PSBJ July 2019

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July 2019

DISTINCT IDENTITY Copper provides unique focal point of brand new London primary school

Role of placemaking

Reduce risk in healthcare

Working at height

How the concept of placemaking is shaping and transforming our public spaces

Why metal ceilings are playing a vital role in reducing the risk of HCAIs

HCL explores the importance of height safety systems for interior applications

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Welcome Note Editor

Hannah Woodger hannah@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Print & Digital Advertising Sam Ball

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Jim Moore jim@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Print Design Manager Jack Witcomb

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Nordic Brown pre-oxidised copper from Aurubis forms part of the restrained palette of natural materials defining a new primary school in London. See page 32.

Managing Director Sam Ball

sam@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Welcome to the July issue of PSBJ...

Publisher

Cross Platform Media Ltd.

Barham Court, Teston, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 5BZ T: 01622 232725 www.psbj.co.uk

While we’re in the height of summer, it is hard to cast our minds back to how quickly the UK can come to a standstill during the winter months at the slight appearance of snow and ice.

Despite best intentions to improve on last year’s winter strategy, once spring arrives our plans to devise a more solid plan of action to tackle ground maintenance becomes a distant memory.

Failure to prepare for the winter months ends up costing the UK economy billions of pounds, be that from time off work, injuries or personal claims. When you compare this to a little time, money and initiative preparing a comprehensive grounds maintenance plan, it’s a no brainer which option becomes the most logical.

In this issue, we welcome GRITIT – the winter maintenance expert – who believes that too many public sector organisations are failing to adequately plan to mitigate hazards in our outdoor spaces. Turn to page 8 to read more about what can be done to avoid risks this winter.

PSBJ is a proud supporter of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists.

Contributions are invited and when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and return addressed envelope. No responsibility will be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or in the editor's hands.

In the absence of an agreement the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographics or artistic belongs to Cross Platform Media Ltd. The Publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and the opinions expressed in editorial material or otherwise do not necessarily represent the view of the publisher.

The Publisher does not accept any liability of any loss arising from the late appearance or non publication of any advertisement.

Elsewhere, I am delighted to share with you yet another jam-packed issue of inspiring case studies, advisory articles and thought-leadership comment. In this month’s edition, we focus on Landscaping, Furniture, Roofing, Cladding & Insulation, Disabled Access and Modular & Offsite. You will also find a dedicated focus on each of the four key areas of the public sector build market – Healthcare, Leisure, Housing and Education.

I hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t forget, you can also access all of the magazine’s features, product news and supplier information on PSBJ’s user-friendly and engaging website. Fully responsive, the website allows you to read all the latest stories on-the-go either on your phone or tablet. Simply search www.psbj.co.uk.

Hannah

Hannah Woodger | Editor | hannah@crossplatformmedia.co.uk Follow us on Twitter:

@psbjmagazine

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Contents

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

08 Upfront Grounds and winter maintenance firm GRITIT talks about how public sector organisations leave far too much to chance in how they manage outdoor spaces.

12 Housing St Bernard’s Gate, near Hanwell in the London Brough of Ealing, built by contractor Higgins is helping the Government reach its target for more affordable homes.

16 Leisure In an impressive feat of construction engineering, a 25m swimming pool and spa has been built within the existing structure of a sports hall.

18 Healthcare Cathal McGuinness, Director at SAS International Ireland, discusses why metal ceilings help in the fight against hospital infection.

28 20 Talking Point

26 Landscaping

HCL Safety’s UK Sales Manager, Stuart Pierpoint, highlights the key considerations of height safety system installation and how to work safely in interior applications.

Specialist in paving, block paving and concrete paving, Marshalls outlines the role of placemaking in the 21st century.

22 Education

KI chairs are selected for the new Queen Elizabeth Music School at 500-year-old King’s Bruton by ticking the boxes for comfort and design.

Toby Buckley, Managing Director of REL Building Services, explains how new educational facilities are affecting the design and installation of mechanical and electrical services.

24 Legal & Business Liz Gibbons, Senior Associate and Social Housing Specialist at Capital Law, offers her analysis on the key issues facing the social housing sector.

28 Furniture

30 Technical Focus Rob Firman at Polyfoam XPS highlights the common misconceptions about ground floor insulation and offers guidance on specification and installation.

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4

Contents

12

26 36

32 Roofing, Cladding & Insulation Nordic Brown pre-oxidised copper from Aurubis forms part of the restrained palette of natural materials defining the new St John’s Primary School, Ealing, London.

34 Disabled Access Stuart Reynolds, Head of Product and Marketing at AKW, discusses how accessible bathroom flexibility can be incorporated into housing stock.

30

36 Offsite & Modular Scott Leeder, Director at VELUX Commercial GB & IRE, looks at the benefits of specifying prefabricated modular rooflights to maximise natural light and ventilation.

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

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News

INDUSTRY UPDATES

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

Delivering much needed social rent council homes at Colville Estate

Former garden centre site to be transformed Stepnell has been awarded a £12m contract to deliver a new luxury care facility in Eastcote, Solihull featuring 84 rooms and apartments. The construction team has recently started on site to deliver the 78-week scheme on behalf of Cinnamon Care Collection, providers of luxury care homes and retirement developments. The build comprises three two-storey buildings; a 50-bedroom care home and two additional apartment blocks featuring 34 retirement apartments, all surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens with facilities such as a restaurant and cafe-bar. The brownfield site will be transformed into a private care facility offering a range of services including day care, dementia care, nursing care, residential care and short-stay care.

John Rawlinson, West Midlands Regional Director for Stepnell, said: “We are proud to be working with one of the top 20 recommended care home groups in the country. This disused site was where a former garden centre once stood and is now being transformed into specialist new homes for older people in the local community. At the project’s peak we will have an 80-strong team on site working to deliver the luxury new facility. With an increasing portfolio of high-end and luxury care homes in the UK, having been appointed to deliver another large privatesector care village in Cheltenham, we’re fast becoming known for being experts in delivering care homes and retirement living.”

