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February 2015
Rapid responses Delivering facilities for faster, efficient rescue services
Collaborative design
Aesthetic challenge
Taking ownership
– people-centred approach transforms care centre
– blending boundaries of modern and natural settings
– building bespoke playgrounds for belonging
New year, new classroom?
Rising pupil numbers mean many schools face a classroom shortfall putting pressure on them to provide more space quickly and economically. Modular buildings from Wernick provide a modern, spacious, energy efficient environment for pupils and staff. What’s more, while the building is being manufactured, the foundation is being prepared on-site. This makes it possible for us to deliver a building of exceptional quality very quickly and with a saving of up to 50% when compared to a traditional building. Modular buildings can be sited where space is limited and can be multi-storey. They can form permanent buildings with traditional features such as a brick finish and a pitched roof or temporary so that if your student numbers fall in the future the building can be relocated.
Why Wernick Modular Buildings?
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Speedy completion Lower cost than traditional build More dependable build programme 25 year structural warranty Planning and building regulation service Full project management Sustainable form of building Choice of traditional or contemporary finishes HIRE and LEASE options available
Sustainable construction without compromise For additional information visit www.wernick.co.uk/education
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Leading architectural and engineering design consultancy, Pick Everard, has been at the forefront in delivering modern state-of-the-art new buildings for fire services around the country. See page 8.
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Welcome... The world’s leading event for the sustainable built environment is fast approaching. From 3rd – 5th March, Ecobuild will fill the halls of London’s ExCeL to provide a comprehensive platform for sourcing new and innovative solutions for the green building industry. Whether your focus for 2015 is delivering new housing, or tackling the performance of existing stock, this yearly exhibition should be a firm fixture in your calendar. As always, the organiser has put together a rich seminar programme, addressing vital issues concerning all local councils and public sector professionals, such as BIM, the Renewable Heat Incentive and building performance. For more information on how Ecobuild can help you meet and deliver your objectives, turn to page 42. You will also find in this section a small selection of exhibitor highlights from suppliers who are certainly worth a visit. Be sure to also pop by the Mixed Media stand on S4006 to meet the team, peruse our other industry titles or simply take a virtual tour around our user-friendly online products. Elsewhere in this issue, you will find dedicated features on Lighting, Landscaping, Street Furniture, Retrofit and HVAC, as well as our regular focus on the four key areas of the public sector build market – Healthcare, Housing, Leisure and Education. I hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t forget you can also access all of the magazine’s features, product news and supplier information at your fingertips via PSBJ’s state-ofthe-art app. To download your version free of charge, simply search ‘PSBJ’ on Google Play or the App Store.
Hannah Frackiewicz
Hannah Frackiewicz | Editor | hannah@mixedmediainfo.com Follow us on Twitter: @psbjmagazine Download the PSBJ app for iPhone, iPad & Android Search 'PSBJ'
Public Sector Build Journal 3
Contents 08 06 News A round up of the latest industry news including charity events, awarded contracts, show partnerships and responses to timely construction announcements.
08 Upfront PSBJ explores Pick Everard’s approach to delivering efficient, modern state-of-the-art new buildings for fire services.
14 Housing
20 Legal & Business
26 Education
Laurieston housing development of 201 homes – built by Urban Union for New Gorbals Housing Association – marks the completion of the first milestone in the area’s £100m regeneration.
Scape unveils a majority of local councils fear they will fall short of hitting their savings targets for a wide range of construction projects.
Willmott Dixon and Scape have delivered the best possible start to 2015 for pupils and staff at The Bemrose School in Derbyshire.
16 Technical Focus
22 Cladding
28 Healthcare
The UK is making good progress towards more energy-efficient buildings, but there are a couple of important factors that mean we risk hitting a proverbial glass ceiling with improvements.
ROCKPANEL facades have formed the stunning canvas for a three-storey carving on a new building at Sheffield Hallam University.
Studio TILT has utilised its people-centred approach to explore and test what was really required for the new Whittington Health Trust Ambulatory Care Centre.
18 Talking Point
25 Modular Buildings
30 Landscaping
Harjit Sandhu at British Gypsum explains why social housing providers need to focus on extending the maintenance cycles of their properties.
After a number of temporary structures, Slough and Eton College now benefits from a new, permanent sixth form block provided by Wernick Buildings.
Wienerberger paving provides Southwater One with a physical and symbolic link between the bold, external appearance of the development and its natural surroundings.
The all-new psbj.co.uk
Your revitalised and purpose-built portal for public sector building specification PSBJ unveils the new-look online resource for building products designed for the public sector built environment. Offering more content in an easy-to-navigate format, this refreshing, tailor-made new portal delivers the right content to the right audience in the shortest time possible.
Search ‘psbj’
4 Public Sector Build Journal
www.psbj.co.uk
26
28
30
32 Leisure
38 Retrofit
Wicksteed explains how incorporating key aspects of important local heritage, landmarks or simply location into outdoor play design can make successful schemes.
Steve Saunders, Senior Technical Manager at Triton, identifies some of the factors influencing the growing popularity of retrofit showers.
34 Street Furniture
40 HVAC
Paul Collings, Managing Director from Timberplay discusses the role of Street Furniture in creating more cohesive community hubs.
It is essential for any council to carry out rigorous maintenance programmes to ensure its building stock remains in good condition.
36 Lighting
42 Ecobuild Preview
44 Product Showcase
Marshalls lighting expert Guy Harding discusses the increasing importance of multipurpose LED luminaires and their ability to sense the cities they light.
PSBJ explores the highlights and new features for this year’s Ecobuild event – the world’s marketplace for green building.
A dedicated focus of industry news, products and case studies to help architects and specifiers make informed choices when planning.
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Read the latest issue online Gain insight from industry experts Source products and suppliers Keep up to date with industry news Discover new innovative technologies Browse the archive of features and issues Manage your subscriptions Download the PSBJ app for your iPad, iPhone or Android
Public Sector Build Journal 5
News
Garden Bridge receives approval Construction of a new Garden Bridge over the River Thames could begin this year after the scheme was given the green light by the Mayor of London’s office. The Garden Bridge will provide a dedicated crossing of the Thames for pedestrians in central London, helping to contribute to the Mayor’s strategy for making central London a more attractive and accessible place for walking. The bridge is set to support economic growth and planned regeneration on both sides of the river. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick – who created the cauldron for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games – the Garden Bridge will be 366m long and will connect Temple on the north bank to the South Bank. It is estimated that the bridge will attract seven million trips per year using it as a new way to cross the river. The bridge will include a major new public space and garden that will be free to access and will feature 270 trees as well as shrubs, climbing plants, hedges and flowers. Westminster City Council and Lambeth Council have already resolved to grant consent for the bridge. Chief of Staff and Deputy Mayor for Planning Sir Edward Lister has now confirmed that he was happy to give those planning decisions the green light. Transport for London and the Treasury have both committed £30m each with the remainder of the cost made up of private donations. The construction contract is estimated at around £90m with the total project cost estimated at up to £175m.
Leisure and sport construction at highest level since 2012 Figures released in December reveal that the value of hotel, leisure and sport construction contracts awarded in November reached its highest level in two years. Barbour ABI, which is a chosen provider of construction data to the Office
6 Public Sector Build Journal
for National Statistics (ONS) and the Government, has published its latest Economic & Construction Market Review revealing that the value of hotel, leisure and sport construction contracts totalled more than £574m in November, an 8.8% increase on October and 34.3% higher than November 2013. The report also shows that the sector accounted for 10% of the total value of all construction contracts UK-wide, with 40% of these awarded in London. Michael Dall, Lead Economist at Barbour ABI, commented: “The value of construction contracts awarded in the hotel, leisure and sport sector in November rose to its highest level since 2012, which is hugely encouraging for the wider industry. “It’s not surprising that London was the main location of activity in the sector this month, with 40% of the total value of all contracts awarded.”
Willmott Dixon appoints addition to education team Willmott Dixon has recruited one of the UK’s most experienced educational specialists with former EFA director of programme delivery Mike Coleman joining as Education Sector Director. The company is already one of the country’s largest builders of schools, with over 50 delivered last year, and has built more free schools than any other company as well as successfully pioneering new standardised technology that’s increased the efficiency of school building by up to 30 per cent. Its Sunesis product, developed with Scape, is the UK’s most popular standardised design concept with nearly 25 Sunesis primary schools completed or in construction since 2013, each one delivered in less than a year. The strategic leadership provided by Mike Coleman will add further ‘fire-power’ to Willmott Dixon’s ability to create high quality, sustainable schools across
England and Wales, something which led the company to be crowned Education Investor’s ‘contractor of the year’ last November. His previous experience includes overseeing the delivery of around £2b of capital investment each year for schools on behalf of the Department for Education. Prior to this, Mike has worked on all Government investment programmes in the last decade, including Building Schools for the Future, the Priority School Building Programme, Academies Capital Maintenance Fund and UTCs.
Shortlists for BREEAM Awards 2015 announced The shortlists have been announced for the BREEAM Awards 2015, the winners of which will be announced at a gala dinner at the London Marriot Hotel in Grosvenor Square on 3rd March 2015. Drawn from highest scoring buildings in 2014 – under the BREEAM schemes for assessing building sustainability – the shortlists include many of the most innovatively sustainable buildings in the UK and countries across Europe, including the Czech Republic, France, Norway, Romania and Sweden. “This year’s shortlists represent an extraordinary variety of inspirational buildings that are setting the standards for sustainability in the design, construction, refurbishment and management of our built environment,” says Gavin Dunn, Director of BREEAM. “Ranging from city towers to factories, shops, schools, hospitals, homes and much besides, they demonstrate that the many benefits of sustainability can be gained from virtually any type of building.” The shortlisted buildings are grouped into the following types: Office, Retail, Industrial, Healthcare, Education, Residential, and Mixed-use and other. There are Awards for New Construction in all categories, and for Refurbishment and Fit-Out and In-Use in the Office and Retail categories. The shortlists can be viewed on the BREEAM website.
Royal Borough condemns ‘appalling’ developer advert The Royal Borough of Greenwich has condemned an advert placed by developers marketing a new housing
News development in the borough as “appalling” and “out of touch”. The Royal Borough has asked developer Development Securities to apologise for the advert’s content, which attempts to use no social housing in the first phase of the development as a selling point. The advert was placed by Development Securities to market some of their new homes in the new Cross Quarter Development in Abbey Wood. Overall the development will deliver much-needed quality housing, a new library, a new supermarket and other community facilities as part of regeneration of Abbey Wood being spurred on by the arrival of Crossrail in 2018. Councillor Denise Hyland, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich said: “I am appalled that this PR firm on behalf of the developer has chosen to produce such a crass advert, that does not represent the true picture of this development at all. “The majority of the affordable units are in the second phase of the development as the residential units in phase two are family housing, whereas nearly all of the units in phase one are non-family accommodation, consisting of 1 and 2 bedroom properties.” Cllr Danny Thorpe, Cabinet Member for Regeneration & Transport also condemned the advert. “It is disgraceful that this advert was allowed to be published particularly when the Council negotiated affordable housing as part of the development, as well as significant community benefits.”
Eric Wright given green light for council offices Cumbria County Council’s plan for a new headquarters in Carlisle has been approved by cabinet. The £10.4m offices in Botchergate, designed and to be built by Eric Wright Construction, part of the Eric Wright Group, form an essential component in the council’s transformation, with public sector cuts meaning its workforce will be significantly reduced by 2018. A green light for the downsizing deal enables the council to press ahead with its Better Places For Work project, which
will see office accommodation in the city decrease from 22 buildings to two. It currently faces a £13m maintenance backlog liability on existing accommodation, along with high running costs. Selling the majority of these offices and moving to a custom-built premises will save around £1m each year. The state-of-the-art building will also help the council deliver new efficient ways of working in both management reductions and business support. The new Botchergate headquarters will feature 450 workstations and accommodate around 700 staff, with hot desking, mobile working and modern technologies helping to further slash overheads and cut the council’s carbon output in half – from 1546 tonnes to 826 tonnes.
staff members have been working in the building since the summer, which presents unique challenges in and of itself as we have continued to work on the lower floors.” Renovations have included the transformation of the old rates hall, where residents used to pay their taxes, into a function room which can be hired by members of the public, as well as the revamping of an auditorium and conference rooms.
£11m restoration project at council HQ now complete Pick Everard starts work on £14m college scheme Leading independent management, design and construction multidisciplinary consultancy, Pick Everard, has started work on a £14.1m refurbishment project at a Leicestershire college. The scheme will see the extensive refurbishment of Loughborough College’s multi-storey, six-floor A-Block – housing the sixth form college – which dates back to the 1960s. As well as being stripped out completely and refurbished, the building will be made far more energy efficient with improved lighting and will become open plan. There will also be a new roof and replacement cladding to envelope the building. The A-Block is one of the college’s key teaching buildings and is situated on Epinal Way in the town. Pick Everard has been appointed as the project managers and quantity surveyors for the Leicestershire scheme. The new project follows the previous appointment of Pick Everard by the college to deliver a £15m Loughborough Arts Academy and Hub which was completed in September 2014.
Work on an £11m project to restore Leicester City Council’s headquarters is now complete. Contractor Willmott Dixon began work last year to restore the 1930s building in Charles Street to its former glory. In addition to sensitive restoration of original Art Deco features, the firm has also created new committee and function rooms to allow the city council to hire out spaces at the venue for weddings and functions. Nick Heath, Operations Director at Willmott Dixon in the East Midlands, said: “This was a really interesting project for us to be involved in as it involved the restoration of a historic building, but also the provision of office accommodation appropriate for the modern age. “As part of the works we have undertaken, we have managed to create areas of civic space in addition to the council offices which opens up the building to the people of Leicester. “Not only that but, following the closure of the council’s New Walk Centre, some 400
Public Sector Build Journal 7
Upfront
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service now has an impressive new home in Birstall
Servicing the country Leading architectural and engineering design consultancy Pick Everard, has been at the forefront in delivering modern state-ofthe-art new buildings for fire services around the country. Here PSBJ outlines the importance of efficient delivery when working in this vital sector.
