thermal modelling or measurement – achieves a far more advantageous result than adopting the ‘default’ figure offered in SAP. Using standard ACDs will add a heat loss of 0.08 Watts to the U-values for a property, while Enhanced Construction Details can cut this to 0.04 Watts; but incorporating Thermoblock can bring this right down to 0.01 Watts or less.

The same principle applies to the European PassivHaus standard or the recently launched Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard (FEES) which the Government is now promoting as the route to achieving Zero Carbon construction.

Enquiry No 66

42 [ OPINION

Article By: Jane Embury, Marketing Director, WRIGHTSTYLE

WRIGHTSTYLE, THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS AND EVACUATION MODELS Wrightstyle, based in the UK, supplies specialist steel and aluminium glazing systems worldwide. Jane Embury, the company’s marketing director, looks at evacuation planning for today’s high-rise buildings.

Legend has it that prisoners would sigh as they crossed it, on their short journey to a life behind bars.

Nowadays, the Ponte dei Sospiri, or Bridge of Sighs, is one of Venice’s star tourist attractions. Built in 1600, it joins what was the Prigioni Nuove, or new prison, to interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace across the canal. The view from the bridge was the last glimpse of the outside world that prisoners would see, prompting Lord Byron to poetically name the bridge.

Petronas Towers image courtesy of Christophe Eyquem www.freemages.fr

But the Bridge of Sighs, built for the mundane purpose of transporting people from one building to another, also has one further claim to fame. It is the world’s first skybridge. Once a common architectural feature joining skyscrapers in New York, they not only joined tall buildings – often owned by the same company – but provided a horizontal means of escape in the event of fire. Nowadays, we think solely about escape in vertical terms, usually downwards to street level. But the skybridge concept has not been totally forgotten – and Manhattan still boasts a number of the historic structures.

The best current example is between the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They were the tallest buildings in the world between 1998 and 2004, and remain the tallest twin towers internationally. A double-deck skybridge connects the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors. The skybridge isn’t actually joined to either tower, being designed to slide in and out of them as the towers sway several feet in strong winds.

For the Petronas Towers, the skybridge provides an innovative fire safety feature, while also being an iconic feature of the conjoined buildings. But as we build higher into the sky, with super-tall buildings set to dwarf anything constructed today, designers and fire engineers are having to look again at features like skybridges in evacuation planning. More than anything, they’re having to revisit the computational models used to predict how a building can be safely evacuated in the event of a fire.

Those models test design configurations to determine whether a building’s safety characteristics are adequate, from the number of evacuation routes to the width of exit doors. The trouble, of course, is that evacuation involves the movement of people – and the behaviour of flesh-and-blood humans can’t so easily be predicted. It’s all about psychology and how we process information. We

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OPINION [ 43

respond to information from our physical and social environments and, based on what we perceive, we then decide what to do; hearing a fire alarm is not enough to make everyone in a building immediately move to an exit. Office buildings are generally the easiest to evacuate. Staff have typically been trained in evacuation procedures, are dressed and awake, and able to make informed decisions.

On the downside, many modern office buildings are open plan, making it harder to contain the fire within a small area. Residential buildings, which include hotels, pose a different dynamic. People can be asleep, not dressed, and have only limited knowledge of escape routes. That can seriously extend evacuation times and, worse, lead to re-entry behaviour – for example, to retrieve valuables. Most challenging are escape strategies for healthcare facilities where the occupant population will include people of limited mobility and therefore unable to perform self-rescue.

Nor is physical impediment simply about age or infirmity. As buildings are increasing in height, our physical abilities are diminishing. The buildings in which we live and work are getting taller, while we are getting fatter and more unfit. That has ramifications for evacuation procedures, and the length of time to exit a building – something that designers and fire engineers will be researching further. Evacuation models have been used for some time to estimate the time taken to evacuate a building and are a requirement of fire safety and building approval. But research at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), among others, demonstrates that those computer models don’t necessarily reflect the variable nature of human reaction.

Indeed, computer modelling can only take us so far in designing in safety.

What is also needed is an understanding of human behaviour in an emergency situation, particularly the factors that have been shown to influence our decision-making processes. By understanding those factors and processes, a fire safety team can develop a more comprehensive – and predictive – behaviour model for a building’s fire evacuation.

Those predictions have to cover “exit choice behaviour” – the different exits that people will choose to leave by, often because they’re also the entrances and routes by which they arrive at work. In other words, not maybe the closest exit.