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As part of Hackney’s ambitious building programme to build genuinely affordable new council homes, Higgins has delivered 70 brand-new social rent council homes at Colville Estate for existing residents who had been living in post-war properties that were in a state of disrepair. Sitting next to the Regent’s Canal in Hoxton, Colville is one of Hackney’s biggest building projects.

Higgins was appointed by the council to deliver phase 2a and 2b on the live council estate in close proximity of tenants as part of the extensive masterplan, which will eventually replace 432 of the original homes with over 900 high quality new homes, allowing all of Colville’s social rent tenants to move to a brand new council home on the estate alongside much-needed additional new council homes. As part of the Mayor of London’s ‘Building Council Homes for Londoners’, the Mayor has secured more than £4.8bn from the Government to help start building at least 116,000 affordable homes by March 2022. This will help councils to build a new generation of council homes, with the majority of homes on the basis of social rent levels. As well as the council homes, Higgins has also delivered six shared ownership homes, 129m2 of commercial units and 40 private sale homes which has helped pay for the new social housing in the absence of any Government funding.

Demolition work begins to clear way for new homes Demolition work is now underway at the East Whitlawburn Regeneration Project in Cambuslang, making way for a new swath of private and rented housing.

Following months of preparations, South Lanarkshire Council and Cambuslang-based

CCG (Scotland) began physical clearance on 1st June of the site, making way for 230 new social rented homes and 100 private residences for sale. Construction is expected to begin in September of this year. The development is part of the £42m housing-led regeneration of Whitlawburn, and is being delivered in partnership with West Whitlawburn Housing Cooperative.

The first of the new homes on the site are expected to be available in March 2021.

CCG (Scotland) was appointed preferred bidder on the project by hub South West, the public-private partnerships of local authorities in Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, and Dumfries & Galloway. CCG will construct all of the homes and will manage the sale of the 100 private properties through its newly-relaunched CCG Homes brand.

Foundations housing company launches rent-to-buy scheme Foundations, Liverpool City Council’s housing company, is to launch a rent-to-buy scheme so that people can get onto the housing ladder and eventually own a home of their own. The company, one of the flagship housing policies for Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, will launch the initiative with a pilot project involving 14 new homes in the city. Under the scheme, people will be able to rent a home at 80% of the market rent, so they can save the other 20% towards a deposit in order to get a mortgage to buy the property. They will be given an option to buy the home after 12 months and up to five years at a fair market price based on an independent valuation at the time of purchase. The scheme will be available to people who live or work in Liverpool and are either first time buyers or people who have had to sell a home because of a relationship breakdown. Other criteria include being in work but unable to buy a home on the open market because the household is unable to save a sufficient deposit due to living costs.

School’s new residential accommodation takes shape Building work is progressing well on a new ‘home from home’ being constructed for special education needs (SEN) learners at Glenwood School, in Benfleet, Essex. Morgan Sindall Construction is delivering the new 20-bedroom residential accommodation for pupils at the school, which is based in Rushbottom Lane, on behalf of Essex County Council. Glenwood School’s state-of-the-art education facility provides support for children and young adults with severe and multiple learning difficulties. As well as providing comfortable accommodation adjacent to the main school building, the residential facilities will enable Glenwood School to provide a 24hour curriculum, Monday to Thursday during term time, for some of the young people who attend the school. While staying at the residential accommodation pupils will be able to learn valuable life skills and how to share social and residential spaces with others, plus support them to develop positive behaviours and relationships. The building features 26 spacious classrooms, a hydrotherapy pool and specialist facilities to help meet the young people’s sensory needs, including swing therapy rooms and a trampoline room to help promote body awareness, postural control and organisation of the senses.

Council housebuilding at highest level since 1990 A study by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has identified at least 9000 homes directly created by local authorities in England in 2017-2018. This is based on figures supplied by 83 English councils to an online survey. Of these, 42% are affordable homes and 23% are social. Projecting the figure across the whole of England, the research estimates that over 13,000 new homes were delivered by English local authorities last year – the highest since 1990. MHCLG figures suggest that the previous high for local authority housebuilding was 14,020 homes in 1990. The RTPI study also found that much of this building activity has been delivered through companies wholly or jointly owned by councils, with 78% of local authorities now owning a housing or property company. Of those councils without a housing company, 20% are considering establishing one. Ian Tant, RTPI President, said: “Having

TODD Architects celebrates official opening of new Omagh IPS TODD Architects is pleased to announce that its recently completed Omagh Integrated Primary & Nursery School (Omagh IPS) has officially opened. The £7m newbuild Omagh IPS, which combined with the adjacent existing Drumragh College, forms the first Integrated Education Campus serving the Tyrone region. This new addition marks a major milestone for the school and local community, as they have been campaigning for this new building for 30 years. TODD Architects engaged with the school’s principal, teachers and parents to create the most effective, efficient, sustainable design to facilitate flexible teaching needs and to suit its rural context. The school comprises of 14 classrooms for over 330 students.

Located on a greenfield site on the outskirts of Omagh town, both Primary and Nursery school benefit from a new access road, cycle path, car and bus parking with dedicated drop-off provision. Teaching areas are complemented by generous hard and soft play areas with a central sheltered courtyard & associated landscaping. Internally a resource area provides a key node point to each corner of the courtyard with through access to accompanying multipurpose hall and dining facilities.