The £8m HQ facility in Birstall accommodates all departments of the Fire and Rescue Service
8 Public Sector Build Journal
O
ur fire and rescue services now deal with an increasing number of road traffic incidents as well as fire and flood response, therefore the facilities from which they operate need to accommodate a growing range of vehicles, provide for all types of training requirements and be designed to ensure quick emergency response times can be achieved. The growing focus by the fire and rescue services on prevention through community safety training is helping to reduce fire deaths and road accidents and fatalities, and the buildings from which the services operate from need to help facilitate these requirements. It is something Pick Everard considers carefully in each of its build criteria, delivering more than £25m worth of schemes across the UK for its fire service clients since last year. Pick Everard’s latest projects are located at Birstall, Hinckley and Coalville in Leicestershire, Rochester, Medway, Ramsgate and Ash-Cum-Ridley in Kent and Woking in Surrey. “It has been a privilege to work with our clients in the fire and rescue service to deliver these projects,” said Barrie Kemp, Director at Pick Everard. “We understand the need for the schemes to be delivered swiftly, within a tight budget and completed without any negative impact on the fire and rescue services, something which we have achieved already with the completion of the projects in Coalville, Hinckley and Birstall.
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Upfront
Staff at Birstall can work more efficiently to deliver first-class services to the local community
Pick Everard makes sure buildings are designed so that fire services can achieve the best possible response times
“With the projects in Kent and Surrey well under way, we know there too we will be able to work with our clients to deliver energy efficient buildings which provide great operational facilities designed specifically for the regional requirements. “The primary values we bring to projects are our in-depth knowledge of designing for the emergency response sector and how to achieve cost and operational efficiencies for our clients. This is relevant to all our projects and they are our main objectives,” Barrie continued. “Fire services are under increasing pressure to demonstrate efficiencies. At Pick Everard we understand this and have the specialist knowledge to deliver buildings which mean our clients can operate more cost effectively. “We make sure buildings are designed so that fire services can achieve the best possible response times. Layouts are designed for a better flow through buildings for example and the route to the Appliance bay is designed to reduce exit time,” Barrie added.
First class services Following more than 50 years occupying the same headquarters building, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service now has an impressive new home in Birstall after Pick Everard was commissioned to deliver full multidisciplinary design including project and cost-management services when the old building became outdated and too expensive to run.
Pick Everard’s latest projects are located at Birstall, Hinckley and Coalville in Leicestershire
10 Public Sector Build Journal
Upfront
Pick Everard is working with Kent & Medway Fire and Rescue Service who are midway through a significant estates renewal programme
Now the £8m HQ facility accommodates all departments of the Fire and Rescue Service meaning staff can work more efficiently to deliver firstclass services to the local community. The £2.5m project in Coalville for the same client involved the complete demolition and rebuilding of the existing outdated fire station to provide a more modern facility. “Making the new buildings more sustainable and environmentally friendly is vital for our clients,” said Barrie. He added: “The new Coalville station incorporates accommodation for a day crew and shift working pattern, with the installation of sleeping quarters which has been designed to include the most up-to-date facilities to allow fire fighters to do their jobs in more comfortable working conditions and be more cost effective for the Fire and Rescue Service to run in today’s tough economic times.” Coalville station’s crew occupied and operated from temporary accommodation and garages, less than a mile from the site, while the new development was being built. A £2m redevelopment of Hinckley Fire Station has also recently been completed as part of the same redevelopment programme.
Designed so that it includes a new residential accommodation block for day crew and shift staff and new purposedesigned training house buildings, it is leading the way in both design and functionality for fire and rescue stations. Pick Everard was responsible for the design and project management of both the schemes, with key objectives
to provide high quality sustainable buildings which incorporated distinctive architecture.
Minimal interference Using its architectural expertise, Pick Everard is currently delivering a £6.75m project in Woking for use by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service comprising of
A new six-bay station in Rochester is due to be completed this year
Public Sector Build Journal 11
Upfront
Pick Everard is currently delivering a £6.75m project in Woking
a six-bay fire station, which due to its town centre location and the need for affordable residential accommodation is designed with 31 commercial units above the fire station. The units are designed so they do not interfere in any way with the operations of the fire service and help to ensure this valuable site is used in the most economic and advantageous way for the community.
Providing essential training Alongside these commissions Pick Everard is working with a number of other fire authorities across the UK, one being Kent & Medway Fire and Rescue Service who are midway through a significant estates renewal programme. As part of this programme of work the largest facility is the new six-bay station in Rochester due to be completed this year which has full internal and external training facilities for fire and road safety for the firefighters as well as a Road Safety Centre designed for public use. The Road Safety Centre will be the first of its kind for the Kent & Medway Fire and
12 Public Sector Build Journal
Rescue Service providing essential road safety skills for young people across the county enabling schools and colleges to bring groups to take part in supervised education visits. Pick Everard’s goal is to provide their client with a modern, innovative building that satisfies all functional requirements with integrated technologies for a forward-thinking fire and rescue service and road safety centre, The Centre’s aim is to reduce road injury and fatality levels in the region by 33% by targeting better education for all ages, but with a particular focus on reducing teenage and child deaths on the roads. There will be an interactive gallery to help engage young people with the key safety messages and a demonstration area where film scenarios will illustrate crash scenes to reinforce road safety and dangers and the centre will also be able to demonstrate to the audience how the fire service deal with traffic collisions. Pick Everard operates across a broad range of sectors including blue
light, education, healthcare, defence, custodial, industrial & manufacturing and workplace.
Award-winning portfolio Services include project management, cost management, architecture, building surveying, building services engineering, civil engineering, structural engineering and management advice. When clients work with Pick Everard, they are working with a company which has an award-winning project portfolio covering major retail development, city centre and urban regeneration, commercial and leisure projects. Established in 1866, Pick Everard is a multi-disciplinary practice with an integrated in-house team of more than 400 architects, engineers, surveyors and project managers. Pick Everard is a national company with offices across the country including in London, Glasgow, Manchester, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Bury St Edmunds, Cardiff, Inverness and Taunton.
www.pickeverard.co.uk
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Housing
Sense of place Laurieston – in the heart of Glasgow – has been awarded ‘Best Social Housing Development’ at the prestigious Premier Guarantee Excellence Awards, which celebrate the best of the UK construction industry.
T
he £24m housing development of 201 homes – built by Urban Union for New Gorbals Housing Association – marks the completion of the first milestone in the £100m regeneration of the area which is one of eight Glasgow City Council priority Transformational Regeneration Areas (TRAs). In the mid-2000s, Glasgow City Council led and funded an award-winning masterplanning exercise which led to the Laurieston project being selected in 2009 as one of three initial pilot TRAs, supported by the regeneration partnership – Transforming Communities: Glasgow (TCG). Delivering a wide range of new homes,
The £100m planned revitalisation of the area is delivering a major boost for the city
14 Public Sector Build Journal
much needed community facilities, and creating many new jobs, the £100m planned revitalisation of the area is delivering a major boost for the city. Welcoming the completion of this stage of the project, Nicola Sturgeon, MSP and Glasgow City Council said: “Regenerating Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities is a key priority for the Scottish Government. This new housing development in Laurieston is fantastic and a major step in the right direction. It really shows just how effective partnership working can be in regenerating our communities. It is only by working together that we can deliver change on a scale like this.
This regeneration project has been an active consideration by the council and NGHA for nearly 20 years
“Completion of the Laurieston development is a key milestone in the regeneration of Glasgow’s Transformational Regeneration Areas (TRAs) and a significant achievement for New Gorbals Housing Association. “The supply of affordable housing continues to be a high priority for this Government, and we are working with the entire housing sector to increase the supply of affordable homes, and deliver vital support for construction and house building companies throughout Scotland.” Laurieston was the most densely populated and urban area of the Gorbals and has a rich, fascinating history. This regeneration project has been an active consideration by the council and NGHA for nearly 20 years. Bailie Liz Cameron, Chair of Transforming Communities: Glasgow (TCG) and Glasgow City Council’s executive member for business and the economy said: “I am delighted to see this first phase in the transformation of Laurieston reach completion. “The exemplary design procured by NGHA will set the tone for what is sure to become one of the city centre’s most desirable urban neighbourhoods, providing high quality homes across a range of affordability levels. “Partnership working in its truest sense has been key to the success of this project so far, both between the partners of Transforming Communities: Glasgow and most importantly, with the local residents and our delivery partners New Gorbals Housing Association and Urban Union.” A community owned and controlled organisation, committed to providing
Housing
The ambition for Laurieston was to create a beautiful new neighbourhood with a real ‘sense of place’
tenants with the highest possible quality housing and environment, NGHA’s chairperson, Raymond Shannon, commented: “It is fitting that the biggest ever grant-funded social housing handover is in the Gorbals. “Our community is now responsible for the design, building and management of such projects and that is what will make this regeneration a long-term success.” Following the local rehousing of tenants and demolition of three of the four high-rise blocks on the central Laurieston site (between 2007 and 2009), NGHA in partnership with Glasgow City Council appointed Glasgow architects Page\Park and Elder&Cannon to design the new city centre quarter. Shannon continued: “The ambition for Laurieston was to create a beautiful new neighbourhood with a real ‘sense of place’ and I think, collectively, we have achieved that. The development will also integrate well with the 1970s tenements in the adjacent Eglinton Court.” The landmark project was financed by Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government with development consortium Urban Union appointed by the Council to transform the area in 2012. Janice Russell, Director of Urban Union, said: “Our vision was to deliver quality housing for the people of Laurieston, using our fresh approach to building not just homes, but communities. “We are delighted at how well this vision has been realised in Glasgow’s newest city centre quarter. “As we enter the next phase of houses for sale we will continue to work closely
Completion of the Laurieston development is a key milestone in the regeneration of Glasgow’s Transformational Regeneration Areas
with our partners and the local community to shape the ongoing development of this vibrant quarter, maintaining its rich cultural heritage while creating much needed modern contemporary amenities.” The second phase, which began in September 2014, will include 69 new homes for sale by Urban Union and 39 for mid-market rent by NGHA. A third phase is also in the pipeline – a further 55 new homes on the corner of Eglinton Street and Cumberland Street, on the site of the former church. This third Glasgow City Council funded phase by Urban Union will include 46 socially rented units for NGHA along with nine shared equity homes, providing a range of affordability options. Baillie James Scanlon, Chair of Laurieston Local Delivery Group said: “As Glasgow’s original suburb, Laurieston has a rich and complex history which is a core part of the
fabric of this closely knit community. “We are proud to be involving local people at all stages of the regeneration process as we work to transform the area and perceptions of it, providing highquality affordable city living at the heart of a revived urban city-centre quarter. “There is no doubt this landmark phase, and the further planned regeneration, will have significant positive benefits for the existing and new community lasting long into the future.” This opening of the social housing marks the first phase of the urban renewal in the area, which sits adjacent to the O2 Academy and the world-renowned Citizens Theatre. The future phases will include further homes for private sale with the potential for retail, hotel accommodation and community facilities.
www.lauriestonliving.com
Public Sector Build Journal 15
Housing Focus Technical
A critical junction for energy efficiency The UK is making good progress towards more energy-efficient buildings. But there are a couple of important factors that mean we risk hitting a proverbial glass ceiling with energy efficiency improvements. James Daley, Building Performance Analyst of Kingspan Insulated Panels explains more.
T
he first is an incomplete understanding of the energy performance of whole building envelopes, and the relationships between different components in this regard. Energy modelling in all its forms is improving this, but it is still often too simplistic and based on inaccurate data and assumptions. The second is a question of responsibility and oversight. While energy modelling is helping to foster a more holistic view of energy performance, more practical issues are holding back opportunities to improve building performance. The realities of multiple stakeholders in a building project mean many important elements, that impact overall performance, are being overlooked. Junctions are the building components most vulnerable to these two factors. Junctions typically occur at windows, doors, drips, eaves and verges. Because they form the joint between two different envelope sections, they are naturally more at risk of broken thermal continuity. Their energy performance is measured in Ψ (psi)-values, a linear measurement of heat transfer between different building components. Unfortunately junction energy performance is still relatively poorly understood. Many in the industry are still unsure of how to manage the construction
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of junctions to maintain maximum thermal performance. Even worse, in response to this, Ψ-values are often overcompensated for in energy modelling, leading to buildings whose performance is underrepresented to clients. This situation has occurred for a variety of reasons. While U-values were an obvious place to start when improving envelope efficiency, initially offering vast, measureable savings, the smaller immediate gains of Ψ-values were deemed too awkward by comparison, and got less attention. But the days of focusing purely on U-values are numbered. As technical advances drive U-values closer to zero, uplifts will become smaller, and the gains, while still important, will become increasingly marginal. In this context, the impact of junction efficiency to envelope performance as a whole will increase, bringing it to the fore. To prepare for this change, the industry must gain a better understanding of junctions and how they perform within the wider building envelope, and improve working practices to ensure these elements are being optimised. There are three reasons why junction efficiency should be at the forefront of contractors’ minds. One is simply best practice; understanding junction
efficiency will make for better, more energy-efficient buildings. Something the entire industry is striving for. The second is economic. There is potential for a clear commercial advantage to those businesses willing to step ahead of the industry curve in understanding junctions and building with them in mind, particularly to meet the demands of the vanguard of clients, architects and energy assessors keen to create the next generation of improved buildings. The third reason is risk. Often junctions mark the boundary between different contractor responsibilities, and not enough is understood about the management of and responsibilities for junction efficiency between multiple parties, meaning the overall energy performance of the building can be compromised at these vital points. As clients and assessors begin to understand the energy performance of their buildings more, questions will be asked of everybody involved in the building process if performance doesn’t stand up to increased scrutiny. There needs to be a more clearly defined chain of responsibility, from architect to main contractor to cladding contractor, to ensure optimum build quality. That’s the reason for my role at Kingspan Insulated Panels. Our Technical Services Department recognises how our industry can benefit from better understanding Ψ-values, and we’ve acted accordingly. Customers can call our technical team at any time to get advice on the energy performance of junctions or product-specific Ψ-values to enable more accurate forecasting.
