PSBJ August 2018

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August 2018

REACH FOR THE SKY

Cranfield University's new home of UK-leading avionics is set to change the face of future aircraft design

PVC-U recycling

Why CHP?

Tax credit stimulus

The revolutionary reprocessing technology that could tackle the global issue of plastic waste

Searching for efficiency improvements? Remeha makes a compelling argument for CHP

How two contractors pushed the boundaries and reaped R&D rewards

Inspired by adventures outdoors.

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Welcome Note Editor

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Editorial Assistant Paige Smith

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Print Design Manager Jack Witcomb

CPMG Architects' design for Cranfield University's Aerospace Integration Research Centre (AIRC) takes flight in Cranfield. See page 08.

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Welcome to the August issue of PSBJ...

Last month declared a problematic 14-day stretch for Prime Minister Theresa May. Following backlash from her soft-Brexit Chequers summit and Brexit White Paper, 10 Conservative ministers and junior aides have so far delivered letters of resignation to May as a result of disagreements with her plans to depart the European Union. This wave of withdrawals includes the likes of Brexit Secretary David Davis, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Cornwall MP Scott Mann and Bolton MP Chris Green, to name but a few. The Brexit White Paper, however, isn’t entirely doom and gloom for Brexiteers and the opposition; section 1.3.2 of the 100-page White Paper – officially published 12th July – proposes a continuation of Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications which prompted a cry of relief for many of those working under the architectural bracket within the UK. Evidently, Theresa May's EU divorce is causing unsettlement across the cabinet; which resulted in a mid-July emergency reshuffle for the PM. May’s cabinet reformation saw the appointment of Kit Malthouse as Housing Minister with predecessor Dominic Raab replacing recently-resigned David Davis as Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. Controversially, it has been announced that Malthouse will remain in his current position as Chairman of finance house, County Finance Group, while concurrently undertaking his ministerial role – which has sparked quite the debate amongst Britons, with many stating that fixing the housing crisis requires a fulltime headman. Many have criticised the ‘merry-go-round’ cycle of ministers – the epithet that the ever-churning conveyor belt of Housing Ministers has been dubbed – stating that newly-elected ministers are facing a constant struggle picking up the pieces from their predecessors and starting anew. The last 20 years have seen a total of 20 bodies appointed and abdicated from a housing ministerial role, with eight of those roles a shift since the Conservatives regained power back in 2010. A longer-term approach is certainly needed to remedy our housing crisis. Read some of the responses and commentary from last month’s Government activity on page 6 of this month’s issue. Meanwhile, on pages 22 and 36 of our August issue, we follow the recent movements of fire Building Regulations and look at what’s in store for the future of cladding and CO alarms as the industry takes a holistic approach to fire safety.

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

Rebecca

Rebecca Kemp | Editor | rebecca@mixedmediainfo.com Follow us on Twitter:

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Contents

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

08 Upfront CPMG Architects has unveiled its state-of-theart design for Cranfield University’s Aerospace Integration Research Centre (AIRC) that plans to change the future of aircraft. Fabricated as a three-storey hangar-like structure, the £12.5m centre has been delivered in joint partnership with Airbus and Rolls-Royce.

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14 Housing

20 Legal & Business

24 Education

Will a housing-first approach to the UK’s adolescent homelessness suffice?

Here, Partner at law firm TLT, Kane Kirkbride, explains how housing associations and local authorities can help actively reduce homelessness.

Last month’s issue of PSBJ presented the spectacular illumination scheme at Sapphire Ice & Leisure Centre. This month, PSBJ explores the tax credits received by the architect firm and M&E provider responsible for Romford’s latest leisure plot.

Security and safety is front of mind for many students when opting for a university for further education. Ensure your university’s students and their parents have faith in the security of your academy with Allegion’s top tips on keeping university students safe.

16 Healthcare Creating calm and relaxing environments for vulnerable patients is essential for stressfree reparative therapy, mainly with regards to cancer patients. Following the principles of biophilic design, Altro has helped create an environment for Salisbury District Hospital that is the epitome of relaxation.

22 Talking Point Fire-safe cladding’s been high on the agenda for many specifiers and architects since last year’s catastrophic Grenfell calamity, but where is cladding for high-rise buildings heading now? Yvonne Campbell at Vivalda Scotland investigates.

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receive live updates chat with the team comment on articles debate online get networking!

28 Technical Focus Tim Brown from cable management specialist Unitrunk talks PSBJ through the technicalities of works at an impressive assisted living development in Cambridgeshire.

Contents

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38 30 Doors & Windows

36 Fire Protection

Plastic waste has received much publicity of late here in the UK, however, when observing recycling on a superior scale, what are the solutions? In this article, Chris Coxon at Eurocell talks to Jason Leadbitter of INOVYN about the future of PVC-U recycling.

Having recently reviewed its laws following last year’s Grenfell Tower disaster, Scotland is currently holding an exemplary specimen for the UK’s Building Regulations. Here, Ian Ballinger of FireAngel looks at how our Northern neighbours’ CO legislation differs from ours here in the UK.

32 Leisure

With tailgating becoming an increasingly problematic nuisance for educational establishments, many are looking into ways of preventing this issue due to strict access control – particularly within schools.

Meesons A.I. offers its advice on eradicating the bugbear.

Mike Hefford, CHP Manager at Remeha, makes a persuasive case for the use of combined heat and power (CHP) for leisure centre applications. Here, he lists the costsaving and environmental benefits of this solution and offers his professional advice on installation.

34 Interiors: Ceilings & Acoustics British Gypsum looks at some of the ways landlords and housing authorities can cancel out noise in social housing of multi-tenant occupancy with little cost.

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38 Building Access & CCTV

40 Disability Formica Group unveils the findings from its recent ‘Lifting the Lid on Washrooms’ White Paper, which surveyed 2000 UK adults to shape architects and specifiers’ decision-making when it comes to the future of cubicle design.

32 42 Product Showcase A dedicated focus of industry news, products and case studies to help specifiers and local authorities make informed decisions.

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News

INDUSTRY UPDATES

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

BSRIA welcomes new housing minister BSRIA has welcomed the announcement of Kit Malthouse as the new Housing Minister as part of the prime minister’s reshuffle to her cabinet. He has replaced Dominic Raab after just six months and becomes the eighth housing minister since 2010. Mr Malthouse had previously served Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions, with Mr Raab now becoming the new Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. Julia Evans, Chief Executive at BSRIA, said: “On behalf of BSRIA members, we welcome Mr Malthouse into this important role. Again, we need to know that there is stability ahead for, not only our members but also the industry at large. Indeed, this post has seen a flurry of figures, not only in the last few years, in the last few months, so a level of consistency and constancy is now needed for the times ahead. As ever, BSRIA is calling for Mr Malthouse to continue to foster and deliver robust housing policies. And we look forward to an ongoing dialogue.”

Transport infrastructure exacerbates housing crisis says RIBA First major milestone for new Ayr Grammar Proposals to deliver a new home for Ayr Grammar Primary School are now taking shape.

The first steps in the South Ayrshire Council project to refurbish the old Ayr Academy have now been taken, with the 1930s extension at the back of the building being demolished. The £16m project for a new Ayr Grammar will see the historical buildings completely refurbished and remodelled to create an inspiring, modern facility with capacity for more than 430 pupils, a new early years centre with 50 places, community arts facilities as well as a new archive and registration centre. The proposals involve the demolition of obsolete extensions at the back of the school, a move that will create external space for playgrounds, external teaching and car parking.

RIBA responds to Brexit White Paper New Lubbesthorpe Primary School design plans revealed Plans for a brand-new primary school have been revealed by GSS Architecture and Couch Perry Wilkes (CPW) following works starting on site. New Lubbesthorpe Primary School will be located within the new community of Lubbesthorpe, near Blaby, Leicestershire. The 420-place primary school is the first of three schools – a mix of two primary schools and one secondary school – to be unveiled to meet the needs of the 4250-home development. The designs, developed by GSS Architecture, are based on a green philosophy as the buildings reflect the master planning scheme which encourages green spaces. The outside is also brought in with a focus on natural light and playful colours inside the building.

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RIBA Chief Executive, Alan Vallance, says: “With just nine months remaining until the UK leaves the European Union, the RIBA are pleased that the Government has finally published its long called-for Brexit White Paper. We welcome the proposals for continued Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications for architects – a measure that has been consistently highlighted as a top priority for the sector.

However, the White Paper concedes that the UK and EU ‘will not have current levels of access to each other’s markets’ and the Government must, as a priority, spell out what the trade-offs will be.

The announcement made will count for little unless the Government delivers an agreement with the EU that furthers UK architecture’s global reputation for quality, innovation and high standards and ensures a secure post-Brexit future for our profession.”

The dire state of the UK’s transport infrastructure is contributing to the housing crisis, according to a new report published by the RIBA. ‘Joining the Dots: a new approach to tackling the UK’s infrastructure challenges’ makes the case for addressing the UK’s transport issues as part of the solution to the housing crisis. Alongside the report, RIBA commissioned ComRes to survey public opinion on transport infrastructure and housing. The RIBA report concludes that the UK’s transport infrastructure problems go beyond a simple lack of investment and are systemic.

Opportunities to maximise the return on investment in transport are missed because there are no common guidelines or holistic view.

Green light for Watford Junction regeneration Watford Borough Council has granted planning consent for the first phase of its £1.6bn regeneration masterplan for Watford Junction. When complete, the masterplan will create just under 3000 dwellings, 75,000m2 of commercial space, 6000m2 of retail, two primary schools and a range of community uses. The 4338m2 first phase, located in a prime position on St Albans Road, will be developed by GS8, the designled residential and commercial property developer, and will comprise a 146-unit, mixed-use development. Work is scheduled to start on site by the end of 2018, with phase one expected to complete towards the end of 2020. In addition, Berkeley Homes is undergoing public consultation for a separate site in the area at St Albans Quarter, reflecting a growing confidence in Watford among developers.

Catalyst starts on 100% affordable Oxford residential scheme Catalyst has started work on a 100% affordable residential scheme in Temple Cowley, Oxford. The development will deliver a range of new affordable housing that will help meet an increasing housing demand in the city. The scheme will deliver 48 homes in total, a mix of 35 one-, two- and three-bedroom flats and 13 three- and four-bedroom houses.

Designed by Hester Architects, the new neighbourhood will be made up of three apartment blocks and a series of semidetached and terraced houses. 29 homes will be available for shared ownership and 19 for affordable rent, with the initial rents set at social rent levels. Catalyst has received Homes England funding so that all of the new homes will be affordable.

New £14.2m building to double school's pupil places Islington Council has appointed construction and infrastructure company Morgan Sindall to expand a primary school in the heart of the borough, in a £14.2m project. The project will comprise the construction of a new school building for Tufnell Park Primary School, on Dalmeny Road, which will enable the school to double its capacity from 315 pupils to 630 pupils by 2025. The new building will feature a bright and spacious interior with lightwells reaching up three floors in the main corridors, In addition, a double-height foyer with a glassfronted library has been designed to give an impressive, inspirational feel to the entrance space.

Universities across Britain are to start employing artificial intelligence (AI) in a bid to cut energy costs in buildings by as much as 30%. A pilot scheme involving Anglia Ruskin, Bath, Bristol, Newcastle, Regents and York universities is being facilitated by The Energy Consortium (TEC) – a contracting authority with many university members – and will mine smart meter data using AI to identify energy waste, improve efficiency and cut costs.

The project, in partnership with AMRDNA, an energy assets service, will use underlying AI software developed by kWIQly to interrogate huge volumes of energy consumption data covering many hundreds of buildings to identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency.

GRAHAM awarded £113m University of York accommodation GRAHAM has secured a £113m contract to deliver a major 1400-bed student accommodation project for the University of York as part of an ambitious ‘campus masterplan’. In what is an unprecedented period of growth for the university, GRAHAM has been selected as the main contractor to complete the first phase residential expansion of the Heslington East Campus, which will see the development of high-specification student living and communal space.

Phase two will create additional 800bed units. The initial development is scheduled to commence in January 2019, with completion expected to take two years. The scheme will act as a stimulus for the University of York’s student recruitment strategy while meeting the accommodation demands of an expanding global student body.

News

UK universities turn to AI to improve energy efficiency

Architecture Initiative wins planning approval in Tower Hamlets London-based practice Architecture Initiative has won planning permission to extend Langdon Park Sixth Form, on behalf of Tower Hamlets Schools and London Borough of Tower Hamlets Children’s Services. A new, three-storey, standalone building will increase sixth form capacity to 200 students to meet growing demand.

The new school building will sit on the school’s existing – but underused – ecology site, which is currently fenced off with no access for students. With Langdon Park conservation area to the north, the new addition is informed sensitively by the scale and materials of nearby buildings, much of which is housing, and five school blocks including the 1907 board school building.

Pitched roofs and detailed brickwork ensures the new building sits comfortably within its surroundings.

Utilitywise to save public sector clients money Utilitywise has collaborated with Vodafone and Dell EMC to develop a new Internet of Things (IoT) energy and building management platform that could transform the way public sector clients use energy and run their sites. The ground-breaking new platform allows public sector clients to evaluate all their energy outputs, such as lighting, heating and ventilation, from multiple sites and buildings via a single, integrated hub. This will make it easier than ever before for facility and property managers to assess where energy is being wasted and to react accordingly, saving their businesses money. This technology has the potential to revolutionise the building controls market. With instant access and full data visibility, it will give public sector clients a much greater level of control over the way they use their utilities, which could produce significant savings.

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Upfront

Project: Aerospace Integration Research Centre (AIRC) Location: Cranfield, Bedford Architect: CPMG Architects

CHANGING THE DESIGN OF FUTURE AIRCRAFT WITH NEW CRANFIELD RESEARCH CENTRE The Aerospace Integration Research Centre (AIRC) for Cranfield University in Bedford, located on the perimeter of the airport, is a landmark building delivered in partnership with Rolls-Royce and Airbus. and London N ottingham based CPMG Architects was asked to design a stateof-the-art research centre that would help to change the design of future aircraft. The final design needed to bring academic research and the testing of new ideas by co-investment partners Rolls-Royce and Airbus within a purpose-built setting under one roof.

The building, for which groundwork began in 2015 and

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was completed in February 2017, includes open laboratory space with a 40m clear span capable of housing large airframe integration projects.