Scape Group unveils details of next generation Venture frameworks Scape Group, a market leader in public sector procurement, has published details of its next generation of the Scape Venture frameworks, the procurement arm of the business focused on supporting public/private partnerships and charitable organisations. Scape Venture offers clients fully managed frameworks

designed to allow privately funded projects to be delivered rapidly, with a robust governance structure and embedding the same socioeconomic benefits that its other frameworks do, supporting local job creation and offering a wide range of community engagement initiatives. The frameworks have been developed to assist local authority owned private companies, charitable bodies, joint venture (JV) partnerships and special purpose vehicles with projects that are privately financed. Scape’s delivery partners include a wide range of industry leading businesses and operate across the country, including; Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall, Robertson, Wates, Willmott Dixon, Woodhead Construction and Perfect Circle, the consortium comprising Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM. Each partner has been selected for its expertise and ability to work collaboratively with clients and communities to deliver social value across projects.

News

local authorities back as key players in the housing market is vital to tackling the housing crisis. It’s great news that they are becoming more active again, delivering a wide range of house types to meet a wide range of needs.”

Perth development recognised for excellence in affordable homes A local Perth housing development has been named the best Affordable Housing Development of the Year in Scotland. Muirton Living, which is being delivered by Scottish home builder Urban Union, scooped the award at this year’s Scottish Home Awards – seeing off competition from across the country. Sponsored by Priory Bridge, the Affordable Housing Development of the Year category recognises house builders who have committed to delivering an impeccable standard of built for purpose, affordable homes. Muirton Living, which is the final phase of the redevelopment of the Muirton area in the north of the city, hosts 203 affordable homes. At Muiton Living, Urban Union has created a unique community that puts residents at the forefront, delivering homes that are fit for purpose available for both private sale and as affordable housing.

Neil McKay, Managing Director of Urban Union, said: “We are extremely proud that Muirton Living has been chosen as this year’s Affordable Housing Development of the Year. From Muirton Living’s inception, we have put the needs of local residents at the heart of every decision, allowing us to ensure the delivery of homes that appropriately represent the needs of the community.”

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Upfront

According to GRITIT, too many organisations are failing to adequately plan to mitigate hazards in the outdoor environment

DON’T GET TRIPPED UP BY GROUNDS MAINTENANCE RISKS

Grounds and winter maintenance firm GRITIT talks about how public sector organisations leave far too much to chance in how they manage outdoor spaces, despite the risks and consequences of getting things wrong. there are I noverthe16UKmillion square metres of property owned by the Government. This vast estate comprises almost

14,000 buildings, from schools, hospitals, leisure centres, libraries and museums, to the office spaces housing our 5.5 million public sector workers.

For the public sector organisations responsible for properties that include outdoor spaces, the maintenance and upkeep of pathways, car parks

The maintenance and upkeep of pathways, car parks and landscapes is not simply a matter of aesthetics

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and landscapes is not simply a matter of aesthetics. Perhaps the greatest challenge they face is in managing risk.

Yet according to grounds and winter maintenance experts at GRITIT, too many organisations are failing to adequately plan to mitigate hazards in the outdoor environment that can impact employees and the public alike.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) around five million days are lost each year through workplace injuries, with slips, trips and falls making up more than half of all reported major/ specified injuries and almost 29% of over-seven-day injuries.

This costs the UK economy billions of pounds. In the public administration category alone, accidents of this type account for 28% of employee injuries.

Of course, when an organisation fails to manage risks it’s not only its own workforce that can suffer: The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 not only states that employers have a Duty of Care to provide a safe working environment to ensure the welfare of its own employees, but also of anyone visiting or passing by a site, including suppliers and members of the public.

Upfront Research by the IWFM* found that almost a quarter of facilities managers said that they don’t have a winter maintenance plan in place

Failure to achieve this not only risks injury to individuals, but can also have a major impact on an organisation’s reputation and finances. While in the UK we have yet to reach the extremes of our American cousins when it comes to ambulance chasing, recent years have seen the flourishing of a compensation culture fuelled by “no win no fee” legal services, with accidents from trips and falls having the greatest potential for high value claims and compensation.

Public sector bodies are increasingly feeling the mounting cost of such cases: For example, after a slip on playground ice, one West Midlands pupil was awarded £35,000. Elsewhere, poor maintenance of surfaces in car parks cost councils in England and Wales £7.3m in personal claims – 82% of which were the result of potholes.

As well as the risk of action being taken on an institutional level, it’s also vital to remember that there is also the possibility for action to be taken against individuals within an organisation whose actions – or inaction – result in health and safety lapses. It’s also important to note that breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act

fall under criminal rather than civil law, which means that liable individuals may end up facing far tougher financial sanctions and even end up with a criminal record.

Despite the enormity of the risks and consequences, many organisations still leave far too much to chance in how they manage outdoor spaces.

Consider the fact that more

than 50% of slips and trips occur in the autumn/winter months. According to the Hospital Episode Statistics for England, over 7200 people were treated in hospital after slipping on snow or ice during the harsh winter of 2017/18.

Yet in spite of the clear dangers presented by snow and ice, many organisations double down on the risks by

failing to plan accordingly.

Research by the IWFM* found that almost a quarter of facilities managers said that they don’t have a winter maintenance plan in place to ensure that the right procedures, training and equipment are in place to effectively anticipate and clear snow and ice. Of the organisations that do have a plan of this type, 26% fail to review the plan annually to ensure that it’s fit for purpose. 

Many organisations still leave far too much to chance in how they manage outdoor spaces

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Upfront An inspection process should seek to identify risks such as tripping hazards from tree roots

At other points on the calendar, a lack of effective planning and risk assessment in grounds maintenance can expose an organisation to other environmental dangers. For example, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), falling trees or branches kill between five to six people a year. While this is a relatively rare occurrence, the HSE notes that “the low level of overall risk may not be perceived in this way by the public, particularly following an incident”, and recommends that management of trees on sites has to be demonstrably proportionate to the level of risk in that location.