www.kingspanpanels.co.uk
Technical Focus
Window Head KS1000 LS / LPCB insulated wall panel horizontally laid Kingspan multibeam rail any joints sealed with a film backed butyl tape Internal closure flashing Low profile stitching screws with minimum 14mm diameter non-ferrous EPDM backed washer fitted at maximum 450mm centres Air seal – 6mm bead of gun grade sealant Site applied LPCB certified PIR insulation board, any gaps filled with fire rated canister insulation Panel bearers located at each end, and 1500mm maximum centres
Drip flashing with 100mm sealed butt straps 4mm diameter butyl rubber sealant Pop rivet or similar, at maximum 450mm centres Site applied 25mm thick LPCB certified PIR insulation board, any gaps filled with fire rated canister insulation Soffit flashing with 100mm sealed butt straps Polyethylene backing rod and silicone sealant Window unit by others
Window Jamb Low profile stitching screws with minimum 14mm diameter non-ferrous EPDM backed washer fitted at maximum 450mm centres Internal closure flashing with 100mm overlap sealed with gun grade sealant Kingspan multibeam rail any joints sealed with a film backed butyl tape
Window unit by others
Site applied 25mm thick LPCB certified PIR insulation board any gaps filled with fire rated canister insulation Polyethylene backing rod and silicone sealant Air seal – 5mm bead of gun grade sealant Air seal gun-grade to male joint inline with internal air seal Self-drilling self-tapping primary fixings with minimum 16mm diameter non-ferrous EPDM backed washer Jamb flashing with 100mm sealed butt straps Low profile stitching screws with minimum 14mm diameter non-ferrous EPDM backed washer fitted at maximum 450mm centres AWP filler bedded on gun-grade sealant 4mm diameter butyl rubber sealant KS1000 LS / LPCB insulated wall panel horizontally laid
Window Cill
Window unit by others Polyethylene backing rod and silicone sealant Site applied 25mm thick LPCB certified PIR insulation, board any gaps filled with fire rated canister insulation Kingspan multibeam rail any joints sealed with a film backed butyl tape Window cill flashing with 100mm sealed butt straps Self-drilling Self-tapping primary fixings with minimum 16mm diameter non-ferrous EPDM backed washer at 1000mm centres Low profile stitching screws with minimum 14mm diameter non-ferrous EPDM backed washer fitted at maximum 450mm centres 4mm diameter butyl rubber sealant Air seal – 6mm bead of gun grade sealant
Internal closure flashing with 100mm overlap sealed with gun grade sealant Low profile stitching screws with minimum 14mm diameter non-ferrous EPDM backed washer fitted at maximum 450mm centres KS1000 LS / LPCB insulated wall panel horizontally laid
Public Sector Build Journal 17
Talking Point
Cutting the cost of maintenance Harjit Sandhu, Domestic Sector Manager at British Gypsum, explains why social housing providers need to focus on extending the maintenance cycles of their properties to cut costs and minimise disturbance to tenants.
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It is important that RPs find construction solutions that enable them to strike a balance between initial cost and long-term value for money
egistered Providers (RPs) already have to deal with limited finances to keep their portfolios in a decent state of repair, as a result of cuts to Government funding for the social housing sector. Now, with the commitment by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the recent Autumn Statement to further restrain public spending to cut the deficit, it is even less likely that RPs will see their building and maintenance budgets return to prerecession levels any time soon. At the same time as having less money to carry out work with, RPs are struggling with an increase in the cost of maintenance. According to the 2014 Annual Review of Social Housing by accountants, Beever and Struthers, the total revenue spent on repairs and maintenance across the 100 largest RPs in 2013 was £2.364b – an average spend of
ÂŁ1200 per home. This was an increase of 2.2% on 2012, driven by a significant rise in the cost of raw materials and labour. All of this presents a challenge to a growing number of RPs to ensure they carry out regular maintenance programmes across their entire property portfolio. Despite the cost, regular maintenance of the entire property portfolio is vital both to ensure compliance with the Regulatory Framework for Social Housing in England, which came into force in 2012, and to ensure the well-being of tenants.
The importance of maintenance There are well-established links between housing quality and health, with residents in poorly maintained properties more likely to suffer from mental illnesses, like anxiety or stress, as well as physical complaints, such as respiratory conditions.
RPs can streamline renovation work through the use of robust gypsum plaster solutions
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Talking Point
Harjit Sandhu is the Domestic Sector Manager at British Gypsum, the UK’s leading manufacturer of interior lining systems. Harjit has extensive experience in construction for the public sector, and specialises in retrofit solutions.
The state of repair of social housing can also have an impact on crime and antisocial behaviour in the local community. According to the “Broken Windows Theory” proposed by sociologists James Wilson and George Kelling in 1982, a poorly maintained building can attract damage from vandals, which in turn can lead to further harm. Keeping properties in good condition, on the other hand, can encourage residents to take greater care of their homes, helping to discourage vandalism. Moreover, there is a major financial incentive to RPs to ensure that all of their property portfolio is adequately and regularly maintained. Not only can it help lower the cost of future repairs and renovation work, it can maximise the useable life of the house as well.
Balancing cost and maintenance In order to carry out essential maintenance without stretching their budgets, many RPs may consider choosing lower cost construction materials in their properties. While this might cut initial costs, this can have the effect of increasing expenditure in the long term, as these products may need to be replaced more often, resulting in additional work further down the line. As such, in order to reduce future repair requirements and minimise maintenance needs for social housing stock, it makes good economic sense that RPs specify construction solutions,
Keeping properties in good condition can encourage residents to take greater care of their homes, helping to discourage vandalism
such as plaster or drylining systems, that offer improved durability. This can cut the long-term costs of keeping homes in good repair and help minimise disruption to residents at the same time.
maintenance requirements down the line. In addition, in kitchens and bathrooms long-term contact with water or moisture means that wall surfaces are at risk of premature ageing or mould formation, the spores of which can cause respiratory problems in residents. By using drylining systems that feature plasterboards specially designed to offer high moisture resistance, RPs can ensure that the interiors of traditionally damp rooms are protected from water damage. Not only can this cut maintenance requirements for RPs, it can also safeguard residents’ health and well-being.
Durable solutions There are many ways that RPs can enhance the durability of their property interiors to ensure they stay looking fresh for a long as possible. For example, drylining systems featuring plasterboard solutions that offer high impact resistance, such as Gyproc DuraLine from British Gypsum, can be specified by RPs for use in social housing. Such solutions can offer additional protection, compared with standard products, to wall surfaces from the daily wear and tear common in busy family homes, or even in the communal areas of an apartment block. Moreover, such systems are easy for installers to fit, reducing project times, which can help lower costs for RPs and reduce the impact on residents. RPs can further streamline renovation work through the use of robust gypsum plaster solutions. There are plasters available now that are specially formulated for re-skimming over a wide range of wall backgrounds without the need for time-consuming pre-treatment, or the need for particular products for each surface. This means that installers can create a smooth, high-quality and, above all, hardwearing finish that is ready for decorating with less preparation work, minimising short-term disruption to building occupants and reducing
Counting the cost In order to comply with stringent regulatory requirements and uphold residents’ well-being, it is important that RPs find construction solutions that enable them to strike a balance between initial cost and long-term value for money. The use of durable materials, such as plaster and plasterboard can go a long way towards achieving this goal, by enabling RPs to reduce the amount of time they need to spend keeping their portfolio in a good state of repair. This ultimately can help them streamline expenditure while ensuring they provide high quality homes to the residents they support. To make sure they select the most appropriate solutions for the needs of their housing stock, RPs should talk to specialists in construction materials. This will enable them to balance project costs with finished performance.
www.british-gypsum.com
Public Sector Build Journal 19
Legal & Business
Oakfield Primary School, one of Scape's Sunesis projects
Targets out of reach A majority of local councils fear they will fall short of hitting their savings targets for a wide range of construction projects, from schools to hospitals, in 2015 – adding to the strain on public services according to research from Scape Group, the UK's leading built environment procurement company.
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our in five local authorities (80%) have a savings target set out for their revenue spend on built environment projects for 2015, with the average target being a 15% saving. But just 31% of local authorities are confident about hitting this financial goal, leaving 69% fearful that they will fall short. Concerns are even greater over capital spending targets: 62% of councils have set a 2015 target and are aiming for an average saving of 17%. But more than three quarters (77%) lack confidence in achieving this. Schools and colleges are expected to place the most pressure on local authorities’ financial resources for built environment projects in 2015, followed by health and social care services and highways and infrastructure. Public building projects have already been hit hard by spending cuts in the last 12 months. Urban councils saw their revenue budgets for built environment projects fall by 15% in 2014 compared with an average 13% loss of finance in rural areas. Capital spending on council construction also fell by 10% on average in urban areas and 4% in rural areas. These growing financial pressures have
20 Public Sector Build Journal
taken a significant toll on councils’ ability to progress built environment work. Nearly three in four (73%) have had to cancel or postpone a planned building project in the last two years. Suppliers’ inability to work within their available budgets is the most common reason that has caused projects to be axed, with 46% of councils affected. Mark Robinson, Group Chief Executive, comments: “Councils are faced with the unenviable task of using a shrinking pot of money to maintain and improve the buildings that house vital public services. A failure to progress with planned construction projects will leave many areas desperately short of school places and healthcare capacity while their existing infrastructure decays. “There is no ‘rabbit out of the hat’ solution; the answer has to come from smart financial planning and innovative ways of working within these constraints. Individual councils can often be disadvantaged in supplier negotiations, but the collective strength of procurement frameworks can push for better deals and still benefit local communities by prioritising spend with neighbouring
Mark Robinson is Chief Executive Officer at Scape – a local authority controlled company which delivers cost and time savings for public sector construction schemes across the UK. businesses and supporting apprenticeships. “Despite councils’ concerns, there are ways to beat the inevitable financial hardships coming over the next 12 months. It is about time that local authorities brought capital and revenue budgets together and started pushing the market for guarantees on building performance to improve sustainability. A willingness to be bold and adopt smart thinking for planning and procurement can ensure local construction projects are not left to suffer the wrath of austerity.”
www.scapegroup.co.uk
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Door & Wall Roofing, Cladding Protection & Insulation The themes explored in the artwork by Artist Christopher Tipping are conveyed through dynamic mark making
Bringing art to the Heart of the Campus ROCKPANEL facades have formed the stunning canvas for a specially commissioned, three-storey carving on the new 'Heart of the Campus' building at Sheffield Hallam University.
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he multi-million pound facility offers over 7400m2 of teaching, study and social space, and is central to the University’s goal of providing the highest quality facilities and teaching space for its 35,000 students. The themes explored in the artwork by Artist Christopher Tipping are conveyed through dynamic mark making and linear drawing, routed into the ROCKPANEL surface. The art was incorporated within the west elevation of the design from the initial planning stage and HLM Architects required a rainscreen facade which would support and enhance this, whilst still providing a highly durable finish. This led to the specification of ROCKPANEL Rockclad as Michael Spencer and Gemma Wilson from HLM explained: “This was the first time we had worked with ROCKPANEL facade cladding at
22 Public Sector Build Journal
our Sheffield office and we found the Rockclad boards delivered both the high quality finish and adaptability that we required. The product doesn’t expand or contract with atmospheric conditions and is unaffected by moisture, so it needed no special treatment even though the base board was made visible when routing the design. By specifying it with secret-fix system we were able to maintain the crisp and clean facade needed for the routed artwork.” Specified in simple Umbra Grey and Stone Grey, the 10mm thick boards were cnc routed by specialist firm cncrouting. co.uk, exposing the compressed stone wool base material to a depth of 2mm. The base material has now weathered from a pale yellow-green to a rich dark brown, beautifully highlighting this stylish artwork.
All ROCKPANEL facades are manufactured from highly sustainable basalt rock, creating boards which are both lightweight and extremely robust, so the ‘Heart of the Campus’ design will continue to delight visitors for years to come, thanks to the durability and dimensional stability of the chosen product. Stone Systems Director Mr Liam Hughes discussed the project: “We found the ROCKPANEL facades very easy to work with. Because they’re so light, handling and lifting wasn’t an issue and this, combined with the flexibility of the adhesive system, meant that we were able to complete the installation programme ahead of schedule, helping to keep costs down. The strength of the panels also meant that they adapted easily to changes in the required tolerances on site.” Design and build contractors GRAHAM Construction oversaw the installation of the facade as part of the construction of the £15.7m new building, which is now home to the University’s faculties of Development and Society, and Health and Wellbeing. The project achieved its target BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’. ROCKPANEL facade cladding is independently certified by the BRE to hold a Green Guide Summary Rating of A+ or A, depending on the installation method. These are the highest Green Guide ratings for the class of product. The boards are available in a wide range of RAL-colours and designs, sizes and thicknesses to suit each individual application.
www.rockpanel.co.uk
info@rockpanel.co.uk 01656 863210
The base material has now weathered from a pale yellow-green to a rich dark brown, beautifully highlighting this stylish artwork
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This old office building was renovated to a clean and contemporary style. Over 150 metres of Easy Glass速 Top and Fascia Mount was installed throughout the property, providing maximum transparency and top quality design. Q-railing offers a comprehensive range of modular balustrade systems to suit the widest range of aesthetic and loading requirements.
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Modular Buildings
College stretches out with flexible facility For several years after a fire in the early seventies destroyed most of the building stock, the majority of Slough and Eton College's buildings were made up of temporary structures. The school has since been expanding with both temporary and permanent buildings, which now include a new permanent sixth form block provided by Wernick Buildings.
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or this particular project, the school needed accommodation that could keep up with the rise in pupil numbers they were experiencing. Business Manager for the School, Chris Fisher, commented: “The school is expanding rapidly and our sixth form has gone from 60 pupils to 250. These numbers meant we needed purpose-built accommodation for the 6th form students.” The speed offered by modular building methods made it an obvious solution. Cost also plays an important role in deciding how to accommodate pupils, especially for a school that is perpetually expanding. After originally providing
A large hall that serves as a restaurant has been fitted with lighting and fold out seating suitable for music or drama productions
The new two storey block was completed ahead of schedule, and the resulting building is incredibly flexible
a design solution and feasibility costs Wernick Buildings also offered the most competitive tender for the project. Aside from the building, the infrastructure and external works were also provided. The new two storey block was completed ahead of schedule, and the resulting building is incredibly flexible. A large hall that serves as a restaurant has been fitted with lighting and fold out seating suitable for music or drama productions. Folding partitions in classrooms mean that they can change to accommodate various class sizes, from small study groups to large IT classes. This flexibility will also be useful outside
of school hours as Slough and Eton offers use of the facilities to the local community, giving the school another source of income. The multifunctional building is the second Wernick has provided the school, the first being a two storey block incorporating office, staff room and teaching spaces. With more and more pupils heading to Slough and Eton, it is unlikely to be the last time the school needs quality accommodation that can be provided quickly.
www.wernick.co.uk enquiries@wernick.co.uk 01792 321222
Public Sector Build Journal 25
Education
Sunesis is a unique product which has revolutionised the way we build and design schools
Sunesis success Willmott Dixon and Scape have delivered the best possible start to 2015 for pupils and staff at The Bemrose School in Derbyshire, having completed the school's new £3.5m primary facility in time for the new school term.