Today, the £12.5m flagship centre is already helping to change the future design of aircraft. The three-storey interpretation of a modernday hangar offers advanced facilities for the centre's researchers, engineers as well as its partner companies.

Hugh Avison, Director at CPMG, said: “We were thrilled to be selected by Cranfield University to design and deliver this unique project.

The new building will bring researchers and manufacturers together to help drive forward innovation in engineering and design – not only is this a significant development for the university, but for the future of manufacturing in aerospace and transport.

“We made sure the designs for the facility not only met the brief to provide the space and functionality that was needed but also reflected the university’s strong architectural identity, which already has a number of flagship buildings.

Our design was selected from a number of competitors as we portrayed the strength of the university’s academic research within the architecture of the building,” Hugh added.

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Upfront

Upfront Tracy Flynn, Development Manager at Cranfield University, said: “CPMG’s approach to developing this unique building combined flair and individuality which ensures that the spaces within the building really work and are simple to maintain. This project has helped to position us at the forefront of aerospace research and training in Europe.”

Professor Iain Gray CBE, Director of Aerospace at Cranfield University, said: “Work at the centre will focus on the development of new integrated propulsion, airframe and subsystems technologies with resulting benefits in the performance, emission control and efficiency targets of future aircraft.

“The AIRC will foster close collaboration between leading researchers, the centre partners and the wider aerospace supply chain. It will directly contribute to the competitiveness and prosperity of the aerospace industry and the wider UK and European economy.”

Since completion, CPMG’s design team behind the AIRC has been recognised for delivering exceptional building designs which have had a positive impact on communities. The flagship scheme scooped the East of England Design Through Innovation Award on 11th May 2018 and an additional award at the LABC East Awards in the Best Large Commercial Building award category.

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Upfront Speaking of the award success, Nick Gregory, Director at CPMG, said: “Cranfield University’s AIRC is a flagship scheme that we were very proud to be involved in.

Congratulations to everyone involved in helping to make this scheme such a success, it’s been a fantastic collaborative effort.”

The external facade is primarily built up of three facing components. Firstly, both east and west elevations have large expanses of Kawneer curtain walling to offer visibility to the entrance lightwell and the high bay area at the rear of the building. A curved Kalzip outer skin then encases the threestorey accommodation, forming the roof and part of the upper accommodation walls. Aluminium rainscreen cladding finishes the first floor elevations towards the north and south, expressed in two different forms. Three-storey-high yellow canopies to the east and west accompany grey rainscreen cladding to encase and express the structure.

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A triple-height ‘high bay area’ contains specialist avionics, thermals, mechanical, electrical and structural laboratories. The public face of the building is provided by a glazed tripleheight IDEAS (integration, demonstration, engineering, analysis and simulation) space, which was designed for collaborative research, visualisations of simulations and designing, as well as an air traffic management laboratory using the airport control tower and flight simulator. This will provide a showcase for the university and its partners, accommodating exhibitions and conferencing, as well as informal meeting areas.

Adjacent areas introduce space for manufacturers to conduct private research, alongside office space, and meeting rooms for the university research team and partners. There is a variety of laboratory spaces for intelligent automation, aerospace autonomy and an open area of 1500m2.

Other internal spaces include state-of-the-art simulation facilities on the second floor.

Researchers and engineers from Cranfield and its partner companies work closely together in an open-plan office environment on the top floor. The building is equipped with the latest cutting-edge research technology and aims to change the way the world thinks about flight.

There were several challenges during the development; the first was during construction, sourcing a thermally-efficient 18m-span by 6m-high bi-fold door that met the required airtightness value and U-values. This was required by the client, as they needed the flexibility to open up the high bay area to the airfield, to allow small planes to be housed within the new building. Thermal constraints, coupled with the allowable deflection of a 38m clear span structure, took time to source and detail but the result is fantastic and gives immense flexibility for the client.

The project team for AIRC was RG Carter, main contractor; Couch Perry Wilkes, mechanical and electrical consultant; Stewart Morris Partnership, structural

engineer; Currie & Brown, project manager and Gardiner & Theobald, quantity surveyor.

The AIRC project’s funding consisted of co-funding from Airbus and Rolls-Royce, HEFCE (the Higher Education Funding Council for England) and investment from Cranfield itself. The project has helped to position Cranfield University at the forefront of aerospace research and training in Europe.

The building betters the requirements of Part L 2013 by 25%, whilst achieving an EPC ‘A’ rating and achieved a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’.

Nick Gregory added: “The success of the AIRC centre has led to further opportunities to work with Cranfield University on its ambitious plans to provide world-class research and learning facilities.”

CPMG Architects will continue to work with Cranfield University on its ambitious plans to provide world-class research and learning facilities, helping to develop its estate further through additional design work for a new agri-informatics building, a water sciences building with pilot hall and fire station on the campus airfield. 

 www.cpmg-architects.com

Housing

LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS CAN TAKE ON YOUTH HOMELESSNESS Centrepoint has recently published a report on youth homelessness in the UK which suggests that there is a much higher level of underlying youth homelessness than official figures indicate – with an estimated 86,000 young people suffering from homelessness, writes Kane Kirkbride, Partner at law firm TLT. point for T hethisstarting research is the Government’s official figures – based on the number of young people aged 16 to 24 accepted as statutorily homeless – which come to 12,940 young people in England in 2016/17. However, Centrepoint has also compiled a central database based on the number of young persons who present to their local authority as homeless or at risk of homelessness, as well as those young persons who are assessed and subsequently accepted as statutorily homeless. The information obtained through these methods for the UK

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as a whole produced a total figure for youth homelessness of 86,000 people. This is a huge number for our society, even if one accepts that this information has been compiled in a different way to the official Government statistics and covers the entirety of the UK. Indeed, we need to ask ourselves why so many young persons in our society are homeless and whether we can solve the problem by building more social housing. Whilst no one would disagree that we need more social housing, many people feel that this is not the complete answer to youth

homelessness and that we need to recognise and tackle other factors at play as well.

For example, the Centrepoint report points out that there has been a big reduction in the number of family and friends being able to support young people and prevent them from becoming homeless. Related to this is the perception that young people are being priced out of housing and that some cannot afford to live in any housing sector – even the social housing sector.

As a result, some commentators have linked this point to the level of the Local Housing Allowance and say that

unless and until the latter is increased, youth homelessness will keep on rising – even if more social housing is built. Others argue that we cannot just address the problem at the point of entry to social housing and that we need to recognise that homelessness can be traced back to the impact of childhood trauma or other adverse experiences and that until these are addressed, we will not solve the problem of youth homelessness.

That is why some consider that a housing-first approach will not solve the problem on its own and why initiatives such as early intervention to prevent

Housing trauma as well as tackling domestic violence and sexual abuse must play a part as well.

Whilst these wider issues need to be tackled by Westminster, local authorities can also act and be part of the solution.

Clearly, local authorities have a key role to play in reducing homelessness given their statutory responsibilities, but it must be acknowledged that they are faced with the continuing challenge of finite – and shrinking – resources to meet all of their considerable commitments.

Despite these difficulties, local authorities should continue to ask themselves how they can offer genuine preventative services and assessments on homelessness.

The recent introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 can be regarded as a doubleedged sword for local authorities.

It provides a positive change in expanding the responsibilities of local authorities by increasing their duty of assistance to those people deemed to be eligible and unintentionally homeless. On the other hand, it will lead to an increase in the number of housing duties that local authorities may need to fulfil, putting further pressure on their resources.

If they rise to this challenge, local authorities can play a key role in actively reducing homelessness.

The situation is different for housing associations – whilst they do not have this statutory responsibility, they are the largest grouping of social landlords in the country and have the collective resources and expertise to build more social housing. One of the main ways they can help reduce youth homelessness (notwithstanding the above points) is by building more social housing.

To be fair, that is what the housing association sector is doing as a whole, although the uncertainty caused by the

introduction of the social rent reduction has had an adverse impact on their business plans.

The challenge for them going forward, however, is to continue building new social housing, even in the event of a downturn in the open market sales sector as open market sales are increasingly used to subsidise the building of social housing in the absence of Government funding. The sector needs to be brave, to keep on doing what it is doing and keep believing in the vital role it plays in maintaining and building social housing.

Housing associations may have to look at new and different ways to do this, including sharing

risk through joint ventures with house-builders, working with local authorities more effectively and sweating their assets more – but it can be done.

The state of affairs on youth homelessness is far from satisfactory, but if local authorities and housing associations – as well as central Government – can work together, we can make inroads into tackling this problem. It may take fresh thinking and new initiatives, but local authorities and housing associations can certainly provide a significant part of the solution. 

 www.tltsolicitors.com

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Healthcare

Biophilic design – the strategy of implementing nature into the environment – comes to life within the Breast Unit at Salisbury

COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TRANSFORMS PATIENT EXPERIENCE

The new dedicated Breast Unit at Salisbury District Hospital has patient experience at its very core. A truly collaborative approach saw designers, staff and suppliers work with patients and their loved ones to map every step of a process that is one of the most difficult anyone can face. The unit combines the latest ideas in biophilic design for wellbeing with the smartest products and solutions, delivered with impeccable attention to detail. It captures the needs of all stakeholders and delivers without losing clinical quality. interiors were T hedesigned

by ArtCare, the arts in health service for Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, working collaboratively with staff and patients, and using floor and wall products

from Altro. ArtCare’s Penny Calvert explains: “Decor can’t do anything about disease, but it can absolutely be used to make the best of the worst moment you are having – reducing anxiety has a huge impact on

wellbeing. The designs are the culmination of more than a year’s worth of creative thinking and workshops with patients and staff, giving them the freedom to imagine how a space could be different.”

The unit’s Rose Room, used for prosthesis fittings, draws its name and design inspiration from Edwardian Lingerie Pioneer Lady Duff Gordon

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Project: Breast Unit at Salisbury District Hospital Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire Flooring manufacturer: Altro

Key to the new £1m unit is the practice of same-day diagnosis – patients attending for tests to see if they have breast cancer receive a diagnosis that day, avoiding anxious waits for results. The unit is equipped with dedicated diagnostic equipment, treatment and counselling rooms enabling quicker care and treatment. Diagnosis and follow-up are delivered in one place with less need for patients to visit other departments in the hospital. And clinics are run jointly with oncologists and plastic reconstructive surgeons, meaning patients no longer need to visit the hospital as frequently.

Drawing from the natural world Biophilic design – the strategy of implementing nature into the environment – comes to life within the Breast Unit at Salisbury Hospital, as nature provides the inspiration for themed rooms: coast, river, forest, field, garden and park.

Altro Whiterock Digiclad was the ideal medium for this, as it is created by reproducing a photographic image or vector art onto Altro Whiterock wall sheet, with consistent, photographic quality and hard-coat technology for surface protection.

“We looked at the patient experience; the patient journey, and consulted extensively to map out the whole process practically, but also emotionally,” explains Penny. “We used online scrapbooks as a tool to get people thinking – how do you feel, what makes you relaxed.

And from this came the ‘world outside’ theme – the feeling of breathing in fresh air, stepping out of the situation. And also a real sense that nature gets on whatever happens: seasons change, tides ebb and flow.”

The waiting area creates a sense of calm; Altro Wood flooring, with clusters of sofas and armchairs echoing the colours of the floor-to-ceiling printed Altro Whiterock Digiclad  panels – natural light floods

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Registered England - Reg. 3037845

by Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen Manufacturers Of Wood Preservatives Protim Solignum Ltd Marlow, Buckinghamshire

Healthcare

in to help create the atmosphere of bluebell woods. The focus was to create a space that barely feels clinical at all – furniture layout is reminiscent of a hotel or spa lounge, providing privacy in a relaxed way.

Freedom to imagine Photography is used throughout the unit, with floor-to-ceiling images on Altro Whiterock Digiclad used to transform spaces. These are not stock photography shots – they were commissioned as part of the project and show local woodland, rivers or countryside, real and local to those using the spaces. And their impact is powerful, as Penny explains: “The Tomography room was previously a windowless space, with only enough space for a chair alongside the equipment.

The process performed can take some time and is generally unpleasant or uncomfortable.

In the new unit, that space is transformed – your vision now filled with the scene of a local river flowing through a park with ducks and other wildlife, a focal point helping transport the mind beyond the confines of the room.”

Penny and her team are advocates of the Altro Whiterock Digiclad system, having installed it in many areas of Salisbury District Hospital over a number

Altro Whiterock Digiclad was the ideal medium, as it is created by reproducing a photographic image or vector art onto Altro Whiterock wall sheet, with consistent, photographic quality and hard-coat technology for surface protection

of years. “It allows us to use superb images at high quality and gives so many design possibilities.

We’ve used the system in cancer wards, children’s units, outpatients’ areas, side rooms and reception areas. It gives us freedom with our designs, allows us to create a unique identity, and has very practical applications such as wayfinding.

It’s clinically safe, can’t be picked off the wall and we know from experience it will still look spectacular five years from now.”

Design for wellbeing It is clear that patient experience and wellbeing have been the driving force of design at Salisbury Hospital’s new Breast Unit.

The interiors were designed by ArtCare, the arts in health service for Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, working collaboratively with staff and patients, and using floor and wall products from Altro

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By a process of collaboration and consultation, the design team have gained insight and empathy which is translated into design elements throughout the building. This is evident in the small touches that might not otherwise have come to light – the use of humour, for example.

“Each themed room has a door sign that incorporates a bird of that area,” says Penny. “Those include blue tits, and boobies – our research showed that humour is not inappropriate; in fact, it helps people get through.

These touches help permit people to find the humour in otherwise tense times.”

The unit’s Rose Room, used for prosthesis fittings, draws its name and design inspiration from Edwardian Lingerie Pioneer Lady Duff Gordon, whose uber-feminine collections were displayed in a luxury, boutique style. “This space is so important,” says Penny. “It doesn’t look or feel clinical. It’s a feminine space, only for women.

People coming here may be feeling battered or bruised; their body shape changed. This space needs to feel safe and relaxed, somewhere they can feel comfortable again, not shy, and begin to feel at ease with post-surgery garments like swimwear.”

This non-clinical feel is evident throughout the unit.

Designed around the patient journey and the process of same-day diagnosis, waiting areas feel non-clinical. There are spaces you can be comfortable sitting in a dressing gown, with quiet spaces, dignified, soothing and calm.

