PSBJ April 2016

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April 2016

DESIGNING GREEN SERVICES

Planting energy efficiency in Pershore College scheme

Swift delivery

Tackling fuel poverty

Concrete jungle

Portakabin Hire delivers vital services for university hospital

Pioneering project launches at affordable homes scheme

Innovative street furniture provides robust centrepiece

31.05.2016

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Welcome Note Editor in Chief

Hannah Frackiewicz

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Editorial Assistant Rebecca Kemp

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Print & Digital Advertising Sam Ball

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Steve Gull

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Studio Manager Chris Lilly

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Production

The £5.8m ‘Collections House’ development at Pershore College has been completed following a building services design project by Greenways.

See page 24.

Jack Witcomb

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Artworker/Sub-editor David Perry

Welcome...

Accounts

Across the public sector, facilities are experiencing increased demand, with many working at capacity or being oversubscribed. Amidst a financial landscape of budget cuts, local authorities and heads of sites are under immense pressure to secure the funds for the construction of new builds.

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Simone Jones

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Managing Director Sam Ball

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One solution that is proving very popular is the installation of modular and relocatable buildings.

With most manufactured offsite reducing disruption to services, they provide a fast-track solution to help alleviate the pressure in environments such as schools and hospitals.

Mixed Media Information

In this month’s issue, PSBJ explores Royal Stoke University Hospital’s latest scheme which saw the introduction of a highly complex 4200m2 two-storey ward and theatre building. Constructed

by Portakabin Hire, the project was completed in less than four months in spite of several site constraints. Turn to page 26 to find out more.

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Elsewhere on page 30, Rachel Davis, Business Development Director of Premier Modular Limited, discusses the company’s latest school project, which once again pushes the boundaries of off-site design.

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Also in this edition we bring you the latest high profile case studies and talking points on Energy Management, Security, Shelters & Shading and Street Furniture. You will also find a dedicated focus on each of the four key areas of the public sector build market – Healthcare, Leisure, Housing and Education.

I hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t forget you can also access all of the magazine’s features, product news and supplier information at your fingertips via PSBJ’s state-of-the-art app. To download your version free of charge, simply search ‘PSBJ’ on Google play or the App Store.

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Contents

08 06 News A round up of the latest industry updates including charity events, awarded contracts, completed projects and much more.

08 Upfront The complex includes a 25m, 8-lane competition pool, a 16.5 x 7m learner pool with moveable floor and children’s fun water features.

14 Housing A pioneering social housing project designed to help tackle fuel poverty has been launched at an affordable homes scheme in Northumberland.

16 Talking Point Tommy Lai at WCN explores the importance of having a diverse workforce and looks at what can be done to combat discrimination.

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18 Technical Focus

22 Education

26 Healthcare

Teeside University’s £30m campus redevelopment continues as the latest in a series of designs is completed.

Hylton Castle Primary School in Sunderland has recently been completed by AHR and is now welcoming its first cohort of students.

A complex hospital building for orthopaedic services in Stoke is constructed in less than four months by Portakabin Hire.

20 Legal & Business

24 Energy Management

28 Security

Everyone involved in a building needs to be clear as to their fire safety responsibilities to avoid potential contractual and criminal liability.

Building services consultancy, Greenways discusses the challenges of designing green services for a specialist college in Worcestershire.

Vanderbilt explains the key criteria for specifying access control systems within public sector buildings.

The all-new psbj.co.uk Your revitalised and purpose-built portal for public sector building specification PSBJ unveils the new-look online resource for building products designed for the public sector built environment.

Offering more content in an easy-to-navigate format, this refreshing, tailor-made new portal delivers the right content to the right audience in the shortest time possible.

Search ‘psbj’

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www.psbj.co.uk

Contents

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22

26

30 Modular Buildings

36 Street Furniture

Premier Modular Limited’s latest school project once again pushes the boundaries of off-site design.

Townscape talks about the launch of graphic concrete in the UK and the role it can play in transforming the perceptions of concrete.

32 Leisure

38 Naidex Preview

FT Leisure has worked with Morgan Sindall to design and install water treatment and filtration systems for Queen’s Park Sports Centre.

This month sees the return of the UK’s largest disability, rehabilitation and homecare event: Naidex 2016.

34 Shelters & Shading

40 Product Showcase

Canopies UK discusses the importance of site specific calculations in ensuring shelters are engineered for purpose.

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

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Read the latest issue online Gain insight from industry experts Source products and suppliers Keep up to date with industry news Discover new innovative technologies Browse the archive of features and issues Manage your subscriptions Download the PSBJ app for your iPad, iPhone or Android

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News

INDUSTRY UPDATES

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

Actavo delivers first BIM project to primary school Through an investment in building information modelling (BIM), Actavo | Building Solutions has delivered its first BIM level two project – a classroom complex – to Granard Primary School in the heart of London.

Compliant with BIM level two requirements, Actavo designed and delivered the sustainable, two-storey block which comprises eight classrooms, an open learning studio which acts as a breakfast and afterschool care facility, cloakrooms, WCs, kitchen facilities and staffrooms.

Onsite works at Granard began in January 2015, with the standalone, classroom complex being handed over in August 2015, meaning the project – from initial design to full completion – took just 22 weeks.

As well as meeting BIM level two requirements, Granard’s new building is designed to surpass sustainability targets. It passes BREEAM ‘excellent’ standards – one of the world’s most comprehensive and widely-recognised measures of a building’s environmental performance.

Wandsworth Borough Council has invested £10m into permanently expanding 11 primary schools across the borough, with Granard Primary School being just one of the schools benefiting from a new education facility.

Perfect result for ISG on YORbuild 2 Framework ISG has achieved a 100% success rate by securing a place on every one of the Lots it targeted on the new £2 billion YORbuild 2 framework. The contractor has secured a

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place on two of the most coveted Lots for each of the four YORbuild 2 regions.

As the successor to the original YORbuild framework, which delivered over £700 million of projects over its five year duration, YORbuild 2 is one of the largest public sector procurement vehicles for new build, refurbishment and design & build construction projects in the Yorkshire and Humber regions. Subdivided into four regions encompassing all 22 local authorities within the Yorkshire and Humber area – the North, South, East and West – ISG has proved successful on the ‘over £4-10 million’ and ‘over £10 million’ Lots for each of the regions.

The four year capital works framework has an option to be extended by two years and building on the scope of YORbuild, looks set to include BIM capability and additional forms of contract.

Property.

The development would see the regeneration of what is currently a vacant brownfield site while providing a substantial economic boost to the local area, as well as further contribution to encourage the expansion of the Edinburgh trams project.

The company, which has its national headquarters in Edinburgh, has submitted a Proposal of Application Notice to The City of Edinburgh Council relating to an application for Full Planning Permission, and is planning a Public Consultation Event in April.

Local ward councillors as well as the Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council have also been informed, and CALA are very keen to understand the views and opinions of the local community and key stakeholders early in the design evolution process.

225-acre development to become healthy new town

Proposed regeneration of vacant industrial land A major house builder has revealed exciting conceptual plans for around 450 to 500 much needed homes as part of a wider residential led development proposal on a former industrial dockland site in Leith.

CALA Homes’ plans for its proposed ‘Waterfront Plaza’ development on currently disused land owned by Forth Ports, located opposite Ocean Terminal, has already gained support from the shopping centre owners, Resolution

A 225-acre mixed-use scheme on the outskirts of Blackpool is one of 10 developments selected to be part of a pioneering ‘Healthy New Towns’ initiative with NHS England.

Architectural and planning consultancy, Cassidy + Ashton, successfully secured a resolution for planning permission to be granted at Whyndyke Farm in October 2015 and now the mixed-used urban extension has been awarded Healthy New Town status by the King’s Fund.

The 1400 home scheme, which straddles Fylde and Blackpool Council boundaries, includes a primary school, two shopping areas, a health centre and a community centre, together with employment; and will be developed with healthy living in mind.

The initiative sets out to address major healthcare problems including obesity and dementia by encouraging people to exercise more, eat better and live more independently into old age.

One of the scheme’s healthy proposals being considered is to use technology to keep residents mindful of activity levels, with electronic waymarkers in lamp-posts calculating how many calories are burned while walking.

School commission brings sunshine to contractor Preston-headquartered Conlon Construction is underway with a £2.4m project to extend a primary school once attended by comedy great Eric Morecambe.

Originally built in 1932, Lancaster Road Primary School is being extended by 850m2 to provide six new classrooms, a multi-use hall, meeting rooms, new entrance, plant room, staff area, further extension to the existing kitchen, a new, larger parking area and new tarmac playground.

The scheme, commissioned by Lancashire County Council and designed by the authority’s in-house design and construction team, is part of a multi-phase programme to increase capacity from a two-form to three-form entry school, taking pupil numbers from 420 to 630 pupils by the 2020/2021 academic year.

The expansion is required due to the rising numbers of primary school age children in the Morecambe and Heysham area. The project, which will utilise materials to match the existing building, will be completed in time for the September 2016 intake.

Morgan Sindall appointed to build complex in Littleport Construction and infrastructure company Morgan Sindall has been appointed to construct a £37.5m education and leisure centre complex in Littleport, Cambridgeshire.

The project for Cambridgeshire County Council is already underway and will include the construction of an early years school, a primary school, a three-storey secondary school, a special needs school, and a community leisure facility.

The four form entry secondary school, Littleport Academy, will initially cater for 600 pupils aged 11 to 16, with the potential to accommodate 750 pupils in the future.

on Wednesday 24th February. The new office brings together the regional construction team with its specialist commercial interiors business, Paragon, to jointly deliver a wide range of projects to clients across multiple sectors.

Acquired by Interserve in May 2013, Paragon has increased its turnover to £175 million and grown from 55 to 180 staff in the period. The London and South East Hub is the first regional hub that brings together specialist fit-out operations and construction services. The new City office will support the combined 240-strong team to deliver in excess of £250m of projects over the next year.

Ian Renhard, Managing Director of Interserve Construction, said: “The launch of our new office is a significant step in the strategy we set to grow our business within London and the South East. In a very short time we have become a major force in this key market and have developed a sustainable workstream ahead of us.”

News

The special educational needs (SEN) school on the same site will cater for 110 pupils between the ages of two and 19 and include a hydrotherapy pool for swimming therapy programmes.

The project will be completed in three phases. Phase one is already underway and will include the demolition of the existing leisure centre on Camel Road, to make way for the new education and a replacement leisure complex.

The two-storey sports centre will comprise a sports hall, a fitness suite, a multi-use hall, changing facilities, and a social bar area, and will be available for use by the whole community.

Steven Hunt & Associates wins sporting hat trick Building services consultancy, Steven Hunt & Associates, has been awarded three projects with a combined value of £15m to design the mechanical and electrical services for sporting facilities in the north.

The company has designed the building services for a revamped sports facility at Hope University in Liverpool which will be connected to the University’s Health Science Building, designed by Steven Hunt & Associates last year.

The scheme involves the refurbishment of an existing sports hall and a new build extension to provide a more varied range of activities and increased capacity.

The company has also been commissioned to design the building services for a new 694m2 sports hall at Halifax Grammar School, designed

by E3 Cube, which includes a gym, a dance studio, new classrooms and staff offices.

Completing the company’s hat trick of sporting project wins, Steven Hunt & Associates will also design the building services for Great Sankey Leisure Centre in Warrington. The scheme includes retention and refurbishment of the existing swimming pool along with a new build extension that includes changing rooms, a gym, social areas and tennis courts.

Interserve and Paragon open first regional construction hub Interserve, the international support services and construction group, officially launched its London and South East Construction Hub

Conlon chalks up another school completion Conlon Construction has completed an 11 month project to provide new premises for West Didsbury CE Primary School in Manchester.

The scheme of an undisclosed sum, designed

by Lovelock Mitchell Architects, saw Conlon utilise the latest low environmental impact design to deliver purpose-built premises for pupils, staff and local community groups.

The new build has merged seamlessly with the refurbished 1990s section of the existing building to provide classrooms and a creative studio reflecting both the school’s faith ethos and providing facilities for the local community.

The project also included the complete demolition and removal of the dated and degraded 1960s CLASP building and threestorey residential block.

The majority of the new school (located on Central Road in West Didsbury) has been built off site using modular construction methods to ensure minimal disruption to local residents.

Providing much needed space, the project is the first phase of seven-year plan to establish a 420-pupil primary school, with two reception forms to be added each year until 2022.

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Upfront

THINKING BIG ON A SMALLER BUDGET

Alistair Baines, Chairman at architectural, surveying and planning practice, Cassidy + Ashton, discusses the big project thinking required to maximise both budget and space in smaller interior refurbishment schemes.

A

ny project that involves repurposing existing space in an occupied high school involves a creative approach to designing the interior to meet the operational needs of the space and complement the existing building design.

When the budget is just £500,000 and the scheme involves converting a former gymnasium into a space that incorporates a multi-functional learning hub, library, careers department, break out and social spaces with a kitchenette and a separate dedicated arts room, those challenges are multiplied!

That was exactly the brief for Cassidy + Ashton at St George’s Academy in Blackpool, a Church of England Academy and part of the Cidari Multi Academy Trust. The £500,000 funding had no wriggle room and was

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supported by the Diocese, so optimum use of the available budget had to be completely transparent.

Cassidy + Ashton brought the practice’s experience of major educational new build, extension and refurbishment schemes to the project to complement the existing spatial layout while transforming the former gym to create distinct areas within a large, open plan layout.