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ith Derby City Council needing absolute certainty over both the build cost and programme, they turned to the unique ‘off-the-shelf’ solution offered by Sunesis. As a joint venture, Sunesis is built on the combined experience of public sector know-how and private expertise through the combination of Scape and contractor Willmott Dixon’s construction knowledge. Authorities are able to choose the building they want from a range of five individual school designs, and personalise each one to suit their individual needs from
The new primary facility at The Bemrose is the first Sunesis to be delivered for Derby City Council
26 Public Sector Build Journal
a range of pre-costed options. “The Sunesis process provides high quality, modern designs delivered on average 12 months faster and 30% cheaper than market alternatives,” explains Tim Carey Product Director at Willmott Dixon. “All local authorities are under increasing pressure to save money, so this system is helping to reduce the cost of building new schools.” Mark Robinson, Group Chief Executive at Scape said: “Sunesis is a unique product which has revolutionised the way we build and design schools. By working in
partnership we have created a solution driven service which helps local authorities to save time and money, and provides further benefits for local economies, such as locally sourced material and employment.” The completed Sunesis Keynes2 1.5FEN building is the second version of Sunesis’ most popular model, and delivers all of the key requirements expected of a twentyfirst century school – encompassed in a safe, versatile and efficient building. Nick Heath, Operations Director for Willmott Dixon in the East Midlands, said: “We are extremely pleased with this build, as it has provided a fantastic facility for the local community. “The Bemrose is one of a number of education schemes that we have been delivering in Derby, and we are delighted that we have been able to work closely with students and staff throughout the project to ensure they were involved in the process every step of the way.” The project was constructed on the school’s playing fields during term time while the original school was still open – meaning that the contractor worked closely with students and staff at The Bemrose, keeping them informed of progress on site. The new primary facility at The Bemrose is the first Sunesis to be delivered for Derby City Council, and enables the school to be the first in the city to deliver education to ages three to 18 in one ‘through school’ environment. The key aims of the new school were to create 315 much-needed additional primary places in a city when demand currently outstrips supply, and
Education
Sunesis is built on the combined experience of public sector know-how and private expertise
to link primary and secondary teaching together. Both were achieved seamlessly through the Sunesis Keynes2 design. The layout of the Keynes2 model is BB103 compliant and consists of 10 classrooms and a nursery. The overall design of the new building supports a year-based structure with a separate year group in each class, allowing each year to make their classroom their own.
Practical space The design incorporates a central ‘learning zone’ between the classrooms in order to provide a vital heart of the school which brings together all of the individual spaces within the building. This heart space enables easy circulation to areas such as the main hall and more importantly, it creates a fully useable space for practical work and a wide range of small, medium and large group activities to be carried out in spaces aside from the year assigned classrooms. The learning zone is the size of six classrooms and has a high ceiling creating an open space where the whole school community can come together – this design opposes traditional corridors that often consist of a series of isolated classrooms. Reception classes at The Bemrose have been co-located in the new school, to enable separation of groups when required, yet also provide the opportunity for groups to collaborate together in different space. As the project was procured through the OJEU-compliant Scape Major Works Framework, the council and school were
able to assure that the project’s time frame and costs were agreed from the outset of the project – which in total cost £3.5m and took 37 weeks to reach completion. Importantly the Scape framework enabled Willmott Dixon to ensure that the project successfully diverted as much waste as possible from landfill, resulting in 90.99% of waste generated on site being diverted. Substantial local spend was generated over the course of the project, with the contractor securing 42% local spend within 20 miles of the site, 85% within 40 miles and 94% within 60 miles – resulting in a large re-investment in the local area. Achieving an environmentally efficient school was at the forefront of the project and the council’s brief. This has been achieved through an air source heat pump system which supplies the entire building with heating in an energy efficient way – consuming less energy than a traditional system. As part of Willmott Dixon’s commitment to working closely with the community and the school itself, the site team worked with students and teachers at The Bemrose throughout the project’s duration creating fun activities to help engage the pupils with the project and the new school. During the project the site team worked with pupils in each class, allowing them to contribute and design their very
own signage for their classroom – which enabled the pupils to put their own stamp on their new school, giving them a real sense of ownership and pride. Similarly, the pupils at The Bemrose were encouraged by the contractor to create a time capsule, marking the construction of the new school and celebrating a milestone in the project. This was then buried by Willmott Dixon and is set to be uncovered in 50 years’ time. The hands-on approach of the site team throughout the project has helped students to feel engaged with the new school from the very beginning, readying them for their first term in the completed building. The Bemrose is the 18th Sunesis primary school to be completed to date by and with a further scheme recently completed and three more new projects currently on site, the Sunesis success story continues to go from strength to strength, delivering over 8000 school places, helping to provide much needed new capacity in growing cities.
www.sunesisbuild.co.uk www.willmottdixongroup.co.uk
The layout of the Keynes2 model is BB103 compliant and consists of 10 classrooms and a nursery
Public Sector Build Journal 27
Healthcare
Transformation by collaborative design "I confirm I have seen the future of healthcare in the UK" announced The Rt Hon Norman Lamb, MP at the official opening of The Whittington Health Trust Ambulatory Care Centre, London.
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ommenting about the design of the new Centre that was developed using a collaborative approach to design involving staff, patients and clinicians, Mr Lamb was impressed with the calm environment. “This new centre is a fantastic experience for the patients by fusing together the skills in the community with this exceptional centre of excellence. I have seen a wide range of patients on my visit, with various healthcare needs and conditions who are all getting the right support and treatment in a wonderful setting.” Whittington Health, realised the design process was a central part to understanding and creating a space to find new ways of delivering care that improved the experience for the patients, staff and bring departments closer together. Following a successful partnership with
Using a collaborative approach to design ensures the purpose of the space is understood from all perspectives
28 Public Sector Build Journal
the Design Council using collaborative design to improve the outpatients’ pharmacy department, the hospital commissioned Studio TILT to assume the same codesign approach for the Ambulatory Care Centre and deliver an innovative scheme. Architects Levitt Bernstein then took this scheme forward to deliver the space. The result is an innovative centre for emergency care designed around the patients’ needs, staff requirements and smooth departmental flow – equipped with the latest facilities within a distinctly calm environment.
The design stage Design and architecture practice Studio TILT used its people-centred approach to explore and test what was really required for the space, by involving patients and
Studio TILT used its people-centred approach to explore and test what was really required for the space
staff in the design process. At the heart of the new centre’s effectiveness, was a series of design objectives to create a functional, yet ground breaking department including an enhanced patient experience, intuitive and clinically directed layout, clear signage and branding with increased health promotion and improved staff experience. In order to fully understand the patient experience, how the centre needed to operate and the staff requirements for these objectives, Studio TILT ran workshops with more than 70 people across the Trust. These included managers, clinicians, administrators, infection prevention and control staff and patients. This gave everyone using the space a voice in the design process. From the codesign workshop results and creation of full-scale mock-ups, the space was developed for elements such as the treatment rooms, sluices, scanners, ultrasound and phlebotomy alongside support and outreach resources for teleconferencing, seminars and integrated community services spaces. A communal area was formed from the central space, ensuring seamless movement between treatments, helping to reduce waiting times while creating a tranquil setting. Oliver Marlow, Design Director, Studio TILT comments: “Transforming public services has to begin with people. Using a collaborative approach to design ensures the purpose of the space is understood from all perspectives and enables the culture of the space to form the design. Putting people at the heart of design has proven to enhance patient and staff satisfaction, transform processes and training, improve risk management and
Healthcare make dramatic efficiency savings.” Challenging the traditional healthcare environment, the new design improves the patient experience in many ways including direct access to natural light and natural ventilation within as many areas as possible. A simple switch of corridor and treatment rooms, for example, means that it is the rooms that receive the natural light and ventilation rather than the corridor. These factors improve both the staff experience and productivity, but more importantly the wellbeing of patients. Clarissa Murdoch, Lead Consultant at Ambulatory Care adds: “This was an ambitious project. We wanted the needs of the patients to come first. Incorporating workshops at the beginning of the process, the needs of patients and staff were understood and addressed in the design. The collaborative effort has produced a beautiful yet functional space where the patient experience is excellent, there is lots of interaction and the clinicians can function efficiently.”
The new design improves the patient experience in many ways including direct access to natural light and natural ventilation
Realising the scheme and delivery With concepts, an exhaustive prototyping process and a robust scheme in place, architecture practice Levitt Bernstein took over the schemes, to realise this innovative project ensuring technical standards required in a hospital environment were met. The dynamic space had to allow for a huge range of different departments with a wide spectrum of treatments for children and adults. Key to the design was the idea that this should be a new kind of space; a chance to create a worldclass unit that didn’t feel like a hospital. Based on original ideas to have calming, large scale graphics, Levitt Bernstein commissioned London illustrator Alex Green to produce a series of murals which both transformed and enhanced clinical areas, creating a more social, cafe style environment and incorporating clear, colour-coded way-finding systems. This represented a radical departure from conventional hospital waiting and treatment areas. A Whittington Health patient comments: “It’s very comfortable and relaxing. I can chill out while I’m waiting. It’s fresh looking, bright and cheerful. The staff are very nice too. They couldn’t do enough to help and were very quick to see to everything.” Integrating infection control and
Levitt Bernstein commissioned London illustrator Alex Green to produce a series of murals
prevention along with other operational measures into the design was an important element of the developing scheme. The practice included integrated design solutions, which offered the required technical performance to ensure all material elements met both the design vision and procedural requirements. Special attention was also paid to integrating high-quality security measures into the hospital’s existing system to provide unobtrusive but specialised provision for CCTV, access control and a panic alarm for the new unit. Levitt Bernstein’s designs are inherently sustainable and are built with an appreciation that a building’s carbon footprint must be addressed in its design, construction and eventual use.
To this end, the opportunity was taken to address issues such as water and energy efficiency, improve the building’s insulation and providing a more sustainable lighting system. The plan was developed to allow more natural light to penetrate the depth of the space, again stepping away from institutional aesthetic conventions and simultaneously removing a need for extra artificial light sources. Most importantly, the new Whittington Ambulatory Care Centre provides a place of accessibility and warmth for patients and clinicians to provide providing both same day emergency and urgent review care for the community in a safe and relaxing environment.
www.studiotilt.com
Public Sector Build Journal 29
Landscaping Southwater One stands as a testament to the vision of urban planners, and the intelligent application of building materials and techniques
Landscaping the retailscape The first phase of Telford's groundbreaking Southwater development has been completed. The unveiling of the goldclad Telford & Wrekin Council building signals the start of the £250m investment in the Shropshire town.
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he project – situated on green belt, waterside land – represented a serious aesthetic challenge for the developers at Morgan Sindall. Careful selection of building materials was of paramount importance to the design and Wienerberger was chosen to provide clay pavers. There was a clear requirement for the paving to provide Southwater One with a physical and symbolic link between the bold, unapologetically modernist
external appearance of the development and its natural surroundings. The Sienna (Hague Cream) pavers addressed that specification; the warm, sandy, tones blending with the surrounding natural landscape. In addition, the use of Wienerberger’s Mastiek and Auraton pavers, with their clean grey finishes, created a crisp waterfront patina. The finished development is intended to create an exciting commercial space, while also providing a sense of tranquility
and solidity. The use of clay paving has helped to realise this, with its natural durability addressing the latter, while the laying pattern and colouration contribute to the former. With both the rigid Stretcher pattern and the more sporadic Herringbone technique being employed, the retail scape is afforded both consistency and variety. Ultimately, the project’s architectural ambition promises to provide a high functioning retailscape from which Telford can develop its business, retail, commerce and public facilities. Southwater One stands as a testament to the vision of urban planners, and the intelligent application of building materials and techniques. Keith Barker, Commercial Director at Wienerberger, commented: “This was a scheme with a great deal of considerations, from material performance and local environment, right down to the smallest design spec – but it’s that sort of attention to detail that defined this project, and made it something that we were so very keen to contribute to.”
www.wienerberger.co.uk
Fact File: Project:
Southwater One, Telford
Client:
Telford & Wrekin Council
Contractor:
Morgan Sindall
Product:
Mastiek & Auraton Pavers
The finished development is intended to create an exciting commercial space, while also providing a sense of tranquility and solidity
30 Public Sector Build Journal
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As one of the UK’s market leaders in Rainwater Systems ARP recognise the importance of working in partnership with specifiers to ensure that the most effective aluminium roofline and rainwater drainage solution is provided. Our service levels are second to none and with the launch of our new rainfall calculator we are empowering you to produce drainage calculations tailored to your particular project quickly and efficiently. Our network of experienced external Sales Managers or our friendly in house sales team can support you with a small amount of training to obtain the information required or on the installation of this free and easy to use application. Please contact us now on marketing@arp-ltd.com to register your interest in the FREE Rainfall Calculator and we will forward download links from our website when they are available shortly.
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Public Sector Build Journal 31
Leisure
Bespoke W for belonging Taking ownership of a community playground is quite important to its young visitors and extended families. So what could be better than providing a bespoke element to a playground product or even an entire play scheme? Incorporating key aspects of important local heritage, landmarks or simply location into outdoor play design is one of Wicksteed Playgrounds specialist areas.