Co-design at its best Much of the success of the design comes from the collaborative approach between designers, staff, suppliers and patients. “For me, the most exciting and memorable part of the project happens through co-designing, by having the opportunity to give patients and staff a meaningful and real role in designing spaces,” says Penny.

All ArtCare’s healthcare environment projects incorporate co-design. ArtCare receives an annual donation from the hospital’s charity, The Stars Appeal, to carry out its core work, with additional funds raised for specific projects.

Jo Bott is a patient rep with the Stars Appeal. “At the age of 26, I heard the words ‘unfortunately it’s cancer'”, she commented.

"I walked through a packed waiting room, into the corridor and tried to find my way to radiology. I had no choice but to cry in the waiting room. This dedicated new unit has changed all that. It provides a more comfortable and private space. It negates the need to move from department to department, continually explaining who you are and why you are there.”

Staff also feel their input has made a difference, as Sonnya Dabill explains: “I felt at ease to express my thoughts during the design team meetings. The new unit will be a place to breathe when patients feel anxious.

For staff, it will be a light, airy environment to work in with fewer interruptions, unlike our old rooms that were at the centre of a busy corridor.” 

 www.altro.co.uk

Legal & Business

ForrestBrown offers the following advice for companies looking to make an R&D tax credit claim:

The R&D tax credit schemes, administered

by HMRC, are designed to incentivise businesses to enter the unknown and create innovative products, processes or services

1. Be open-minded to what qualifies as R&D. The definition is purposefully broad so that it applies equally to all sectors.

2. Don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion on whether your business activity qualifies.

3. Identify all qualifying costs. Getting them right is key to maximising a claim.

4. Present R&D claims to HMRC clearly using examples to explain how scientific or technological uncertainty was resolved.

5. Keeping good (ideally, real-time) records of investment in R&D will make claims more precise.

TAX CREDIT MEANS PROJECTS NEEDN’T BE SINK OR SWIM When recreation centre Sapphire Ice & Leisure opened in Romford this January, it became the UK’s first example of an ice rink built on a floor wholly and directly above a heated swimming pool. In building design and construction terms, creating neighbours of two such opposing climates posed unique and complex technical challenges. two of the contractors F orinvolved – architect firm Saunders Boston and mechanical and electrical company Kershaw Mechanical Services – their foray into the relative unknown was rewarded through their application to the Government’s research and development (R&D) tax credit incentive. Guided

by R&D tax credit specialist, ForrestBrown, both firms received a financial boost that allowed them to capitalise on the project’s success and invest in business growth.

Ground-breaking design The project was Havering Council’s most significant single investment (£28m) in a borough-wide improvement programme. Work began in 2013 when Saunders Boston was briefed to design a building that would include a 25m, eight-lane swimming pool and separate learner pool, fitness and dance studios, a National Standard ice rink and spectator seating throughout.

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The Cambridge-based architect practice didn’t have the luxury of a large plot of land, which would have permitted designs for a pool hall and ice rink side by side. Instead, the plot was a more restricted space in the heart of Romford, so the initial challenge was to find a way of fitting two facilities with fixed, regulated sizes into this limited build space.

“The solution took minutes to arrive at, but months to analyse the implications and prove it would work,” said John Blair, one of the Directors of Saunders Boston.

“Normally, you would just have a roof over a pool. But it was quickly apparent that this would not work here. And it would have been even more crackers to try and do it the other way round with the swimming pool above – the structural challenges of trying to hold up that big tank of water. That said, I don’t think it has ever been done like this before. Not the whole project.”

With the working concept agreed on, the architects were presented with a number of technical challenges to address.

The priority was to ensure that the two markedly different climates – warm and cold – could coexist on stacked floors.

The condensation risk needed to be analysed in detail, and specialists were enlisted to crunch the numbers.

A ‘floating’ ice rink meant the primary supporting structure needed to span over 25m, with the final 2m being a cantilever – which added further complication.

A complex floor build-up, which included a prefinished metal deck to act as a high-density vapour barrier, insulation and two layers of concrete, was used and the whole floor was supported by 1m-deep beams which spanned all the way across. These beams ultimately had to be craned in over a busy highway and spliced together in-situ.

The architects also sought to reduce pool glare through a bespoke cladding system, which would need to complement whichever solution for temperature control was decided on.

John added: “I don’t know why, but we have a tendency to attract more complicated projects. We’re already using lessons learned from this project on three current pool projects, adopting some of the same technologies from Romford.”

Controlling temperature The building’s heating and ventilation system was designed and built by Kershaw Mechanical Services. Discussing the project’s challenges, Gary Smith, the company’s Managing Director, said: “We’ve never worked on a project that required us to accommodate such extremes of temperature and humidity before. What’s more, our challenges were interlinked with those of other contractors, so what would normally be the simplest solution wasn’t always feasible.

Legal & Business “Our solution took about a year to design using our inhouse expertise and external consultants. It involved two major plant rooms for the specialist equipment for the two internal environments and one external environment.”

Entering the unknown With little by way of a precedent on which to base this project, it was R&D-intensive for both contractors, who explored brand-new solutions and collaborated with a number of external experts. The R&D tax credit schemes, administered

by HMRC, are designed to incentivise businesses to enter the unknown and create innovative products, processes or services. Successful R&D tax credit applications result in a corporation tax rebate, paid in cash, for qualifying projects.

Both contractors were relatively new to R&D tax credits at the time of this project and had previously believed that their work might not meet its eligibility criteria. Working with ForrestBrown, they both secured cash payments for R&D undertaken on projects including Sapphire Ice & Leisure.

Leigh Follen, Group Financial Controller at Kershaw, said: “We did come across the scheme four years ago, but did not appreciate where we actually fitted in. We thought it was for real prototype stuff. But we came across articles that suggested Building Information Modelling qualified, so we decided to look into it.”

He added: “You can have the best ideas in the world, but they need financial backing.

The tax credit has given us the confidence that there is support out there, and it has allowed us to take on more key staff and systems. Knowing that the assistance is there gives us the confidence to keep on pushing into the unknown.”

For Saunders Boston, the tax credit boost helped it invest in staff engagement and reward.

John added: “Our first R&D tax credit benefitted us enormously.

I’m sure the word cash flow will resonate strongly with most business owners and finance directors. Receiving a sizeable R&D tax credit really helps to manage cash flow. Ours came through shortly before Christmas and made it easier to remunerate our talented employees as we would wish with a Christmas bonus.”

For two of the contractors involved, their foray into the relative unknown was rewarded through their application to the Government’s research and development (R&D) tax credit incentive

Eligibility Emily Williams, Senior Tax Manager at ForrestBrown, who handled the claims for both contractors, said: “As the Sapphire Ice & Leisure examples show, construction firms are frequently undertaking R&D during projects. Companies often view this simply as part of the job – solving problems to get things done – whereas R&D is viewed as something done by people in laboratories.

“The number of construction companies claiming R&D tax credits is still much smaller than those who qualify, so any project that presents scientific or technological challenges that need solving is definitely worth an initial conversation. Only by discussing projects with specialists, who can clearly explain the Government’s guidelines, do many of our clients see that they are eligible.” 

 www.forrestbrown.co.uk

With little by way of a precedent on which to base this project, it was R&D-intensive for both contractors

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Talking Point

Yvonne Campbell – General Manager of Vivalda Scotland – outside new student accommodation at Kelvinhaugh Street, Glasgow.

This project used Equitone Pictura cladding.

AFTER GRENFELL – WHERE NEXT FOR CLADDING? Yvonne Campbell, General Manager of Vivalda Scotland, believes that despite the well-meaning recommendations of Dame Judith Hackitt and Sir Martin Moore-Bick, architects and specifiers working in the public sector are still calling for more clarity on the issue of noncombustible, fire-tested cladding systems.

D

ame Judith Hackitt’s final report on Grenfell Tower (Building a Safer Future, May 2018) was widely viewed as an opportunity missed by many in the public sector housing sector. Moreover, this

Heath Lodge

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sense of disappointment was acknowledged by PM Theresa May who admitted later that month that she was minded to ban combustible cladding on all high-rise buildings.

Like many, we were expecting a far clearer statement from Dame Judith, which would include banning any combustible material on tall buildings. We had also hoped to see sharper teeth

when it came to independent building inspection; however, this appeared to have been overlooked in favour of tighter regulations outlined in the report.

While a strong sense of direction appears to have alluded the Hackitt report, this is no reason for the social housing sector – and indeed the construction supply chain – to ignore its professional and moral responsibility. And if the new cladding products coming onto the market are anything to go by, the industry is certainly doing its bit to develop a new generation of A2-graded products.

Vivalda Scotland operates in both the public and private sectors, which gives us a valuable perspective on trends affecting the social sector housing market.

Having pioneered the supply of rainscreen facades in the private sector, working with high-end residential developers such as Berkeley and Barratt as well as retailers including COS and Burberry, we have seen demand for non-combustible cladding panels grow significantly in recent years.

Peace of mind It is no coincidence that over the past year we have helped more architects specify the use of wholly non-flammable fibre cement or mineral fibre cladding for their public sector projects. On the back of this increasing necessity for fireproof cladding, our business grew by 34% last year. Notably, we also saw a spike in interest for these products from several major social housing projects.

We’ve also seen a marked increase in the number of test builds and prototypes for local authority housing.

However, that’s not even the full picture. While these types of products perform very highly when fire tested (achieving A2 and above – meaning it is non-combustible), we all know there is more to cladding than just the external face – facades comprise many

Talking Point

layers including acoustic boards, thermal insulation, vital air voids and fixing systems.

Cladding is a much more complex topic than first meets the eye and thus deserves a truly holistic approach.

Guidance needed Specifiers working on social housing projects have been faced with an unpalatable challenge in the wake of Grenfell. With an underwhelming response to the Hackitt report, there has been little in the way of guidance on the safe choice of cladding. For our part, last year Vivalda Group produced a comprehensive Fire Rating Guide, offering independent advice on fire-rated cladding systems, but this is no longterm solution. Leadership is required from the very top.

Choosing an approved cladding system shouldn’t need to be so reliant on the customer doing their own research.

Widespread and comprehensive testing of all parts that go to make up complete cladding systems should be part of the solution, so should clarity and access to information for specifiers.

Indeed, well-known ambiguities concerning the performance of ‘non-combustible’ cladding – that appear to under-perform during a full system test on a building – pose unexpected, serious questions of the manufacturers and Government alike. Whatever the eventual outcome to this fire test conundrum, we need to make safety paramount, but also not onerous for those involved in recommending the right cladding solution.

The social housing sector has faced huge challenges over the last year. Understandably, architects, specifiers and contractors have all been cautious when considering which cladding system to use.

Because of our long-established position in the market, we were among the first to discover that the BBA, the certification body, was never actually informed by Arconic, the manufacturer of Reynobond PE cladding, that its product had failed its own safety standards, confirming the lack of clarity many had suspected.

This social housing development at Heath Lodge, Ealing, is a good example of the adoption of high-grade cladding (Öko Skin GRC by Rieder) normally seen in the private sector

We’re calling for a much more robust approach from the safety authorities, who should treat all proposed cladding systems as a single, integrated product; not a group of unrelated sub-components.

For this reason, we decided last year to supply only A2 and above (i.e. non-combustible) products to all high-rise buildings.

However, even this approach may not be enough to ensure that all newly-renovated high-rise buildings are fit for purpose. While it may add time and cost to projects, we believe that full system testing should also be considered for all new and refurbishment projects over 18m high.

Close the equality gap While ensuring that all homes benefit from the very best safety precautions the industry

can offer, the Government renovation fund of £400m provides an opportunity for councils and social housing organisations to send a strong message to both residents and the construction sector in general; that there should be no gap in the quality of products being used on public or private housing.

The Grenfell inquiry, led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, has shown that there is a definite class theme running through this sorry chapter – and this funding provides us with the opportunity to change that divisive culture.

We see no reason why the private sector’s ‘quality-first’ approach should not replace the widely discredited ‘value engineering’ process, which was often used in the public sector as a cost-cutting tool.

Much as it turned out disastrously, the Grenfell tragedy had its roots in a desire to improve the aesthetics of highrise, and yet the fact remains there are many excellent, attractive, fireproof products out there that would be ideal for the 158 high-rise residences awaiting refurbishment.

In our view, the Government needs to take the lead here – and use the £400m fund to create a best practice model for cladding system fire testing.

This would involve a two-stage approach which would examine first the components used and then the complete system tested in-situ. Only that way, can we be confident that the malevolent embers of Grenfell are extinguished for once and all. 

 www.vivalda.co.uk

23

Education

Efficiency and coherency

KEEPING STUDENTS SAFE AT UNIVERSITY

University campus buildings and student accommodation facilities are complex infrastructures and, with so many security requirements, it can be challenging to keep on top of them and the hurdles they impose. Andrew Shaw, Architectural Consultant for Allegion UK, discusses how to ensure the security and safety of the students of today and tomorrow.

UK universities treat M any safety and security as a feature hardwired into their systems, as young adults and their parents are citing safety when it comes to essential factors when choosing a university.

It’s listed in prospectuses and on university websites to ensure that current and prospective

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students, staff and parents alike have a clear idea of the safety and security procedures in place.

Student accommodation and campus facilities can pose many security challenges, and with the high turnover of students, keeping track of access is important. This not only allows the responsible persons to keep

everything running smoothly and safely, but it also helps to eliminate the possibility of certain crimes.

Security teams must consider high-traffic areas, access for all, student turnover, fire safety measures, security of people and belongings, as well as efficient and smooth people movement.

Every October, universities must ensure that everything – from individual student data records to premises refurbishments and site safety – is in place to welcome new and returning students, staff and visitors.

This means that throughout the academic year as well as over the summer and other holidays, universities have a constant obligation to keep safety and security standards high.

In student accommodation, for instance, students may be living there for approximately eight months of the academic year.

They’ll then vacate the premises, which are readied for the next intake of students.

Student accommodation has also been previously criticised for poor design, especially when it comes to fire safety and general security. With that in mind, it’s important to give the appropriate thought to which doors and door hardware are suitable to specific requirements, to maximise security and, in turn, student safety and wellbeing.