Early engagement With such an ambitious remit to fulfil, it was essential that the design team interrogated the brief rigorously and worked with the existing space to maximise the available square footage. The team also needed to create the varying spaces required in a way that would give them distinct individual

identities, while working effectively together.

Early engagement with both the client and the interior designers, Whitespace, was a critical part of this process. It not only gave the design team an in depth understanding of the facilities required in terms of book storage, audio visual and IT equipment, seating and catering but also provided a clear basis for a spatial layout and circulation strategy.

These initial discussions also defined a colour palette for the new facility, which is critical to the success of the project by defining separate areas within a cohesive whole with furniture, carpeting and wall finishes.

Close collaboration between Initial discussions defined a colour palette for the new facility, which is critical to the success of the project

Project: St George’s Academy Location: Blackpool Architect: Cassidy + Ashton

The refurbishment aimed to repurpose the space and enhance the flexibility of the square footage

Upfront The undulating design of the mezzanine provides one of the prominent visual reference points for the design

FACT FILE: Location: Blackpool Client: Diocese of Blackburn and the Governors of St Georges Academy Type: Refurbishment Value: ÂŁ500k Status: Completed

the client, the architect and the interior designers also led to the development of a clear strategy for fabrics and materials which, in turn, informed key design principles, such as light and space planning, while aiding cohesion and demarcation of different functions.

Creative cohesion The gym conversion needed to work on a number of levels as different types of teaching, learning, break out and activity spaces and it also had to function as a circulation area

and thoroughfare.

Previously, the gym had been a space that divided two sections of the school, with staff and students having to walk around this area of the building to reach the other side of the school campus.

The refurbishment aimed to repurpose the space, enhance the flexibility of the square footage and create connectivity between two teaching blocks.

As a result, the space had to be designed in such a way that the learning and break out areas could be used without impeding the free movement of staff and

students though the former gym. Equally, use of the area as an access route could not be allowed to impede quiet study in the library, which was to be one of the key functions of the refurbishment.

The solution to this, operationally, spatially and visually, was to create a mezzanine on which to accommodate the library. This not only made the most of the additional height of the traditional gym structure but also separated the quiet library space from the access thoroughfare, without compromising on îš…

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Upfront Additional lighting has been added with continuous LED strips in the ceiling below the mezzanine

natural light or the open plan feel of the scheme.

The undulating design of the mezzanine, which arches out in a semi-circle above the break out areas below, also provides one of the prominent visual reference points for the design. For the architectural design, this feature was used to dictate the access route between the teaching blocks either side, which follows the curve of the mezzanine.

Meanwhile, for the interior design, curved and circular seating

in the core colour palette of purple, green and navy blue also takes its cue from the curve of the mezzanine, as does the feature shelving in the library, which incorporates seating to maximise space management and flexibility.

Heat and light Alongside the height of the building to accommodate the mezzanine, one of the greatest advantages of the existing space was the original full height windows that allow natural light

With such an ambitious remit to fulfil, it was essential that the design team interrogated the brief rigorously

The library incorporates seating to maximise space management and flexibility

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to flood into the building.

These windows enhanced the open plan layout of the project by creating a visual connection with the outside space.

Tall, vertical radiators have been positioned between the full height windows, making the most of available wall space and increasing spatial efficiency, while creating visual impact and echoing the vertical lines of the pillars opposite, supporting the mezzanine. They also draw the eyes upwards to the white painted original steel beams and

new industrial-style LED light fittings that have been suspended from the black painted ceiling.

To supplement the natural light from the windows and the LED lights, additional lighting has been added with continuous LED strips in the ceiling below the mezzanine in the darker area towards the back of the open plan space. LED lighting has also been incorporated into the ceiling panels above the mezzanine library area to ensure sufficient lux levels for study. îš…

Upfront

The refurbishment fulfils its brief of a multi-functional, flexible space

The clear safety glass balustrades used to create the stairway up to the mezzanine and the balcony also help to disseminate natural light and create clear visual continuity between the various areas within the open plan space.

Big design ambitions

The space had to be designed in such a way that the learning and break out areas could be used without impeding the free movement of staff and students

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With lecture-style seating and A/V equipment in one area, a careers library below the mezzanine and social spaces by the windows and adjacent to the kitchenette and art room, the refurbishment fulfils its brief of a multi-functional, flexible space that combines various purposes with an overall feeling of cohesion.

It also proves that it is possible to achieve big design ambitions on a modest budget. 

î˜ą www.cassidyashton.co.uk

Photo: ŠTimCrocker

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Housing

PIONEERING PROJECT TACKLES FUEL POVERTY

A pioneering social housing project designed to help tackle fuel poverty has been launched at an affordable homes scheme in Northumberland.

T

wo Castles Housing Association, which manages properties across the North of England, has turned to game-changing smart home technology in a bid to enhance its ability to build even more

energy efficient homes for residents.

With 2.35 million households across England currently living in fuel poverty, Two Castles believes this technology has the potential to shape the way social

landlords design affordable homes in the future.

At present all properties in England require an Energy Performance Certificate to inform residents how energy efficient their property is.

The project is one of the first of its kind for the sector and will help tackle overheating and fuel poverty

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Project: Anick View Location: Hexham Housing Association: Two Castles Housing Association

Two Castles will be able to capture and analyse household data such as air quality, temperature and humidity

Assessments are judged on things like how costly it is to heat and light the property, as well as what its carbon dioxide emissions are likely to be.

Using innovative sensor monitoring equipment, designed by leading software solutions company Capita, Two Castles will be able to capture and analyse household data such as air quality, temperature and humidity. The project is one of the first of its kind for the sector and will help tackle overheating and fuel poverty, as well as helping to provide services to vulnerable residents.

Rob Brittain, Property Services Director at Two Castles Housing Association, said: “Being able to afford to keep homes warm is a real issue for too many families across the North of England.

The problem is exacerbated in rural communities affected by rising energy prices and high fuel expenditure. “To tackle this issue, we have formed an innovative partnership with Capita which we believe

Housing Three types of remote sensor monitors have been installed and are being tested at Anick View in Hexham

has the potential to be a game changer for the way our industry designs and builds sustainable, affordable homes in the future.

“Many of our residents tell us how energy efficient their homes are, but once keys are handed over we have no way of demonstrating the actual performance of a property or evaluating which elements are having the greatest impact.

“Using smart monitoring equipment we can accurately test how well a home is performing from its internal energy usage to external

building fabric. This will allow us to identify what features are working well, on top of areas for improvement, enabling the homes we build in the future to be as energy efficient as possible for the individuals and families who live in them.”

With offices in Carlisle and Newcastle, Two Castles has a track record for delivering quality affordable housing that meets Code for Sustainable Homes Standards for people in housing need.

Three types of remote sensor monitors have been installed

The data will provide Two Castles with an accurate picture of how well each household’s key building features are performing

and are being tested at Anick View in Hexham. Alerts from the sensors will be captured on Capita’s OPENHousing platform, where household data will be collated over a pilot period of 12 months. The data will provide Two Castles with an accurate picture of how well each household’s key building features are performing and will work by measuring the actual internal environment of each property, the power used to create this environment as well as external conditions.

Data will be transmitted back to a central computer system using similar technology to a smartphone. If the pilot scheme proves successful, Two Castles hopes to roll out the technology across all new housing stock.

Roger Birkinshaw, Housing Director at Capita Software Services, said: “This project brings the Internet of Things into the home to tackle fuel poverty and record actual property performance. This data will provide Two Castles with the information required to make informed decisions about the condition of the property.

Not only is it expected to save money, this project will also educate and change lives for the better.”

The data recorded will also help Two Castles to educate and advise all its residents on ways in

which they can live smarter and more sustainably to reduce fuel bills and save them money.

A key element of the project will be gaining feedback from those residents whose homes are being installed with the data capture equipment.

Rachael Hall, who has recently moved into one of the new smart homes, said: “Two Castles told us about the property’s energy efficiency and how this new smart system could help improve energy use now and in the future. We feel really grateful to be here and part of such an important project. We’ve been truly surprised at how cheap the house is to run.

“It’s extremely warm to live here. When you put the heating on, the house gets hot very quickly and stays that way so we only need to use the heating for a short time in the morning and at night.

“As part of the smart technology, we have a touch screen monitor which tells you how much energy you are using at any one time. This means we can monitor our energy usage and cut back on activities that use too much. It really does make you think twice about how you can save energy. Moving here has made a huge difference to our lives.” 

 www.twocastles.org.uk

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Talking Point

DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE Tommy Lai, Marketing Director at WCN explores the importance of having a diverse workforce, explains its benefits and looks at what can be done to combat discrimination. increasingly view E mployers diversity as a key element in driving success. Technology advancements make it easier than ever to improve diversity levels and reduce discrimination.

However, many organisations still struggle to achieve a completely diverse workplace.

Studies show a clear link between increased workforce diversity and better revenue and sales performance. Plus, beyond any financial measures, it carries significant benefits, including enhanced retention rates of your talent and greater connectivity to your customer base.

Why is a diverse workforce necessary?

Organisations in general are getting increasingly more

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efficient when it comes to unbiased recruiting, but it is not all positive news. Research shows that there are only six ethnic minorities in the UK’s top 268 leadership roles across the most prominent public bodies outside government and local authorities. Plus, while 51% of the UK population are women, there are only 23% of females at board level.

Increasing gender diversity by just 1% will boost your bottom line by three. This is also true for a 1% rise in race equality, but three times the difference, as it will increase your revenue by 9% Diversity not only plays a major role in creating a forward thinking and proactive organisation, but it also has an impact on brand reputation and

success. There are 189 different nationalities in the UK, 17% are black and minority ethnic (BME).

This number is set to rise to 20% by 2021. Recent statistics show that diverse groups outperform non-diverse groups in an employment situation, so it’s becoming increasingly important to attract a diverse workforce.

At the moment one in six of the working population in the UK is from an ethnic minority or nonwhite background. Collectively they boast a spending power of ÂŁ300bn, making it clear to see just how much a brand could lose if their recruitment process is not engaging and inclusive of all cultures and beliefs. In a similar vein, 20% of working adults in the UK have a disability of some description, yet many application

Organisations in general are getting increasingly more efficient when it comes to unbiased recruiting

Tommy Lai is Marketing Director at WCN. He is a B2B marketing leader with more than 15 years of professional experience in technology, SaaS and services.

So…why isn’t everyone up to speed?

processes do not take this into account, losing out on the £120bn market.

Right now, diversity recruiting in many organisations mostly relies on users knowing what to do; rather than enabling better diversity recruitment through technology, but technology and more specifically Blind Recruitment is taking away the opportunity for mistakes to be made.

How technology can help Technology is making it easier than ever to improve diversity levels and reduce discrimination, through providing greater transparency and insight. It also stops organisations missing out on top talent, who have a disability that might hinder them during the recruitment process. When an organisation adopts innovative technology and practices at the forefront of the talent’s journey they will automatically gain better insight; see what’s happening at different stages of recruitment; learn

how candidates are reviewed by different departments and review how those candidates progress through the recruitment process. Recruitment technology can monitor job offer rates by specific interviewers, allowing you to uncover conscious and unconscious bias.

Recruitment technology enables the application process to be fully anonymised up to the interview stage, only allowing recruiters and managers to see information relevant to the task at hand. For instance, in the cases where screening is based on competency questions, recruiters can only access candidates’ answers to these questions, and nothing else, focusing selection on merit not ethnicity, gender or other potentially affecting factors. Remaining information is made available to recruitment teams as and when it is required.

Additional information including personal details is typically automatically unanonymised at the interview stage, which ensures the interview can take place as usual.

Companies often face significant resistance from within to change.

Moving online is a huge step and many employees feel that the way they work is fine, therefore not buying into the whole process. On occasion these workers feel that the technology is replacing them or see integrating a new system as a sign that they are not trusted to make an unbiased and fair decision.

Diversity is also still viewed as a taboo subject. People need to start talking about potential disabilities that might impact the

interview process at the earliest possible stage. Candidates need to alert the employer as soon as the online recruitment systems allows, and the employer must be as accommodating as possible, adjusting the interview stage to the candidate’s needs. So many people are worried about saying the wrong thing or asking an inappropriate question that they simply avoid the whole situation.

Effective communication is the cornerstone of recruitment, thus the new tools help improve the process.

Talking Point

Companies increasingly recognise the need to adapt the recruitment process to avoid alienating certain groups. One of the most dramatic technology developments to combat discrimination in recent years is ‘talking technology’. WCN integrated DiversityTalks from diversityjobs.co.uk, a speaking toolbar, which speaks over 20 foreign languages, enlarges text and changes colour contrast, into its software making websites more accessible to the growing number of people who struggle to read online. Such technology has a huge impact on accessibility. 1 in 10 people in the UK have dyslexia to some degree, 10 million people have a disability and 2 million of these have significant sight loss, plus 1 in 6 is from an ethnic background.

The last word If you fail to show diversity in your choices you too will be at the wrong end of an Oscars-style diversity storm. The process never ends. The Oscars problem might not be a quick fix, but it is similar to the recruitment process, in that we always need to analyse and review, strive to improve.

From a recruitment point of view it is also important to remember that no one tech vendor can solve all the business or diversity problems in HR and recruiting. It’s about picking a whole set of solutions, integrating different software, and pulling it together to create an overall picture that looks right for your organisation and your candidates. The war for diverse talent is on, and you better be ready to up your game. 

 www.wcn.co.uk

Companies increasingly recognise the need to adapt the recruitment process to avoid alienating certain groups

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Technical Focus

STARS ALIGN FOR TEESSIDE UNIVERSITY

Teeside University’s £30m campus redevelopment continues as the latest in a series of designs completed by Nottingham-based CPMG architects is completed.