Nor does it model “pre-movement times” – the period immediately following a fire alarm, when the fire has been detected but doesn’t yet pose a threat. Simply, people don’t always regard an alarm as an immediate call to action. Many will assume it’s a false alarm or a fire drill, and do nothing.

It adds up to a building evacuation that may be greatly delayed, or patchy in nature. Recent research indicates that this “pre-movement time” is a more significant evacuation factor than the length of time taken to reach an exit. As much as two-thirds of the time it takes people to exit a building after an alarm is start-up time – time wasted in looking for more information.

All of those factors, and many other variables, can influence estimates of evacuation times, and therefore the level of protection within a building to safely allow the occupant population to escape. Those calculations have never been more important, with a whole raft of super-tall buildings being built, mostly in the Middle East and Asia. The tallest of them all, on which work has begun, is the £780 million Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia which will stand at just over 1,000 metres and have 200 storeys. It will be three times higher than London’s Shard, Europe’s tallest building, and 173 metres taller than Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s tallest building – with 160 storeys.

Modern glazing systems are now an integral part of fire protection strategy, providing up to 120 minutes of protection against radiant heat or toxic gases – giving everyone, however infirm or slow, more than enough time to exit a building. Building in time is what glazing systems can do; and time-to-exit saves lives.

High-tech fire suppression systems, refuge floors, protected elevators and well-designed staircases all have a part to play in modern evacuation planning. But the role that advanced glazing systems have is also a vital element, and we’re pleased that our systems can now be found in buildings great and small across the world. Maybe, sometime, we’ll also supply systems for a new generation of skybridges. www.wrightstyle.co.uk

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44 [ OPINION

Article By: Steve Leonard, Managing Director, Ledaire Fabrications

SAFE KITCHEN VENTILATION Restaurants in public buildings are a success story for UK plc, but there are health and safety concerns about working in a busy commercial kitchen. There are three types of risk - to staff health, to food hygiene and to diners. In all situations efficient ventilation is vital; expelling fumes while bringing in fresh, clean air for a comfortable, safe environment.

The HSE information sheet “Ventilation of kitchens in catering establishments” gives extensive advice on good ventilation practice.

Removal of “used” air and fumes must be balanced by introducing fresh air, but this must come from “clean” areas and cause no uncomfortable draughts. Complementing the HSE advice are relevant publications from the Heating & Ventilating Contractors Association: DW/172 is a “Standard for kitchen ventilation systems”, while TR/19 is a “Guide to good practice, cleanliness of ventilation systems”.

Systems must comply with British Standard BS6173:2009, which requires interlocking of mechanical ventilation systems and gas supplies for all types of commercial kitchen appliance, preventing a gas appliance from being switched on before the ventilation system is operating. Besides evacuating fumes, systems need to avoid a build-up of grease in ducting and prevent insect pests being drawn in with replacement air. Most cooking oils flash off inflammable vapours above 200oC, and this flashpoint reduces with oxidation from repeated use, while differing cooking styles produce different mixtures of grease and vapour.

Prevention of grease accumulation is very important. If not addressed, it provides a feeding ground for bacteria and insects and also accelerates fires. Many grease filtration options are available and fire suppression systems can also be built into hoods. However, filtration is only fully effective in conjunction with regular maintenance, and performance can be enhanced with the right choice of hood.

HSE recommends a kitchen ventilation rate of at least 17.5 litre/s/m2 of floor area, or 30 air changes per hour. This is fine in summer, but not in winter when more controllable ventilation may be desired. A basic hood will extract a given volume of fume-laden air, together with its heat, but induction hoods partly separate fume extraction from ventilation. They draw in fresh air for high-velocity discharge into the hood, which creates a low-pressure zone over the work area and helps to extract fumes via the hood and filters.

Only 20% of extracted air comes from the kitchen, so energy is conserved, although induced air can also be used for ventilation as required. Using atmospheric air in this way improves filtration efficiency as the bulk gas temperature is lowered, helping suspended grease condense on filter elements.

For more information on commercial kitchen ventilation call UK-based manufacturer Ledaire Fabrication on: 020 8684 0197, e-mail: admin@ledaire.com or look at website www.ledaire.com

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PROJECT NEWS [ 45

www.brettpaving.co.uk

Mobility Kerb Development Project Inspires New Standard Product Line For Brett 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.

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: “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.”

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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 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.”

Enquiry No 67

46 [ PROJECT NEWS

Collaboration Is Key For Balfour Beatty At Exeter Library Refurbishment At every construction project, the project team works together to accomplish a common goal – make a positive impact to the location in which they are working. From refurbishing a community facility to employing local labour and apprentices on site, building contractors have a unique opportunity to leave sustainable legacies that last for generations.