In campus facilities, too, the buildings must cater to the ebb and flow of those entering and exiting premises. Therefore, doors and door hardware must facilitate access and egress, particularly in high-traffic areas.

Traditional and electronic When it comes to university accommodation, without a key handover strategy in place, how can universities be sure their students have adequate access?

For example, some access control systems allow tracking of who accesses and exits a premise. They also easily issue and retract credentials, allowing someone access as easily as it can be taken away.

Conversely, traditional mechanical locks can be beneficial both as a standalone solution and as a combination with electronic access control.

Ultimately, all design aspects of a particular building must be considered before arriving at a product choice.

The variety of choice available means universities can opt for hardware that suits their needs, even when faced with  budgeting pressures.

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Education Adequate lockdowns The Complete University Guide states that an estimated one-third of the UK’s student body becomes a victim of crime (mainly theft and burglary). When you also consider the vast number of new students moving away from home to university, it’s easy to understand how their lack of knowledge about a particular area may make them susceptible to victimisation.

One focus for optimising security in university facilities and accommodation is to put in place an effective lockdown strategy.

Every university campus has both exterior and interior sections, so implementing an adequate lockdown plan must include both of these layers.

On top of this, it can be easy to make the mistake of carrying out dangerous or ineffective methods without recognising them as so.

For example, using tape, magnets or other barricades on a door could not only invite security risks but is also a breach of fire safety regulations.

Fire safety protocols An evacuation plan, and highquality doors and door hardware, can help to keep end-users safe.

In the event of a fire, students and staff must be clear on what is expected of them to ensure a smooth and effective evacuation.

Doors and door hardware that facilitate maximum egress can help to improve evacuation and prevent unnecessary stagnation of movement.

Specifically, hold-open devices are linked up to the fire alarm so that in the event of a fire, the doors release immediately and then return to a closed position.

Similarly, exit devices (such as panic bars or emergency exit devices) open without keys and are easily accessible, to allow a functional exit if needed.

The baseline When it comes to university security, there isn’t a one-sizefits-all solution. The age of the buildings, credential platform and protocols, budget and longterm security strategy must be considered.

A lack of product knowledge, older buildings and too much choice can all lead to a reluctance to upgrade old systems or even the wrong selection of products. With effective lockdowns and locking systems being of high importance, it’s important to recognise the industry fallacies and steer clear from the risks posed by ‘value engineering’.

Wherever you are on the continuum, there are solutions fit for your specific requirements. 

 www.allegion.co.uk

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Technical Focus

REDUCED INSTALLATION TIMES DELIVER EXTRA CARE

Project: Mill View Location: Hauxton, Cambridgeshire Cable management: Unitrunk

Tim Brown from cable management specialist, Unitrunk, discusses the electrical installation at an assisted living development in Cambridgeshire. the health and S upporting wellbeing of an ageing population is one of the most significant challenges we face as a society. While many older people might feel vulnerable in their own home as they get older, encounter health concerns and tackle reduced mobility, they are – understandably – reluctant to relinquish their independence and the normal routines of daily life by moving to a residential home.

The ‘extra care’ approach to social housing pioneered

by Bedford-based housing association, bpha, provides the middle ground that many older people and their families are looking for. Constructed by Hill, a top-20 house-builder operating across London and the South East, bpha’s Mill View development in the Cambridgeshire village of Hauxton has been designed to provide a mix of one- and twobedroom apartments available for shared ownership or social landlord rental. The scheme is ideal for those who want to downsize from their privatelyowned home or move from their existing social housing rental property to an environment that more closely matches their current and future needs.

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Developed as part of the Hauxton Meadows residential development, Mill View offers older people the opportunity to live within a wider community and its broader demographic while benefitting from on site care staff, off site managerial staff and a Carelink alarm service. With a lounge, dining room, roof terrace, shop and hairdressers all located on site, residents can choose a level of independence to suit them.

The scheme has been specified to the very highest standards with an extensive electrical installation to provide for the varied facilities, common areas and each individual apartment. Building services contractor, Gowing and Hunt, was contracted to deliver the electrical installation and the company selected Unitrunk’s RIS (Rapid Installation Systems) range for all the cable management requirements.

Explains Kris Peck from Gowing and Hunt: “As a substantial residential scheme with a number of additional facilities, this is a complex installation involving critical deadlines to enable move-in dates to be set for residents.

“We needed a cable management system that could really help us save time on site while providing a robust solution that prioritises safety and extended service life. The UniKlip cable tray system we’ve used has reduced installation times by around 50% as compared to conventional systems, which has also helped to keep the project on budget by cutting labour costs.”

50% faster The Hauxton Meadows scheme is a completely new development on the outskirts of the village of Hauxton with little existing electrical infrastructure. The Gowing and Hunt team first had to bring the HV supply into the building and create a dedicated plant room and switch room on the ground floor of the multi-occupancy building. There is just one main switch panel for the building with multiple distribution boards on all four levels.

Additional resilience has been built into the specification with generator hook-up capability if emergency electrical supplies should ever be required and a battery-based standby facility for the communication systems.

The sub-mains cable distribution has been installed on Unitrunk’s UniKlip cable tray, with three risers of UniKlip taking the sub-mains network up to each level of the L-shaped building, where a central spine takes it down the main corridor and enables connection with local distribution boards.

This cable management infrastructure also serves the hairdressing salon and shop on the ground floor, which will be available for use by both residents and the local community, the residents’ laundry facilities, the management team’s offices and the open-plan atrium on the ground floor. Moving up the building, there will also be residents’ lounges at levels one and two with TV and kitchenette facilities and a restaurant on the third floor, with dual aspect roof terraces, which have also been designed for use by both residents and visitors.

Explains Kris: “The heavy cabling required for the submains distribution required a robust and hard-wearing solution and UniKlip offers the ideal solution. The system simply clips together with specially-designed couplers that require no nuts, bolts or tools.

Cable tray Unitrunk’s EasyConnect cable basket has also been used throughout the installation. The cable basket follows the route of the cable tray up the risers and down the central spine of each corridor. This system carries all the comms cabling, including the warden systems, door entry and data cabling, which provides Wi-Fi access throughout the building and also enables the CCTV systems to operate over a wireless IP network.

The EasyConnect cable basket infrastructure has also been installed to provide the cable management networks for the fire alarm systems.

Kris continues: “In an environment like this, safety is extremely important, and dual runs of EasyConnect tray have been installed to separate LV power and data cabling.

“EasyConnect offered us many of the same advantages on the project as the UniKlip cable tray. The system’s integrated couplers mean it can be installed without tools, and the speed and ease of installation make it much simpler to install in a tight void space while reducing labour requirements by around 25% as compared to a conventional cable basket.”

MATERIALS WALLS: 'Cambridgeshire' buff brick with dark buff/brown brick at ground floor level ATTIC STOREY: Eaves and attic storey to be clad with 'Falzinc' or simular standing seam coated aluminium cladding BALCONIES: Frameless glazed balconies with dark grey (RAL 7022) steel apron at base. Generally all balconies to be cantilevered except double and corner balconies.

Technical Focus

Not only is this much less fiddly and up to 50% faster than a conventional cable basket installation but it also means that screws cannot come loose over time or, due to post-construction, heave providing a faster and more secure installation.”

WINDOWS/FRAMES: All windows, doors and glazing systems to be powder coated aluminium, colour: RAL 7022 (dark grey) RAINWATER GOODS: All rainwater pipes and hoppers to be powder coated aluminium. RAL 7022.

WEST ELEVATION – FACING CAMBRIDGE ROAD

EAST ELEVATION/SECTION AA

EAST ELEVATION

NORTH ELEVATION

SOUTH ELEVATION/SECTION BB

Cost savings Gowing and Hunt has been on site carrying out the electrical installation at Mill View since October 2017, and the development is scheduled for completion by the end of 2018.

“The Unitrunk systems have really helped us to keep a complex and time-critical installation programme on track,” Kris adds.

“And, thanks to the speed of installation they offer, we’ve also been able to reduce the labour required on the job, generating substantial cost savings.” 

SOUTH ELEVATION

 www.unitrunk.co.uk

29

Doors & Windows

THE FUTURE OF PVC-U RECYCLING With marine plastic pollution possibly proving to be the biggest environmental issue of our time, Chris Coxon, Head of Marketing at Eurocell, spoke to Jason Leadbitter, Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility Manager of chemicals company INOVYN, and one of the leading authorities on plastics and their impact on the environment. The discussion covered the processes involved in recycling PVC-U frames, and how the latest recycling technology could offer a long-term solution to the worldwide problem of plastic waste.

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than 20 years ago, F ewer the first 100% recycled

Rethinking the recycling process

PVC-U doors and windows were a proof of concept novelty that showed what could be achieved with mechanical recycling technology. Today, in more environmentallyaware times, recycled PVC-U is obviously a common and increasing ingredient in many new PVC-U window and door lines.

So, what does the future hold for what the industry refers to as ‘post-consumer’ PVC-U? And what technologies are around the corner to help it recover, recycle and reuse even more of this valuable resource?

Mechanical recycling has been the standard technique for turning old PVC-U frames into new products for many years. It’s a relatively simple process: old frames are broken up, cleaned and pelletised to then be reincorporated into new window and door profiles or other products.

It works – and works well – because PVC-U is made up of millions of intertwined polymer chains that give it rigidity and strength (these also help prevent molten drops forming during fires, something PVC-U windows have been wrongly accused of in the past).

When the plastic is heated to melting point during recycling, these strands loosen but, crucially, they don’t break down as other polymers can in some other forms of plastic. That means when the melted plastic is reformed into new window frames, the chains re-entwine.

So the recycled frames are just as strong as the original, virgin PVC-U ones, if not stronger. In fact, PVC-U can be recycled up to 10 times without losing any of its strength.

The only drawback of manufacturing PVC-U frames in this way is that it needs to be free from all other types of plastics.

That’s fine when the raw material comes direct from replacement

window projects or factory offcuts, as it does in the Eurocell ‘closed loop’ recycling system.

But mixed waste loads, which contain many different types of plastic from all sorts of sources, are simply too costly to sort and separate and often end up in landfill instead. That’s an awful lot of plastic going to waste every year. So now, the focus for the future is on a newlyemerging technology: chemical, or feedstock recycling.

Here comes the science…

According to Jason Leadbitter, feedstock recycling is the “holy grail” of sustainable plastic production.

Doors & Windows

“The technology is still in its infancy,” he commented, “yet with the amount of research and investment behind it, it’s only a matter of time before it’s developed into a commerciallyviable technique. When that happens, it will revolutionise the plastics industry and allow millions of tonnes of mixed waste plastic that today would be landfilled or incinerated to be reprocessed.”

During feedstock recycling, used plastic isn’t simply melted down and reformed, but heated to super-high temperatures in a special chamber. This breaks it down into its core ingredients, including gases that can be turned into chemicals like ethylene, which can then be used as raw materials for manufacturing plastic products.

The benefits to the environment are obvious. Less plastic waste in our countryside, rivers and oceans; less reliance on oil and other fossils fuels for raw materials; and lower emissions as a result.

The potential economic benefits for business and society are huge too. Now, most plastic packaging is used only once. In fact, it’s estimated that 95% of the value of plastic packaging material* – or £56bn to £85bn worth of plastic – is lost to the economy every year. Plastic that could be reclaimed, recycled and reused in future thanks to this cutting-edge new process.

Of course, the technology behind feedstock recycling can only make a difference if there’s a real will to change the way we all think about plastic waste and recycling. With the growing demands to act against marine plastic pollution, it seems the world is finally waking up to that need. So alongside new techniques to improve plastics recycling, expect to see more and more coordinated initiatives to promote sustainable plastic products from industry leaders like Eurocell, and from Europe-wide industry bodies like VinylPlus.

Predicting the future is always a risky business. But on plastics recycling at least, we can be cautiously optimistic that whatever lies ahead, it’s beginning to look a lot brighter. 

 www.eurocell.co.uk Plymouth University: http://www.pml.ac.uk/

*

research/projects/new_plastics_economy

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Leisure

MAKING AN ECONOMIC SPLASH WITH CHP

Swimming pools typically use five times as much energy per square metre as offices

As local authorities face increasing pressure to make efficiency savings, leisure centres, with their high and constant demand for heat and power, are a natural target for improvement.

Combined heat and power (CHP) offers long-term financial and environmental benefits in buildings like these, says Mike Hefford, Remeha CHP’s General Manager. energy R educing consumption in our buildings makes perfect business sense, lowering running costs and minimising their environmental impact.

It’s particularly important in sites like leisure centres where energy costs are second only to the cost of labour, accounting

for as much as 30% of total operational costs – greater than in any other industry sector.

So, where should energy and estates managers look to improve efficiency? The Government has identified heat and power in buildings as good starting places, as together

they are responsible for around 40% of total UK energy use.

Certainly, heating and hot water account for a large proportion of energy bills in leisure centres, especially in complexes with swimming pools. With large volumes of water that must be continuously heated, swimming pools typically use five times as much energy per square metre as offices, according to CIBSE. Electricity usage is also high, especially in centres that use it extensively for ventilation, lighting, fans and pumps.

For this reason, combined heat and power (CHP) is increasingly seen as a strategic tool for significant, long-term savings in leisure centres. By generating heat and power in a single process at the point of use, CHP is around 30% more efficient overall than using traditional heating plant and electricity supplied solely from the grid.

How does it work?

CHP, often working in conjunction with high-efficiency condensing boilers, is providing low-carbon heat and power in leisure centres across the country

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CHP is effectively a small power station, only more than twice as efficient due to its ability to capture otherwise wasted energy.

Unlike traditional power stations which reject ‘waste’ heat to the atmosphere, with CHP, the heat is recovered on site and used for space heating, hot water – or heating swimming pools.

And by generating electricity on site, CHP can produce lowcarbon electricity at lower gas prices. All of which adds up to significant financial savings and improved energy security for businesses, including during the triad periods when grid power demand surges.

At the same time, it provides energy and estates managers with the opportunity to ensure greater energy resilience, helping offset fluctuating wholesale markets for electricity and gas.

Why leisure centres?

CHP operates most efficiently and generates greater cost and carbon emissions savings if it is running constantly and, preferably, at full output. As a general rule of thumb, 4000 operating hours is usually the minimum requirement to achieve an acceptable return on investment from CHP – which in our experience can be less than five years.