Organisations with wooded areas on site must therefore have in place an appropriate inspection regime that takes into account factors such as the level of access by employees or members of the public or whether foliage is obstructing sightlines to adjacent roads. Any inspection process should also seek to identify risks such as tripping hazards from tree roots.

It’s all about the process and the plan Risks and liabilities in outdoor spaces can be effectively mitigated, but success is really a matter of having the right plans

A winter maintenance plan or a schedule should include inspecting car parks for potholes

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and processes in place. Indeed, whether it’s a robust winter maintenance plan or a schedule for inspecting car parks for potholes, organisations need to take care to develop systems that can be embedded into their health and safety policies and procedures. In the event of an accident, the existence – or non-existence of such systems for identifying, reporting and managing risks will be a key focus of any investigations.

Conversely, the ability to evidence the steps taken to reasonably mitigate risks can be the key to avoiding the worst legal consequences.

So what does an effective plan look like? Let’s take as an example the key elements of an effective winter maintenance plan for handling snowy and icy conditions. This should include: Use of a recognised health and safety management system such as OHSAS1800115 to ensure the plan is fit for purpose Clearly defined and communicated responsibilities – both on the ground and with a senior ‘champion’ to ensure high level management buy-in A process for documenting the proactive actions, incidents and investigations undertaken with records maintained and kept for a minimum of three years Ensuring the plan is based on detailed surveys to identify hazard areas and that action is undertaken according to agreed action triggers for service (e.g. accurate real time weather data) Adequate resourcing – whether via specialist contractors or in house, with a dedicated, trained team, sufficient and wellmaintained PPE Clearly defined KPIs to measure performance against and a process to review the plan and any KPIs on a regular basis (at least bi-annually)

Upfront While these elements would constitute best practice for taking on snow and ice, very similar professional discipline and principles (identifying roles and responsibilities, documenting activity and reviewing against KPIs) can be applied to other contexts where risks may arise.

Bringing in specialist help Professionalising outdoor facilities management is ultimately the key to ensuring that an organisation is able to meet its Duty of Care, manages risk, and meets the expectations of its insurers. However, doing so can involve a degree of upfront investment in processes and skills that, as public sector budgets face ever-greater pressure, is often difficult to meet. As a result, engaging with specialist contractors can prove a cost effective way of delivering a high standard of maintenance.

Yet the private sector doesn’t automatically deliver silver bullet solutions: service providers can offer a broad spectrum of capabilities and indeed, professional standards.

For example, in areas such as grounds maintenance, many smaller contractors and subcontractors are still

Risks and liabilities in outdoor spaces can be effectively mitigated, but success is really a matter of having the right plans and processes in place

offering a very traditional landscaping service that’s rich in horticultural skill but lacking the level of risk management knowledge or policy guidance that’s on hand from more forward-looking businesses.

Additionally, just like in every other walk of life, technology is starting to have a real impact in outdoor facilities management and in winter maintenance by making service provision more efficient, effective and

accountable. As part of a new breed of technology-driven service provider, at GRITIT we see immense advantages in mobile technology in particular as it allows teams on the ground to be able to immediately access customer instructions and site plans to help ensure delivery against KPIs. Mobile devices also let teams record their activity in real time in order to record risks and document action taken. These

leaps in technology are changing the nature of what constitutes best practice and while it is possible to implement some of these practices in house, tapping into this level of infrastructure is a compelling reason to engage with third party specialists. 

 www.gritit.com IWFM winter preparedness survey 2015 and ‘Winter Maintenance Best Practice Guide’ in association with GRITIT. Updated edition September 2017. *

Many smaller contractors are still offering a very traditional landscaping service that’s rich in horticultural skill but lacking the level of risk management knowledge

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Housing

This new modern neighbourhood has retained a unique sense of historic character

On the site of a former Victorian Hospital, the development makes innovative use of the existing listed buildings to create a brandnew community that combines distinctive contemporary architecture with the area’s unique heritage.

The vision

MODERN DESIGN WITH HISTORIC CHARACTER This May has seen the number of affordable homes started in London reach its highest level for the first time in eight years. The Mayor of London wants to tackle London’s housing crisis and has secured more than £4.8bn funding from the Government to start building 116,000 genuinely affordable homes in the capital by 2022, with the aim that half of all new homes in London will be genuinely affordable. which O nehasdevelopment already met this target is St Bernard’s Gate, near Hanwell in the London Brough of Ealing, built by award-winning contractor Higgins for leading housing association Catalyst.

St Bernard’s Gate is an award-winning mixed tenure development that has provided 270 new homes in seven individual blocks, delivering 51% affordable homes, consisting 130 market-sale,

98 shared ownership, 22 social rent and 20 at the new London Living Rent, giving potential first-time buyers an opportunity to save for a deposit and take their first step on the housing ladder at a later date.

Despite the historic heritage, the site was predominately made up of drab, 1970s apartment blocks when Catalyst purchased it in 2014. Hester Architects had a clear, distinct vision for St Bernard’s Gate: to produce a collection of modern, stylish homes whilst remaining sympathetic to the existing historical buildings of the former hospital.

A number of historic features were retained including three Grade II listed buildings; a Gatehouse dating from 1831 which acts as a striking main entrance; North House, the 18th century accommodation for doctors working at the hospital and St Bernard’s Chapel. All three will be restored to their former glory, with the Chapel and Gatehouse being used as community assets, commercial retail space and affordable workspace, and North House providing luxury apartments. By retaining these buildings, this new modern neighbourhood has retained a unique sense of historic character.

The new buildings were also designed and laid out so they did not distract away from the character of the listed buildings and blended in seamlessly without compromising on style, regardless of tenure.

A main square was also created providing public outdoor space for the neighbourhood and featuring a tree-lined walkway leading up to the chapel. The new layout delivers a vast improvement in high quality and inclusive public realm which provides safe, sustainable space for everyone to enjoy.