By addressing local needs, contractors can develop and strengthen their links with the communities in which they work. And if they encourage local residents and businesses to take an active role in the construction process, this benefits the project team and local economy, and helps to build healthier communities in both the short and long term.

With sustainability one of its core principles, Balfour Beatty is one company that demonstrates a clear commitment to improving community engagement.

At the £4.1 million refurbishment of Exeter Library, Balfour Beatty has shown how an excellent relationship with the client and local community can play a vital role in a project’s success.

Fit for the future One of Devon's main libraries, the original 1960s’

Exeter Central Library had become outdated and required modernisation. In partnership with Devon County Council and their agent NPS, Balfour Beatty was appointed to complete a range of much-needed improvements to create a first-class contemporary facility for information, learning and culture.

Designed to offer better accessibility, revamped meeting and performance spaces and increased space for children plus a new café, the project required careful collaborative thinking before construction works could even begin. Listening to the views of the residents, an initial design was created that met changing local needs, maximised use of space and made the building as flexible as possible.

The new library boasted a new entrance area and passenger lift, new learning and study areas and upgraded toilet facilities. Balfour Beatty also introduced the latest environmental controls and relevant sustainability features to reduce the use of heating and air-conditioning and address its historical issue of being too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer.

introduction of the new 'Fab Lab'. Believed to be the first of its kind in a UK public library, the 'Fab Lab' is a digital workshop equipped with laser-cutters, 3D printers and scanners, 3D milling machines, electronics bench and programming and design tools – allowing local businesses, schools and the public to ‘make almost anything’.

Despite the rise of the digital age, libraries are still regarded as places where individuals can gather to explore, interact and imagine. With many local authorities striving to build sustainable library services fit for the future – it’s important that 21st century facilities are not only shaped for the community but shaped by them too.

Opening new doors With better links to the city’s Cultural Quarter crucial to an increase in library users, Balfour Beatty created an additional entrance from Rougemont Gardens.

Transforming the whole rear wall of the library into glazing, this new entrance improves connections to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Phoenix Arts Centre and Exeter Castle and ensures the local landmark is used to its full potential.

One of the most innovative additions was the

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www.balfourbeattycsuk.com

Connecting with local places and people can often prove the difference between construction success and failure. In September 2013, Balfour Beatty opened the site to the public as part of its Open Doors Day. Run in partnership with the UK Contractors Group (UKCG), this aimed to showcase the world of construction and offer a unique opportunity to look behind the scenes of a live construction site.

Following the success of Open Doors Day, the site was open once again in January 2014 for a visit by councillors from Devon County Council. All were impressed with the work and Cllr Hart said: “I think this is a fantastic resource for the people of Exeter and Devon and brings the library into the 21st century.

Linking the library to Rougemont Gardens, as well as the cultural quarter, will make such a difference and will really open everything up.”

“At every project we strive to build positive relationships with local people and businesses,” said Stuart Smith, Balfour Beatty Project Manager. “Thanks to the individual efforts of Site Manager Robbie Cloak and Senior QS Heath Powell, as well as their close working relationships with the Client’s team, the Open Doors Day and council visit proved extremely

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successful and helped to further integrate this project – and construction team – into the community.”

Building and working together As part of its commitment to sustainability, Balfour Beatty maximised engagement of local labour by appointing local suppliers in the construction and operation stages. Committed to employing locally wherever possible, 90% of trades were sourced from Balfour Beatty’s Devon-based supply chain partners.

The company continues to invest time and effort into teaching, developing and retaining young people – protecting its future by building a sustainable, high quality workforce. A series of apprenticeships were offered to carpenters and tilers through the supply chain partners, whilst the gateman was trained and supported through CSCS, Asbestos Awareness and Security Courses.

Devon County Council's Cabinet Member with responsibility for the library, Councillor Roger Croad, said: "The long awaited and much anticipated Exeter Library, our third Devon Centre, is now open to the public, offering a wider range of services than ever before. I'm very pleased with its content and design,

which has brought a new energy into the building while keeping many of the original features that people loved about the original building.”

Andy McAdam, Balfour Beatty Delivery Unit Managing Director, said: “We have thoroughly enjoyed delivering this transformation at the heart of the city for our customer, Devon County Council. We trust that the people of Exeter will enjoy using it as much as we have enjoyed creating it.”