How to ensure optimal CHP operation and maximum benefits Size matters How the CHP unit is sized has a significant impact on its performance. Oversizing the CHP will cause the unit to shut down during periods of low thermal demand, resulting in frequent stop-start cycling. To avoid this, the best approach is generally to match CHP heat output to the building base load, with condensing boilers operating in conjunction to meet peak heat demand.

Get the sizing right and a continuously-running CHP unit will generate low-cost, lowcarbon electricity as a by-product of producing base load heating.

Knowledge exchange Good suppliers will have a dedicated CHP team on hand to offer support and guidance at every step. No one knows a product as well as the supplier, so it’s advisable to involve them early on to get the best from the equipment.

How a low-carbon technology like CHP is integrated into the system will affect its performance. Suppliers will be able to provide access to information that could help save time and money. The likelihood is that they will have seen a similar scenario before and its outcome. They should, therefore, be able to supply schematics and exemplary drawings that could prove useful.

Specialist technical engineers will be able to assist with the implementation and integration of the CHP as well as carrying out precommissioning, assembly and full commissioning, if required.

Leisure

Leisure centres are, in the main, in constant use, opening almost every day of the year from early in the morning until late at night, with a high, yearround requirement for heat and power.

CHP is able to meet their constant demand for space heating and hot water while keeping heat and power costs low, making it a cost-effective solution for leisure centre owners and operators.

Long-term efficiency Putting a service plan in place from the outset will ensure that the CHP unit continues to operate efficiently and reliably.

Using experienced CHP engineers to service the unit will also enable maintenance to be carried out with minimum disruption.

Most suppliers will offer a choice of service plans, all of which will include inspections at regular intervals, typically at around 6000 CHP operating hours for a 20kWe unit. The plan will also include remote monitoring. As an estimated 85% of reported CHP faults are able to be corrected and reset remotely, this reduces downtime, inconvenience and costs still further – as well as the carbon emissions associated with a site visit.

Energy management benefits What about the initial outlay?

Funding for CHP and interestfree loans are available from schemes like Salix Finance and the Revolving Green Fund.

CHP systems also qualify for Enhanced Capital Allowances and their fuel input is exempt from the Climate Change Levy, making the business case still stronger.

But even without grants, CHP offers huge scope for carbon and cost reductions in leisure centres. Just a 10% improvement in the management of energy use could save UK leisure facilities up to £70m each year and reduce carbon emissions by hundreds of thousands of tonnes, according to the Carbon Trust. CHP, which is fully compliant with all energy efficiency regulations and NOx requirements, has the potential to reduce a centre’s energy bills by three times that amount.

Perhaps, most importantly, as the grid undergoes its biggest change in recent years, CHP provides improved control over energy consumption.

And for local authorities committed to reducing energy consumption and emissions across all their estates, including leisure centres, that’s surely a compelling argument. 

 www.remeha.co.uk

Remeha R-Gen Natural Gas CHP range 20kWe-150kWe

CHP provides a cost-effective solution to strategic, long-term financial and environmental savings for leisure centre owners and operators

33

Interiors: Ceilings & Acoustics

A QUIET LIFE: HOW TO IMPROVE ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE IN SOCIAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS Upgraded ceiling and floor systems are a great way to improve acoustic performance – particularly when it comes to social housing developments of multi-tenant occupancy.

Here British Gypsum Residential Sector Manager, Sarah White, explains how, through intelligent design, Building Regulations can be exceeded with little extra cost but great benefit to tenants. the Government W ithcontinually pushing the social housing sector to provide ever-greater standards of comfort, meeting the demands and requirements for modern homes can be challenging.

Especially for multi-tenant occupancy developments, which have to accommodate different families with different lifestyles.

Noise can often be an issue, causing numerous complaints.

For housing providers looking to ensure a comfortable living environment is created for all in the long-term, taking building acoustics – and the optimisation of both sound insulation and sound absorption – into consideration early on in the design and specification process will certainly bring benefits in the long-run.

But first, understanding how noise is created within a home environment goes a long way to getting the specification of the internal elements and linings right. Noise can be generated in two ways. Airborne noise, such

34

as music, voices and outside traffic, occurs when soundwaves pass into the building structure or through separating internal elements and linings like ceilings and floors. Impact noise, however, is the transmission of noise from heavy footsteps or the movement of furniture.

Reducing noise on a residential development One of the most effective ways to minimise noise is to start with design considerations such as room layout and the positioning of rooms. It’s vital to think about the noise generated in high-traffic corridors or communal areas and noisy rooms such as bathrooms, kitchens or utility-type spaces.

Where possible, position these away from quieter spaces that may require a more peaceful setting such as bedrooms.

Another key design aspect that can really make a difference is how the internal elements and linings interact with the associated structure.

To optimise sound insulation against airborne and impact noise, the aim is to reduce or eliminate air paths that allow the sound to pass between two spaces separated by a dividing element. The ceiling, floors and walls which flank the dividing element constitute the main paths for flanking transmission, but this can also occur at windows, doorways, heating or ventilation ducts, for example.

Get the walking surface right to stop noise entering the floor structure However, if you get the walking surface right in the first place, you can significantly reduce noise transferring into the floor surface.

To help provide an effective separating floor solution, look for systems on the market that not only meet regulatory requirements but also offer enhanced acoustic performance levels.

For example, to reduce the risk of impact sound flanking transmission, a system such as a batten floating floor could be specified in addition to the decoupling of the ceiling.

For this application, it’s worth considering the use of a concealed metal suspended ceiling system such as CasoLine MF, which ensures enhanced acoustic and fire performance improvements can be achieved.

For lightweight timber joist separating floors, partially decoupling the plasterboard ceiling from the floor structure using, for instance, Gypframe RB1 Resilient Bars, can help to achieve the required performance. Gypframe RB1 Resilient Bars are acoustically engineered channels to separate floor fixings from the joists and add only 16mm to the depth of the ceiling. Where floating floor treatments are specified, for example timber battens, a cavity depth of at least 70mm should be incorporated to avoid lowfrequency resonance effects in the critical low-frequency zone.

Interiors: Ceilings & Acoustics

Acoustic performance can be enhanced further by specifying plasterboard with additional thickness as an internal layer beneath the walking surface.

Pay particular attention to junction details Developers should also ensure that all supporting regulations and legislation are followed when it comes to acoustic performance. In England, Building Regulations Approved Document E offers guidance for both new-build and refurbishment projects on how to provide reasonable standards of sound insulation in dwellings and other residential buildings.

When developing designs, it is advisable to pay particular attention to flanking construction and junctioning as poor detailing may prevent full design performance from being achieved on site. The areas to take special care over are the junctions between the separating floor and external walls, other separating structures, penetrations and door openings.

Never view sound absorption surfaces as a substitute for sound insulation Acoustic performance can also be improved through the intelligent design and specification of sound absorbing materials to combat reverberation. In acoustics, reverberation refers to the multiple reflections, or echoes, of sounds inside a building that merge and persist for up to a few seconds before fading away.

The choice of material will be influenced by its acoustic efficiency as well as its appearance, durability and fire protection qualities. By converting some of the sound energy into heat, soundabsorbing materials will also help sound insulation because less noise will be transmitted to other rooms. However, this reduction in noise is very small when compared with the potential reduction due to sound insulation. Sound absorption is therefore never a substitute for adequate sound insulation.

Stop noise before it even gets into apartments Section E3 of the Building Regulations covers reverberation noise in the common internal parts of buildings containing flats or rooms for residential purposes, stating that: “The common internal parts of buildings which contain flats or rooms for residential purposes shall be designed and constructed in such a way as to prevent more reverberation around the common parts than is reasonable”.

Lining the common internal parts of buildings with sound absorbing materials can control reverberation effectively; however, the introduction of these materials into communal areas can create design issues.

Carpet, for instance, is capable of giving the high levels of sound absorption required; yet, conversely, this can lead to problems with ongoing maintenance and long-term

durability. Equally, installing common mineral fibre tiles on exposed metal grids can give areas an institutional feel and detract from the overall building design.

For these reasons, it’s worth taking a fabric-first approach and looking to ceiling ranges that companies have to offer.

There’s plenty of support available to ensure both flexibility in design and construction as well as exceptional acoustic performance. Specifiers get to realise fully the visual and acoustic ambience of their designs. Installation is rapid and simple, and for the end user, a comfortable living environment is created.

Getting the design and specification of the internal elements and linings right from the outset not only reduces cost in the long-term but, importantly, future-proofs developments for flexible living requirements as people’s lives change. 

 www.british-gypsum.com

To reduce the risk of impact sound flanking transmission, a system such as British Gypsum’s GypFloor SILENT could be specified in addition to the de-coupling of the ceiling

35

Fire Protection

FIRE BUILDING REGULATIONS – ARE YOU UP TO DATE?

Following the aftermath of the Grenfell Fire tragedy, Scotland has recently reviewed its laws regarding the installation of smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to provide a higher standard of protection throughout all Scottish homes. Here Ian Ballinger, Certification Manager for FireAngel, explores how legislation currently in place for England and Wales differ to Scotland and the potential changes that professionals should be aware of. contractors and F orspecifiers working on the construction of new-build properties, it’s vital that Building Regulations specific to each separate dwelling are legally adhered to, therefore, ensuring individuals are offered the highest levels of fire protection.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have been at the forefront of providing their residents with higher levels of fire protection, with their Building Regulations going well above those specified in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland’s (NI) technical handbooks state a minimum Category LD2 system is required, whereas in England and Wales an LD3 system is the minimum requirement.

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These regulations define the legal levels of minimum protection required for each property.

LD3 requires the installation of smoke alarms in circulation spaces that form part of escape routes, such as landings and hallways, whilst LD2 takes this one step further by also requiring the installation of alarms in areas that are either high risk or the principle habitable room, such as a kitchen or living room.

Whilst Scotland has been ahead of England and Wales with regard to both fire and CO safety for a considerable time, it has now taken this one step further following a consultation on the installation of fire and smoke alarms in Scottish homes. The consultation sought views on

potential changes to standards required for fire and smoke alarms in domestic properties in Scotland, which closed on 1st December 2017, prompting the Scottish Government to implement a change in the law regarding the installation of fire and smoke alarms.

The change, which is planned to be introduced by autumn 2018, has been designed to provide a greater level of protection for all types of properties within Scotland, whether these are owned, privately rented or as part of a social housing scheme. Whilst private landlords across the UK have more recently had stricter fire regulations they must comply to following the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015.

The legislation regarding social housing has often been unclear, with many tenants unsure of their legal rights with regard to fire and CO safety. The aim is for all homes in Scotland to have an increased level of Fire and CO protection by the end of 2020.

Scotland’s latest move adds the new regulations to the Scottish Social Housing Standard, as well as privately owned homes. Housing Minister, Kevin Stewart, defines the move as: “Enabling everyone to benefit from the same level of protection, regardless of the property type.”

This level of protection is significantly higher than the LD3 requirement specified for properties located within

The updated regulations also specify that the smoke and CO alarms can be battery or mainswired, which is a significant improvement in the accessibility and cost-effectiveness of achieving greater protection as residents have the ability to install straightforward sealed long-life battery alarms or have mains-wired alarms with a lifespan of 10 years installed.

The benefit of batterypowered alarms is that they do not require an electrician to install the product, enabling residents to achieve a high level of protection within their own property quickly and easily.

Scotland is also making significant strides in terms of CO safety as it now requires the installation of alarms where a carbon-fuelled appliance or flue is present.

Fire Protection

England and Wales, resulting effectively in a postcode lottery of protection determined by geographical location in the UK. However, following the release of Dame Hackitt’s post-Grenfell report, it identifies the current system of Building Regulations and fire safety is not fit for purpose and acknowledges the Government is currently in the process of redrafting Approved Document B. The review of Approved Document B is a positive indication that the Government is planning to make advancements in England and Wales’ fire and CO safety, which will hopefully follow the same route as Scotland’s latest legislative changes. This is a necessity to ensure all types of buildings have the same level of effective and appropriate fire safety.

Under the new changes to Scotland’s Housing Act, all homes should have: One functioning smoke alarm in the room frequently used by the occupants for daytime living purposes (such as a living room) One functioning smoke alarm in every circulation space on every floor, such as hallways and landings One heat alarm in every kitchen All of these alarms should be ceiling-mounted and interlinked Carbon monoxide alarms should be fitted where there is a carbon-fuelled appliance or flue.

England and Wales are also making advances in terms of CO safety, with the former Housing Minister Dominic Raab’s latest review planning to examine existing legislation to evidence whether it remains fit for purpose.

Currently, privately rented properties in England and Wales legally require landlords to install a CO alarm, but this is only if a solid fuel burning appliance such as an open fire or wood burner is present.

However, privately owned homes and social housing properties do not fall under the same requirements.

Scotland’s Housing Act has taken a step further and required private landlords to install CO alarms in every room where there is any fixed combustion appliance which includes gas boilers.

This approach is now being extended to social and privately owned households under the new legislation.

Following Scotland’s revision of CO requirements, it is hoped that Dominic Raab’s review will find England and Wales’ current legislation limited, prompting all houses within the UK to have a CO alarm installed by law if there is a flue or carbon-fuelled appliance present, not just a solid-fuel burning appliance as is currently the case.This will hopefully be supported by the suggested review of Approved Document B by the Government, to ensure that all aspects of fire and CO safety in all types of properties are improved.

Whilst England and Wales’ legislation remains uncertain, contractors, specifiers and installers can achieve complete compliance within both new-build and existing properties by taking the level of protection they provide one step further. Interlinked alarms, whether they are smoke, heat or CO, will all sound if a single alarm detects a potential danger. For example, if a CO alarm is triggered, all of the alarms, regardless of type, will sound within the property.

This provides individuals with greater time to react to the potential danger as they are alerted, regardless of where they are in the home.

In systems such as Wi-Safe 2, the alarm sound pattern will be different according to the type of incident, so people will be able to identify whether it is a potential fire or CO risk and respond accordingly.

Alarms can be either hardwired or wirelessly interlinked, with radio-frequency

interlinking often providing a more suitable solution as it saves both time and money as there is no need to lift floorboards and carpets or channel out walls to run wires between alarms. It also offers considerable flexibility to add new alarms of accessories, enabling professionals to ensure they are continuing to achieve complete compliance as and when England and Wales’ regulations evolve.