Middlesbrough T heCampus’ Orion building has been transformed into a £6m, three-storey, glass fronted centre for state-of-the-art science and engineering studies. The building has been equipped with the latest industry-standard equipment to provide an immersive learning experience. The new facilities include a flight simulation laboratory, jet engine testing room and process control facility.

Nick Gregory, Director at CPMG said: “The brief set by the university outlined a need to transform the Orion building, creating a modern extension suitable for the integration of state-of-the-art laboratories, flexible teaching spaces and student learning spaces, exhibition zones and laboratory viewing areas.

“Also crucial to the university’s plans was the creation of a clear route through to the existing heart of the building – regenerating the building’s pathways as well as incorporating

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The inside space has been transformed to allow for flexible student study spaces

Project: Teeside University Location: Middlesbrough Architect: CPMG

The previous 1970s building has been thoroughly modernised with a new glass frontage

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ORION BUILDING FACADE DETAIL

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18.0 1100mm High Parapet Guarding PPC Sarafil 'Sarnametal' roof trim

12.315 Parapet

New guard rail continued to full extent of existing building

11.255 Roof Level

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11.840 Parapet 13.0 Rainscreen Cladding

Technical Focus

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Look-a-like panels (back painted glass) 14.0 Curtain Walling

Opening light (restricted to 100mm) tbc by m&e

Glass to glass corner detail

7.800 Second Floor

Look-a-like panels (back painted glass)

11268 Curtain Wall s/o

Opening light (restricted to 100mm) tbc by m&e

4.200 First Floor

Look-a-like panels (back painted glass)

Opening light (restricted to 100mm) tbc by m&e

13.0 Rainscreen Cladding with SFS support structure

0.000 Ground Floor External level varies

Bttm Found (-0.525)

modern STEM facilities.

“In terms of the exterior, the glass frontage faces the site entrance and creates a dramatic statement within the campus’ landscape, reflecting the importance of the school within the university.”

Malcolm Page, Chief Operating Officer at Teesside University, said: “This is another significant development which will enhance the student experience. We are committed to providing students with the best learning environment to enable them to flourish and the fantastic new facilities on offer here will give them a realistic insight into what

12.0 Blue Engineering brickwork

it is like to work in industry.

“The university has a proud record of producing graduates with exceptional technical and innovation skills and this new development will help to ensure that our students and graduates are equipped to become the science and engineering leaders of the future.”

CPMG’s designs also incorporated manufacturing, power engineering and aerospace engineering laboratories designed to the highest specification – with the inclusion of enough space to house a full size aircraft for physical and load testing.

Teesside University also stressed the need to build on its existing facilities in electron microscopy, x-ray, spectroscopic and thermal analysis testing, outlining the need for newly-refurbished laboratories to be modernised to the highest industry standards.

“We are pleased to have been involved with Teesside University’s newest addition to its quarter of a billion pound campus redevelopment. This is the latest completed building in a series of projects CPMG has designed at the university and we look forward to continuing to work with them in the future,” added Nick.

CPMG has a 10 year history with Teesside University – the Athena building, Phoenix building, Centuria South, Darlington Campus, the first phase of the library redevelopment and the new green wall to the Student Centre have all been developed using CPMG’s designs. The awardwinning architects’ designs have recently been implemented in the extension to the Olympia building to build a new health and fitness centre and CPMG is working with the university on a forthcoming refurbishment of its library. 

 www.cpmg-architects.com

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Legal & Business

FIRE SAFETY IN PFI PROJECTS

Some PFI buildings are said to be falling foul of the Order

Rhian Greaves, Legal Director at Clyde & Co, discusses the importance of fireproofing within PFI buildings. breaches of the P urported Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the “Order”) are a current issue in operational PFI projects. Apparent defects in the passive fire protection (“PFP”) measures installed at the time of construction have led to significant deductions being levied for alleged breach of the relevant safety condition.

Any breach of the Order may be prosecuted, even absent a fire, and therefore everyone in building construction, management, maintenance and operations need to understand their responsibilities under the Order.

The Order uses a risk-based approach to fire safety with risk assessments informing the steps needed to achieve a safe state of affairs. Enforced by the fire service, the Order creates criminal offences for non-compliance and equips the regulator with a significant enforcement armoury.

Who holds the duties?

The obligations of compliance belong to the Responsible Person (the “RP”). The RP will always be the employer and not an individual designated for the

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purpose. There is frequently more than one RP (especially in an operational PFI building).

The duties of the RP are also imposed upon anyone else who has, to any extent, control of the premises so far as the requirements relate to matters within their control.

What must be done?

General fire precautions must be taken to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of employees; and in relation those who are not employees (e.g. hospital patients, school pupils), and to ensure that the premises are safe.

“General fire precautions” encompasses the measures needed to: reduce the risk of fire and fire spread on the premises; secure the means of escape; fight fires; detect fires and give warnings; identify and implement actions to be taken in the event of fire, including the instruction and training of employees and the measures needed to mitigate the effects of a fire.

This means appointing a competent fire risk assessor to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment and record the significant findings which must be acted upon. This should ensure the appropriate precautions are identified.

An actionable criminal breach arises where there has been a breach of the Order and that breach places one or more relevant persons at the risk of death or serious personal injury in the event of a fire.

Fire safety Some PFI buildings are said to be falling foul of the Order, particularly in relation to the PFP measures installed (or not) at the time of construction.

The aim of PFP is to minimise and slow the spread of fire, utilising compartmentalisation and fire resisting materials to contain the fire within its location of origin. However, these are often hidden, located within ceiling voids or concealed by surrounding construction so an audit is not always easy.

Substandard PFP measures can amount to a breach of the relevant Safety Condition

Rhian Greaves has worked with both corporate and individual defendants and has experience of advising clients under investigation and in relation to any eventual prosecution by the Crown Prosecution Service, Health and Safety Executive, Environment Agency, Fire Service and local authorities. in the payment mechanism where there has also been a breach the Order. As such, everyone involved in a building needs to be clear as to their responsibilities to avoid potential contractual and criminal liability.

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Education

HEALTHY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Project: Hylton Castle Primary School Location: Sunderland Architect: AHR

Hylton Castle Primary School in Sunderland has recently been completed by AHR and is now welcoming its first cohort of students. The school is the first to be delivered through the privately financed PF2 element of the Education Funding Agency’s (EFA) Priority School Building Programme (PSBP).

The school’s civic frontage includes easily identifiable entrances for staff, visitors and pupils located along a central spine

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Early Years pupils are located in a single storey building with natural light provided by roof lights

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he school is part of the £150m North East batch programme of six primary and six secondary schools. AHR has designed a new typology that allows elements of standardisation across the batch and in turn provides both cost and time efficiencies for the EFA. Common structural and environmental systems are employed in all the buildings to allow the ‘Standardised Block Typologies’ to be configured in a variety of ways to suit each individual school. The emerging designs therefore relate to each specific site context as well as each school’s unique design brief.

This approach not only ensures the design solution is tailored to the needs of each individual school, but means the buildings could easily be reconfigured in the future as educational requirements change.

Tony Langan, Director at AHR, said: “We’ve worked to develop a flexible and efficient ‘kit of parts’ for these schools by creating standardised typologies. This reduces costs and build time but also results in high-quality, adaptable learning environments that can be tailored to each school’s specific requirements.

The suite of spaces we’ve managed to create support both the children’s formal curriculum and informal social activities.”

Hylton Castle Primary School is designed to provide the best possible environment for learning.

Thermal mass principles of heating and cooling, natural and controlled ventilation systems and roof glazing for natural day lighting all work together to create a healthy, light and airy environment. In classrooms, users have a level of control over each individual space, reinforcing the sense of comfort in the building.

This control is intuitive and able to respond to the different seasons whilst maintaining optimum environmental conditions that stimulate learning.

Day-to-day flexibility Within the school, all internal walls are non-load bearing, ensuring ease of expansion and reconfiguration. Hylton Castle, as with the other primary schools under construction, is a two storey building with key stages divided by floor. Early Years pupils are located in a single storey building with natural light provided by roof lights in order to keep the elevation free for play overhangs, furniture and equipment.

Day-to-day flexibility is also designed into the hall, drama and dining spaces so they can be quickly reconfigured to provide a rich variety of social and learning environments. These spaces can also be securely zoned off

Education

an area of high unemployment and many children have huge barriers to overcome before they can fully access the curriculum. We have no doubt that the transition into this new building will raise standards in all aspects of learning across the school. The new facilities have provided staff with the opportunity to provide an even better quality of teaching and they are welcoming the challenge with a growing confidence.”

Simple expansion

Hylton Castle primary school is designed to provide the best possible environment for learning

during the day to provide a useful resource for community activities and larger scale events.

The classrooms are treated as grouped pods based around a repetitive configuration.

Easy navigation Pupils are aged between 3 and 11 and so it was crucial to ensure the site is safe, and students can navigate the building easily.

Void spaces at first floor level connect the different parts of the building and create natural way finding in a visually stimulating way. Two standardised toilet configurations for infants and juniors are also cleverly designed to give the children ease of access from both inside and outside, a solution also applied to the ‘Early Years’ cloakrooms, allowing parents to access these spaces when dropping off or collecting their children.

The school’s civic frontage includes easily identifiable entrances for staff, visitors and pupils located along a central spine. It is an uplifting space with strategically located double height voids that create voluminous spaces filled with natural light. Walkways link the central spine to the external play areas with glazed doors, framing views of the external play spaces to ensure a continual connection with the external environment.

The school’s grounds provide important facilities for outdoor learning and social activities. The design for Hylton Castle uses the site’s natural topography to create an attractive yet efficient layout, optimised building orientation and enhanced public/ private zoning and security.

Elaine Armstrong, Head Teacher of Hylton Castle Primary School, said: “From the initial planning stages the path to completion has taken us almost four years; it has been a smooth journey and I believe the key elements to its success have been highly effective communication systems and

strong partnerships with members of the EFA and the design team.

“During the planning stages the team were keen to understand our vision and priorities for our school.

This has proved to be invaluable since we now have a school that is purpose-built to meet the needs of our pupils and also the wider school community. At each key point key staff have been consulted, our opinions have been listened to and agreements reached.

“For pupils, I am so looking forward to seeing how much this new building will impact on their self-esteem, motivation and sense of value. Our school is situated in

The substantial adaptability means Hylton Castle, and the other schools in the batch, can flex easily for minor changes as well as adapting in more radical ways to support new teaching models in the future. The structural system allows for simple expansion of the number of classrooms, corridors and staircases. The lightweight, non-load bearing internal partitions can be easily removed, opening up the spaces for larger groups, and acoustic panels can be reconfigured to support different uses of the spaces. Mechanical and electrical services and heating and ventilation systems have been selected for ease of reconfiguration and flexibility.

The scheme is designed to deliver great teaching environments, ease of use and maintenance and adaptability, now, and for the next 60 years.

The 11 remaining schools, which will be based on the same principles, are all set to be delivered on time before September 2016. 

 www.ahr-global.com

The school’s grounds provide important facilities for outdoor learning and social activities

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Energy Management

GROWING GREEN

Nik Chambers from building services consultancy, Greenways, discusses the challenges of designing green services for a specialist horticultural college in Worcestershire. internationally A nrenowned centre for

The vast amount of glass involved in the building created complexities for the services design

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land-based courses, Pershore College near Evesham is part of the Warwickshire College Group and offers specialist facilities for horticultural study and research.

The latest development on campus, a £5.8m scheme designed by Hitchman Stone Partnership and delivered by main contractor Deeley Construction, combines teaching areas, office space and a new library with a stunning ‘Collections House’, which forms both the building’s impressive entrance lobby and a study and research area for cultivating plants.

Part of the college’s remit is to protect rare and endangered plant species and this environmental focus was central to the development plans, resulting in a challenging brief for Greenways as the building services consultant.

The vast amount of glass involved in the building and the need for a ventilation system designed to nurture plants rather than to save energy created complexities for the

Project: Pershore College Location: Worcestershire Architect: Hitchman Stone Partnership

The Collections House is effectively a giant greenhouse which spans the entire north elevation

services design beyond most college projects. However, the result has been a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ building which meets the needs of both students and plants while offering the college reduced operational costs and an environmental performance aligned to its conservation ethos.

Research & Modelling The Collections House is effectively a giant greenhouse which spans the entire north elevation of the new facility and extensive curtain walling has also been used for the office and teaching areas to ‘bring the outdoors in’.

While entrance to the main building is through the Collections House, it was clear to the Greenways team that Part L compliance for the main building area would depend on separating the two sections in terms of building controls and this was successfully achieved thanks to close cooperation with local building control officers.

The next challenge for Greenways was to understand the lighting, heating and

Lighting & Irrigation

The result has been a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ building which meets the needs of both students and plants

ventilation requirements for the Collections House to ensure that the growing environment could be tailored to meet the needs of delicate plant life. The building services team worked with the staff at Pershore and horticultural experts at RHS Garden Wisley to calculate the impact of daylight on the north facing building and used climate data to model projected heat gain and heat loss. The modelling process indicated that the Collections House would receive more sunlight than previously thought, which informed the services concept.

communication between the two.