With new facilities and thousands more books on its shelves, the revamp proved a huge success with almost 2,500 visits every day in the first two weeks after it re-opened in May 2014. Signalling a 50% increase in visitor numbers compared to before the refurbishment, the project demonstrates the clear benefit of designing and building for the community.

Enquiry No 68

48 [ PROJECT NEWS

www.selectaglaze.co.uk

Supreme Energy Efficiency For County Hall The recent £22m remodelling and refurbishment of the 1930’s civic building and 1970’s office extension for Wiltshire’s County Hall in Trowbridge was undertaken to consolidate the majority of Wiltshire Council’s 95 offices into four hubs, reducing floor area by 50%, saving £5m in revenue per annum, creating 40% reduction in carbon emissions and providing new flexible ways of working.

A major requirement of this development was to reduce the energy consumption by 40%. It is also just one of a few refurbishment projects within the UK on target for a BREEAM “excellent” rating, achieved by a complete building services overhaul together with improvements to the glazing and thermal upgrading of the walls and roof.

The traditional single glazed sash windows were retained as an important architectural feature of the 1930’s building and secondary glazing was chosen as a way of dealing with both the heat loss through the glass and discomfort caused by drafts. Selectaglaze, the UK’s leading designer of secondary glazing systems, worked closely with main contractor Kier Western and Bristol-based architects Stride Treglown to develop appropriate designs. These needed to be engineered to meet the thermal requirements but also had to be as unobtrusive as possible.

The solution for most windows was a matching balanced sash design that permits access to the existing window. Each frame is purpose made with high performance seals to reduce drafts and glazed with a low emissivity glass that markedly improves the thermal efficiency. Some of the windows were very large, up to 3.5M high and

1.6M wide, and a heavy duty frame from the Series 90 range was required to support the glass sizes. Smaller windows were treated with a slimmer frame from the Series 20 range.

The need to be unobtrusive was particularly important in the timber panelled Council Chamber, which has some of the largest windows. A single monumental hinged casement design was chosen as it permits an uninterrupted view through the windows. This was a big challenge as each casement weighs about 100Kg. The Series 50 range was specified with a bronze anodised finish to complement the panelling.

It is fitted with very neat colour matched flush hinges and a concealed multi-point locking system that ensures a good seal and enhanced security.

More than 270 bespoke frames were fully fabricated off-site, allowing rapid installation to all four floors in phases to suit the contractors programme. The result is a more energy efficient and comfortable environment that is also much quieter. Well-designed secondary glazing can play an important role in improving the environment of buildings of all styles but as a reversible adaptation it is particularly suited to listed and traditional buildings. Secondary glazing can achieve very significant noise insulation of 45dB or more, reduce the U-value of a window to around 1.8 and enhance security though the use of strengthened glass and locks.

Systems are available that are accredited to Secured by Design.

Enquiry No 69

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PROJECT NEWS [ 49

www.euroheat.co.uk

Euroheat Helps Historic Building Turn Green!

Croft Castle, in Herefordshire, is looking forward to a warmer winter thanks to its newly installed Euroheat HDG biomass boiler which is enabling estate managers to claim in excess of £20k annually in Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments, while saving over £10k in fuel costs per year! Thanks to the RHI, the system will also have paid for itself in around seven to eight years.

The project is part of the National Trust’s Renewable Energy Investment Programme, which has seen five pilot projects receive funding for the installation of green technologies in a bid to save around £4 million per annum in energy costs. Croft Castle is the first wood biomass project to be undertaken as party of the scheme.

The HDG Compact 200 wood chip boiler is set up in a district heating format to provide heating to the castle itself, several estate cottages, and the National Trusts offices. Wood chip is sourced from the estate’s own managed woodland, freeing up valuable funds to look after and improve the castle and its grounds. Next year’s log piles total 80 tonnes!

Supplying 74 per cent of the property’s heating needs, the biomass system replaces an inefficient and expensive oil-fired boiler that required some 20,000 litres of oil per year. Now the castle is expected to save an impressive 52 tonnes of CO2 a year, helping the National Trust to go some way to cutting its carbon footprint. The system also runs in conjunction with a small LPG peak demand boiler which is set up to meet any extreme weather periods; for example, temperatures of -8 degrees.

Tom Webb, from Euroheat, explains how Euroheat got involved: “The project went to tender last year and, given our reputation in the biomass sector, we were encouraged

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to go for it. The design had been undertaken and specified by a third party consulting company, which we felt could be improved upon to make it a better installation for the on-site staff (primarily the farmer on-site with the task of replenishing the fuel store). The result was a clever sliding roof system, enabling a far greater volume of wood chip to be stored for use, and enabling it to be filled by a variety of means.