As the disparity between Scotland, England and Wales’ fire and CO protection continues to be brought into the spotlight, contractors and specifiers can ensure they are achieving complete compliance at all times by going above and beyond in the protection they provide. By installing interlinked smoke, heat and CO alarms in a Category LD2 system professionals can prepare themselves for any future updates in England and Wales’ legislation, whilst also enhancing occupier safety. 

 www.fireangel.co.uk

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Building Access & CCTV

Encouraging interaction between scientists with an open feel and layout whilst being accessible to the public for lectures, exhibitions and a teaching laboratory for schoolchildren, meant varied levels of building security were required at the Francis Crick Institute

Takeaways Tailgating into a building without presenting a valid security credential such as an ID card or badge is a common cause of unauthorised entry into restricted areas. It can occur at any entrance or exit, and all buildings are vulnerable.

AN OPEN AND CLOSED CASE Iain Entwistle, Product Marketing Manager at Meesons A.I., looks at the problems that can arise as a result of tailgating in restricted areas of a building, and how it can be prevented. security can take a B uilding number of forms, ranging from CCTV and manned patrols through to physical access control and intruder alarms; all of which provide an adequate level of deterrence to intruders. However, in buildings with highly restricted areas, it is important to ensure the physical entrance barrier is effective in preventing tailgating and unauthorised access.

Tailgating is where a person gains entry into a building or restricted area without presenting a valid security credential such as an ID card or badge. It is one of the most common causes of unauthorised entry and can occur at any entrance or exit.

In the majority of cases, tailgating is carried out by authorised personnel unwittingly.

For example, when someone follows a colleague through a security entrance without using their own pass, or when someone holds the door for another person, which people are inclined to do. In strict access controlled environments, however, this can cause major problems as it allows would-be intruders to gain easy entry by stealth into sensitive and restricted parts of the building.

Despite, in most cases, tailgating occurring innocently, it can put the company’s assets and the safety of people in the building at risk, should an

intruder with malicious intent gain access this way. In some cases, particularly in buildings such as scientific research centres and public institutes, it could result in sensitive data or even hazardous materials being stolen.

A considerable amount of effort has therefore gone into developing entrance control solutions that prevent tailgating and unauthorised access. These latest devices work by only permitting one person to enter or leave the building at once using an intelligent physical barrier, or electronically by incorporating sensors that detect when an unauthorised person attempts to piggyback their way into the building.

Doubling up

At the Francis Crick Institute, five lanes of high glass speed gates were installed within the main building reception to provide a stylish, quick throughput, controlled access solution

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The most commonly chosen solution, particularly for buildings that have highly restricted areas but a high volume of people entering and leaving daily, are speed gates and security portals. Take the Francis Crick Institute, the largest purpose-built biomedical research institute under one roof in Europe. Home to 1500 scientists and staff, the institute is designed to support scientific research goals whilst promoting public engagement.

The options available to increase the levels of building security are continuously developing, particularly when it comes to physical entrance control barriers. With the design of many entry control systems now integrating antitailgating measures, tackling this vulnerable physical interface is becoming an easier task for building management teams.

Encouraging interaction between scientists with an open feel and layout whilst being accessible to the public for lectures, exhibitions and a teaching laboratory for schoolchildren, meant varied levels of building security were required.

Five lanes of high glass speed gates were therefore installed within the main building reception to provide a stylish, quick throughput, controlled access solution. The inclusion of 1800mm-high glass wings also provided an added level of security once within the main entrance.

A higher level of security was required for the main research facility; therefore, security portals were installed in this area to provide a secure line to prevent unauthorised access. In order to maintain the high aesthetics of the building, the security portals were provided in a brushed stainless steel finish, which complement the modern appearance.

The intuitive interlock system enabled unmanned secure access for all staff to freely go about their work, day or night. 

î˜ą www.meesons.com

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Disability

HOW THE DISABLED TOILET DILEMMA CAN SHAPE THE FUTURE OF CUBICLE DESIGN

Disabled toilets are subject to a range of suggested regulations to ensure public cubicles provide adequate space for accessibility and wheelchair manoeuvrability. Yet when it comes to disabled toilet usage – specifically, who should be able to access them and when – we find rules of a different nature are often broken. Laminate manufacturer Formica Group conducted a survey to assess the opinions and habits of those who use Britain’s public and workplace toilets. Sharing the findings below, Joe Bell from Formica Group also examines how the study can inform future designs of standard cubicles. by a survey I nformed of 2000 adults in the UK, the ‘Lifting the Lid on Washrooms’ White Paper reveals that 18% of respondents believe disabled toilets should be off-limits to those without a disability. But more than half think it’s fine to use them if there are long queues elsewhere.

It’s not just convenience that is encouraging the use of disabled toilets by non-disabled users; cleanliness ranks highly too. A fifth feel it’s acceptable to use a disabled toilet when it is cleaner than the standard cubicle. Similarly, 15% agree that, in instances where non-disabled users want more cubicle space, it is permissible to use a disabled toilet.

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The notion that disabled toilets are cleaner and more spacious than standard toilets comes from the belief that they are used less frequently.

With lack of privacy being a major concern for 41% of adults using public toilets, the appeal of the sanctuary offered by disabled toilets is understandable.

Even when people are in a cubicle, the data finds they still feel vulnerable, with nearly half of respondents saying they are conscious of large gaps between the doors and its frame and between the floor and base of the cubicle door. 22% say they dislike using toilets outside their home specifically for this reason.

There is a clear preference for more room to be given to people; additional space should, therefore, be allocated to cubicle design. The desire for larger cubicles goes hand in hand with the desire for increased privacy – part of the solution here lies in specifying surfacing material in larger dimensions.

Toilet regulations and specifications Regulation states that disabled toilets must be at least 2220mm long by 1500mm wide and have a door 900mm wide which can open 950mm outwards. Basins need to be positioned so that hands can be washed while still seated on the toilet; grab rails must also be installed at specific heights.

When it comes to standard toilet cubicle design, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says an SME employing between one to five mixed-sex staff needs at least one toilet and one basin; for six to 25 staff it’s two toilets and two basins; for 26 to 50 staff it’s three of each; for businesses with 51 to 75 staff, four of each are needed; while a business of 76 to 100 needs five of each.

Schools have their own washroom guidelines, with the recommendation that there should be at least one toilet per 10 pupils for those under the age of five, while for those aged 11+ there must be one washbasin per toilet. In special needs schools, there should be one toilet for every 20 pupils, regardless of age.

Disability

Cubicle sizes are also strict; all standard (non-disabled) cubicles must have a minimum of 450mm-diameter manoeuvring space within the cubicle, with the recommendation that the standard dimensions are 850mm wide by 1500mm deep.

Survey respondents did not like the large gaps they find in public or workplace toilets, even though they don’t need to be as big as they are (regulations merely state a door should be able to be released from the outside).

When it comes to specific facilities a washroom must have, the regulations are vague, and respondents seem to signal that this vagueness (and its interpretation by employers) is not meeting their expectations.

Legally, workplace toilets should simply have ‘enough soap or other washing agents’ and offer ‘a means of drying hands such as paper towels or a hot air dryer’.

However, respondents feel this is not good enough. A majority (61%) want hands-free flushing (not legally required); more than a third (34%) also want improved hand dryers; while 22% want bigger soap dispensers.

There’s one key area too that the legislation overlooks entirely, but which adults seem to care about a great deal – noise.

Using the toilet (particularly at work) can feel embarrassing for people if they feel they can be heard in the next cubicle or even in the corridor outside. A significant 32% say they want better soundproofing. So fearful are people about the noise they create that nearly a fifth have actually avoided using a toilet if they think it has a lack of soundproofing.

The adoption of a similar design approach to standard cubicles would provide more space for the user and also eliminate the door gap issues, thereby ensuring increased privacy. The challenge for architects, designers and facility managers is to provide the larger cubicles without reducing the number of overall cubicles available in a building.

The in-depth research explores the UK’s innermost thoughts on public toilets and reveals vital insight to aid architects, designers and fabricators on the future design of the public toilet. 

 www.formica.com

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KBB

The doors and walls of the cubicles are steel faced with a honeycomb core for amazing strength but lightness – so there’s no institutionalsounding ‘clang’ when the doors are closed

WONDERFUL WASHROOMS AT WALTHAMSTOW WETLANDS

Walthamstow Wetlands is the capital’s newest and largest urban wetland nature reserve and encompasses 10 large reservoirs, which deliver water to 3.5 million Thames Water customers and increases public access to nature in an area of London deficient in open space. As part of the scheme, architect firm Witherford Watson Mann designed a visitor centre within a decommissioned Victorian pumping station, to house a cafe and shop plus exhibition, learning and events spaces. the buildings and S ince landscape were already distinctive, they were treated with a light touch. What capacity they had has been adapted for economical and flexible operation, helping to build the long-term sustainability of this significant new community resource for East London. The sturdy brick pumphouse was gently repaired, with new steel gantries threaded through, to connect the rooms and offer views over this landscape of water, woods and marshland.

When it came to the washrooms, they wanted to continue with the use of raw steel, and an online search brought them to Devizes-based Relcross and an earlier project of theirs featuring Hadrian steel toilet cubicles at the Oaks Restaurant in Nottingham. While available to match almost any RAL colour,

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Hadrian Steel cubicles can be supplied in a plain galvanneal finish for a natural, industrial look.

At Walthamstow, they have been combined with Staffordshire blue quarry tiles to the floor and Staffordshire red quarry tiles to the walls for an overall effect that evokes the functional industrial design of the original engine house but with immense practicality for public washrooms at a very popular new facility.

The doors and walls of the cubicles are steel faced with a honeycomb core for amazing strength but lightness – so there’s no institutional-sounding ‘clang’ when the doors are closed. The lightness means they require no special structural provisions to effect a rigid installation on any type of floor. Importantly, they are easy to clean and maintain and are very dent resistant. All corners of the cubicles are mitred,

welded and ground for superior strength. Privacy is ensured by the use of continuous stop and hinge sightline fillers together with a minimal 150mm gap from the floor to the underside of the door and panels.

Due to their steel construction, Hadrian toilet partitions are fire-resistant and will not give off toxic smoke if exposed to heat or flame. On top of all that, they also have excellent green credentials as Hadrian’s products feature a high recycled content.

One of the four cubicles in the ladies’ is enlarged and features an outward-opening door to allow room for the provision of baby changing facilities. One of the two cubicles in the gents’ is similarly equipped.

 www.hadrian-cubicles.co.uk  sales@relcross.co.uk  01380 729600

At Walthamstow, Hadrian Steel cubicles have been combined with Staffordshire blue quarry tiles to the floor and Staffordshire red quarry tiles to the walls

KBB

‘BEST PRACTICE’ GUIDELINES UPDATE ACCOMMODATES DISABLED STUDENTS New ‘best practice’ guidelines have been published that, for the first time, specifically address disabled student accommodation.

Britain’s S imultaneously, leading provider of disabled toileting solutions, Closomat, is announcing new developments that enable providers to comply, stylishly, with a unique package from specification, through fitting to future service and maintenance.

The options help enable providers to meet the growing number of disabled students, which now represents almost 10% of the student population in the UK. BS 8300:2018 ‘Design of an accessible and inclusive built environment’ extends the remit of compliance covered under its predecessor BS 8300:2009.

The latest version is not specific to new-build projects and applies to all building types that require permanent sleeping accommodation for disabled people.

It also, for the first time, incorporates a specific set of criteria for student accommodation bedrooms.

Under the new guidelines, up to 4% of bedrooms should be wheelchair accessible, up to 1% of rooms should include a fixed track hoist system and up to 5% should be easily adaptable for independent wheelchair use. If only one accessible bedroom is provided, it should include an accessible shower room, with the preferred solution being a level-access shower with shower seat if required, and include a WC. The adaptable rooms should have the space and design features to allow for the addition of grab rails, shower seats, with ceiling height to allow for a track hoist (2.4m).

Closomat offers a range of contemporary ceiling track hoist systems that can be tailored

to individual needs, enabling movement and transfer within a room, through to an en-suite, or beyond.

In the bathroom, it can provide a stylish wall track system, that integrates with a range of fixtures such as grab rails, height-adjustable or fixed washbasins, shower seats, enabling quick and easy adaptation to individual occupant needs.

Its range of wash and dry toilets take accessibility into higher realms of inclusion and intimate hygiene, with contemporarystyled floorstanding, wallmounted and height-adjustable variants. Wash and dry toilets have the added benefit of satisfying cultural and religious considerations, regardless of the enhanced hygiene they provide against conventional wiping.

“Accessibility is a growing consideration in building design,” explains Robin Tuffley, Closomat’s Marketing Manager.

Britain’s leading provider of disabled toileting solutions, Closomat, is announcing new developments that enable providers to comply, stylishly, with a unique package from specification

“Disabled student numbers have increased by 56% in less than a decade, so it’s a sector that accommodation providers need to consider, and address.

“As the new British Standard points out, because such accommodation is booked or reserved in advance, there is greater scope for it to be adapted correctly, as required, to suit an individual student. It goes so far as to advise that in effect a ‘show flat/bedroom’ should be provided on build completion so people can assess how their requirement may be met.”

Closomat’s website is the go-to resource to help take the first steps towards efficient accessibility provision, including design guidance, white papers, CAD blocks, NBS specification clauses and case studies.

The information represents the combined wealth of knowledge amassed from over 55 years’ helping disabled people optimise their dignity and independence in the bathroom, at home and away.

 www.clos-o-mat.com  info@clos-o-mat.com  0161 969 1199

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Floors, Walls & Ceilings

Paul and the Miles Industries team know Ecophon’s products well and, as they were involved at the design stage, they were able to advise on the best product to use in many areas

SPECIALIST ACOUSTIC SOLUTIONS FROM ECOPHON Caudwell International Children’s Centre (CICC) is the UK’s first independent purpose-built facility dedicated to autism diagnosis, therapy and research. The 60,000ft2, £20m facility located at Keele University Science and Innovation Park has incorporated curved steel roofs around two internal courtyards. centre has been T hemeticulously designed to provide an ideal environment for disabled people, with a particular focus on the needs of children with autism and neurodevelopmental conditions.