Playful mounds, revetments, log trails and a hand-carved bespoke Totem Pole enhance the playground at Bedfont Lakes
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icksteed’s dynamic creative team at the hub of the design process coupled with the expertise and enthusiasm of area sales managers ensures that exceptionally imaginative projects ranging from nursery schools to huge country parks – and everything in between – are produced. Beautifully executed graphic drawings and animations of the proposed designs enable key decision makers to clearly envisage the final scheme. Additionally, public consultation – carried out wherever possible – allows the young people – for whom sport and play facilities are ultimately built – to have their say in the end product; again, taking ownership. Enhancing a site by utilising aspects of its geographical or historic location adds a special identification to the scheme. Playing with the given landform and creating mounds, tunnels and revetments around it enhances both the visual impact and the play and discovery opportunities within it. Creative landscaping and colourful, imaginative playground surfacing play a big part in painting the overall picture but individual products can also be modified and themed. A great example of these elements at play is demonstrated in Scotland’s Rouken Glen Park for which Wicksteed recently carried out a hugely exciting refurbishment. Commissioned by East Renfrewshire Council, the project was made possible through a successful Heritage Lottery Fund application. A major attraction to draw families to the park, the enticing, inclusive play area is situated directly in front of the notable early nineteenth century
Leisure multi-play unit featuring a double width slide, wheelchair accessible ramp, Pole Slider and see-through bubble viewing panel ensures that the play areas are inclusive and appealing to all levels and abilities. Landscaping is an integral part of Wicksteed’s design and development of new play areas and can be most effective in creating clever new levels and adding an extra dimension to a site. Playful mounds, revetments, log trails and a hand-carved bespoke Totem Pole further enhance the playground at Bedfont Lakes and a Bug Magnifier enables visitors to get up close to the creepy crawlies dwelling in the region! Ian Martin, Project Manager from the Council said: “Hounslow Council was very pleased with the service provided by Wicksteed on this project to refurbish the two playgrounds at Bedfont Lakes Country Park. The quality of the design, the equipment and the installation works will give any child visiting the park an opportunity to have a varied and exciting play experience.” Having garnered Awards for products and services over the years, and with a sparkling new winner’s trophy for Creative Innovation: Fitness Legacy Zone, awarded at the end of 2014, Wicksteed is a company which offers expertise and vision like no other. Notably, Wicksteed offers free consultation on any project and its teams of designers and area sales managers are keen to ensure that customers realise the potential in making a new play area bespoke and special to the school or community in question.
In Scotland's Rouken Glen Park, Wicksteed designed and installed a series of zones inspired by woodland, pirates and oceans
Pavilion, also newly refurbished. Under the genius guidance of its designer, Brad, who now resides in Scotland, Wicksteed designed and installed a series of zones inspired by woodland, pirates and oceans, not to mention the magnificent waterfall for which Rouken Glen is famous. Included in the design are two very special zones; a quiet and a multi-sensory zone. True to Wicksteed’s keen sense that youngsters of all ages and abilities should be catered for, these quiet, tactile areas are just as important as the more robust, challenging ones and they offer all-round facilities to keep everyone occupied and happy. Eager pupils from local primary schools were invited to indicate their preferred products to be installed on their new playground which resulted in the final tantalisingly attractive and exciting new area. Central to the scheme is a bespoke Galleon from Wicksteed’s brand new Armada range, which stands abreast of a huge Swashbuckling Netscape. These multifaceted units can be made to very personal requirements and can feature specific names via a free name plate. Appealing to everyone from the young toddler right up to the adventurous adult, the multi-play units based on a sea-faring theme are visually stunning and also offer great play value. Adjacent to the play area is one of Wicksteed’s popular steel Cableways which draws queues as excited youngsters wait in line to grab their chance of whizzing through the air as they tightly hang on! A new picnic area has also been created which is the perfect place for families to sit, relax and take in the sights.
Another example of the power of bespoke sites is demonstrated at the two new play areas at Bedfont Lakes Country Park which Wicksteed recently designed for the London Borough of Hounslow. Two of three new play areas commissioned by the council and situated on the north side, this new provision at the ever popular park in Feltham, Middlesex was fully funded by central government. The park has been awarded Green Flag status and has become one of the best places for watching wildlife in the London area. Taking full advantage of the play areas’ rural location and following a natural, timber theme to totally enhance the given environment, Wicksteed included bespoke products accordingly. A special bespoke
www.wicksteed.co.uk
An example of the power of bespoke sites is demonstrated at the two new play areas at Bedfont Lakes Country Park
Public Sector Build Journal 33
Street Furniture
Pacing the public Paul Collings, Managing Director from Timberplay discusses the role of street furniture in creating more cohesive community hubs.
T
Sheffield's Peace Gardens are heavily used by families, teenagers, office workers, pensioners, soaking up the atmosphere
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he need for street furniture within community engagement is easy to recognise. Without seating, where will we stop and rest? But the quality, setting and space within which theses benches and seats are situated will make a huge difference to how inviting they are as a rest stop. Our street furniture all comes from the Spanish design led company, Santa & Cole, who understand perfectly the value of street furniture within the urban setting. They have carried out a lot of work on the Fast City, Slow City idea, the proposition that a city needs both fast and slow elements in order to be truly successful. Transport links, broadband and information need to be fast, but alongside this there must be opportunities be slow down, taking the time to enjoy the city, using it as a meeting point, a hub for social interaction, to soak in the atmosphere. When thinking of the city you often have an idea of young and fit professionals, but of course the city should be a space for all. Older people, individuals with
limited mobility or the unwell may well be deterred from accessing the city because of the perceived hustle and bustle, and the knowledge that there is ample publicly available, regularly spaced seating may help assuage these fears. After all true community engagement should include representatives of all distinct user groups of a community. There is also a strong case for the role and value of well designed public spaces on the wellbeing of individuals and significant evidence that having contact with other people, however well you know them, has great psychological benefits. So even if only commenting on the weather whilst enjoying a sandwich on your lunch break, that small exchange helps keep both participants happier and more content. Once you have encouraged people to stop a while, this encourages others to do so increasing the vibrancy within the city, making people feel more safe and encouraging more interaction. Timberplay is based in Sheffield, where the Peace Gardens are located in a central area next to the Town Hall. Historically this space was poorly used, there was some traditional planting, but the space felt closed off and secluded and people did not feel secure in using it. Around 10 years ago the council invested heavily in the space, adding feature fountains, lots of seating and grass areas. This has transformed the feel of the city. As soon as the sun is out the
Street Furniture
Around 10 years ago the council invested heavily in Peace Gardens, adding feature fountains, lots of seating and grass areas
Peace Gardens illustrates perfectly the value investment in public spaces can have on the atmosphere of a city hub
aim of creating a more pleasant space, a simplified junction to aid passage for pedestrians, cyclists, cars and users of public transport. Wider pavements have created a people-friendly space, with trees and landscaping to make a greener feel. With the area looking so much more attractive it was important that pedestrians had a place to rest, and Santa & Cole’s Nu and Communitario benches were chosen to be used throughout the site, complementing the modern aesthetics of the space exceptionally well. Landscape Architect firm Farrer Huxley Associates were responsible for the development of a vibrant new piece of public realm in the heart of
the City of London – City Tower. This publicly accessible green garden walkway provides a pleasant link between two prominent buildings on London Wall. It is one of a series of linked green oases, providing space to sit and contemplate, lunch and meet in the City and Barbican. This development was of a very high quality throughout, in keeping with the prestigious buildings. Farrer Huxley Associates selected the Moon bench from Santa & Cole, providing the perfect rest point. Some were also produced with canopies, offering weather protection and privacy.
www.timberplay.com © Transport for London
space is heavily used by families, teenagers, office workers, pensioners, soaking up the atmosphere alongside the sunshine. The layout of the space also makes it a natural performance area, with plenty of seating areas and space for stages or stalls etc. This tangible example illustrates perfectly the value investment in public spaces can have on the atmosphere of a city hub. In a world that is continually on the go it is important to provide the space to stop, to breathe. High quality street furniture promotes this, inviting weary urban travellers to take five minutes out. In our drive to be faster and more efficient, we must not forget the basic human requirement for slowing down and ensure we maintain the space within the city to do just that. Timberplay has worked with several London boroughs in creating more inviting and attractive public rest stops using Santa & Cole furniture. Here are a couple of recent installations which have benefitted from well designed and carefully selected products. Euston Circus is the junction of Euston Road, Tottenham Court Road and Hampstead Heath. This junction was particularly complex and has been challenging for the large number of pedestrians that need to navigate their way around the busy junction. Transport for London engaged in a regeneration program for this area last year, with the
Transport for London engaged in a regeneration program for Euston Square last year, with the aim of creating a more pleasant space
Public Sector Build Journal 35
Lighting
I
t is estimated that there are over 4 billion streetlights currently standing in conurbations and on highways worldwide. Many of them are fitted with high intensity discharge lamps that require a lamp change every three or four years. Energy efficient, long lasting LEDs (available in a variety of colour temperatures) are starting to creep in to municipal outdoor lighting budgets around the world. The consensus is that the new lights will make energy savings and require less maintenance. All those installed currently are relatively new, so time will tell the extent of these savings in real terms, but it’s not just the prospect of energy savings that is making LED luminaires more attractive.
Smarter upgrades
Choosing the right lighting, and the right sensors or smart technologies, for a certain space or city presents a design challenge
Smart cities
Marshalls lighting expert Guy Harding discusses the increasing importance of multipurpose LED luminaires and their ability to sense the cities they light.
A remotely accessible network of connected columns whose sensors can record movement or footfall in a given area has huge potential
36 Public Sector Build Journal
The idea of the Smart City is starting to grow and organisations around the world are not stopping at a simple switch from one lighting type to another. They recognise the potential for implementing other technologies, during an upgrade to LED street lighting, that could further improve energy efficiency, assist with crime fighting, and at one extreme monetise the global street light network. All this could be achieved by networking the existing street illumination infrastructure, and hooking it up to sensors. A remotely accessible network of connected columns whose sensors can record movement or footfall in a given area, humidity, temperature, seismic activity, pollution, noise levels, UV radiation, or even audio and video, has huge potential for the Smart Cities of the future, and indeed the present. The data could be used for myriad applications to help cities prevent crime, predict the weather, prepare for natural disasters, or even just identify opportunities for better traffic management. The colour temperatures and energy efficiency of LEDs vary greatly between products, and all look different from the older street lamps. The change to LEDs could have a big impact on the feel of public spaces, as trees and building surfaces all handle different types of light in different ways. Choosing the right lighting, and the right sensors or smart technologies, for a certain space or city presents a design challenge, and a complicated set of decisions.
Lighting
Cities across the world are turning to LEDs and smart lighting with multiple purposes
Fortunately, a small industrial site in Albertslund in Denmark can provide unique insights. The Danish Outdoor Lighting Lab (or DOLL), is a partnership between the Technical University of Denmark, the Albertslund local authority, and other organisations. The ‘living lab’ covers 10km of streets and bike paths, and provides an opportunity for municipal officials to see streetlights for themselves in a real urban environment. It’s also a chance for manufacturers with Smart City visions to showcase their smart technologies in a real-life setting. There are solar- and wind-powered lights, and lights with sensor technology. One example is motion sensors that can pick up the presence of a walker or jogger, and create a pool of brightness to follow their route, dimming once they have passed by. The lab is perfect for testing the application of Smart City technology. All lamp posts are connected to a central network wired by Cisco. From the central control room, customers can test out any solutions the lighting vendors would like to showcase, in a real life setting.
Taking the LED plunge Clearly, local authorities are not blind to this potential, and LEDs are being implemented with the bigger picture in mind. Cities across the world are turning to LEDs and smart lighting with multiple purposes. The first and foremost, in light of attempts to make savings and cut carbon emissions, are the reduced maintenance costs and energy benefits. Next on the list in many cases is crimeprevention. In Glasgow, UK, the new columns will be fitted with noise and motion sensors,
so that detected disturbances can be fed back to emergency services. In addition, the energy-efficient LED lamps will be dimmable, so that the brightness could be increased for events such as street festivals and outdoor concerts. This dimming technology also has potential to improve currently unlit off-road cycle paths, at low costs. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, downtown Coolidge park was being abandoned at night due to problems with gang activity. A local company managed to dissuade the local authority from flooding the park with stadium-style lighting in favour of a pilot scheme. The company proposed energy efficient, wirelessly networked LED streetlights. The energy savings and lower maintenance costs were compelling, but it was the crime-fighting potential of these lights that made the authorities sit up and take notice.
Cities are employing intelligent lighting and taking advantage of smart technologies to learn about the urban environment
and optimise energy consumption. Meanwhile in the Netherlands, a Delft University student won a competition with his concept for improving energy efficiency on campus, and now his self-dimming network of LED lamps is coming into being. In Chicago, US, sensors have been installed on existing street lighting that are capable of collecting a huge array of data. The data will be available to public, academic, and private bodies who will use it to conduct urban analytical research and test ideas on a previously impossible scale. Today’s cities have plenty to gain from capitalising on existing infrastructure to make their processes smarter, save energy and learn more about their growing urban environments. LED lighting is an important element in these changes, and their energy efficiency is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of their potential.
Today’s smartly-lit cities Across Europe and the world, cities are employing intelligent lighting and taking advantage of smart technologies to learn about the urban environment. Helsinki, Finland, has a network of 86,000 luminaires that can be controlled to emit the appropriate level of light depending on the time of day. This is important for a country whose latitude causes such significant variations in daylight hours from season to season. Maintenance will also be handled centrally, creating savings and exposing areas for improvement in the system. Oslo took up an intelligent networked lighting system in a bid to reduce energy usage as early as 2006. The new infrastructure will save power
www.marshalls.co.uk
Public Sector Build Journal 37
Retrofit
Retrofit shower solutions Steve Saunders, Senior Technical Manager at Triton, identifies some of the factors influencing the growing popularity of retrofit showers and outlines some of the benefits the latest shower models on the market offer.