Both parts of the building have been designed with an entirely natural ventilation system with some automated window opening and chimney dampers linked to the weather stations, along with manual opening.

The windows of the Collections

The daylight calculations were also critical to the lighting design for both areas of the building.

In the Collections House task lighting has been incorporated at low level where students will care for plants, with feature lighting incorporated into the scheme to highlight key specimens and scene setting functionality.

At high level in the Collections House and throughout the teaching and office areas, the lighting specification is entirely LED to provide a light quality close to natural daylight and aid energy efficiency.

The sophisticated lighting control system is also central to lighting efficiency, with daylight

dimming linked to sensors and absence detection throughout.

Most individual fittings in the building are fully addressable with their own PIR sensor, enabling lighting usage to reflect building occupancy at all times, preventing waste.

The other significant services challenge for the Collections House was irrigation. The facility includes a ‘living’ wall, with plants grown along the full length of the vertical wall for the students to maintain.

Greenways designed a rainwater harvesting system on the roof to feed the irrigation system for this feature and contribute to the irrigation requirements of the entire Collections House, reducing the need to use potable water.

Energy Management

House will be opened every morning to blast the plants with cool air to aid growth.

The differing needs of the two parts of the building led Greenways to design a complex heating system with nine zones to maximise both comfort and energy efficiency. The Collections House, where the heating is designed to provide optimum conditions for the plants rather than the students, has its own zone, with additional zones for the offices, the library, the stem teaching area and for every group of three classrooms.

All heating is provided by efficient gas boilers in the campus’ central plant room and the building services design incorporated a new pair of heating pipes for the new facility, feeding a radiator-based heating system.

Attractive & Eco Like any college building, the new facility at Pershore has all the mechanical and electrical services that staff and students would expect, including Cat 6 data capabilities and WiFi throughout, a fully-addressable fire alarm and intruder alarm system linked to the BMS and access control for secure areas.

What sets this building apart is the way in which specialist facilities, an architecturally attractive building and an environmentally progressive learning environment have been combined in a single facility, driving down carbon emissions while improving the student experience. 

 www.gapl.co.uk

Heating & Ventilation The ventilation strategy was to treat the main teaching block and the Collections House as two distinct buildings. Individual weather stations were designed in, incorporating temperature, CO2 and rain sensors, and these communicate with a separate building management system (BMS) for each section of the building, with integrated

The modelling process indicated that the Collections House would receive more sunlight than previously thought

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Healthcare

SWIFT SOLUTION TO PATIENT CARE

Project: Royal Stoke University Hospital Location: Staffordshire Building Provider: Portakabin Group

A highly complex, 4200m2 two-storey ward and theatre building at Royal Stoke University Hospital has been constructed by Portakabin Hire in less than four months to help meet the increasing demand for orthopaedic services.

contract is T hethe£13.5m largest in the 52year history of the Portakabin Group’s Hire Division and the project is one of its most challenging schemes in terms of programme and site constraints.

The structure for the high quality patient facility was installed in just 18 days which included weekend working to minimise disruption to the hospital’s service provision as there were fully operational wards immediately adjacent to the new building. This construction solution allowed the project to be built in the shortest possible time to the benefit of patient care.

Delivery programme

The facility features two large state-of-the-art, clean air theatres for all orthopaedic procedures

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The purpose-designed scheme, which will be in use for the next five years, has provided 56 new in-patient beds, two large stateof-the-art, clean air theatres for all orthopaedic procedures, recovery room, ‘dirty’ and ‘clean’ utilities, single rooms with ensuite bathrooms, staff changing rooms, reception, kitchenette, offices, 33-person ‘crash team’ lift, and an integral plant room.

Commenting on the project, John Simpson, Director of Corporate Services at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, said: “This type of construction allowed us to benefit from a much shorter delivery programme so we could have the new facility up and running more quickly, meeting the increasing demand for services and enhancing patients’ experience.

Healthcare “Whilst the building is constructed to permanent standards, its modular construction gives us greater flexibility as the facilities can be dismantled and removed if service needs change. We had an extremely tight timescale to deliver this complex healthcare building for the relocation of clinical services – but I am delighted to report that this was achieved.

“The new facilities have been very well received by patients and staff. There is excellent light, space, decor and infection control.

Portakabin Hire successfully installed the building next to the main hospital with minimal impact on service provision. This required detailed logistical planning and the whole installation operation was carried out with military precision by a superb site team. The final

design is extremely good.”

Jeanette Carter, Royal Stoke Ward Manager, said: “The overall design and layout of the building are fantastic and the interior is very welcoming. We have a lot more space, particularly around beds, to facilitate patient contact and to accommodate any equipment we need. Everything fits into the ward space really well and there is better storage. The wards are airy and the design features – such as integral blinds for the windows – make infection control much easier. We also have more side rooms available which help to reduce waiting times. There has been a lot of positive feedback from staff and patients since we moved into the new building.”

The new Orthopaedic Unit is constructed from 124 steelframed modules up to 14m long

The purpose-designed scheme will be in use for the next five years

The structure for the high quality patient facility was installed in just 18 days

This construction solution allowed the project to be built in the shortest possible time to the benefit of patient care

and weighing up to 9 tonnes each. These were installed complete with wall finishes, internal partitioning, mechanical and electrical services and flooring already in place, further reducing work and disruption on this busy hospital site. The modules are built to permanent standards, comply with current Building Regulations and have a design life of 60 years.

The hiring of modular accommodation is a fast, flexible and cost-effective way for healthcare providers to expand or relocate services, particularly on constrained hospital sites and funded from revenue rather than capital budget streams. The approach also gives NHS trusts greater flexibility as the facilities

can be dismantled and removed if patient needs change.

Complete, fully-fitted buildings can be delivered in a fraction of the time of a site-based construction solution. Critically, buildings can be installed with far less disruption to patient care and the solution is much safer and quieter as fitting out can also be carried out off site.

Portakabin Hire provides accommodation for wards, recovery suites, dialysis units, diagnostics, out-patient departments and treatment centres. All the hospital facilities are constructed to the latest healthcare best practice design standards. 

 www.portanews.co.uk

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Security

The latest state-of-the-art systems offer an entirely multifaceted access control experience and are easy to configure and operate

ACCESS ALL AREAS Matt Haynes, UK and Ireland Business Head at Vanderbilt, explains the key criteria for specifying access control systems within public sector buildings. to Internet protocol T hanks (IP) based access control, smartcards and readers are rapidly replacing traditional locks and keys. This exciting technology provides electronic security that operates over the local area network (LAN), safeguarding entry into buildings and keeping people, property and assets safe.

The latest state-of-the-art systems offer an entirely multifaceted access control experience and are easy to configure and operate. Furthermore, their virtually unlimited system expansion capabilities equate to an abundance of cost saving benefits.

Recent research commissioned by Vanderbilt (formerly Security Products from Siemens) found that out of a total UK market value of £500m, 35% of this figure was spent in the public sector, suggesting that access control is a serious consideration within these

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environments. Not only does this point to a desire to control external threats, but authorised personnel can even be granted or denied access to certain areas at different times, making it not only good for security but also, in some environments such as hospitals, for health and safety.

Let’s not forget theft either, where it is possible to pinpoint exactly who was in specific areas of the building and at what time and, when linked to CCTV, access control is particularly effective.

There are a number of factors driving the requirement for access control. The rise in terrorist based activity has put some locations, organisations and establishments at higher risk of attack than others.

Legislation is also playing its part and schools, for example, now have an obligation to put safeguarding measures in place and have designated personnel to focus on them.

In these austere times, investments made by a public sector body are under intense scrutiny and any technology that is implemented has to be as future proof as possible and provide maximum return on investment. This means that initial cost should only be one aspect of wider selection criteria. Therefore, systems that operate over an open protocol, to allow other manufacturers’ hardware and software to be interchangeable, are proving popular, as they are less restrictive.

As well as the economic benefits, open protocol means that if legislative and regulatory changes occur, then a system can simply be augmented. This offers the further advantage of allowing the cost of a system will be proportional to the number of doors to be controlled.

Vanderbilt’s research found that the vast majority of access control installations are initially quite small – only 20% cost in excess of £100,000 – making modularity and the ability to ‘add on’ even more vital.

Public sector buildings often change their uses, so a flexible solution will be able to adapt to meet different needs and still fit into a standard IT platform,

whether hardwired, wireless or a combination of the two.

The ability to assign access control rights to both wired and wireless components offers a cost effective solution for any additional internal doors that are required.

Meanwhile, contactless smartcards that utilise Mifare technology can be used for a variety of purposes including car parking, time attendance, cashless vending and accessing the IT network. As a transportation device that facilitates flexibility within the workplace, these ‘one size fits all’ smartcards can be uniquely configured for individual needs and multiple system integration will continue to be a key market driver, whether at point of construction or as part of an IP migration strategy.

No two buildings are the same and only technology that is flexible enough to accommodate a wide variety of uses, both now and in the future, should be considered.

As well as acting as a centralised security management system, today’s high performance access control systems are cost effective and provide a sophisticated level of operation. 

 www.vanderbiltindustries.com

Contactless smartcards that utilise Mifare technology can be used for a variety of purposes

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29

Modular Buildings

CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE AND UNIQUE

Project: New Islington School Location: Manchester Architect: Vaughan Architecture & Design

New Islington School in Manchester will provide a primary school for 420 children due to open for the September 2016 term

Rachel Davis, Business Development Director, discusses Premier Modular Limited’s latest school project, which once again pushes the boundaries of off-site design Islington, Manchester N ew formerly The Cardroom Estate was considered one of the worst places to live in Manchester. It was therefore identified as one of the English Partnership’s ‘Millennium Communities’ to be rejuvenated and regenerated. The aim was to create the best place to live and work in Manchester, with the aspiration of creating a community by consulting with the existing residents as a starting point and then introducing the new.

The Masterplan of the site was to link the existing Victorian canals with a new canal to form a focal point, adding inspiring and innovative architecture would be the key to creating a sense of place. A mix of homes to buy and rent, shops, health centre, restaurants, a park, marina and a school will all be provided.

Premier Modular, working as a specialist subcontractor to Conlon Construction, is currently building the new Free School in New Islington, Manchester, providing a primary school for 420 children due to open for the September 2016 term. The new building and site had to meet the overall objectives of the regeneration Masterplan, to be

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inspiring, innovative and fresh but also to meet the visions of the school. These included the preparation of pupils to inspire them for life, a greater depth of learning, co-operative learning, open-mindedness, an enriched school life through arts and sports and enhanced health.

Premier was selected due to their capacity and flexibility to deliver from their 22 acre UK manufacturing hub, ensuring that the tight delivery programme was met. Selection also hinged on Premier’s position within the industry as a design led solutions provider. Although now widely accepted that off-site construction can provide high quality, fast and disruption free buildings, the challenge would be to create this eye-catching, innovative building. Premier Modular pride themselves on delivering design solutions that push past the normal limitations of modular, using a combination of their in-house design team and experienced external partners.

To achieve the aspirations of New Islington School, Premier worked with their architectural partners Vaughan Architecture & Design to create this visually stunning building with many unique features:

Angular external walls with cladding, giving a very modern finish including feature sun shades and balconies An inspiring welcoming entrance with over sailing roof Picture windows to give light and airy spaces for improved learning and create a link between the school and the surrounding environment & community A double height lightwell running the full length of the building bringing natural light into the heart of the school A roof-top teaching space to maximise the space available on

site for sport and outdoor play whilst giving a unique learning environment for the creative subjects Sustainable and wildlife features were also included such as PV panels, bird and bat boxes and a Redstart habitat was created on the roof.

The New Islington School values are Creative, Innovative & Unique. These fit well with Premier’s own values and have certainly been captured in the new school building. 

 www.premiermodular.co.uk

Premier Modular prides itself on delivering design solutions that push past the normal limitations of modular

As news of rising pupil numbers unfold…

…here’s a second storey from Wernick!

Rising pupil numbers mean many schools face a classroom shortfall putting pressure on them to provide more space quickly and economically.

Modular buildings from Wernick provide a modern, spacious, energy efficient environment for pupils and staff. What’s more, while the building is being manufactured, the foundation is being prepared on-site. This makes it possible for us to deliver a building of exceptional quality very quickly and with a saving of up to 50% when compared to a traditional building.

A story of less room, more space Modular buildings can be sited where space is limited and can be multi-storey.

They can form permanent buildings with traditional features such as a brick finish and a pitched roof or temporary so that if your student numbers fall in the future the building can be relocated.

Why Wernick Modular Buildings?

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Speedy completion Lower cost than traditional build More dependable build programme 25 year structural warranty Planning and building regulation service Full project management Sustainable form of building Choice of traditional or contemporary finishes HIRE and LEASE options available

Sustainable construction without compromise For additional information visit www.wernick.co.uk/education

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Leisure

THE RIGHT TREATMENT F T Leisure has worked with main contractor, Morgan Sindall to design, manufacture, install and commission water treatment and filtration systems for the 25m x 16.5m 8-lane competition pool and the 16.5m x 7m learner pool at Queen’s Park Sports Centre. new Queen’s Park T heSports Centre in Chesterfield is the latest F T Leisure project to open its doors to the public.

The complex includes a 25m, 8-lane competition pool, a 16.5 x 7m learner pool with moveable floor and children’s fun water features, including water cannons and sprays that are integrated into the stainless steel balustrading. The centre also boasts a cafe, an activity studio, an 80-station gym and

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two squash courts.