Overcoming challenges

The homes at St Bernard’s Gate are made up of a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments

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With the development adjacent to Ealing Hospital, it was crucial to ensure hospital operations  could continue as normal.

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www.firmanglass.com Further information is available from our sales and technical offices or visit www.firmang www.firmanglass.com www.firmanglass.com

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Firman Glass,19 Bates Road, Harold Wood, Romford, Essex RM3 OJH Inand association with Further information available from our sales technical offices or visit www.firmanglass.com Tel: 01708 374534isFax: 01708 340511 Email: sales@firmanglass.com In association with

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Housing

A number of below-ground constraints such as live gas mains and large service tunnels housing critical hospital infrastructure ran through the site, which meant a high level of coordination was required throughout the design and construction phasing. Webb Yates Engineers collaborated closely with Higgins and service providers to fully coordinate the subsurface service routes.

In order to provide a new cost effective energy efficient system for the development a site-wide energy centre was installed containing modulating boilers which serves a district heating system, before supplying low temperature hot water services to the heat interface units within each block.

Stylish affordable homes for Londoners The homes at St Bernard’s Gate are made up of a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments, with high-quality internal finishes and light-filled living spaces, high ceilings, double bedrooms and fully integrated kitchens featuring Bosch appliances.

Outdoor space is in the form of a garden, balcony or terrace.

The market sale and shared ownership properties are wired for intelligent homes and have Lutron lighting throughout which allows lights to be personalised in any space and adjusted for different tasks.

There is also a video entrance phone system which provides added security.

Residents have exclusive use of modern courtyards that have been designed to mirror the traditional London Square, acting as a private communal space that residents can use as an alternative to the public space.

There is also the provision of 137 car parking spaces, both on street and under-croft.

All residents are offered free three-year car club membership and there is ample space for cycle storage with places for 100 bikes.

A main square was created, providing public outdoor space for the neighbourhood

London, given that it is located 10 minutes’ walk from Hanwell Crossrail station.

The development was also designed to support Ealing Council in its housing provision – the scheme has helped the borough’s core objectives to increase the supply of affordable homes, improve the quality of homes in the area and help people in Ealing access affordable, well managed homes.

Catalyst also worked closely with the Greater London Authority to provide 20 flats at a London Living Rent, a new type

of affordable housing that was created to help households on average incomes in London save for a deposit to buy a home.

“The homes at St Bernard’s Gate have been built to the highest standard and complement the Grade II listed buildings which have been sympathetically restored. We are proud to have worked with Catalyst on this high-quality development which is delivering such a high percentage of affordable homes but not compromising on style or construction quality,”

comments Steve Leakey, Managing Director of Higgins.

James Chatt-Collins, Director of Sales & Marketing – Catalyst, adds: “We are delighted to have worked with Higgins to deliver such a high quality development at St Bernard’s Gate. Not only does it look great, this new neighbourhood provides a significant number of affordable homes for local first time buyers, as well as brand new public space and excellent community facilities.” 

 www.higginsconstruction.co.uk

Supporting housing needs It was recognised that St Bernard’s Gate had the potential to be an important housing development for

14

The scheme has helped the borough’s core objectives to increase the supply of affordable homes and improve the quality of homes in the area

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Leisure

Built to ASA standards, the 25m, five-lane pool occupies most of the hall

SHIP IN A BOTTLE

In an impressive feat of construction engineering, a 25m swimming pool and spa has been built within the existing structure of a sports hall. is the first time a T his project of this kind has been successfully executed in the UK and forms part of the £7.4m refurbishment and extension of Monmouth Leisure Centre for Monmouthshire County Council in South Wales.

Opened in 2000, the centre was dated and in need of renovation. The project aimed

to future-proof the centre’s facilities while meeting demand in under-represented markets in the area such as health and wellbeing and children’s play.

Delivered by Alliance Leisure Services as part of the UK Leisure Framework, the multiphased project has enabled the council to provide a raft of new facilities for the town including

The building had to accommodate a spa comprising an eight person sauna

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a new 60-station gym, exercise and group cycling studios, a toning suite, children’s play area and cafe in the most costeffective way.

Monmouth has been without a public swimming pool for some years. To meet local demand for swimming, the development also includes a new 25m swimming pool and spa.

Hugely challenging The leisure centre shares its site and some of its facilities with Monmouth Comprehensive School. At the time of the redevelopment, a new school was being built to the left of the leisure centre. With the existing school sitting to the right of the centre, the only place to put the pool was in the leisure centre’s sports hall.

“Squeezing the swimming pool into the sports hall was the only way we could provide the wide range of facilities required

by Monmouth County Council to meet local need. This created a host of challenges equating to the construction industry’s equivalent of squeezing a ship into a bottle, but the results are amazing,” says Julia Goddard, Senior Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure.

“Procuring the project through the UK Leisure Framework resulted in major efficiencies to the build process and allowed us to work with our trusted partners ISG to develop an innovative solution for this incredibly complicated project.”

The combination of the location of the leisure centre between the old and new schools, just one access road into the site and 2000 pupils passing the live construction site every hour made the logistics of the project hugely challenging.

Leisure ISG worked with Alliance Leisure to redesign the spa area to make better use of the space and include a treatment room

Before work could begin on the pool, principle build contractor ISG had to erect a temporary sports hall to accommodate the needs of the school and community while the project was ongoing.

Having built temporary facilities for the London 2012 Olympics, ISG constructed a high spec sports hall in six weeks. The four-court hall was bigger and better than its permanent predecessor, complete with a Junkers sprung floor, changing facilities, toilets, level access, heating and air conditioning.

Preparing the existing sports hall for its new use proved another challenge. A single narrow strip – a mere 1.5m at its thinnest point – provided the only access to the hall. The team had to remove a section of the elevation to get the necessary piling equipment and plant machinery into the building to facilitate the work.