It has become important to source showers that make installation work as quick and simple as possible
A
Triton’s T80Z Fast-Fit shower has all the features necessary for a simple installation
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round 60-70% of the shower market consists of replacement models and with this in mind it is important that specifiers and local authorities are aware of how these types of showers are end-user friendly but also provide a high level of installation flexibility. Specifiers continue to favour retrofit showers for a number of reasons and this is a trend expected to continue over the long term. Primarily, as housing associations and councils face time constraints and increasingly limited budgets, it has become important to source showers that make installation work as quick and simple as possible. Thanks to the number of innovative features and benefits retrofit showers can offer, replacing an outdated shower with a newer unit has never been easier. Showers specifically designed for replacement projects are highly versatile and can be specified for use in a variety of situations and build types, particularly if there are multiple showers to be installed in a short space of time. These types of products can also help to save installation time and therefore any associated labour costs. A design feature to look out for in a retrofit shower is a large unit footprint which can be positioned neatly over existing holes from previous shower installations and ultimately ensures an attractive neat finish. In addition, these types of showers should include multiple cable and water
entry points as this will help to eliminate any installation challenges caused by existing pipework or cabling. For even greater installation flexibility, specifiers should look for a product with a dual water inlet port which is designed to accept incoming water supplies from both the left and right hand sides of the unit for an even simpler installation. This will ensure an even more flexible solution which can be utilised for lots of types of replacement shower jobs. Other key features to look out for include a fully reversible terminal block as this will make wiring work easy, regardless of electric cable positioning. For example, even the shortest of electric cables can be easily routed into the shower thanks to this feature. As local authorities and housing associations face increasing pressures to select and install bathroom products that are user friendly and also cost effective, it makes sense to be aware of the benefits replacement showers can offer. Triton’s T80Z Fast-Fit shower has all the features necessary for a simple installation and can therefore save valuable time and associated labour costs. With the popularity for these shower options showing little sign of abating, local authorities and housing can rest assured that Triton can provide a comprehensive range of retrofit models ready to do the job.
www.tritonshowers.co.uk
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Public Sector Build Journal 39
HVAC
Promoting efficient building stock It is essential for any council to carry out rigorous maintenance programmes on crucial elements to ensure its building stock remains in good condition. One such council in the North West of England has invested in a new heating system that not only offers cost savings but also meets the requirements set out in the local authority’s carbon reduction policy.
C
heshire East Borough Council implements an extensive cyclical maintenance programme for the replacement of heating boilers across all of its building stock. This plays an integral part of its Asset Management Plan which ensures all heating systems are performing at peak performance levels, which is vitally important as the Authority works towards a 25% reduction in its carbon emissions by 2016. Following a detailed assessment of the council’s seven storey regional office, it was determined that a more effective and efficient system should be sourced. After work undertaken on previous projects and an extensive evaluation of the various options available, Cheshire East Borough Council and its building services contractor contacted Bosch Commercial & Industrial Heating. The council was keen to promote sustainability and improve energy efficiency throughout its building stock, so it was imperative that the new heating system would not only be economically viable, but also reduce carbon emissions. Having taken all the required elements into account, Bosch proposed a system which utilised a GB162 light commercial boiler. With net efficiencies of up to 110% and NOx emissions of less than 40mg/kWh, the GB162 provides clean, low-carbon heating, making it the perfect solution to meet all of Cheshire East Borough Council’s requirements. The GB162 is also Energy Management System (EMS) compatible and can be modulated to just 20% of the total output, providing year round efficiency according to seasonal demand.
40 Public Sector Build Journal
The Asset Management Plan condition assessment identified that the existing heating boiler at Delamere House was near its designed life expectancy
HVAC
Bosch proposed a system which utilised a GB162 light commercial boiler
Robert Edwards, Project Officer for the Asset Management Team at Cheshire East Borough Council, said: “CEBC Asset Management Service cyclical maintenance programme is used as a planned preventative measure to ensure installations are performing to their potential at all times. The Asset Management Plan condition assessment identified that the existing heating boiler at Delamere House was near its designed life expectancy. Therefore a more effective and efficient system was
installed to prevent disruption of a busy regional office. “We have just conducted our first six month performance review of the heating installation and gas consumption has been reduced by 32% with substantial savings. To receive savings like this in such a short period of time is testament to the work undertaken in conjunction with Bosch Commercial and Industrial Heating.”
www.bosch-industrial.co.uk
The GB162 provides clean, low-carbon heating
Public Sector Build Journal 41
Ecobuild Preview
Ecobuild, the world’s marketplace for green building, is the must-attend event for your diary
Regeneration through green construction
Regeneration to transform our communities and ultimately deliver sustainable economic growth is the mission UK government, local authorities and housing associations are working towards. However, whilst we must address many of the same common challenges in our bid to deliver low-carbon, sustainable buildings, each authority has its own unique path and objectives.
W
hether your focus for 2015 is delivering new housing, or tackling the performance of existing building stock (commercial and domestic), Ecobuild (www.ecobuild.co.uk), the world’s marketplace for green building is the must-attend event for your diary. Returning to London’s east end next March (3rd to 5th March 2015, ExCeL London) Ecobuild hosts over 600 of the industry’s most prolific experts and 400+ leading technology, services and solutions providers, to equip public sector professionals with the right training, tools and technologies to deliver
42 Public Sector Build Journal
sustainable buildings. Ecobuild’s highly regarded conference and seminar programme will tackle a raft of issues, from designing buildings that don’t overheat, are energy efficient and comfortable and attractive, and ensuring buildings are delivered cost effectively, efficiently and perform as designed, to delivering better buildings through programmes such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and how to tap into available funding pools such as the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). For procurement professionals, Ecobuild houses the industry’s leading technology providers, from future construction materials, lighting and technical solutions, to solar, low carbon, resource management and energy efficiency and generation. Local authorities play a vital role in achieving widespread carbon reduction targets and this issue is top of the agenda at Ecobuild 2015. From energy storage to the Renewable Heat Incentive, Ecobuild’s Green Energy and Solar City seminar programmes will
provide tailored sessions on renewables for both public and private sectors. Green Energy, sponsored by biomass experts Innasol, will cover the specification and delivery of low and zero carbon energy technologies to homes and other buildings. It also looks at energy supply at the community level. Topics will include determining the most cost effective technology for specific applications, meeting regulations, leveraging the feed in tariff and renewable heat incentive. This stream examines the different energy technologies and how to specify these and the latest technical developments including energy storage. Solar City in association with SMA Solar also returns for 2015 to cover both residential and commercial projects. For the first time, specific sessions are to be held for the public sector including a focus on school solar projects. For the first time ever, all Ecobuild seminar sessions will be fully CPD accredited enabling public sector professionals to officially record their personal development undertaken at the event. The Building Performance seminar programme is definitely worth checking out covering a wide range of issues from connecting sustainable buildings with health, productivity and wellbeing and engaging and empowering residents to optimise building performance, to making the most of the Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme and the role of controls and energy management systems in building performance – understanding, optimising and new developments. New for 2015 is Ecobuild’s first ever dedicated Innovation Area. Sponsored by M&S, this curated innovation exhibition will showcase a selection of Ecobuild exhibitors’ new and innovative products. Fostering innovation at every level, Ecobuild will host a Dragons Den-style session whereby companies will be pitching their new ideas and innovation to a panel of industry experts. For 2015 this will be elevated to a conference session held in one of the two arenas. In conjunction with M&S and the UK-GBC, Ecobuild will launch the search for the best innovations and the team of judges will whittle these down, who will present live at Ecobuild.
www.ecobuild.co.uk
Ecobuild Preview
Shower and bathing solutions for design and comfort On stand S2010 at Ecobuild, Kaldewei will exhibit a selection of latest bathing and shower solutions all made from its unique and sustainable 3.5mm steel enamel. Appealing options for low level shower surfaces include matt organic colour finishes, virtually invisible anti-slip and a new model, Scona, offering unprecedented value for a wide range of projects. The popular Puro bath is shown as an 170 x 75cm ECO model with reduced water capacity, while still offering superb levels of design and bathing comfort. For high-end projects, the Meisterstücke collection of three baths with seamless enamelled panelling provides the ultimate expression of luxury for freestanding bathing. www.kaldewei.co.uk
info-uk@kaldewei.com
01480
Elta concentrates on high performance indoor air quality For Elta Fans Residential Division, part of the Elta Group, the 2015 Ecobuild exhibition has taken on added significance following major investment in the company, the appointment of Colin Hone as UK Sales Manager and a new sales team. Colin, who will head Elta Fans Residential, is clear on the message that will be at the heart of the Elta Fans stand (N5172). “Our company is all about providing exceptional indoor air quality in the most cost effective way for the health of the nation. The focus at Ecobuild, will be on our latest range of decentralised mechanical extract ventilation units (dMEV) which complement our extensive range of residential products.”
498053
Specflue to launch next generation of HIUs Specflue is launching the next generation of Heating Interface Units (HIU) from its stand N4160 at Ecobuild 2015. Manufactured by Thermal Integration, the new, intelligent HIUs have been designed for better performance and ease of use, while delivering the same benefits of the traditional units. Built using the latest technology in embedded electronics, full features will be revealed at the show, but include a range of innovative digital controls to improve the management of heating and hot water in properties connected to a communal heating system using a central boiler. www.specflue.com
sales@specflue.com
www.homevent.co.uk
residential@eltafans.co.uk 275803
01384
0800 902 0220
Senior reveals new developments at Ecobuild
Ask the experts with Alutec at Ecobuild As well as promoting its sustainable range of aluminium rainwater products, Alutec will be on hand at Ecobuild to give expert technical advice on the specification process and BIM, encompassing its full turnkey service offering. Located at stand S2110, visitors will be able to take advantage of Alutec’s vast wealth of technical knowledge by asking general or project specific questions. Alutec will be sharing practical advice from recent case studies from across public and private sectors and will provide opportunities for architects and specifiers to further their professional development by attending its RIBA accredited CPD seminar. www.marleyalutec.co.uk
enquiries@marleyalutec.co.uk 01234 359438
Fenestration systems designer and manufacturer Senior Architectural Systems is gearing up to launch two brand new, innovative products at Ecobuild – the SF52 and Pure systems. The SF52 system, which is fully compatible with Senior’s portfolio of windows and doors, offers visual consistency, helping any project achieve a uniformed appearance. Pure, meanwhile, is a brand new range of aluminium windows with an enhanced thermal barrier manufactured from expanded polyurethane, which gives superb thermal performance. The thermal barriers’ inherent insulation properties ensure that heat loss is minimal, and overall U-Values are significantly reduced. www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk enquiries@seniorarchitectural.co.uk 01709 772600
Epwin Group steps back in time Epwin Group will be proving the diversity of low maintenance building products with a display of housing through the ages. Products from across the group will be used to recreate property styles from the Post-war, Victorian and Tudor eras. In contrast, a modern facade will represent a typical 21st century dwelling. Both thoughtprovoking and informative the stand (N2080) will feature four ‘houses’ each designed to emulate the style and finish of a bygone era while also showing how the products can be used in the refurbishment and renovation of period buildings. ‘Inside’ each property infographics and digital displays will describe the individual components used to create the house. www.epwin.co.uk
info@epwin.co.uk
0121 746 3700
Public Sector Build Journal 43
Doors Roofing, Health &&Windows Cladding Safety & Insulation
Successful test results set to open doors for Lathams Working with its exclusive UK distributor James Latham, German door blank manufacturer Moralt continues to invest heavily in independent fire-rating, smoke resistance and acoustic insulation testing of its extensive range of internal and external performance door blanks both in the UK and Germany. With a number of successful results and accreditations being achieved from TRADA following intensive testing over the past six months, James Latham can now offer its customers in the UK the added reassurance that they are
specifying a product which is not only safe, legal and fit for purpose, but one that is truly market leading. The results not only demonstrate a substantial improvement in the performance of the doors, but the
manufacturing and construction modifications made to achieve these results have delivered an added benefit, a cost reduction which will also be passed on to James Latham’s customers. Since July last year, both Moralt FireSound and FireSmoke doors have achieved significantly improved ratings in a series of tests across a number of fire and acoustic industry standards. Steven Dennard, Group Door Manager for James Latham comments: “This is great news for us as well as our customers. This latest set of test results really does put Moralt firmly back in the game.” As well as the Moralt FireSound and FireSmoke range, James Latham is now also offering a Moralt PassiveHouse compliant doorkit, supplied complete with Meranti frame, ironmongery, and a 98mm thick door blank. The door blank is supplied part processed/CNC’d for the double-rebate detail along with lock and hinge fixings and the kit is CE-Marked – EN14351-1, External Windows & Doors. www.lathamtimber.co.uk marketing@lathams.co.uk
0116 257 3415
Technal launches high performance window system Architectural aluminium systems specialist, Technal, has launched its latest and most innovative window system to date, bringing a host of technical advancements and modern, intelligent design to enhance almost any fenestration project. The SOLEAL window has been developed to offer exceptional security, thermal, acoustic and weather performance, and unparalleled aesthetics from one single system that is available in numerous configurations. The system uses a 65mm deep profile and common components to give architects and contractors the benefit of an extensive choice of construction options combined with ease of specification and maximum efficiency in manufacturing. www.technal.co.uk/solealwindow
info@technal.com
Cooke Brothers introduces latest DX80 Pivota hinge As sole UK stockist and distributor of the PIVOTA series of fully concealed, three way adjustable, four knuckle precision hinges, Cooke Brothers is proud to introduce the new DX80 3-D ZA extended throw hinge, which has been designed to provide a full 180 degree of operation, whilst providing the option of a completely flush sightline line between the door and the wall fascia. The DX80 incorporates 15mm of extended throw, allowing the door to swing fully open past extra wall cladding or an architrave, or for the hinge to be set further in from the edge of the timber frame, simplifying the machining process. www.cookebrothers.co.uk
sales@cookebrothers.co.uk
44 Public Sector Build Journal
01922
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01924 232323
University CPD sessions from REHAU REHAU has begun a programme of CPD sessions at universities across the UK, helping to educate the architects and specifiers of the future on the applications of different materials in UK fenestration, and the design standards which apply. The first session took place at Liverpool John Moores University recently and was attended by thirty students studying building and quantity surveying, architectural technology and engineering, and construction management. It was delivered by John McNama one of REHAU’s commercial managers and organised by John Gammon, Senior Lecturer at the university.
www.rehau.co.uk jayne.blackborow@rehau.com 0207 307 8590
Doors & Windows with new information as it is posted on the News Page. On the move, the website offers responsive design allowing mobile and tablet users access to the same concise, quick to use information. BIM information is available through logging into the Comar Partner website. Simply register for a password. The Comar Partner website offers further detailed technical information, such as its extensive range of Technical Manuals, Test Certification, NBS templates and clauses, and for its fabrication partners CNC and tooling information. The BIM section is easily identifiable with a landing page that offers a quick selection into the main system categories: curtain walling, windows walling, windows, doors and ground floor framing. Each Comar system within these ranges has its own dedicated page where product parameters, specification information, longevity/ maintenance regimes are detailed and downloads of BIM families, dwgs and dxfs of General Arrangements.