F T Leisure provided the water treatment and filtration systems for the two pools. The filtration systems are traditional medium rate sand filtration combined with chlorine dosing, pH control, filter coagulation and UV sterilisation.

In the main pool, F T Leisure installed a motorised wall mounted pool cover system to retain heat as well as designing and installing an integrated hydraulic disabled access

system. This will lower and raise bathers in and out of the water safely and discreetly enabling dignified, independent access for any swimmer who finds pool access difficult.

F T Leisure has also designed a full parallel moveable floor system that maximises the functionality of the pool and the range of activities available for all level of bathers.

The main contractor for the project was Morgan Sindall working with Darnton B3

Project: Queen’s Park Sports Centre Location: Chesterfield Images: Morgan Sindall

Jump, by West Midlands based artist Mick Thacker, is based on the concept of time lapse motion photography

Architects and the Sheerwater Consultancy. The £11.25m project is being paid for by £6.725m from Chesterfield Borough Council, £2.5m from Chesterfield College, £2m from Sport England and £25,000 from Squash England.

Members of the public have chosen the design of a sculpture to go in the grounds of the new sports Centre. Jump,

by West Midlands based artist Mick Thacker, is based on the concept of time lapse motion

Leisure In the main pool, F T Leisure installed a motorised wall mounted pool cover system

MOVEABLE FLOORS AND BOOMS: Swimming pools are notoriously expensive to operate. For a successful business plan, aquatic facilities need to offer a swim program to suit all community needs optimising the revenue opportunities. Moveable floor and boom systems help to achieve this; by altering the geometry of the pool, multiple swimming activities can take place at the same time. Varying the depth of the pool then broadens the scope of activities from international competitions to motherand-baby classes. With early design input, F T Leisure can select the best configuration for your pool to maximize functionality. The company's moveable floor and boom systems are designed to be reliable, robust and safe.

The complex includes a 25-metre, 8-lane competition pool, a 16.5 x 7 metre learner pool with moveable floor and children’s fun water features

photography and shows the various stages of a person jumping through the air.

F T Leisure specialises in the provision of innovative products and professional technical services to the commercial, municipal and private swimming pool industries. Its range of services includes the design,

manufacture, installation, commissioning and/or refurbishment and maintenance of water treatment and filtration systems, moveable floors, booms and disabled access platforms, ozone and UV sterilisation, wave machines and leisure water features.

Other recent F T Leisure

projects include Huddersfield Leisure Centre, Consett Academy & Leisure Centre, Ashington Leisure Centre and Embassy Gardens (London).

Please visit the company's Project Gallery for more recent project case studies. 

 www.ftleisure.co.uk

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Shelters & Shading

The pull test Site specific calculations are particularly key for cantilevered, wall hung canopies, as they determine if the identified wall is strong enough to take the weight of the required shelter.

Using a specific test known as the ‘pull test’, which is designed to mimic the weight of a canopy, a trained surveyor can ascertain whether additional foundation supports will be required in order to safeguard the canopy, the building and its users. Other factors that should be taken into account are the material, age and position of the wall, as well as type, weight and load bearing capacity of the selected canopy.

SITE SPECIFIC CALCULATIONS

An Umbrella canopy

Jason Eastwood, Managing Director for Canopies UK, discusses the importance of site specific calculations in ensuring shelters are engineered for purpose, not just to simply deliver in the design stakes.

T

he demand for maximising outdoor space is undoubtedly gaining pace across the public sector arena, especially with educational and healthcare establishments, where sheltered walkways, outdoor learning environments and protective entrance canopies are particularly popular options.

As with any extension, a canopy or walkway should be engineered specifically for the building it’s going to be attached to, or the ground it’s going to sit in to ensure that it:

wind speed, annual snowfall and nearby trees and roots, as well as the terrain in which the foundations will sit and the quality and structure of the wall that will support the canopy.

While it may seem somewhat strange to consider wind speed and snowfall for a canopy installation, they play a major part in how it should be built.

Meets the relevant performance and safety standards Is robust enough to stand the test of time Won’t require costly maintenance – to either the canopy itself or the adjacent wall or land One of the most effective ways to ensure canopies and walkways are installed to the highest standard and provide optimum protection is to use site specific calculations. Typically conducted by a technical surveyor, these calculations encompass a number of technical on-site measurements, including

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The Connekt modular canopy system

So too, does the terrain, nearby trees, drainage systems and existing buildings, as they can all impact the build phase, performance and overall lifespan of the structure. For instance, the design of the canopy may have to factor in nearby trees and roots plus, how much they’re likely to grow and potentially impact the structure over the years.

Championing canopies Understanding the importance of site specific calculations is the first step in ensuring canopies deliver on safety, performance and longevity, which are all key ingredients when investing in any building extension.

What’s more, conducting the right site specific calculations can make the difference between having a particular canopy or walkway and settling for an alternative design. With some minor adjustments to materials, fixtures, fittings and build techniques, almost any canopy installation is possible, providing the right technical factors have been taken into account from the outset. 

 www.canopiesuk.co.uk

LEVATO MONO porcelain paver system The Levato Mono porcelain paver system is the pinnacle of external raised flooring technology; enabling the specification of lightweight, slip resistant and attractive raised flooring solutions, combining incredible technical properties with uncompromising aesthetics; making them the ideal choice for commercial and domestic use alike.

20mm porcelain pavers 40x80 45x90 60x60 75x75 30x120 40x120 60x120 ‘Floating floor’ – installation over single ply membranes Eternal product - zero maintenance required – offering massive over-life savings Highly abrasion and stain resistant Highly slip resistant ; R11 and achieved up to +65 wet in the BS pendulum test Lightweight – 45kgs per m2 High load bearing and impact resistance Timber & stone effects ; 40+ finishes available Ideal for balconies, roof terraces and piazzas, for both commercial & residential use Completely non porous Fire & frost proof Height-adjustable supports from 9mm up to 550mm

t: 0845 2700 696

e: info@thedecktileco.co.uk

www.thedecktileco.co.uk

Street Furniture

ROBUST CENTREPIECE

Ashfield District Council were looking to create an attention-grabbing piece of artwork

Jonathan Goss, Managing Director of Townscape, talks about the launch of graphic concrete in the UK and the role it can play in transforming the perceptions of concrete.

C

oncrete has recently experienced a surge in popularity in the UK, but as widely used as it is – concrete has never previously provided much artistic or creative potential.

As a manufacturer of concrete street furniture for over 40 years, it has sometimes been hard to generate excitement about concrete. However, graphic concrete has changed all of that.

All of a sudden, concrete has

become interesting!

We are excited to announce that we have launched an innovative new concrete casting service, enabling images, designs and textures to be embossed into concrete surfaces. We have even devoted a new division and website to this exciting development – GraphicConcreteHQ. So, what is graphic concrete and what is its purpose?

Graphic concrete was originally created by Finnish interior architect Samuli Naamanka. The idea was to create real industrial product for large-scale surfaces, whilst giving designers and architects the power to be more visually creative and increase the delivery speed of projects.

Using our new method, architects and designers now have carte blanche to turn walls or pavements into unique pieces of art that lift their projects and give them a signature look. From a simple pattern or transfer to intricate artwork or deep sculpting – the potential is limitless.

Improved aesthetics

The finished product offers a highly creative, unique, weather proof, attractive, and, most importantly, cost effective architectural solution

36

Standard partition walls, paving slabs, facades and, more generally, concrete elements of all sizes can be transformed into eye-catching features.

Rather than settling for a dull, predictable effect, graphic concrete can enhance the design of buildings and structures such as schools and colleges, hospitals, retail and transport hubs – without degrading their functionality or durability. It allows the aesthetics of concrete facades to be greatly improved.

The finished product offers a highly creative, unique, weather proof, attractive, and, most importantly, cost effective architectural solution that is

visually appealing to all.

Our first graphic concrete project has been completed in the market town of Kirkby-inAshfield, which has undergone a £2.4m regeneration project to revitalise its town centre, of which public art and sculptures were a key focus for landscaping.

Ashfield District Council were looking to create an attentiongrabbing piece of artwork as a focal point of the new square which will be used for markets, public events and community activities. The council wanted the artwork to contrast with statues and sculptures designed to represent the historical sporting and mining heritage of the town, as the piece would have a focus on the town’s future.

We were commissioned to work on the project alongside a local artist to design a piece of bespoke artwork manufactured from precast concrete. In partnership with a local academy, a 40m long x 2m high graphic concrete art wall was designed, incorporating self-portrait and local landscape photographs. The photographs were transferred onto a precast concrete surface, resulting in one large concrete wall.

The final result boasts a longlasting, weather proof, robust and cost-effective centrepiece. 

 www.graphicconcretehq.com

CYCLE STORAGE SOLUTIONS TO SUIT EVERY SITE AND BUDGET

Find out more at:

www.velopa.co.uk Email: info@autopa.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1788 550556 PSB_0214_Stacarac 7/2/14 09:37 Page 1

Web: www.velopa.co.uk

autopa

open spaces

PVC SHELVING Stacarac hygienic plastic shelving is used throughout the NHS and other areas where extreme hygiene is required.

The racks can be tailor made in various colours to avoid cross contamination etc.

We can measure and build racking systems to suit your needs.

The racking is very strong and lightweight easy to clean being non porous is class 0 ďŹ re rated (will not support combustion).

Stacarac (UK) Ltd

Marine House, Mayland Industrial Estate, Mayland, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 6AX

Tel: 01621 741250 Web: www.stacarac.com

37

Naidex Preview

BUILDING ON SOLID FOUNDATIONS

The programme is already looking as packed as ever with practical, professional and pragmatic business advice

This month sees the return of the UK’s largest disability, rehabilitation and homecare event: Naidex 2016. over 200 exhibitors W ithshowcasing their products to around 9000 visitors and introducing some of the latest innovations to the independent living and assistive technology market, Naidex is a key diary date for all healthcare professionals, retailers and key stakeholders in the sector.

The free CPD accredited event takes place at the NEC Birmingham and registration can be accessed via the show’s recently re-launched and new look website.

As an exciting new feature, the team at Naidex has introduced an exclusive “Trade and Healthcare Professional only” day, allowing trade and healthcare professionals to get straight to business on day one, as well as exploring the key issues that affect specific customers and procurement teams.

Exciting details of the show’s popular Trade Stage have just been released and the programme is already looking as packed as ever with practical, professional and pragmatic business advice for retailers, manufacturers and distributors within the industry.

Talks and workshops will include: Responsible consumption: The essential guide to The Consumer Rights Act 2015 Making Social Media work for your business Get ahead of the game: Trend forecasting

38

And, the new “Expert panel” (made up of past and present exhibitors who are influential in the industry) will take an in-depth and engaging look at issues such as: Surviving in a changing market – New vs. Traditional Retail All about ethics: striking the balance between generating sales and staying true to your customers

A networking opportunity One of the highlights of Naidex (introduced just last year) is the unique business networking facility, Naidex. Connects, allowing guests to pre-plan their visit and never miss out on a meeting with other key exhibitors, other visitors and potential contacts.

The free online portal enables pre-registered trade visitors and healthcare professionals direct access to exhibitors and makes it easy to book meeting space to suit the schedule of their visit, helping to ensure all guests can get the most out of their time at Naidex.

Portfolio Director, Alison Willis adds: “Naidex offers a quick and easy way to discover new business opportunities and valuable contacts – all under one roof! In my opinion, it is the place to be to find solutions, new products and to meet up with hundreds of suppliers without the cost and inconvenience of travelling all over the UK.”

The returning “Innovation Trail” features pioneering products ‘mapped out’ around the Naidex show floor, guiding visitors around a range of UK products, innovations and latest technologies – all of which will have been launched within the past 12 months.

All visitors will also be able to explore the Marketplace and test the latest products that will maximise your patient’s quality of life. As a taster, some of the top returning exhibitors will include: TGA Mobility, Ottobock,

Sunrise, Kymco, ArjoHuntleigh and NRS, with exciting new UK and international exhibitors, such as: Rewalk (Germany), LIW Care (Poland), Vassilli (Italian), Trekinetic all terrain (UK), GennyMobility (Italian/UK) and Permobil (UK).

Naidex returns to the NEC, Birmingham from 26 to 28th April 2016, in halls 6 and 7. For more information about the 2016 Show, exhibitor opportunities or to see further highlights from the 2015 Show, visit the website. 

 www.naidex.co.uk

Naidex is a key diary date for all healthcare professionals, retailers and key stakeholders in the sector

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39

Floors, Walls & Ceilings Impressed with the intricate knots and realistic grains of Karndean’s Art Select Parquet, the university specified the golden hues of Auburn Oak Parquet in a classic herringbone design for its main dining hall

UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER LOOKS TO KARNDEAN DESIGNFLOORING FOR ITS AUTHENTIC DESIGN The University of Worcester turned to a UK market leader in luxury vinyl flooring, Karndean Designflooring, for its authentic design, when replacing a 50 year old real wood parquet floor in its main dining hall.

L

ocated at its popular St John’s Campus, the University of Worcester’s in-house estates team appointed Worcester Flooring to undertake the installation.

Having previously been tasked with sanding and sealing the real wood parquet floor for the last 20 years, Worcester Flooring recommended Karndean in place of real wood.

Home to over 10,000 students and 1000 staff, the university was looking to maintain the traditional look of parquet, whilst offering a modern and contemporary feel.

Impressed with the intricate knots and realistic grains of Karndean’s Art Select Parquet, the university specified the golden hues of Auburn Oak Parquet in a classic herringbone design.