The building was stripped back to its shell and treated with spray-on insulation to protect and seal the hall and prevent any impact onto the adjoining dry site. ISG worked with Alliance to develop innovative solutions to a number of challenges caused by the logistical constraints of the site.

Monmouth has soft ground as well as a high water table, which called for some innovative temporary works solutions and creative piling designs to support the new swimming pool.

The fulfilment of a promise The project was funded by a combination of local project developments and borrowing.

Built to ASA standards, the 25m, five-lane pool occupies most of the hall. However, the building also had to accommodate a

spa comprising an eight person sauna, eight person steam room and six person spa bath. ISG worked with Alliance Leisure to redesign the spa area to make better use of the space and include a treatment room.

“It’s a very great pleasure and privilege to celebrate a successful project three years in the making. At a time when other councils were closing leisure centres, we committed to this new modern facility and we now see the fulfilment of our promise to the people of Monmouth and the surrounding

areas,” said Councillor Bob Greenland, Monmouthshire’s cabinet member with responsibility for leisure.

“Members of the leisure centre’s staff have demonstrated faith in a time of uncertainty, but they can now look forward to a bright future.

I’d also like to recognise the contribution of development specialist Alliance Leisure which has supported the council throughout the project and the ISG construction services company for its wonderful work here in Monmouth.” 

 www.allianceleisure.co.uk

The building had to accommodate a spa comprising a six person spa bath

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Healthcare

MINIMISE RISK WITH METAL CEILINGS

Cathal McGuinness, Director at SAS International Ireland, discusses why metal ceilings help in the fight against hospital infection. you consider that W hen 8.9 million healthcare associated infections (HCAI) occur each year in European hospitals and long-term care facilities, a clean and safe environment is absolutely vital, with infection prevention and control a key consideration. It’s why metal ceiling systems can play a crucial role in minimising the risk of infection and need to be specified in accordance with stringent cleaning procedures and be maintainable for the client.

The first priority for healthcare facilities will always be patients’ well-being. However, healthcare

18

facilities must be safe, accessible and inviting for all, including doctors, staff and visitors.

Flooring, walls and ceilings play a crucial role in minimising the risk of transmission of infection.

Prevention and control As part of the infection prevention requirements within the Code of Practice from The Health and Social Care Act 2008, healthcare providers must demonstrate they are providing and maintaining a clean and appropriate environment which facilitates the prevention and control of healthcare-associated

infections (HCAI). This is also one of the main themes with the Department of Health’s HBN:00-10 guidance.

In the healthcare environment, the majority of people have weakened immune systems and other afflictions which make them susceptible to infections, therefore it is the NHS’ responsibility to minimise the potential risk of patients acquiring a healthcare associated infection.

The design and maintenance of a healthcare facility’s internal environment is therefore essential to long

term performance. Floors, walls and ceilings must be carefully designed to enable effective cleaning, and all coatings and finishes chosen with this in mind.

Metal ceilings With their easy-clean polyester paint coatings and guarantees of 25 years, metal ceilings are ideally not damaged by routine and efficient cleaning with normal chemical cleaners.

Moreover, the ability to control or inhibit the growth of bacteria has led to the development of antibacterial and anti-fungal coatings which are available for different building products across a variety of sectors, particularly healthcare.

Hygienic coatings are preferred as part of a controlled approach to cleaner facilities.

Easy-clean coatings that are not damaged by routine and efficient disinfecting chemicals exist, but coatings with active anti-

Healthcare Metal ceiling systems can play a crucial role in minimising the risk of infection

In the healthcare environment, the majority of people have weakened immune systems and other afflictions which make them susceptible to infections The design and maintenance of a healthcare facility’s internal environment is essential to long term performance

bacterial properties provide extra protection for ceiling finishes.

It should be recognised that a ceiling with an anti-bacterial coating has totally different performance criteria to the antifungal support claims made by some ceiling manufacturers.

As part of an existing cleaning procedure, anti-bacterial coating effectively inhibits the spread and growth of microorganisms.

It’s important to note that when a product has an antibacterial coating it will not kill the bacteria, rather prevent the spread of bacteria over the surface of the product.

Minimising the risk With cleaning programmes in hospitals being reviewed and developed continuously, metal ceilings are already proven to be the most efficient ceiling surface to clean. These surfaces have to be extremely robust and durable, and claims made by

some suppliers on the suitability of their products and technical composition of the ceiling for cleaning are varied.

A metal ceiling with an anti-bacterial coating installed in accordance with a ceiling manufacturer’s recommendations can be cleaned regularly to the same standard as a stainless steel worktop. No component in a concealed grid ceiling can be dislodged using normal methods or pressurised cleaning equipment.

Anti-bacterial coatings applied during manufacture effectively prevent the growth of microorganisms and control potential risk when used in conjunction with routine cleaning procedures. Ease of cleaning is an important factor in the control of infection.

Other non-metal ceiling systems that claim to be cleanable are in fact permeable barriers, which in turn filter the air and its contents such as dirt. If cleaning is

attempted the contents of the tile are extracted to the surface.

Accessibility It is widely recognised that hospitals require seven times more mechanical and electrical services than office buildings.

Metal ceiling systems allow services to be housed in the ceiling void; offering a range of different access options ceiling tiles can be easily and frequently removed without damage.

It’s important to remember that a concealed grid ceiling system allows for upward cleaning pressure without dislodging or displacing tiles.

When you push against a lay-in tile metal or mineral ceiling system the tiles will lift.

A concealed grid ceiling system that offers a downward demountable solution with a hinge and slide facility to retain the tile within the ceiling plane is a preferred solution within

healthcare facilities. The main benefit is that ceiling tiles are not required to be physically removed from the supporting grid and are therefore less susceptible to damage during cleaning and maintenance work.