New Comar website: mobile, social media & BIM Ready The latest launch from Comar, a leading British architectural aluminium system company, is its BIM ready website. The new Comar website delivers information to supply chain partners as fast as possible by reducing clicks, this
is achieved by making navigation easy; users quickly learn to navigate the site. A clear menu allows one-click information on project references, aluminium system selection, BIM access, environmental credentials, CPD and latest news. Comar’s current connections and followers of its Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages will be kept up to date
www.comar-alu.co.uk projects@parksidegroup.co.uk 020 8685 9685
Yeoman Shield proves to be the perfect recipe
Kawneer systems help save Liverpool schools Elements of the whole range of Kawneer’s architectural aluminium systems were used on the first school to benefit from Liverpool City Council’s BSF (Building Schools for the Future) bailout. Kawneer’s AA 100 zone-drained curtain walling and series 190 heavy-duty commercial entrance doors feature on the ground floor of the new state-ofthe-art Notre Dame Catholic College in Everton, with AA 541 top-hung casement windows and AA 100 rooflights at high level. The college benefited from Mayor Cllr Joe Anderson’s £169m Investment Plan for Schools, devised as a rescue package after several of Liverpool’s BSF projects were scrapped in 2010.
A staff restaurant in a business centre in Leeds needed to solve the problem of damaged doors connecting the back of house kitchen area with the front of house dining area. The facilities management company sourced a solution from Yeoman Shield’s range of fire rated door protection products. “Over the last 13 years we have had to replace the kitchen fire doors twice, each time costing in the region of £1200. With Yeoman Shield door protection installed this expense will be a thing of the past,” comments the building facilities manager. www.yeomanshield.com
kuk.kawneer@alcoa.com 01928 502500
sallyann@yeomanshield.com
0113 279 5854
Ventrolla renovation honours building in Manchester A neo-classical, Grade II listed building dating back to 1919 has been given expert help to retain its front facade by period window specialist Ventrolla. The Samuel Alexander building, part of the University of Manchester’s Language Centre, is located on a prominent site in Oxford Road and includes a library, multimedia suite and study area. Ventrolla’s patented Sash Removal System (SRS) and unique Ventrolla Perimeter Sealing System (VPSS) were installed to combat draughts, reduce external noise and enable easy maintenance. All the inner windows were then woodstained and painted white to retain the building’s classic exterior.
www.kawneer.co.uk
www.ventrolla.co.uk
info@ventrolla.co.uk
0800 0277 454
Public Sector Build Journal 45
Doors, Windows & Balustrades
Close the door on energy loss With tough government targets to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 it is more important than ever for companies to invest in carbon reducing technologies to improve their energy efficiency credentials. Chris Jones, Product Manager for Airbloc explains how air curtains can help to offer significant cost savings and reduce carbon emissions. Initiatives such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC EES) are encouraging companies to invest in carbon cutting technologies and with 40% of CO2 emissions in Europe being generated by commercial buildings the pressure to reduce carbon production
will only increase. Air curtains are an ideal solution and when specified correctly, they can offer a payback period as short as 12 months. With such a short pay back period, air curtains are a low cost, high impact energy saving solution. Airbloc energy
efficient air curtains can cut energy loss by up to 80% and deliver a uniform flow of air to separate the interior and exterior atmospheres, maintain the internal climate, offer significant cost savings and deliver vastly improved worker comfort. To further optimise their operation, air curtains can be connected to a low cost control unit such as the SmartElec2 from Airbloc, both power consumption and energy costs can be reduced by up to 50%. The attractive unit offers a number of control options to suit all applications including MODBUS protocol, thermostats linked to door closed sensors that turn units down or off to increase energy saving. The latest addition to the SmartElec2 is the proportional control algorithm which drives the leaving air temperature of the door curtain up when the outside temperature drops and reduces the leaving air temperature as the outside temperature increases – thus giving a fully automatic control which delivers huge energy savings.
www.airbloc.co.uk ambiradsales@nordyne.com 01384 489700
Agrippa fire door holders get top marks Agrippa wire-free fire door holders have been installed at one of Birmingham’s largest schools, enabling fire doors in school corridors to be legally held open, releasing them in the event of a fire alarm to protect students and staff. With over 1400 students and 270 Sixth Formers, Fairfax Academy in Sutton Coalfield is typical of many larger, busy schools that have to balance access with safety. Geofire’s advanced, wire-free technology offers the most reliable way to legally ease access in these busy environments. Geofire’s advanced digital technology enables the Agrippa door holders to uniquely ‘listen and learn’ the sound of a specific fire alarm. www.geofire.co.uk
enquiries@geofire.co.uk
01388 770360
Getting a grip on transport sector balustrading Balustrading Solutions understands the demands placed on balustrading in transport settings and specialises in supplying made-to-measure safe, robust and stylish systems to the sector. As well as providing products that can stand up to heavy use and require little maintenance, Balustrading Solutions knows that safety is of primary concern to the sector. With these issues in mind its Part M-compliant Nylon range is particularly suited to applications in railway stations. As part of a £3.6m upgrade at Pitsea railway station in Essex, Balustrading Solutions has installed double-nylon sleeved handrails to all new platform stairs and the station’s existing concrete footbridge. www.balustradingsolutions.com
01902 600421 info.balustradingsolutions@laidlaw.net
46 Public Sector Build Journal
BRE Approval for new fire-door The Janisol 2 EI30 Fire-Resistant Sliding Door from steel specialist Schueco Jansen has been officially approved for use in the UK by BRE. This means that architects needing to include effective passive fire-protection systems in their buildings can now specify this advanced steel door in the certainty that it meets all the statutory regulations. Introduced into the UK in January last year, the Jansol 2 EI30 sliding fire door combines an elegant appearance – thanks to its extremely slender frame profiles – with a very high level of protection against both flame and heat, even under extreme loads.
www.schueco.co.uk mkinfobox@schueco.com 01908 282111
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Public Sector Build Journal 47
Roofing, Cladding & Insulation
Harmer Drainage for Salford Student Accomodation Harmer Stainless Steel Spa Channels from Alumasc have been chosen to provide a robust drainage solution for stylish new student accomodation in Salford.
self-contained live/work units, along with a residents’ gymnasium and retail space. Contracted merchant suppliers, BSS Industrial in Manchester, supplied over 50 linear metres of Alumasc’s bespoke stainless steel spa channels for bathrooms across the entire project, following the failure of a previous supplier to deliver a successful solution. The channels were installed by specialist contractor Lorne Stewart. The project is one of the UK’s first installations of the new Harmer Stainless Steel Floor Drainage range, which was recently added to Alumasc’s already extensive portfolio of drainage solutions for the construction industry.
Development of the £3m student block, X1 Chapel Street, was undertaken by Bardsley Construction on behalf of X1 Developments and was completed in September 2014. Situated on the busy Chapel Street in Salford city centre, the new building is five stories high, housing 102 student apartments, three selfcontained studio apartments and four
Alumasc’s new Harmer range comprises high-performance, highly versatile stainless steel floor drains, channel drains, shower and wet room drainage, capable of withstanding some of the most demanding applications. For guaranteed peace of mind, Harmer Stainless Steel Floor Drains are manufactured to the highest quality using AISI 304 & 316 grade stainless steel and are subject to stainless steel passivation, which enhances corrosion resistance. All components are welded using argon shielding to ensure high quality joints. www.harmerdrainage.co.uk info@alumasc-exteriors.co.uk 0808
100 2008
Saint-Gobain Weber EWI warms single-skin homes Saint-Gobain Weber’s External Wall Insulation (EWI) has been specified by emh homes in the thermal and aesthetic upgrade of dwellings in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. This 20-property pilot scheme is the first of its kind in a strategic partnership between npower and is supported by Greenworks, part of the Saint-Gobain Group, for the delivery of EWI in an Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme. These three-bedroom semi-detached properties, built with single brick skins in the 1930s, have recently been wrapped in weber.therm XM EWI that will reduce heat loss by a massive 85% slashing U-values calculated by Weber from 2.0W/m²k to 0.3 W/m²k. www.netweber.co.uk
mail@netweber.co.uk
08703 330 070
IKO launches Academies Brochure Schools are one of the most vital assets, offering round the clock protection for those who work and learn in them. That is why IKO PLC has launched a new marketing initiative to promote the importance of maintaining the watertight integrity of school roofs. A dedicated Academies Brochure supports the campaign. The brochure provides details on the range of services provided by IKO including a noobligation free roof appraisal, bespoke design meeting legislative requirements to reduce site risk, a range of warranty packages up to 30 years for peace of mind, assistance with the tendering process and a partnering approach to obtaining funding through the bid process. www.ikogroup.co.uk/flat-roofing
48 Public Sector Build Journal
info@ikogroup.co.uk
01257
256091
Rod Glen joins Metrotile to cater for its growth Area Sales Manager Rod Glen has joined lightweight steel roofing firm Metrotile UK, with the aim of helping to continue the company’s 30% growth from 2014 into 2015. More than half of Metrotile UK’s growth last year, 18.3% in all, came in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England, under the eye of Glasgowbased Regional Director Mark Kelly. Before working in specification sales for more than 20 years, Rod was previously a tradesman in Canada and South Africa, having served an apprenticeship in the Clyde Shipyards. “I’m looking forward to my new role,” he said, “and I feel very excited and very positive about it.” www.metrotile.co.uk sales@metrotile.co.uk
01249 658514
LEVATO MONO – porcelain paver system Designed for fast cost effective installation over most surfaces; including single ply waterproof membranes and other waterproofing systems using height adjustable/slope correcting supports. Available in 40+ plus colours and finishes in both ultra-realistic timber and stone effects, combining 3D printing and mould making technology, to reproduce identical copies of natural materials and with up to 30 prints available for each paver range , once laid, the eye is unable to discern any replicated pattern allowing for a completely natural looking surface – as specified for Theatre Royal Portico terrace and ZSL external dining areas.
• 20mm porcelain pavers 40x80 45x90 60x60 75x75 30x120 40x120 60x120 • ‘Floating floor’ – installation over single ply membranes • Eternal product - zero maintenance required – offering massive over-life savings • Highly abrasion and stain resistant • Highly slip resistant ; R11 and achieved up to +65 wet in the BS pendulum test • Lightweight – 45kgs per m2 • High load bearing and impact resistance • Timber & stone effects ; 40+ finishes available • Ideal for balconies, roof terraces and piazzas, for both commercial & residential use • Completely non porous • Fire & frost proof • Height-adjustable support from 9mm up to 550mm
t: 0845 2700 696
e: info@thedecktileco.co.uk
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Public Sector Build Journal 49
Floors, Walls & Ceilings
Both new products are ideal for creating aesthetically pleasing and original floors and walls
Mapei introduces new Ultratop Loft
Ultratop Loft F and Ultratop Loft W are one-component, trowellable, cementitious products
Mapei UK has launched Ultratop Loft F and Ultratop Loft W, a highly decorative cementitious product that can be used on walls, floors, staircases and ramps to complement its existing Ultratop range of products.
U
ltratop Loft F and Ultratop Loft W are one-component, trowellable, cementitious products available in two different aggregate sizes; either coarse (Ultratop Loft F) or fine (Ultratop Loft W) offering two different appearances depending on the ultimate finish required. Both products are ideal for creating aesthetically pleasing and original floors and walls, with a classic trowelled or mottled effect. The product can be used in both new build or refurbishment projects and helps to produce a variety of contemporary stylish walls and floors, ideal for creating a distinctive designer appeal. Ultratop Loft should be applied as a system, installed over Eco Prim Grip on vertical surfaces and Primer SN and 0.5mm Quartz on horizontal surfaces, and sealed using either Mapefloor Finish 53 W/L, 54 W/S, 58 W or 630, depending on the type of finish required.