“We also worked closely with a local construction company, CJ Bayliss, who specialise in historic buildings and sensitive sites to produce the bespoke building, replacing the previous dilapidated farm buildings which had been their previously. The actual installation of the boiler was undertaken by our specialist installation partner, the Efficient Energy Centre.

“It was a more expensive installation given the large district heating network and the type of building and setting we were dealing with. The project required the boiler house to be of particular high quality and in-keeping with the site, plus we had a team of archaeologists watching the district being dug due to the historic nature of the site.”

Proving its expertise in biomass, logistics and the specific challenges of historic buildings, Croft Castle stands as an example of Euroheat’s attention to detail and fit for purpose approach to heating.

Enquiry No 70

50 [ PROjeCT NEWS

www.howegreen.com

Howe Green Access Covers Are Just The Ticket For London Bridge Howe Green’s high quality access covers have been installed in the concourse at London Bridge Station in a phase of works forming part of The London Bridge Redevelopment Scheme. The installation was carried out by the specialist contactor DMC Contracts Ltd for Costain. Howe Green’s heavy duty 1050 Series access covers were specified and fitted above mechanical and electrical services feeding the ticket line. The run of covers, which spans more than 25 metres, will ensure that when routine or emergency maintenance is needed going forward, gaining access to essential service points will be no problem.

DMC inlaid the surface of the covers with a ‘flamed pink’ granite paving matching the existing flooring within the concourse and providing an uninterrupted flooring surface for the best possible aesthetic finish. Howe Green manufactured the covers to order. They were fabricated in 316-grade stainless steel and with a deeper capacity to accommodate a thicker granite floor covering, a standard feature of the 1050 Series.

The panels sit flush with the surrounding floor to prevent slips and trips and are double sealed, ensuring optimum hygiene. Importantly, they are also tamper proof for increased security, an imperative feature in a critical hub location with over 50 million passengers a year.

Making sure the station remains open is one of the key challenges facing Network Rail as the scheme continues. The 1050 Series was designed for the most demanding internal and external environments. Capable of accepting heavy and sustained traffic – up to 6 tonne pneumatic tyre loads - the hatches are just the ticket for the highly trafficked London Bridge station, the fourth busiest in the country.

Enquiry No 71

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PROJECT NEWS [ 51

www.shackerley.com

Shackerley And BENCHMARK Join Forces For Avon And Somerset Police Shackerley, the UK’s leading manufacturer of ceramic granite ventilated cladding systems, has supplied BENCHMARK with over 5000m2 of gleaming white ceramic granite façade panels for three striking new build facilities developed for Avon & Somerset Police. The highly polished large format panels were specially prefabricated at Shackerley’s ISO 9001 accredited manufacturing facility in Lancashire for installation onto the BENCHMARK Karrier Engineered Façade System. The developments were delivered by Blue Light Partnership as part of an £80 million PFI project to provide attractive, modern and energy efficient accommodation for the police, comprising custody and crime investigation centres, specialist support units and new police stations.

Collaborating closely to ensure commonality of design across the three buildings, Ryder Architecture took responsibility for two new centres in Bridgwater and Patchway and Haverstock led the design of a third facility in Keynsham. Whilst the BENCHMARK Karrier Engineered Façade System was specified by Miller Construction, the ceramic granite facades were specified by architects at Ryder.

“We’ve used Shackerley’s Sureclad® ceramic granite cladding with great success on many recent projects,” explained Associate Jonathan Seebacher, “so we knew exactly how this material could help us to achieve the high quality, timeless appearance we were seeking across the suite of projects.”

“The office volumes have a linear ‘tube’ appearance and are clearly visible from all approaches. They sit above a solid plinth and are framed in white ceramic granite which actively responds to varying intensities and qualities of natural light, whilst contrasting strongly with the colour of the plinth walling below. Careful detailing has achieved crisp and sharp junctions at corners and projections, providing an elegance and quality of appearance to the simple geometry.”

The police centres are now fully operational and are the latest additions to a long list of prestigious projects featuring a Sureclad® ceramic granite façade coupled with the BENCHMARK Karrier Engineered Façade System. Specifiers are able to take full advantage of synergistic benefits provided by this exceptionally attractive and well insulated engineered cladding solution, thanks to a long term strategic alliance forged between Shackerley and BENCHMARK By Kingspan.

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