Maintaining a public space and restricting the spread of numerous infections can be challenging. Healthcareassociated infections are a hidden enemy and a serious risk to patients, staff and visitors, which is why the specification of appropriate products is of paramount importance.

Metal ceiling systems provide specifiers with the quality, finishes and fittings that enable thorough access, cleaning, disinfection and maintenance to take place and play their part in helping to inhibit the potential invisible risk, one of the key priorities within the NHS. 

 sasint.co.uk

19

Talking Point

INSTALLING AND USING INTERNAL HEIGHT SAFETY SOLUTIONS

When you think of working at height, you would be forgiven for initially picturing rooftop working – but working at height in interior applications poses just as many potential risks. Here, HCL Safety’s UK Sales Manager, Stuart Pierpoint, highlights the key considerations of height safety system installation and how to work safely in interior applications. the physical W hile installation of interior height safety systems remains relatively straightforward, gaining access can be challenging. It can sometimes be difficult, for instance, to find anywhere to fix systems to, which is why installations typically tend to be carried out via machine access.

Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) carry their own potential risks, especially when used inside in what can be busy environments.

This is why it’s so important to carry out all relevant risk assessments, as per the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and choose the right MEWP for the job. Conducting all necessary assessments

20

and choosing the correct equipment will help ensure that all risks are mitigated, according to the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER).

Careful planning and consultation While the safety of the enduser should always come first, the functionality and usability of a height safety system must always be considered. In aircraft hangars, for instance, steel may be running in one particular direction, but an aircraft will likely be at a different orientation. This can be challenging, which is why careful planning and consultation with the principal designer and/or site/health and safety manager

(or equivalent) is crucial. This will help ensure that systems maintain the highest level of safety while remaining practical for the end-user.

Following a full site survey and risk assessment, the installer, structural engineer and, on occasion, the principal designer, will identify the most suitable point from which to anchor.

Ceiling spaces can often have many other services attached to them, so be sure that the fixing point is not only capable of withstanding the load of a fall, but also easily accessible and clear of all other services.

A quality installer will provide the structural engineer and principal designer with all necessary load calculations so that guidance can be provided

Careful planning and consultation with the principal designer and/or site/health and safety manager (or equivalent) is crucial

Stuart Pierpoint has been assisting in the delivery of the comprehensive range of MSA Latchways fall protection solutions for over 10 years.

For the last three and a half years, he has been HCL Safety’s UK Sales Manager, focusing specifically on design and installation.

regarding whether the material/ structure is strong enough.

Internal height safety systems are often anchored to steel works.

Beware of the environment Height safety systems – like anything else – are at the mercy of the elements and the atmosphere they are exposed to.

In leisure centres with swimming pools, for example, the chlorine can degrade stainless steel inside-out which means you may only see that it’s corroding once it’s close to failing.

Talking Point

Steelworks can be similarly harsh on height safety systems.

Installers therefore need to be mindful of the materials they are using in relation to the fabric of the building and any external elements that may potentially impact performance. Regular inspection and continued maintenance of equipment following installation is of course always crucial, regardless of the conditions. But in particularly harsh, or potentially corrosive, environments, more frequent inspection may be necessary.

Choosing height safety solutions for interior applications Whether working in exterior or interior applications, in warehouses, steelworks, train or bus depots, theatres, crane gantries or aircraft hangars, the principles of working at height safely remain the same – if at all possible, eliminate the risk entirely and avoid it. If work at height is unavoidable, then choose the right work equipment and select collective measures to help prevent falls (such as guardrails and working platforms).

Implementing collective measures and even fall restraint systems can, however, be challenging when it comes to interior applications which means that fall arrest systems are often used. Training is of course essential for all levels of working at height but working in fall arrest puts an even greater impetus on confidence and competency gained via extensive and ongoing quality training.

Height safety systems – like anything else – are at the mercy of the elements and the atmosphere they are exposed to

Rescue plans: it’s your responsibility Importantly, when working with a fall arrest system, together with all relevant PPE, a rescue plan, by law, must be in place. Do not rely only on the emergency services – it is your responsibility to implement a rescue plan.

Furthermore, any delay in the emergency services arriving on site could be critical for the worker. Assistance in the development and implementation of a comprehensive rescue plan is a typical by-product of topquality training, so be sure to partner with a reputable training provider. 

 www.hclsafety.com

When working with a fall arrest system, together with all relevant PPE, a rescue plan, by law, must be in place

21

Education

LESSONS LEARNED

AL Noor Primary School where the electrical works were completed by REL

Toby Buckley, Managing Director of REL Building Services, explains how new educational facilities are affecting the design and installation of mechanical and electrical services. schools T raditionally, and colleges were relatively simple structures but within the last 10 years, design trends have shifted dramatically. This has resulted in far more sophisticated buildings incorporating diverse facilities and advanced technologies that can enhance the learning experience for students.

These changes have had a huge impact on building services, fueling the need for more advanced mechanical and electrical (M&E) solutions, which can drive efficiencies across an entire project.

Early engagement To achieve these efficiencies, M&E contractors must be involved in projects during the early pre-construction stage to help develop the design. In some cases, that could be up to a year before the project goes to site.

Commercially that can be a challenge, but this investment in time offers benefits too.

Early engagement means M&E contractors can work more closely

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with design teams and architects to develop a solution that is tailored to meet the brief. In doing so, any potential issues can be identified at the beginning, saving time and improving efficiency during installation.

Improving air quality One of the most important considerations in an educational facility is ventilation. Growing concerns regarding air quality in classrooms have been addressed by new Government guidelines which came into force last year.

These were introduced to minimise the risk of classrooms overheating and to control carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, so are affecting the ventilation strategies for new schools.