50 Public Sector Build Journal
Each product is supplied in 20kg bags and is mixed with water to achieve the paste-like consistency required for application. The product is ideal for professional users, to be trowel applied onto a number of different floor and wall substrates to provide a finished system that is around 2mm thick. Ultratop Loft is available in two colours, Standard and White. However, if required, Ultratop Color Paste (a special coloring agent for Ultratop Loft) can be added to create an extensive colour pallet that can perfectly fit in with any desired colour scheme. With its excellent resistance to abrasion and rapid drying time, Ultratop Loft is suitable for both commercial and residential areas subject to intense pedestrian traffic which can include shops, restaurants, reception areas, private homes, cafes, hotels and showrooms. Founded in 1937, Mapei is the worldleading manufacturer of adhesives
and chemical building products – and a specialist in the production of adhesives and preparation products for the installation of wall and floor coverings. Its extensive product range includes products for the preparation of all types of substrates used in construction: Surface membranes, levelling compounds, primers, waterproofing, ready mixed mortars, special products for the repair of concrete, admixtures for mortar and concrete, adhesives for floor and wall coverings including, ceramic tiles, natural stone, resilient flooring and wood. Grouts and flexible sealants, mortars and binders for the restoration of period buildings, resin flooring, soundproofing systems, protective finishes for exterior walls and special hydraulic binders for screeds.
www.mapei.co.uk
info@mapei.co.uk 0121 508 6970
Floors, Walls & Ceilings
Serving up a slip-resistant surface solution The Deck Tile Co.’s Levato Mono paver system is the pinnacle of external raised flooring technology, enabling the specification of a lightweight, slip resistant and height-adjustable raised flooring solution – the ideal choice for commercial use. Stuart Priest, Director of Operations at The Batsford Foundation says: “The Levato Mono pavers have been a god send to us. They have replaced a timber decking terraced area outside our restaurant, which, quite frankly, was a health and safety nightmare and a serious trip or slip hazard waiting to happen.” He continues: “Great service, excellent product and I would recommend anyone to use the pavers if faced with a similar situation to ours.” www.thedecktileco.co.uk
info@thedecktileco.co.uk
0845
F Ball provides the ultimate floor finish High performance Styccobond B95 flexible wood flooring adhesive from F. Ball and Co. Ltd has been used in the refurbishment of an apartment in the prestigious One Hyde Park, a residential complex in Knightsbridge, London. Flooring contractors, Floors of Distinction, based in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, were contracted by The MCT Group to install bespoke Jatoba wood floorcoverings during refurbishment of the apartment. The engineered hardwood flooring was adhered to the subfloor using F. Ball’s Styccobond B95, a flexible, moisturecuring adhesive, designed to accommodate the natural expansion and shrinkage inherent in wooden floorcoverings. www.f-ball.co.uk
2700 696
Stylish floor design captivates school pupils An eye-catching flooring design made up of complementary colours in Polyflor’s 2000 PUR homogeneous vinyl collection is creating an attractive focal point for pupils at Audley Junior School in Blackburn, Lancashire. A series of circular designs have been installed into the school’s main sports and assembly hall, creating an individual, fresh and modern look to encourage increased attention levels and promote learning. This project required extra diligence through the intricate cutting of the vinyl on-site to create the inlaid designs fitted into a complementing main field colour. The school hall features a combination of three colours Glacier Blue 8450, Sapphire 8550 and Oak 8300. www.polyflor.com
info@polyflor.com
mail@f-ball.co.uk 361633
01538
0161 767 1111
Hardwood flooring replaces carpet in apartment block
Polysafe Verona PUR brightens up lunchtime With a combination of decorative appeal and sustainable slip resistance, Polyflor’s new Polysafe Verona PUR sheet vinyl range continues to enhance a wide variety of commercial and residential environments. One such example is at Middleton Technology School in Manchester, where as part of a recent refurb, the range has been installed in serving and dining areas of the school refectory, adding a bright and uplifting feel to the dining hall. This flooring is able to provide slip resistance in areas where there are regular spillages and a high volume of traffic, whilst still retaining an attractive appearance thanks to the product’s carborundum-free design and PUR reinforcement for ease of cleaning. www.polyflor.com
info@polyflor.com 0161 767 1111
A four month refurbishment project has been completed by Hush Acoustics in a block of apartments in Kensington, London. Hush Acoustics specified Hush Mat 15 as the acoustic underlay for the project. This allowed the carpet to be removed and a timber floor to be installed. Hush Mat 15 decoupled the hard floor from the existing floor structure. The floor construction HUSH-MAT 15 HARD WOOD FLOORING consisted of Hardwood floor finish 15mm, Hush Mat 15 acoustic underlay, existing timber structural deck and existing ceiling. Hush Acoustics carried out Sound Testing before and after the works were carried out. HUSH-SLAB 100 SOUND ABSORBER The results confirmed that the treatment showed an improvement in both Impact and Airborne acoustic performance. www.hushacoutics.co.uk
info@hushacoustics.co.uk
0151
933 2026
Cystic Fibrosis Unit renovated with Uzin system Uzin products were used to install over 1600m2 of safety flooring within the Cystic Fibrosis Unit at Nottingham City Hospital. The flooring contractor, CD Northern therefore selected Uzin’s products to ensure that these health standards were upheld. A suitable range of Uzin products was therefore used for the installation. Some areas had to be built up with Uzin NC182, a rapid drying repair compound to allow the installation to be handed over on time. Uzin L3 Gold Moisture Control System was then used to protect the floor from residual moisture in the substrate before the floorcovering was installed with Uzin KE2428 multi-purpose adhesive. www.uzin.co.uk
info@uzin.co.uk
01788 530080
Public Sector Build Journal 51
HVAC/HVP
New Armstrong technology offers practical benefits Armstrong Fluid Technology has launched a new generation of its Tenantherm space heating and hot water solution for apartment blocks and social housing schemes. Building on its popularity with landlords, property developers and contractors, the new Tenantherm unit offers all the benefits of its predecessor, but has a lower up-front cost and greater flexibility. Tenantherm offers significant advantages for landlords and property developers. Instead of requiring individual gas boilers and cylinders to be installed in each flat, Tenantherm is a compact, easy to install, fully integrated Heat Interface Unit which enables highly efficient heating and hot water to be supplied to each apartment from a centralised heat source. As gas boilers are no longer required in individual apartments, all problems and costs associated with mandatory annual gas safety inspections are eliminated. As Tenantherm units fully
separate each tenant’s system from the landlord’s system they also provide improved billing, energy efficiency and tenant comfort. Individual metering (for both energy and water) is available, to provide separate billing for each property. There are a range of meter reading options including manual, GSM, radio or centralised/BMS reading using RS485 bus communication. Tenantherm’s built in technology also provides the building manager with the capability to offer the apartment occupant the use of a pay-as-you-go smart card. In
addition it enables the tenant to control heating levels remotely, using SMS, for better management of their energy consumption and comfort.
www.armstrongfluidtechnology.com marketing@armstrongfluidtechnology.com 08444 145 145
Windcatcher X-Air offers 10-year no leak guarantee This unrivalled level of weather protection for a roof-mounted ventilation system guarantees that Windcatcher X-Air units won’t leak for 10 years from the date of installation/commissioning thanks to three unique layers of Activlouvre weather protection. First, Monodraught’s patented modulating louvre technology allows the weather resistance of the external louvre blade to be increased dependent on weather conditions. Second, the Activlouvre uses a weather resistant double-step louvre profile that provides 25% more ventilation than a conventional Classic louvre profile. And third, Windcatcher X-Air units now feature a computer designed, profiled internal rain trap louvre fitted as standard. www.monodraught.com
info@monodraught.com
01494 897700
Danfoss launches new Dynamic Valve With an innovative 2-in-1 design, the new Dynamic Valve from Danfoss delivers optimal temperature control and automatic hydronic balancing of two-pipe heating systems in a single product. Designed for installation at the radiators, Danfoss’ pioneering development combines a thermostatic radiator valve with a built-in differential pressure controller. The latter eliminates pressure fluctuations, the common cause of heating system complaints such as noisy radiators, uneven heat distribution and high levels of energy waste. Offering trouble-free installation and faster commissioning, the Dynamic Valve makes it easy to optimise heating system efficiency and maintain consistent comfort levels for the benefit of building owners and occupants alike. www.heating.danfoss.co.uk
52 Public Sector Build Journal
ukheating@danfoss.com
01234
364621
Vent-Axia Shortlisted for H&V News Award Leading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia is proud to announce that it has been shortlisted for a prestigious Heating and Ventilation News Award 2015. The Sussex-based company has been recognised in the ‘Building Services Project of the Year’ category for the Waste House project at the University of Brighton that features a Sentinel Kinetic Plus Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system, which Vent-Axia donated and installed. Described as Britain’s first house made almost entirely from thrown-away rubbish, the cavity walls are packed with materials otherwise destined for landfill – denim, VHS tapes, audio cassettes, floppy discs, remnant wallpaper and carpet tiles.
www.vent-axia.com jenny.smith@vent-axia.com 0844 856 0590
Focus & Innovation
Hultafors Tools launches new product catalogue This full colour brochure is now available free to professional tradesmen around the UK. It is packed with details of loads of innovative hand tools and accessories for working effectively wherever you are on site. Everything you find in the Hultafors Tools range bears the hallmarks of a company that has over 100 years experience in knowing what it takes to get a job done efficiently, effectively and safely. Proof of Hultafors’ quality and innovation can be found in every Hand Tool. Ergonomically crafted with builtin Fisco technology, there’s a host of tools for measuring and marking, chopping, striking and levelling. www.hultafors.co.uk
info@snickersworkwear.co.uk
01484
Schindler UK launches innovations in energy efficiency Schindler UK, a leading provider of lifts and escalators, has launched a series of new innovations to significantly improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of its escalator and moving walkway solutions for the UK and Ireland. The latest technical advancements include the development of more efficient drive systems, intelligent power management, low power components and the use of more sustainable and recyclable materials. These features combine to significantly reduce power consumption for lower running costs. All Schindler escalators and moving walkways now benefit from optimised motors and advanced gearing technology that are 11% more energy efficient than the market standard.
854788
Snickers XTR Shield – redefining modern workwear Snickers has 40 years’ experience of designing and manufacturing working clothes for professional tradesmen and women. That’s why every new product it launches continues to raise the bar on standards of functionality and quality. The pioneering XTR Shield jackets, trousers and kneepads are super-light working clothes that act as a lightweight protective shield around your body, allowing you to move seamlessly between indoor and outdoor work. With advanced technology fabrics, these clothes deliver great comfort and limitless functionality. The trousers provide breathable, windproof and waterproof protection. Similarly, the jacket creates a super-light, maxi-comfort shield around your body. www.snickersworkwear.co.uk
info@snickersworkwear.co.uk
www.schindler.com/escalators-uk
info@gb.schindler.com 758100
01932
01484 854788
Another big boost for energy saving from Timeguard
Helifix launches new responsive website Helifix has re-launched its website to make it fully accessible to the fast growing number of visitors accessing the site via a smartphone or tablet device. The website at www.helifix.co.uk now features an innovative responsive design, meaning that the layout and format automatically resizes and shifts to provide optimised viewing, irrespective of the screen size and definition used. The website gives round-the-clock access to the Helifix range of market leading helical wall ties, fixings and masonry repair systems which provide secure and lasting connections in new build projects or remedial applications where they can greatly extend the life of an existing structure.
With energy bills inevitably increasing year on year, safety and energy efficiency are key considerations. By combining a new design 13A fused spur with a Boost timer that automatically turns appliances off after a pre-set time, Timeguard has provided a unique combination of functionality and an ideal solution. All encased within a single gang fused connection unit and fitting within a 25mm back box, the Fused Boost Timer is designed for easy use. Users simply press one button to select how long they want the power for, and then the device counts down and switches off. Pushing the boost button again will refresh the timed output. www.timeguard.com
info@helifix.co.uk 020 8735 5200
sales@timeguard.com
020
8452 1112
Portakabin Hire receives largest ever order Portakabin Hire, the UK’s leading supplier of interim building solutions, has been awarded a £13.5m contract – the largest in the division’s 52-year history – to expand ward and theatre accommodation for orthopaedic services at Royal Stoke University Hospital. A complex 4000m2, twostorey building will be constructed in less than four months to increase capacity at the hospital, to the benefit of patient care. Due for completion in spring 2015, the purposedesigned facilities will include 56 new in-patient beds, two theatres, recovery room, ‘dirty’ and ‘clean’ utilities, single rooms with en-suite bathrooms, staff changing rooms, reception, kitchenette, offices, and an integral plant room.
www.helifix.co.uk
www.portanews.co.uk
information@portakabin.co.uk
0845 401 0010
Public Sector Build Journal 53
Roofing, Focus & Innovation Cladding & Insulation
Brett Landscaping ensures a ‘school with a view’ Fulfilling a landscape architect’s brief to achieve cost-effectiveness under strict planning regulations, Brett Landscaping has been commended for its involvement in supplying its Beta concrete block paving at a two- and three-storey split level cedar clad school, built within a Greenbelt area on the border with the National Peak District Park at Worrall in Sheffield. The installation of Beta paving, which has been selected to fulfil the hard landscaping element of the school’s rebuild, has resulted in the delivery of a clean, smooth and durable aesthetic thanks to its minimal edge chamfer, making it ideal for the school’s required application. The rebuilt £22m Bradfield School has been created on top of the original building’s existing site and covers over 8,600m². With its Loxley Valley position, the school’s location alone has presented design teams and contractors involved with specific planning restrictions, all of which have needed to be sensitively
addressed, even the hard-landscaping, as the project’s landscape architect, Rebecca Wyles of HLM explains: “The Bradfield School has been a significant and exciting rebuild project, where a new, state of the art school has been recreated within its existing land on the edge of the Peak District National Park. “We knew that rebuilding a school within this Peak District location would mean planning restrictions would be specific and commanding, particularly with regard to design and materials.” So it proved, as not only did the building’s architecture have to be in
keeping with the surroundings, but also the associated hard landscaping outside the building. As a result, HLM needed to draw in the skills of a competent supplier who could be relied upon to deliver an appropriate paving solution. Working with the team, Brett designed, blended and produced a specific block run of 60mm Beta concrete block paving in a unique colour combination to meet the planning stipulations.
www.brettpaving.co.uk landscapinginfo@brett.co.uk 0845 60 80 577
Range of floor solutions expands for Yorkon modular buildings The Portakabin Group has expanded the range of floor solutions available for buildings constructed using Yorkon off-site solutions, giving specifiers and customers even greater choice and flexibility. A wider range of floor specifications is now offered to meet the performance criteria for a host of building applications. Specifiers can choose from a suite of precision-engineered solutions that will accommodate standard loadings as well as heavy plant, sensitive equipment, increased floor stiffness and enhanced acoustics if required. The options allow building specifiers to tailor the floor design to individual project requirements whilst also avoiding over-specification. www.yorkon.info
contact@yorkon.co.uk
0845 2000 123
Long Rake Spar launches new website Long Rake Spar has launched a new trade only website for the beginning of 2015. The new site features user friendly navigation to help customers view our extensive range of aggregates, access technical data and specify materials quickly and easily. Excellent representative product images featured wet and dry are available in numerous sizes offering landscapers, designers and architects a complete spectrum of choice. In addition, the new site features case studies and news articles to help you see how its products have been used in different projects and can be accessed on a range of devices. www.longrakespar.co.uk
54 Public Sector Build Journal
admin@longrakespar.co.uk
01629
636210
The power to extend function Pop Up Power supplies retractable service units that provide electricity, water and air supply to public spaces ranging from historic sites and market places to town squares, parks and sports stadiums. Due to their retractable nature, the units can be used in a variety of places that require subtlety and the ability to disappear when not required. They offer possibilities for more varied uses, giving stadiums new life long after their planned functions. The company has worked with clients up and down the country, providing efficient, sympathetic utility solutions in busy public areas. www.popuppower.co.uk
info@popuppower.co.uk 0208 551 8363
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