40

“Responsible for replacing an original feature, we didn’t want to lose the look of real wood or the striking parquet design,” explains Mark Evans, Head of Estate Services at the University of Worcester.

Mark says: “Both our dining room and reception were prone to scuffs and indentations from high-heeled shoes, so having our Karndean parquet floor, we’ll be able to easily maintain our floor and ensure it retains its beauty for longer.”

Matthew Speck, Head of Commercial Sales at Karndean Designflooring, adds: “It would have been a real shame for the University of Worcester to lose the realistic look of real wood parquet, especially as it has always been an established feature in their dining hall.

“With our Art Select Parquet, the university can reduce

ongoing maintenance costs and be confident the floor will accommodate the regular, heavy traffic in this busy area.

“Importantly, the team has successfully reinvented the space and introduced a modern edge, whilst maintaining a traditional herringbone design.”

As part of an ongoing refurbishment project, the university has also replaced dated terrazzo tiles and carpets in its main reception area and corridor with Karndean’s Art Select Blond Oak Parquet.

Available with a recently extended 20 year commercial guarantee, the complete Karndean Art Select Parquet collection features seven unique designs. 

 www.karndean.com  commercial@karndean.co.uk  01386 820100

As part of an ongoing refurbishment project, the university has replaced dated terrazzo tiles and carpets in its main reception area and corridor with Karndean’s Art Select Blond Oak Parquet

Floors, Walls & Ceilings

Mapei launches new Adesilex P9 Express to its tiling adhesive range Adesilex P9 Express is a cement-based, rapid-setting adhesive, ideal for the internal and external installation of porcelain, ceramic and non-moisture sensitive natural stone materials to floors. Whereas Mapei’s existing Adesilex P9 adhesive is best suited for the bonding of interior and exterior ceramic tiles and mosaics on walls.

The new adhesive can fix tiles to suitably prepared timber substrates such as 15mm overlaid plywood floors. Floors containing wet or electrical underfloor heating systems are also suitable substrates for the bonding of tiles using Adesilex P9 Express.

Adesilex P9 Express has a highperformance ‘Fast Track’ formulation, so the setting time is four hours which is ideal for areas subject to high foot traffic. Each

product is supplied in 20kg bags and is available in white and grey colours.

Alongside new Adesilex P9 Express, Mapei’s Adesilex family now consists of Adesilex P9, Adesilex P10 for mosaic fixing and Adesilex P4 for large format tiling on floors.

 www.mapei.co.uk  info@mapei.co.uk  0121 508 6970

Safety underfoot for Withington Girl's School

UltraScape helps to deliver world class transport hub

The redevelopment of Birmingham New Street Station has transformed a dark, overcrowded site into a prestigious gateway to the city. The paving was installed using UltraScape’s BS 7533 compliant Pro-Bed HS fine bedding concrete, Flowpoint rapid setting grout and Pro-Prime slurry primer. UltraScape Flowpoint grout’s rapid setting properties enabled areas to be open to foot traffic in just one hour. Requiring only the addition of water onsite, it is poured over the area and washed clean. UltraScape Pro-Bed HS provided a perfect bound base for the pavers. It can be laid up to 75mm in one pass, with greater depths achievable using successive layers.

 www.ultrascape.co.uk  ultrascape@instarmac.co.uk  01827 871871

Heavy-duty safety flooring from Polyflor was recently installed to the chemistry department at Withington Girls’ School in Fallowfield, Manchester. Around 800m² of Polysafe Corona PUR safety flooring in the grey Seal shade was fitted to laboratories, classrooms and corridors. The Polysafe Corona PUR range of safety flooring fully complies with HSE and UK Slip Group Guidelines to give sustainable wet slip resistance throughout the guaranteed life of the product. This product achieves 36+ on the Pendulum wet test (Slider 96/Four S rubber), has a surface roughness of 20 microns and above and adheres to EN 13845 – the European standard for safety flooring.

 www.polyflor.com

 info@polyflor.com

 0161 767 1111

Beating damp with Safeguard renovation plaster Dryzone Damp-Resistant Plaster is Safeguard’s latest addition to the Dryzone System of damp remedials. Dryzone Damp-Resistant Plaster is a breathable pre-blended plaster developed to control dampness and salt migration in walls. This addition means Safeguard offers a suite of products to deliver permanent damp proofing solutions, from preventing moisture ingress through to replastering and mould-resistant decorating materials. The high-performance plaster is ideal for replacing existing plaster that has deteriorated (having also tackled the cause of the damp); or for use in new build and conversion projects to limit potential damage caused by minor ingress of dampness during the lifetime of the building.

 www.safeguardeurope.com/dryzone-system  info@safeguardeurope.com  01403 210204

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Floors, Walls & Ceilings

DATES: Visit Mapei’s website for more information on training dates and contact details

MAPEI ANNOUNCES 2016 TRAINING COURSE DATES Mapei is pleased to announce its 2016 ceramic, resilient and EWI training course dates, which are available to view on its website. All courses are free of charge and will be held in the newly-refurbished Mapei Training Centre facility in Halesowen, in the West Midlands. courses will T hetaketraining place between 9am and 4pm, with a complementary buffet lunch and refreshments.

Each particular course is designed to incorporate both

Mapei has taken on students from NSPP Vocational Training to help inspire students to reach their potential within the EWI industry

42

theory and practical sessions and is delivered by Mapei training managers. At the end of each course all attendees will receive a Mapei certificate of attendance combined with a Mapei goody bag.

All courses are aimed at installers, distributors, contractors, specifiers and designers. British Standard requirements will be explained within each field for those specialists attending certain courses. Each course will include an introduction to the Mapei group, a factory tour and a full explanation of the product ranges, coupled with practical demonstrations across a variety of topics, tailored to fit the training session.

In addition to the general dates, Mapei will offer product

knowledge training and assessment towards the TTA Tile Retail Apprenticeship Scheme. Mapei has also taken on students from NSPP Vocational Training to help further expand youngsters’ educational experience as well as inspire students to reach their potential within the EWI industry.

Trainees are able to develop core competencies by gaining a more practical experience of the products and application techniques. Mapei will also provide bespoke courses for individual companies based on specific requirements involving the use of Mapei products.

Mapei is committed to helping trainees continue to build their knowledge of preparation and their use of

Ceramic training course dates: Monday 18th April 2016 Monday 16th May 2016 Monday 20th June 2016 Monday 25th July 2016 Monday 12th September 2016 Monday 24th October 2016 Monday 14th November 2016 EWI training course dates: Thursday 14th April 2016 Thursday 16th June 2016 Thursday 18th August 2016 Thursday 13th October 2016 Thursday 17th November 2016 Resilient training course dates: Tuesday 19th April 2016 Tuesday 17th May 2016 Tuesday 21st June 2016 Tuesday 26th July 2016 Tuesday 13th September 2016 Tuesday 25th October 2016 Tuesday 15th November 2016

new and existing products through to the application process. The company strongly believes in professional development and will therefore continue to offer training free of charge. The practical element of the courses allows trainees to use both existing and new products, further expanding the trainees current range of knowledge and skills in a riskfree environment. 

 www.mapei.co.uk  info@mapei.co.uk  01215 086970

N&C has supplied a complete bathroom and tiling solution to Parklane Properties, Leeds’ leading property group, which has revealed its most luxurious student accommodation brand, IconInc. The development, worth an estimated £15m, comes after Parklane recognised a demand for superior quality student living space. N&C supplied its fabulous looking Embrace wall-hung sanitaryware collection, leak-free showering cubicles, Iconic wall and floor tiles, core wall and floor, segment wall tiles, opus mosaic, cube brassware and shower valves, heated towel rails, wet room area, premier shower deck, demister pad, adhesive, flexible grout, primer and 10mm chrome trim.

Heradesign brings visual order to the Mess Heradesign ceiling rafts were specified

by HLM Architects for the new Junior Ranks Mess building at Beacon Barracks in Stafford. HLM was attracted to Heradesign because it wanted “a ceiling solution that would perform acoustically and enhance the modern, high quality design”. The rafts are suspended from the ceiling. Each raft consists of individual Heradesign panels fitted to a concealed grid to give an almost continuous appearance. The rafts create a striking feature thanks to their distinctive woven surface, which in this case is matched to two RAL colours. Heradesign can be specified in an unlimited number of colours enabling design freedom.

 www.nichollsandclarke.com  info@nichollsandclarke.com  0208 586 4600

Remmers flooring systems installed at distribution centre A selection of Remmers flooring systems have been installed at the new food distribution centre for Pallas Foods in North County Dublin. The €45m facility includes two warehouse areas totalling 33,000m2 as well as 2500m2 of high specification office space. Over 3000m2 of Remmers materials were used including Remmers Crete RT, a heavy-duty polyurethane screed, to the refrigerated storage areas. Remmers Ceramix coloured quartz was applied to the canteen and washroom areas, and Remmers Floormix aggregate was incorporated as a binder to its Epoxy CR Color, a chemical resistant coating which was required for the vehicle maintenance and battery charge areas.

 www.amfceilings.co.uk/heradesign  info@knaufamf.co.uk  0191 518 8600

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43

Doors, Windows & Facades

Argent Alu: invisible integration of doors

Thanks to the invisible door frame argenta invisidoor DL of Argent Alu, the door closes perfectly in line with the wall, without any door frame nor hinge being visible. This argenta invisidoor DL is standard supplied with a magnetic lock, a seal around the frame absorbing door closing impact and the invisible adjustable hinges type argenta invisible neo.

Invisible swinging doors Combined with the invisible Neo S-5 or M-6 hinges (or the neo L-7 as an option) that are recessed into both the door frame and the door panel itself, the argenta invisidoor provides a total package for swinging interior doors that corresponds in every aspect to the demand for aesthetic living.

Pivoting doors recessed just as seamlessly Combined with a pivot hinge, the invisible aluminium door frame allows pivoting interior doors of up to 100 kg to be built in just as tightly. With the pivot system recessed into the door instead of the floor, the invisidoor AX Pro system is the ideal solution for both new construction and renovation, especially with underfloor heating.

Built-in track for room height sliding doors barely visible in ceilings The invisidoor SDX125 package already included the door frame to be plastered over, and sliding door hardware that further emphasised the smooth look. But now, there’s also a built-in track profile to recess discretely into the ceiling. This sturdy, threechamber profile is given a dovetailed edge so that stucco or plastering adheres particularly well and no cracks appear.

 www.rensonuk.net  info@rensonuk.net  01622 754123

REHAU launches new virtual brochure library

Levolux looks cool in Poole

A photography department extension has been completed at the Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) featuring Levolux’s custom Glass Fin solution. The design of the extension is influenced by photographic processes. This is evident on the west-facing external facade, in the form of vertical Glass Fins, which were designed, supplied and installed by Levolux. Levolux was approached to develop a custom solution for the AUB. This comprises of a series of vertical Glass Fins formed from laminated, toughened glass and integrated walkways with balustrades. A digitally printed PVB interlayer has been incorporated into each Glass Fin, which creates an intricate pattern of camera shutter icons.

 www.levolux.com  info@levolux.com  0208 863 9111

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REHAU’s new version of its ‘Docs’ App allows architects and specifiers to access product and technical information. The App, which is available to download from the App Store, simply by searching for ‘REHAU docs’, allows users to create their own virtual library of REHAU brochures and specification guides, which is accessible at any time. Architects and specifiers can personalise their library simply by tapping the relevant tab within the App to select their area of interest and then choosing from REHAU’s product areas, which includes windows, doors and glazing systems, district heating, ground source energy solutions, and sub surface heating and cooling.

 www.rehau.uk

 irene.smith@rehau.com

 01989 762600

JELD-WEN updates External Joinery Technical Specification Guide JELD-WEN is helping architects navigate the finer details of its external joinery range through a new edition of its technical specification guide. The updated guide provides product details for the full range of JELD-WEN windows and external doorsets. Guidance for performance and glazing considerations make it simple to find the best solution for any project. In addition to introducing the Darwin patio range, and a hardwood patio doorset that offers the option to be painted or stained, specifiers can also discover the new FSC timber composite clip-in pinless beading system now available on the Dreamvu and Farndale single and French doorsets.

 www.jeld-wen.co.uk

 marketing@jeld-wen.co.uk

 0845 122 2890

Doors, Windows & Facades

The Window Company rated Strong for financial performance

The financial security of suppliers and installers remains one of the key criteria for main contractors and social housing providers when awarding large scale window and door projects. They can’t afford to be let down half way through a project by a company which doesn’t have adequate resources or financial backing. For this reason The Window Company (Contracts) is proud to announce that it has achieved the highest possible rating of Strong in the latest Plimsoll Analysis of the Doors and Windows industry. The company has also been named as a Best Trading Partner, giving clients reassurance about its financial performance and stability.

 www.thewinco.co.uk

 thornton@thewinco.co.uk

 01245 268120

Comar Architectural Aluminium Systems completes Seaford Library complex

This multi-million pound project is part of the Sutton Park Road development for East Sussex County Council and Saxon Weald Homes. This mixed-use project was completed using Comar 5P.i Tilt & Turn windows, Comar 6EFT Curtain Walling, Comar 7 Folding Sliding Doors and Comar 7P.i CD doors in both Pivot and Sliding configurations. The architect’s design vision was to create a continuous wall of glass to the libraries ground floor facade. With this in mind, and to ensure the design brief could be achieved, Comar 6EFT was selected as it offers architects a flexible system, providing a structurally glazed solution.

 www.comar-alu.co.uk

 projects@parksidegroup.co.uk

 0208 685 9685

New school puts Senior’s PURe windows to the test

A primary school in Derby has become the first completed project in the UK to feature the new thermally-efficient PURe windows from Senior Architectural Systems. The innovative new aluminium window system, which is the first on the UK market to benefit from an enhanced thermal barrier manufactured from expanded polyurethane foam (PUR), has been specified for use on the new Carlyle Infant School. Key to the specification of Senior’s PURe windows was the system’s high thermal performance that not only gives exceptionally low U-values but also has the potential to dramatically improve the building’s overall carbon calculations.

 www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk  enquiries@sasmail.co.uk  01709 772600

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Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

KEMPER SYSTEM UNDERWRITES ROOF REFURB SUCCESS

Kemper System’s Kemperol V210 has been used yet again to repair the roof of Royal & Sun Alliance’s headquarters, in Horsham, following the success of a project to refurbish the building’s balconies last year. Within the central part of the building there were three individual roof areas covering a radius of 400m2.