Ecophon’s Omar Hussain described how the design of the building called for specialist acoustic solutions. “All of the rooms and large spaces have curved walls which made the concealed Focus Ds installation very non-standard. The integration with M&E proved to be a specific challenge which we had to address directly on site.”

Paul Norris of Miles Industries was the ceiling contractor for the duration of the project holding initial design meetings, organising the pricing of the works and both surveying and managing elements of the works.

He described working on the CICC building: “A high proportion of the walls were curved, and this made installing standard products a challenge. We had to use several products which are usually used sparingly on standard construction projects including 6mm Glasroc plasterboard and flexi perimeter trim.

“We installed Focus Ds predominantly on the ground floor in the front of house

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areas where children, staff and parents would be. Ecophon's Advantage was mainly used in the staff office areas on the upper floors. Both of these products were installed in the lab area, along with Meditec and some Focus E.” Paul and the Miles Industries team know Ecophon’s products well and, as they were involved at the design stage, they were able to advise on the best product to use in many areas.

“We have worked with Ecophon before and have experience with a number of their products, but it was our first time using the Focus Ds system.

The architect and client required a Class A absorption tile so had already specified Ecophon.

However, we were involved in adapting a few specifications for commercial reasons. We also helped the customer specify suitable ceilings for various spaces to meet very demanding requirements. The concealed system was a high priority.”

The Miles Industries team found it useful that the Ecophon team were available for site visits when needed, and to answer installation queries.

 www.ecophon.co.uk  info@ecophon.co.uk  01256 850977

Focus Ds was installed predominantly on the ground floor in the front of house areas where children, staff and parents would be

The sound choice for design London’s new Design Museum has opened. It has been created within the shell of the original 1960s Grade II Listed Commonwealth Institute, well known for its distinctive copper-covered, hyperbolic-parabolic roof.

With the emphasis on the display and teaching of design, the priority for Designer John Pawson and Dutch architect practice OMA was equally about the building’s new reconfigured interiors and the design and performance of the products used.

For example, the museum’s galleries are arranged around an oak- and marble-lined atrium with floors covered in pale grey terrazzo while Troldtekt acoustic panels tie spaces together with a visually attractive textured surface.

Floors, Walls & Ceilings

Consequently, 4000m2 of Troldtekt fine texture panels in white and grey have been installed in all areas where a peaceful and studious atmosphere was required, such as the library, study and lecture rooms and over the very large space housing the restaurant, bar and breakout areas. Here, the highperformance panels absorb the sounds of noisy dining and chatter together with the echoes and reverberation caused by the hard surfaces and large glazed areas. Furnished with blue stained ash tables and chairs, the restaurant offers views of Holland Park and into the central atrium with the dramatic exposed roof structure above.

Troldtekt natural wood-wool acoustic panels are widely specified throughout the UK and Europe. They are available in various sizes and in four grades from extreme fine to coarse, they can be left untreated or painted in virtually any RAL colour. They can also incorporate different forms of lighting and speakers. In an inexpensive and eco-friendly way, occupiers benefit from a host of physical benefits such as high sound absorption, durability and natural breathability coupled with sustainability as documented by Cradle to Cradle certification at ‘Silver’ level.

 www.troldtekt.co.uk  info@troldtekt.co.uk  01978 664255

Remmers repairs Bawdsey Radar Station Built in 1938 and protected by concrete blast walls, Bawdsey Radar Station was the world’s first operational radar station. The walls had decayed steadily since the building was vacated in 1991, leaving the top layer of reinforcement exposed to the elements.

Being a heritage site, traditional concrete repair techniques were not allowed. Working in partnership, Remmers and Concrete Renovations Ltd devised a way to repair the walls by using Remmers’ restoration materials. Remmers’ coloured mortars were used to repair and simulate the colour of the original concrete alongside Remmers’ migrating corrosion inhibitor and impregnation cream as part of the 25-year maintenance plan.

 www.remmers.co.uk

 sales@remmers.co.uk

 01293 594010

Designer Contracts awards long-serving employees Designer Contracts has acknowledged 65 longserving members of staff with special awards, as it celebrates its 25th year in business. The company, which has grown rapidly over the past 25 years, treated five of the longest-serving employees to a celebratory meal at the Casa Hotel in Chesterfield, the town where the business is headquartered. At the dinner, Designer Contracts’ MD, Peter Kelsey, presented Andrew Brent, Jill Lee, Cath Amphlett, Tim Williams and Fay Sykes with engraved iPad Pros as a thank you for their dedication and loyalty. Said Peter Kelsey: “As we celebrate our 25th year, we thought it would be an opportunity to thank our longest-serving employees for their loyalty.”

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

Rockfon achieves ProCure22 approved supplier status Rockfon is very proud to have been awarded ‘Recommended Supplier’ to the NHS and social care construction schemes in England by the Department of Health (DH) via its ProCure22 (P22) administered framework. The appointment is proof positive of the trust and belief the DH and NHS have in the professionalism and expertise exhibited by the Rockfon team and the outstanding quality and performance characteristics of its products.

The company has been specified for a large number of projects within the healthcare sector for many years. Rockfon National Account Manager, Andy Edwards, said: “We have undertaken many projects within NHS Trusts and are delighted to have been awarded the ProCure22 approved supplier status for suspended ceilings.”

 www.rockfon.co.uk  info@rockfon.co.uk  0800 389 0314

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Floors, Walls & Ceilings

During the day, the Kalwall enhances daylight and distributes it internally without shadows and glare while at night, it creates a welcoming glow with scallopshaped backlighting. The unique ability to transmit large amounts of usable light with relatively low levels of solar heat gain means less radiant energy transmitted and this, coupled with diffusion, does away with the hot spots and glare. With increased natural daylight and resistance to solar gain, energy-consuming artificial lighting and air conditioning costs are dramatically reduced.

Kalwall is highly resistant to impact, making it excellent for use in schools, leisure facilities, gymnasia, offices and other public buildings. It is particularly popular for swimming pools and sports halls. Glare on a swimming pool surface is a common concern with dazzling rippled sunlight bouncing off the surface which can cause discomfort to swimmers. In addition, it can be a serious safety concern as lifeguards can struggle to see swimmers should they be in need of assistance. In sports halls, it is also important that there is an even distribution of light so that players can distinguish markings on the floor as well as easily spotting balls and other obstacles.

Shining light on a centre of excellence The Foyle Arena in Derry uses large areas of Kalwall for the pool area and sports hall elevations in order to minimise glare and maximise natural daylight.

Designed and specified by architect firm Samuel Stevenson & Sons, this centre of excellence forms part of the NorthWest Regional Sports Campus.

The Kalwall is a key component of the £12.7m redevelopment with a double indoor swimming pool coupled with new facilities for judo, wrestling and mountaineering.

Ancon honoured at third Buckingham Palace Royal reception Ancon has been honoured at a Royal reception to celebrate its success in the 2018 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise – the third Queen’s Award for the company. The champagne reception was hosted by HRH the Prince of Wales, on behalf of HM the Queen. Ancon’s Export Manager, Hervé Poveda, and Operations Director, Peter McDermott, represented Ancon at the event, along with representatives of its business partner, MagmaTech – joint winner with Ancon of the 2018 award. It was a very proud moment for the two Ancon representatives who share over 50 years’ service and have played important strategic roles in the company achieving and maintaining UK market leadership and its significant international growth. Ancon’s latest Queen’s Award comes as a result of expanding into advanced composites, with the successful introduction and ongoing development of the ultra-low thermal conductivity Teplo range of basalt fibre wall ties, which improve the energy efficiency of masonry construction.

 www.ancon.co.uk  info@ancon.co.uk  0114 275 5224

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 www.structura-uk.com/kalwall  kalwall@structura.co.uk  01233 501504

Tremendous 10 years for Taraflex at Guernsey Grammar School Over 10 years ago the States of Guernsey in the Channel Islands wanted to source 500m2 of sports flooring for the Guernsey Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre. The school turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to provide the solution with its world-class, uber-performing Taraflex Evolution sports flooring for the main sports hall. Relying on quality refurbishments that are both future-proof and fit for purpose is a key element of this school’s educational buildings requirement. The all-new Evolution product is now safer, higher performing and offers even more protection than before. There’s no doubt that Gerflor’s Taraflex Evolution continues to be the market benchmark in sports floors with optimal durability, comfort and protection offering a P1 category shock absorbency; 25 to 35% and a new 7.5mm thickness.

 www.gerflor.co.uk  contractuk@gerflor.com  01926 622600

New Altro Orchestra earns a gold star at primary school Brand-new Altro Orchestra soft vinyl flooring is proving a big hit with pupils at the Lanner Primary School, Cornwall, who have reported a significant improvement in acoustics and comfort.

The acting headteacher said: “We are always looking for ways to make cost-effective improvements to the school for the safety and comfort of pupils and to enhance their learning and playing experiences where we can.

“We fitted new Altro Orchestra flooring in the main school hall to reduce reverberation and boost overall comfort, and we are delighted with the results. The children have told us that it’s more comfortable to sit on

Floors, Walls & Ceilings

than the flooring it replaced and that the acoustics in the hall are much better.”

Altro Orchestra has been engineered to create the ideal environment to learn and live, specifically for applications such as schools and hospitals where comfort and sound reduction are paramount.

For primary schools such as Lanner, the new flooring offers the ultimate flexible, multi-purpose surface that can be used for both study and play areas throughout the school.

At 2.85mm thick, Altro Orchestra offers superb comfort underfoot, making life easier on the feet of both pupils and staff and, as the children have reported, it’s very comfortable to sit on too. In addition, the low residual indentation of the flooring means furniture and equipment can be used and moved flexibly without leaving tell-tale marks.

At the same time, the integrated impact sound insulation system cuts impact sound by up to 15 dB. Specifying an acoustic flooring option, instead of a standard floorcovering, can, therefore, improve the performance of space for children and those with hearing difficulties, and aid concentration.

 www.altro.co.uk  enquiries@altro.com  01462 707604

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47

Doors, Windows & Louvres

A toast to Scottish Architectural Excellence GEZE UK raised a glass to toast Scottish Architectural Excellence when it sponsored the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) Awards Dinner for the fourth consecutive year.

12 award winners were revealed at the prestigious event at the Hilton, Glasgow, in June. They were selected from a shortlist of 25 which encompassed a diverse range of projects. Andy Howland, Sales and Marketing Director for GEZE UK, presented an award to Allan Murray Architects, for Boroughmuir High School, Edinburgh, which was noted to have an “excellent relationship between inside and out”. The £26.3m project for the Children & Families Department of the City of Edinburgh Council saw the development of a four-storey building with state-of-the-art facilities. The judges were unanimous in their view that this was an exceptional project with impressive compact planning, that created large well-lit spaces, excellent acoustic treatment and a very intelligent fire/smoke/ventilation strategy.

 www.geze.co.uk  info.uk@geze.com 01543 443000

Deceuninck’s 2500 Tilt & Turn window was recently installed in the Imperial College London’s flagship student accommodation.

Working with the Berkeley Group, Deceuninck fabricator Dempsey Dyer installed 1100 frames in the Woodward Buildings complex. This was a technically demanding project which had complex requirements for aesthetics, weather performance, acoustics, safety and durability. Dempsey Dyer met all the criteria with Deceuninck’s high-performance 2500 Tilt & Turn window, meeting the original specification for aluminium with the same performance and aesthetics while saving 30% on the overall cost of windows. The windows were installed in high-rise buildings, so they needed to be strong enough to withstand elevated wind and water pressure. The 2500 Tilt & Turn comfortably met these demands with Class 4 air permeability; Class 8A watertightness and Class A5 2000Pa exposure.

 www.deceuninck.co.uk  deceuninck.ltd@deceuninck.com  01249 816969

New Mardome Trade Smoke Vent lifts the lid on smoke and heat

Smart launches UK’s first PAS 24 tested auto slide door

Forming part of the Brett Martin Mardome rooflight range, the fully-certified Mardome Trade Smoke Vents deliver maximum fire safety by allowing smoke and heat to escape, whilst bringing natural ventilation and an abundance of natural light into both new-build and refurbished buildings. Allowing specifiers to source both rooflight and smoke vent products from a single supplier, Mardome Trade Smoke Vents are individual polycarbonate dome rooflights intended for installation on flat or low-pitch roofs of all modern building types to provide natural smoke and heat exhaust ventilation and comfort. Designed, fully tested and certified in accordance with EN 12101-2, Mardome Trade Smoke Vents meet standards for safety, security, non-fragility and fire safety. Fully guaranteed, they are available with a number of product accessories including a control panel system, fire switch, fireman’s priority switch and smoke detector.

Smart Architectural Aluminium has introduced a PAS 24 option to its auto-slide Smart Wall door system. Featuring standard and fire escape door variants, the new auto-slide door is the first in the UK to be fully tested to the latest PAS 24 standards. Representing the latest security upgrade to Smart’s established Smart Wall system, the new auto-slide door provides architects, designers and facilities managers with even more flexibility when working on both newbuild and refurbishment projects. Meeting the requirements of BS EN 16005, the door is ideal for use in both light commercial applications and public buildings such as schools, hospitals and leisure centres and is available in both single- and double-door configurations. With the correct gearing set-up, the system is also suitable for installation as a fire escape door. The door is available in a wide range of colour options from Smart’s extensive range of standard and non-standard finishes.

 www.brettmartin.com/en-gb/daylight-systems.aspx  daylight@brettmartin.com  0247 660 2022

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Berkeley Group selects Deceuninck’s Tilt & Turn for Imperial College

 www.smartsystems.co.uk  sales@smartsystems.co.uk  01934 876100

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Landscaping & Water Management

A COMPLEMENTARY AESTHETIC FROM MARSHALLS' WALLING

Project: Miller Homes, Lindley Architect: Dixon Jones Contractor: Balfour Beatty Engineer: Arup

The buff colourway of Marshalls’ Weathered Pitched Cromwell Walling provided a complementary aesthetic to the neighbouring Yorkshire landscape

The Lindley Park development near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, is now a well-recognised landmark in the local landscape. The scheme wanted to incorporate materials that would provide a sympathetic addition to the surrounding open countryside and wide horizons, whilst also utilising local materials. buff colourway of T heMarshalls’ Weathered

The complementary neutral toned mortar creates a beautiful muted blend with the units to allow the characteristic exposed aggregates of the stone to be the focal point

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Pitched Cromwell Walling provided a complementary aesthetic to the neighbouring Yorkshire landscape.