These areas were overlaid to address leaks in the existing single ply membrane.

R

The scheme follows on from three previous projects, spaced over two years, to repair three balcony areas covering a total of 710m2, on the same building where water ingress was putting refurbished areas below at risk

46

oofing contractor, All Angles Roofing, carried out the six-week project on behalf of principal contractor, RCL Services, including repairs to the existing insulation.

The scheme follows on from three previous projects, spaced over two years to repair three balcony areas, covering a total of 710m2, on the same building where water ingress was putting refurbished areas below at risk.

Several attempts to repair the roof with other systems had failed to address the issue, but Royal & Sun Alliance has had no further leaks thanks to the Kemperol V210 overlay.

All Angles Roofing having cleaned and prepared the existing roof surface applied Kemper System’s D primer

All Angles Roofing, having cleaned and prepared the existing roof surface, applied Kemper System’s D primer.

The installation team then laid the Kemperol V210 resin in a single wet-on-wet process that ensured complete saturation of the reinforcement fleece. Once cured the resin forms a seamless elastomeric waterproof membrane that bonds directly to the substrate.

Mike Baulu, from All Angles Roofing, commented: “We have carried out numerous programmes on this building over the past few years and the balcony areas had proved a particular challenge.

“A year after being refurbished using Kemperol V210, the balconies are performing well with no signs of any leakage, so R&SA had no hesitation in using the same system for this new roof area.”   www.kempersystem.co.uk  enquiries@kempersystem.co.uk  01925 445532

Big Foot Systems modernises rooftop support Big Foot Systems has supplied bespoke support solutions for a rooftop plant on a university building. The company provided a non-penetrative, prefabricated rooftop support system. The 3500m2 roof was suffering from age-related degradation, with ingress and loss of thermal efficiency.

Big Foot Systems provided a bespoke solution that would support all the plant, whilst being lightweight and nonpenetrative. Big Foot Systems’ bespoke supports facilitated the rationalisation of the roof-mounted plant and equipment, and future-proofed the set up as the plant is now easier to maintain and the supports are adaptable and can be added to in the future.

 www.bigfootsupport.com  enquiry@bigfootsupport.com  01323 844355

RMJM’s BREEAM ‘Excellent‘ rated design for the new Eastern Gateway complex at Brunel University features VMZINC flat lock panels and curved standing seam facades in pre-weathered PIGMENTO Blue. The brief called for a striking building which would develop the university’s corporate identity and signpost the architectural quality of the campus. The subtle shade of blue is distinctive of the metal and has a naturally grained texture which shows through the colour. As the new entrance point to the university, conference facilities include a multi-purpose auditorium, a home for Brunel Business School, an art gallery and a cafe.

 www.vmzinc.co.uk

 vmzinc@eu.umicore.com

Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

VMZINC for Brunel University development

 01992 822288

Colour options enhance Acme Double Camber clay plain tile range Marley Eternit has further enhanced its Acme Double Camber clay plain tile range with the launch of a rich new colour option, Acme Purple Blend. As the only manufacturer of double camber clay tiles in the UK, Marley Eternit’s Acme range is already a unique market offer. The addition of the Purple Blend option extends the colour palette choice to six, with a wide selection of traditional fittings and accessories for complete design flexibility. As well as the deep colour, the distinctive double curve of the Acme tile gives designers the opportunity to create highly textured roofscapes with accentuated light and shade.

 www.marleyeternit.co.uk/clay

 info@marleyeternit.co.uk

 01283 722588

A. Proctor Roofshield specified for Quartermile development

Quartermile is a development comprising Grade A office buildings, retail and leisure space and luxury apartments.

Alongside the apartment blocks lie the Lofts, two Grade B listed former hospital buildings which are being converted into further apartments. The scale and complexity of the turreted roofs made adding ventilation to the roof highly undesirable. The project required a high-performance solution resulting in A. Proctor Group’s Roofshield air and vapour permeable underlay being specified.

By combining the highest available vapour permeability with an air open structure, which permits greater airflow than conventional ventilation, Roofshield ensures condensation problems are reduced or eliminated in even the most complex roof geometry.

 www.proctorgroup.com/roofshield  ask@proctorgroup.com  01250 872261

Glidevale's universal tile ventilator for retrofit roof space ventilation applications Glidevale has extended its tile ventilator range with a new version of its Versa-Tile G5.

The new design provides a single solution for the majority of single lap tiles, resolving the challenges around tile profile matching.

With a lower profile and guaranteed 20,000mm2 ventilation area, it can be used for all roof space ventilation requirements and is an ideal solution for refurbishment projects where retrofit roof space ventilation is required following the installation of increased roof or loft insulation. It can also be adapted into a soil ventilation pipe or mechanical extraction terminal using Glidevale’s pipe adaptor and flexible pipe.

 www.glidevale.com

 sales@glidevale.com

 0161 905 5700

Celotex unveils three new flat roofing insulation solutions The British Rigid Urethane Foam Manufacturer’s Association (BRUFMA) is pleased to announce that member, Celotex, has unveiled a new innovative range of flat roofing insulation solutions giving installers a versatile, quality product range. The range comprises three products; Celotex Crown-Bond, CrownUp and Crown-Fix. The new flat roofing range from Celotex has been created in conjunction with contractors, installers and distributors. It was developed and rigorously tested for an 18 month period prior to its launch to ensure the result is of the highest standard, while giving installers a solution to meet their needs.

 www.celotex.co.uk  info@celotex.co.uk  01473 822093

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Focus & Innovation

BUILDING DURABLE STRUCTURES

Source One Environmental breaks down the properties of concrete, and explores the repercussions of ineffective waterproofing. most used man-made T hematerial on the planet is concrete. Construction projects small, medium and large have all used concrete in one way or another.

However, as evidenced from crumbling infrastructure and structures the world over, the quality of the concrete can determine whether a project is truly viable or not. For instance, building a bridge with a lifespan of 50 years is not economically viable considering the cost of initial construction, eventual repairs, and the likelihood of early replacement.

Thus, the lifespan of a concrete structure is vital.

With population growth and density of a city intensifying, constructing replacements of key infrastructure and buildings can be a costly and sometimes an impossible process.

Where possible, it creates huge disruption to the local population. The longer these structures can last the better.

Concrete can deteriorate under certain circumstances, such as:

• • • •

Chloride attack/corrosion of steel reinforcement; Sulphate attack;

To do so there are a few options in creating a concrete waterproof barrier, including:

• • • • •

Crystalline admixtures; Water repelling admixtures; Densifying admixtures; Densifying admixtures and water reducers; and Surface-applied membranes.

More times than not, the selection is narrowed down to the surface or externally applied membrane and the internal membrane using crystalline technology. The external membrane is a material that provides a barrier around the concrete structure in order to prevent the passage of water.

Externally applied membranes are the traditional waterproofing method, but have limitations that include tears, punctures, deterioration over time, and installation errors. If any of these situations take place, repair can be impossible because the membrane is not accessible through the concrete and it is hard to find the failed area that needs to be fixed.

This ends in replacement which takes a great deal of time and costs considerable money, if it is at all possible.

Jameson House, Sir Norman Foster’s first North American residential design, included internal crystalline concrete waterproofing

An internal or integral waterproofing membrane is one that performs its function within the concrete as opposed to on the surface. This is the technology behind Permeability Reducing Admixtures (PRA). The admixture becomes a permanent solution as it is part of the concrete mix and lays dormant in the matrix until it comes in contact with moisture where it develops needle-like microstructure to stop the flow of moisture.

Furthermore, in North America the concrete waterproofing industry redefined their terminology a short time ago in a way which helps to clearly

Alkali aggregate reaction (AAR); and Freeze/thaw cycles

That being said, the most adverse influence of concrete durability involves the transport of fluids through the concrete.

Water continues to damage or completely destroy more buildings and structures than war or natural disasters. Of course, concrete does have water resistant capabilities, but is at risk to water penetration.

Thus, a waterproofing barrier is a must to lower the permeability and increase the durability of concrete.

48

A microscopic view of the crystals growing when internal crystalline waterproofing is added to concrete

understand the differences between admixtures. In fact, American Concrete Institute’s (ACI) 212.3R-10 Report on Chemical Admixture document devoted Chapter 15 to Permeability Reducing Admixtures that outlines PRAH and PRAN classifications. Permeability Reducing Admixture – Hydrostatic Conditions or PRAH products are sufficiently able to resist water under hydrostatic pressure penetration and are suitable for watertight construction.

Conversely, damproofing admixtures are now referred to as Permeability Reducing Admixture – Non-Hydrostatic Conditions or PRAN. PRAN admixtures reduce water absorption by repellent chemicals (soap, oils) or partial pore blocking (densifiers).

Crystalline Waterproofing is the durable concrete waterproofing solution worldwide. With sustainable building practices increasing in importance, and the lifespan of a structure intrinsically connected to this movement, a reliable waterproofing solution that will last for the intended life of the concrete structures becomes paramount. 

 www.s1e.co.uk  contact@s1e.co.uk  01226 397015

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Focus & Innovation

PRIMROSE HILL CHOOSES BUSHBOARD NURSERY WASHROOMS Primrose Hill Primary School, in Salford, provides education for almost 380 pupils aged 4-11 years old. As part of refurbishment works, a new nursery department has been added to the school with an enhanced teaching space and nursery washrooms.

U

rban Vision managed the Primrose Hill project. In the nursery area, the company chose Bushboard’s Tiny Stuff nursery toilet cubicles. Tiny Stuff features anti-finger trap hinges, no headrail for easy supervision and sturdy channels and floor fixings making it a safe, fun and reliable toilet cubicle designed specifically for nursery and

infant school children.

Pilasters and partitions were specified in SGL making them extra durable and long-lasting.

Cubicle doors were specified in HPL, with Bushboard’s unique ‘Hand Prints’ laminate adding fun and colour to the washrooms.

In other areas of the school, Bushboard’s Quadro cubicles were specified in SGL. With its

Cubicle doors were specified in HPL with Bushboard’s unique ‘Hand Prints’ laminate, adding fun and colour to the washrooms

50

distinctive quadrant foot and headrail, Quadro is sturdy and stylish, perfect for a busy school environment.

All ducting and vanity units were specified as Ready Plumbed Modules (RPM) meaning sanitaryware and brassware arrived to site preattached to panels and pre-fitted to a rigid aluminium frame and factory fitted to guarantee quality and save time onsite.

RPM semi-recessed basins in SGL were used throughout the school, acting as a great space saver and offering ease of use for the children.

Urban Vision went with SanCeram sanitaryware for ‘quality of product’. Chartham WCs, Chartham semi-recessed basins and SanCeram basin mixer taps were used throughout the project.

Urban Vision was extremely happy with both the product and service it received from Bushboard: “We chose Bushboard cubicles, RPM ducting and vanity units because of the quality and availability.”

The reaction to the new toilet

Urban Vision chose Bushboard’s Tiny Stuff nursery toilet cubicles for Primrose Hill

cubicles and vanity units has been really positive. The client loves them and I’m happy with both the design and quality."

Gill Harding, Headteacher at Primrose Hill Primary School who is also impressed with the new school washrooms, said: “All of the washrooms throughout the school are of a high quality.”

Gill explains why quality washrooms are so important for an education environment: “In a school, washrooms should be welcoming and clean to ensure the pupils’ wellbeing and good health.”

Urban Vision concluded: “Bushboard offered a very good, professional service. We would use the products again and be happy to recommend them to others.”

Bushboard has been developing cubicle and washroom systems for over 80 years, believing well-designed washrooms should be available to everyone. Bushboard’s education range takes users from nursery to university and has been designed to provide a choice of safe, hygienic and functional washrooms that are also fun.

Stimulate young minds with stunning colour options, unique laminate print designs and fun shapes. All the building blocks to create the right environment. 

 www.bushboardwashrooms.co.uk  washrooms@bushboardwashrooms.co.uk  01536 533620

30 tonnes of weight removed from historic footbridge A historic footbridge in Bristol has been restored removing 30 tonnes of weight.