This reconstituted walling material is manufactured using locally quarried Yorkstone aggregates to replicate the visual and textured characteristics of natural stone closely and is wet-pressed for a smoother and more realistic finish.

The complementary neutral toned mortar creates a beautiful muted blend with the units to allow the characteristic exposed aggregates of the stone to be the focal point. The use of buff Yorkstone aggregates ensure the base colour is intrinsically maintained, replicating the appearance of natural stone at an affordable price and, as Cromwell is manufactured

using a hydraulic press, it has low water absorption which guarantees a long-term, highquality face appearance. The pressing process also ensures that each unit is of a very high density, which maintains accuracy in the secondary processing of the product, resulting in time savings on site due to dimensional precision.

The final scheme includes a superb selection of attractive, high-quality modern houses and apartments into a popular residential neighbourhood. The combination of the reliability and consistency of contemporary production methods with a traditional natural stone product has created a modern yet characterful housing scheme in a delightfully rural environment.

 www.marshalls.co.uk  info@marshalls.co.uk  01422 312000

Landscaping & Water Management

Hauraton service channels keep cables safe but accessible Hauraton, well known for its surface water drainage products, also offers three ranges of service channel suitable for use as sub-surface cable ducting for both indoor or outdoor locations including; sports venues, major stadia, exhibition halls, factories, warehousing and container depots. The channels provide safe yet accessible installation of electrical and data cables.

Two ranges are based on the company’s 1m-long fibre reinforced concrete channels, FASERFIX SUPER and KS. The SUPER models incorporate 40mm-deep galvanised angled housings on their top edges allowing Class E600 ductile iron covers to be fitted. The KS models have a 20mm-deep galvanised angled housing and are available for Class C250 or, where necessary, E600. The third range is based on Hauraton’s RECYFIX PRO channel made from 100% recycled polypropylene. These have a 20mm galvanised housing allowing

Class C250 covers to be fitted. Weighing less than 25kg, the PRO channels are suitable where easy handling is desirable.

With SUPER and KS models, the ductile iron covers are securely located into the housings by the company’s SIDELOCK fixing system. To access the cables, covers are easily removed using a large screwdriver at the appropriate leverage points. In practice, the SIDELOCK system has proved to be 90% quicker than any other fixing method available. Where necessary, covers can be bolted down. PRO models have bolt-down covers as standard.

The popular nominal widths offered with Hauraton service channels are 200 and 300mm. These models incorporate a perforated steel galvanised cable tray that is suspended within the channel keeping the cables clear of any water that may access the channel. The water can then be safely drained away.

 www.hauraton.co.uk  sales@hauraton.co.uk  01582 501380

Grate Seal solves school shower smells Grate Seal products have been used successfully to solve drainage issues in the showers at a 900+-pupil grammar school in Greater Manchester. The school was built 10 years ago and, although a modern design, foul odours and waste from the drains were emitted through the grate in the showers. The problems have now disappeared thanks to an inexpensive retrofit of a Grate Seal floor drain seal. Andy Dukelow, Managing Director of Sanitaryware Supplies Company, explains: “It was a large walk-in shower, and the waste and smell from the drains were coming through the grate.

They tried cleaning the sewers and using disinfectant to clear the grate, however, nothing would work. Within minutes of installing a Grate Seal fitting, it stopped the problems. The school has since used another Grate Seal product in a washing machine room and, yet again, the issues were immediately brought to a halt.” The easyto-install Grate Seal products eliminate bad smells, stop insects from passing through the grates and prevent suds and waste from rising through the top. The products, stocked only by Sanitaryware Supplies Company in the UK, are a permanent solution to drainage problems and are completely maintenance free.

 www.sanitarywaresupplies.co.uk  sales@sanitarywaresupplies.co.uk  01157 842769

Safeguard’s Stormdry EPC helps landlords meet energy standards Safeguard Europe has developed a cost-effective system to improve the energy efficiency of solid-walled properties. The launch of Stormdry EPC comes as the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), relating to rented properties, have taken effect. The new standards say that any commercial or residential property that is being let for the first time, or where a lease is renewed, must achieve an EPC of Grade E or above. The rules will extend to cover existing leases from April 2020 for domestic properties and April 2023 for commercial ones. Historically, properties with solid walls, rather than cavities, have been the most difficult and challenging to insulate. Stormdry EPC provides landlords – and other property owners – with a cost-effective way to improve the thermal performance of solid-walled properties. It offers an alternative to conventional solutions such as external wall insulation (EWI) and standard internal wall insulation (IWI) which can be expensive, disruptive or both.

 www.safeguardeurope.com  info@safeguardeurope.com  01403 210204

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HVAC & Electricals

ENERGY-EFFICIENT MAKE-UP AIR SHOULD BE ON EVERYONE’S MENU An increasing number of commercial buildings require improved ventilation – often to create a cleaner atmosphere that meets health and safety and COSHH requirements, or simply to provide a more comfortable environment for employees. Danny Packham, European Product Manager – warm air and radiant – for Nortek Global HVAC UK, explains the developments in make-up air heating solutions to meet ventilation and air distribution requirements at a time when energy costs are escalating. commercial buildings, I ngood ventilation will keep bad odours, irritating pollutants and potentially harmful gases like carbon monoxide at bay.

Plus, it prevents the formation of mould and/or mildew, which is vital for employee health and building hygiene.

When production processes get underway, air quality can quickly deteriorate. Raised levels of indoor air pollution may reduce productivity, as well as having negative effects on the comfort of the building’s occupants.

Danny Packham is European Product Manager – warm air and radiant – for Nortek Global HVAC UK

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Certain industries are prone to airborne particles that can make life very unpleasant. Automotive manufacturing processes, for example, produce oil haze that hangs in the air. In other industries, chemical processes may generate foul vapours.

An extract-only ventilation system will create a negative pressure environment, resulting in replacement air being drawn from adjacent areas via door openings and structural gaps. In winter, this will introduce cold external air into the building, creating discomfort for its occupants.

One alternative to an extractonly system is to introduce a ‘make-up air’ or supply air heating system that replaces the extracted air with conditioned fresh air. In this way, the environment within the building can be closely controlled, and never left to the mercy of external weather conditions.

Make-up air systems are doubly advantageous – they create even temperatures throughout a building and ensure that extraction systems perform efficiently. If make-up air is not provided, an extract system has

to work harder and the capacity will be reduced, producing system inefficiencies. The result is negative pressure within the building as unheated air is drawn in from around the perimeter, causing uncomfortable draughts and drawing dust and dirt into the production space. Similarly, existing heating systems are unable to operate effectively.

Make-up air heating units provide a highly effective solution to the problem of maintaining both air quality and stable internal temperatures. They deliver a balanced volume of replacement air into the body of the building. This creates a slight but uniform positive pressure throughout the internal space that inhibits the infiltration of cold external air and airborne dust.

This principle not only allows the extract system to perform more effectively, but also provides cost-effective heating.

Without make-up air, comfort conditions are difficult to achieve with cold draughts at low level and heated warm air rising to high level without any

benefit to building occupants working at floor level.

Reznor make-up air heating systems offer a solution in many different types of the building – both where extraction is a constant rate or varies throughout the day to match production criteria.

The Reznor packaged makeup air units such as PREEVA, IDF-BDX and RTU provide replacement air tempered to a predetermined design temperature and maintain this temperature whilst extraction is in operation, whilst 100% thermal efficiency provides reduced energy usage. Where extracts rates vary, further energy savings can be achieved by using a variable air volume make-up air unit. The volume of replacement air provided automatically adjusts with the changing extract rate thereby reducing both the electrical and gas usage. In summer, the make-up air units also provide ‘free fresh air cooling’.

 www.reznor.eu  reznorsales@nortek.com  01384 489250

We live in a ‘smart’ digital age, where technology is a fundamental part of how we live and go about our business and is at the heart of some of the world’s most exciting building projects.

In fire safety, which is increasingly in the spotlight following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, it has been possible for some time to ensure every fire and smoke damper in a building is tested and serviced regularly without physically accessing the ventilation system.

Maintaining dampers can be disruptive if someone actually needs to get into the ductwork – sometimes parts of the building need to be closed while this work takes place, so this vital process is often delayed or cancelled.

Instead, a damper test can be automatically instigated by the BMS linking to the damper control system on a regular, pre-programmed basis without the need for ‘physical’ human intervention. With remote monitoring, each damper can be mapped and tracked. Reports from the damper system can be monitored by the building’s BMS, on mobile dashboards and send email notifications to the building manager wherever in the world they may be.

Control panels can be integrated into existing data networks and the client’s building management strategy, which is essential for easing maintenance and reducing its cost.

As well as making buildings safer, an initial investment in smart digital connectivity dramatically reduces lifetime ownership costs. This is no longer cuttingedge, but it is certainly smart.

HVAC & Electricals

Smart thinking can deliver digital reality

 www.swegonair.co.uk  sales@swegonair.co.uk  01746 761921

Trusted partnership delivers ideal solution for major engineering firm After 45 years of operating the same heating system, a leading engineering company in Eastbourne is expecting an energy efficiency increase of at least 20% thanks to the collaboration of Ideal Commercial Boilers and Independent Heating and Cooling.

When a global engineering firm’s factory boiler system started to leak and become costly to run and maintain, it enrolled the expertise of Independent Heating and Cooling (IHC) to address the issue within an eight-week window.

This Eastbourne building is split into eight zones of offices and manufacturing areas which have varying demands throughout the day. IHC brought in its trusted partner Ideal Commercial, which it has worked with for 15 years due to its wide range of products, technical expertise and reputable after-sales support. This is a partnership that has recently been celebrated in Ideal

Commercial’s new ‘Industry Trusted’ multichannel campaign which highlights the importance of genuine relationships within the commercial heating industry.

Ideal Commercial carried out a pre-site check in order to identify the correct products for the job and consequently recommended five 150kW Evomax boilers, totalling 750kW. The Evomax has the ability to modulate a 5:1 turndown as heat demands are reduced, the perfect solution for this particular application given the varying demands of the various factory zones.

Ideal Commercial’s typical Frame and Header kits offer in-line and back-to-back

cascade options of up to six boilers with a combined capacity of up to 600kW, offering the ability to install multiple boilers that deliver a higher output. In order to accommodate the higher output, Ideal Commercial supplied a bespoke header which made for a quicker installation process and therefore a more cost-effective solution.

 www.idealcommercialboilers.com  commercial@idealboilers.com  0844 543 6060

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Focus & Innovation

Scoil Phadraig wins RIAI Best Educational Building award

The school in Westport which was installed with a 2300m² Bauder Thermofol roof has been recognised at this year’s Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) award ceremony. Scoil Phadraig under the project name of ‘New School in Town’ was nominated in the Public Choice Award for the best building in Ireland for which it was voted second and was awarded ‘Best Educational Building’. An eye-catching aspect of the building is its 2300m² roof. The Bauder Thermofol PVC system provides an aesthetical finish to the building in addition to a strong waterproofing system. Following a final inspection, Bauder was able to provide a 20-year guarantee for the entire roof.

 www.bauder.co.uk

 info@bauder.co.uk

 0845 271 8800

McAvoy completes offsite construction at Dublin Airport The McAvoy Group has handed over a new passenger facility at Dublin Airport which was built off site and, at over 19m wide, is believed to be the largest single-span modular building delivered to date in the UK and Ireland. The new €22m South Gates passenger boarding area has been developed to meet the huge growth in passenger numbers at Dublin Airport. It provides seven boarding gates to serve nine aircraft stands and is designed to accommodate around 8000 passengers a day.

The 2200m2 facility was constructed off site at the McAvoy production centre in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, to reduce time on site. It was craned into position in 16 days as 77 steel-framed modules.

 www.mcavoygroup.com

 info@mcavoygroup.com

Advanced protection for National Rail College A key driver in the successful delivery of the UK’s £42.6bn HS2 project, the new National College for High Speed Rail is now protected by industry-leading fire panels from Advanced. The Advanced MxPro panels were specified by the team at GBE Fire and Security. GBE’s Business Development Manager, Andy Westgarth, commented: “With sensitive installations, including electrical catenary, a high-quality fire system is essential and, as a long-standing Advanced partner, we feel that MxPro panels are the ideal solution.” MxPro is the fire industry’s leading multiprotocol fire system solution. It offers customers a choice of two panel ranges, four detector protocols and a completely open installer network, backed up by free training and support.

MxPro panels can be used in a single-loop, single-panel format or easily configured into high-speed, multi-loop panels in 200 node networks covering huge areas. MxPro’s legendary ease of installation and configuration and wide peripheral range make it customisable to almost any application.

 www.advancedco.com  sales@advancedco.com  01670 707111

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 0288 774 0372

Firestone refreshes online presence Firestone Building Products UK and Ireland has made accessing information about the company’s products, capabilities and technical support easier than ever with the launch of a dedicated UK and Ireland website. The new site – www.firestonebpe. co.uk – provides clear navigation across Firestone’s areas of expertise in roofing, lining, thermal insulation and facades, and features UK-based project case studies, product information and news. Designed to provide accessible and up-to-date information about the products and services Firestone offers in the UK and Ireland, the website is optimised for use on any device via any browser, making it a useful tool and reference for contractors and specifiers, both in the office and out on site.

 www.firestonebpe.co.uk  info@fbpl.co.uk  01606 552026

Yeoman Shield helps maintain standards at Keble Prep A North London boys’ school has installed robust wall protection panels from Yeoman Shield to help protect its corridor walls from constant wear and tear and maintain an attractive surrounding for pupils and staff. John Field, Bursar for Keble Prep, commented: “We needed to find a permanent solution to protect the interior walls from continually being marked and scuffed. We came across Yeoman Shield through a recommendation and thought that their wall protection systems could be the solution to our ongoing problem.” A Yeoman Shield Area Sales Manager visited the school to undertake a no-obligation site survey and advise which products would best meet its needs. Yeoman Shield’s skilled fixing operatives then installed the 2.0mm-thick wall protection panels in the company’s FalmouthEx finish during the Christmas break to minimise disruption to pupils and staff. The panels were fitted 1200mm high in the senior school ground and top floor corridors, as well as stairs and stairwells.

 www.yeomanshield.com  sallyann@yeomanshield.com  0113 279 5854

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