Bristol City Council appointed Polydeck to provide the solution for St Anne’s pedestrian footbridge. An inspection showed that the steel structure was showing signs of corrosion and needed a significant repair. Polydeck proposed the use of its 12mm thick GRP anti-slip panels to be mechanically-fixed to a series of pultruded C section beams which would replace the reinforced concrete deck sections. The pultruded GRP beams were fixed at 400mm centres, resting on the flanges of the original longitudinal inner steel angles and designed to take a loading of 5kNm2.

 www.polydeck.co.uk  sales@polydeck.co.uk  01934 863678

It’s always been Hultafors’ mission to give professional tradesmen and women the best quality tools for optimal onsite performance. That’s why the company’s high quality spirit levels have been redesigned to perform at a higherlevel than other similar products. The new design includes an upgraded crush-proof vial with an improved focus for easier reading. There’s a strong aluminium profile and effective shock-absorbent end protectors and a new anti-slip function to keep the device firmly in place. The new models look great and, added to all the other products in the Hultafors’ range, there’s something to suit every conceivable levelling requirement.

 www.snickersworkwear.co.uk

 info@snickersworkwear.co.uk

Focus & Innovation

Hultafors’ next generation spirit levels

 01484 854788

Solispost expanding range of illuminated street furniture

Solispost solar powered bollards were installed recently at Saint Hill Manor, in East Grinstead, lighting the way from the car park as part of a major refurbishment of the grounds of the 18th century building.

Introduced last year, the illuminated bollards were the first product in the Solispost range.

A solar powered poster case is now available, and 4m street lights are due later this Spring.

Solispost technology ensures bright lighting even in long periods of poor weather. Supply, installation and maintenance are economical with no connection to an external power source and zero energy running costs.

 www.solispost.com

 sales@solispost.com

 01392 247577

UK manufacturer secures schools contract in Qatar

Leeds-based Pland Stainless has just completed the manufacture of an initial 130 sink units for the Ashghal Schools project in Qatar, Middle East. Capital Trading confirmed the order following insistence from its engineer/architect that the product had to be ‘made in the UK’ of 316 stainless steel. The ongoing order comprises inset bowls, 1.5 bowl inset sinks with drainer and double bowl double drainer units. Pland Stainless is skilled in the crafting of this type of product in 316 grade stainless steel. It is justifiably proud to be able to supply British-made products into the competitive Middle Eastern market.

 www.plandstainless.co.uk

 sales@plandstainless.co.uk

 01132 634184

Designer Contracts identified in 1000 companies to inspire Britain

Designer Contracts, one of the UK’s largest flooring contractors, has been identified as one of London Stock Exchange’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain. The report is a celebration of the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium-sized businesses. To be included in the list, companies needed to show consistent revenue growth over a minimum of three years, significantly outperforming their industry peers.

It’s been a hugely successful year for the rapidly expanding company, it saw a 14% increase in turnover to £34m for the 12 months to the end of October 2015, compared to the same period in the previous year.

 www.designercontracts.com  enquiries@designercontracts.com  01246 854577

Portakabin's contract award for EFA's Surrey and Kent project The Portakabin Group and the Education Funding Agency (EFA) have reached contract award on the first school in the Surrey and Kent batch of the Priority School Building Programme in an agreement worth £5.6m. The first project is a new 480-place school for Pyrford Primary School in Woking. Pyrford Primary School will provide 16 classrooms for two forms of entry. The design of the two-storey scheme will significantly increase the external space and access for outdoor play and learning, and allow high-levels of natural light to create a welcoming and bright internal environment for teaching in line with the EFA’s stringent requirements.

 www.yorkon.info  info@yorkon.co.uk  0845 200 0123

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Focus & Innovation

From manufacture to completion the project took just 14 weeks

A QUALITY BUILDING, DELIVERED ON TIME AND ON BUDGET John Taylor High School has been an Ofsted rated ‘Outstanding’ school for many years, so when a number of housing developments began appearing nearby, they knew they could expect an increase in pupil numbers.

However, as the school is already oversubscribed, they knew they would need some new facilities quickly to cope with the upcoming demand. school wanted to T heexpand its facilities with a brand new two-storey block containing four classrooms. “We used a competitive tendering process,” commented Barbara Mahoney, School Business Director. “Wernick Buildings was awarded the project on cost,

quality and deliverability, and we were really happy to work with them for a second time.”

The school had previous experience working with Wernick Buildings in the form of a six classroom single-storey block.

Barbara commented: “Wernick has a solid reputation and as a

The school wanted to expand its facilities with a brand new two-storey block containing four classrooms

52

long-established company, we knew they would be able to ensure this second project was completed to a high standard.”

From manufacture to completion, the project took just 14 weeks, with most of the work onsite completed during the summer closure period.

Demolition works were needed to remove an existing garage and workshop. Despite this, the school suffered minimal disruption to its normal operations. “When the hoarding came down, it felt like the building had always been there," commented Assistant Principal Graham Howell.

The block is fitted with climate control and fire and security systems, and the classrooms feature projectors and innovative ‘iWalls’. The external finish is a modern looking combination of wood cladding and render, completed with a brick skirt. The building is situated close to the school sports hall and therefore is convenient for the PE theory lessons that will take place in two of the classrooms, with the other two used as general teaching spaces.

“We received a quality building that was delivered on time and on budget,” said Barbara. “You can’t really ask for more than that.”

Wernick Buildings is part of the Wernick Group, which is one of the UK’s largest independent manufacturers, and suppliers of modular steel framed accommodation for sale or hire. 

 www.wernick.co.uk  enquiries@wernick.co.uk  0800 112 4640

The Golf Classic 2016 is off to a flying start Hundreds of golfers from across the country have entered in what has become for many, the must-attend sporting event for professionals working in the UK construction industry. Many competitors return every year to enjoy playing golf, meet like-minded people and build profitable business relationships. The Golf Classic is proud to receive the continued support of Marley Plumbing & Drainage who has sponsored the tournament since its inception 24 years ago. The tournament is also supported by a wide cross-section of the specialist construction press and media, further proof of its position as a flagship event in the industry’s calendar.

 www.thegolfclassic.co.uk  info@thegolfclassic.co.uk  01892 752300

Vent-Axia has added a powerful new model to its Lo-Carbon Sentinel Kinetic range of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) units. Ideal for larger homes and multiple occupancy units, such as care homes and student accommodation, the addition of the Sentinel Kinetic High Flow means Vent-Axia now offers a complete range of MVHR solutions. The Sentinel Kinetic High Flow benefits from the latest high-efficiency, backward curved impeller design and boasts a specific fan power as low as 0.65 W/l/s. These features ensure the lowest possible energy consumption and an exceptional performance range covering small one bed apartments to the largest of houses.

 www.vent-axia.com

 info@vent-axia.com

Focus & Innovation

Vent-Axia adds new model to its Sentinel Kinetic MVHR range

 0844 856 0590

Pop Up Power Supplies' safe power supply at Chiswick House

As part of the restoration to Chiswick House, The Chiswick House and Gardens Trust were looking for a reliable and secure outdoor power source to place within the gardens.

Pop Up Power Supplies’ retractable service units were ideal for the project as the 450kg units are buried beneath the surface of the gardens when not in use. The pop up electric sockets provide either a 16A or 32A power supply in both single and three phase plug sockets, all with RCBO protection. The units at Chiswick House have a robust circular cover, which protects the units when they are fully retracted.

 www.popuppower.co.uk

 info@popuppower.co.uk

 0208 551 8363

Snickers’ kneepads – top quality knee protection

If you work a lot on your knees, Snickers’ range of kneepads will deliver cutting-edge protection. Whether you’re a craftsman or woman working in tough working environments, floorlaying or just need all-round knee protection, there’s a kneepad in the Snickers range to suit the job. Ergonomically designed to suit a wide range of onsite working environments, they mold around your knees for maximum comfort on rough, damp ground and help ward off knee problems and long-term injuries. Every kneepad in the range is comfortable and designed to fit the unique KneeGuard Positioning System on every pair of Snickers work trousers.

 www.snickersworkwear.co.uk  info@snickersworkwear.co.uk  01484 854788

Clark-Drain launches High Max cover

Clark-Drain has launched a new version of its D400 High Max series. The manhole cover will satisfy the heavily trafficked needs of UK road networks. With increasing incidence of flooding, High Max delivers additional levels of safety with accessories to help curb the impact of increment weather. High Max accommodates five accessory options, bolt-in sealing plate, low leak plate, safety grid, glass reinforced plastic (GRP) sealing plates and prison grills. Manual handling has also been carefully considered with health and safety being supported by High Max, as the product has a double triangular design with four key holes enabling a two person lift.

 www.clark-drain.com

 sales@clark-drain.com

 01733 765317

Foremans invests £1.5m in new stock Foremans Relocatable Building Systems has invested £1.5m in its building stock to meet the increasing demand for its services. Foremans now has the largest selection of previously-owned Portakabin buildings, which are immediately available to further reduce lead times. Foremans has also announced that its turnover has doubled since 2011. In the past year, order value has increased by 46% and growth in the education sector is up by a record 94%.

Foremans achieved an average score of 88% for overall customer satisfaction last year, including both building and service quality, and 91% of customers surveyed would recommend Foremans' building solutions.

 www.foremansbuildings.co.uk  info@foremansbuildings.co.uk  01964 544344

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Focus & Innovation

RECYFIX MONOTEC drains car park at Western-Super-Mare's Travelodge Hauraton introduced the RECYFIX MONOTEC, its new high-capacity channel system in January, the new Western-Super-Mare Travelodge being the first installation of the system in the United Kingdom.

The MONOTEC channels installed in the Travelodge’s 47-space main car park have a nominal grating width of 100mm, an overall height of 380mm and are suitable for a loading category of up to Class D400.

The channels provide a cross-section of 355.5cm2 and have a high attenuation volume.

The RECYFIX MONOTEC 1m long channel component is of a sturdy monolithic design, where the HEELSAFE grating and the tongue and groove linking system are integral to the channel moulding.

The whole unit is made of tough, virtually unbreakable polypropylene (PP),

formulated to be very resistant to daily temperature fluctuations from frost conditions to strong sunlight, including the Ultra Violet (UV) spectrum. PP is naturally resistant to de-icing salt. Complying with the requirements of EN 1433, the PP is given its UV resistance by adding just sufficient carbon black as a stabiliser so that the structural strength of the material is unaffected and a consistent appearance is maintained.

 www.drainage-projects.co.uk  janine.kennedy@hauraton.co.uk  01582 501380

Cistermiser helps Thames Water save water

Lessons in infrared comfort

Cost-effective and adaptable, Herschel Far infrared is the ideal heating solution for a school environment. The heaters easily replace existing inefficient systems, they may be zoned and controlled to suit exact heating requirements and will remain effective even in draughty situations.

Traditional convector heaters, often found in schools, heat the air volume whereas Herschel Far infrared directly heats people and objects, including the mass of the building which then acts like a giant storage heater. Heat loss through open doors, windows or poor insulation is greatly reduced and required comfort levels are reached with a lower wattage compared to many conventional heating systems.

 www.herschel-infrared.com  info@herschel-infrared.com  01473 760059

54

One of the UK’s largest water companies has cut water usage at its Clearwater Court office. Thames Water replaced its urinal sensors with Cistermiser’s Direct Flush which reduced the amount of water used during a trial period by 90.7%.

Non-concussive taps were also replaced with Cistermiser’s sensor-controlled Vectataps which cut water usage by 59%.

When the gains achieved by these two sensor technologies were added to the savings from new toilets, provided by another supplier, it showed that the two washrooms save over 11,500 litres a week and are on course to reduce water use by 500,000 litres over the next 12 months.

 www.cistermiser.co.uk

 sales@cistermiser.co.uk

 0118 969 1611

Jackpad completes project for King Solomon International Business School

An expert in providing portable foundations for modular buildings, Jackpad, has completed a project for Skanska at the new Birmingham free school, King Solomon International Business School.

The company specialises in supplying portable foundations that replace the need for concrete foundations for modular and portable buildings.

Jackpad has worked in the education, healthcare and construction sectors for many years and last year was recognised for product innovation at the Offsite Construction Awards. Jonathan Cottrell, Construction Manager for Skanska, said: “The Jackpad system was ideal for this project; we needed a quick solution which could also cope with different ground levels.”

 www.jackpad.co.uk

 kriscartwright@jackpad.co.uk

 0116 286 6966

ed ed! lifi is ua gn t q co Ge et re g &

The MCIAT Professional Assessment

– a new qualifying route What is the MCIAT Professional Assessment?

The MCIAT Professional Assessment is a flexible, rigorous, robust and quality assured qualifying process, based on performance and designed to recognise the diversity of Architectural Technology.

Candidates must provide an in-depth critical analysis clearly summarising their professional experience. This should be a reflective report and should refer to challenges and successes encountered whilst working on projects and how any issues were resolved.

Applicants should also undertake a self-evaluation highlighting their strengths and weaknesses in relation to their area(s) of practice.

The Professional Assessment process is based on four core competencies: • Designing • Managing • Practising • Developing (self)

Who can apply for the MCIAT Professional Assessment?

Any applicant working in or on, for example, academia, general practice, component design, refurbishment, small residential projects, large commercial projects etc within Architectural Technology, should be able to apply their own experience to the Professional Assessment process, but they must hold one of the following membership grades: ACIAT, TCIAT or profile candidate.

Each application will be assessed on its merit. However, each applicant will need to demonstrate a sufficient level of knowledge and understanding and professional competence/experience in relation to their sphere/s of practice and demonstrate to the Institute they can meet the expectations of a Chartered Architectural Technologist, MCIAT.

How much does it cost?

To apply for the Professional Assessment, applicants are required to pay £300 for the assessment of the application and the Professional Assessment Interview.

For further information email our Membership Director, James Banks via james@ciat.org.uk or call us on +44(0)20 7278 2206

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