In practice, this will require the greater use of systems which combine both mechanical and natural ventilation. However, this presents numerous challenges as heating and cooling systems can be difficult to integrate and consume a lot of energy – issues which will need to be overcome in the early design stages.

Enhancing aesthetics The aesthetics of the building’s interior is another priority for educational institutions.

Traditionally, the ceiling was used to hide all the cabling, pipework and ductwork that was required to make a school function but that people didn’t necessarily want to look at.

But now, exposed ceilings are becoming the norm, not only because they improve thermal massing of a room but offer a much more contemporary look.

This trend means that M&E contractors need to work more closely with clients, including local authorities and main contractors, to ensure that the building services installation is as aesthetic as possible.

Electrical, mechanical and structural elements must all be coordinated as part of the ceiling design, ensuring they are set out perpendicularly and installed as neatly as possible.

Upfront design work, including the use of BIM forms a vital part of this process.

Exemplary learning environments Some of the biggest building design changes can be seen in the higher-education sector, largely driven by the need for more technical skills, creative learning spaces, and the latest technology.

One example is a new facility currently being built by ISG for Richmond-upon-Thames College and where REL is responsible for the M&E solution.

The £34m scheme comprises a new five-storey teaching block, which spans around 161,000ft2 and is targeted to achieve a ‘BREEAM Excellent’ rating. It is scheduled to open in early 2020 and will accommodate 3000 students.

A raft of diverse facilities will be incorporated into the building, including business incubation space, a 160-seat theatre, and advanced learning environments featuring TV studios, a 3D prototyping fabrication laboratory and a digital golf studio. A chef’s academy, with full commercial kitchen and a

Education Classroom at Charter School where REL delivered the electrical works

Townley Grammar where M&E was completed by REL

bookable restaurant space will also be created, alongside a spa and wellness centre.

Located at the college’s Twickenham campus, which will remain operational throughout the work, the scheme is the latest to be awarded via the Pagabo framework, which drives efficiencies and best value across public sector procurement.

We began evolving the M&E base design two years prior to the project going to site. Using extensive BIM modelling, this enabled us to develop a new solution that met all requirements in terms of efficiency, compliance and budget.

The latest technology, including new digital tools and signage, is prevalent across the

site to help improve teaching standards as well as the overall experience for students. This is supported by highly-effective data infrastructure including more than 1800 data points.

As with all educational facilities, reducing energy consumption is essential and in line with the London Plan, the development must achieve a 35% CO2 reduction, compared to Part L Building Regulations.

A total of 228 photovoltaic panels will be incorporated as well as a 50kW air source heat pump. There will also be a Building Management System (BMS) featuring a distributed bus system that allows devices to exchange information directly.

Requiring reduced cable lengths, it can integrate products from

The £34m Richmond-upon-Thames College scheme comprises a new five-storey teaching block, which spans around 161,000ft2

different manufacturers within a single system. This makes it easier to maintain and adapt to control energy consumption, reducing costs.

One of the biggest challenges in terms of building services is the design of the building. There is a trapezium-shaped atrium measuring 24m wide and over 21m tall, which takes up nearly a third of the building. A total of 81 teaching and learning rooms fork off this central space. Building services, including ventilation and smoke ventilation systems, have to be fully integrated into this unusually shaped area.

The facility’s location has also had an impact on the M&E design. As it is situated opposite Twickenham Stadium next to the busy A316, noise and pollution

will prevent the windows from being opened. This has required the design and installation of a full mechanical ventilation system, including full comfort cooling especially in the large atrium area.

Bringing together education, enterprise and the local community, the new teaching block will demonstrate the extensive facilities and quality standards that are now expected in many new educational institutions. This is driving the need for more skilled M&E contractors, collaborative ways of working, and building services solutions which can meet a vast range of requirements now and in the future. 

 www.relbuildingservices.co.uk

23

Legal & Business

Housing is in a state of flux with residents being evicted by landlords on unreasonable grounds and thousands of tenants still living in unsuitable and technically unsafe accommodation

UNDERSTANDING THE UK’S SOCIAL HOUSING CRISIS Liz Gibbons, Senior Associate and Social Housing Specialist at Capital Law, offers her analysis on the key issues facing the sector from an ongoing shortfall of affordable housing to removing the negative stigma associated with social housing. is in a state of H ousing flux with residents being evicted by landlords on unreasonable grounds and thousands of tenants still living in unsuitable and technically unsafe accommodation with Grenfellstyle cladding. So, what does the country’s next leader need to be aware of when taking over?

Last month’s Housing 2019 conference may have served as an opportunity for Theresa May to list the perceived “successes” in the social housing sector during her term, but it also highlighted the many deeprooted issues which remain and which need to be urgently addressed by her successor.

While more homes have been built and further money has been pledged, the housing shortage remains. The new Prime Minister will need to be fully committed to resolving the longstanding and embedded issues which plague the sector and will need to

24

remain focussed in order to create sufficient levels of affordable, adequate, safe and secure homes.

Research conducted by HeriotWatt University estimated the level of housing required in England as 340,000 per year, of which 145,000 should be affordable. A joint call from the National Federation of Housing, the Chartered Institute of Housing and Shelter for the Government to invest £12.8bn a year into the sector to meet such demand, demonstrates both the scale of the crisis and the investment required.

While the £2bn pledged to social housing by Theresa May over the course of seven years from 2022 was a start, this proposed investment is far short of the funds required.

The new Prime Minister must accelerate a programme currently in its infancy, if the level of affordable homes required are to be delivered.

However, in a political climate dominated by uncertainty, the vision for steady growth in the housing market is immersed in doubt with Brexit serving as a distraction. With the prospect of a No Deal looking likely, the end of free movement of people between the European Union and the United Kingdom is on the horizon which could limit the labour and workforce available to build the homes the country needs.

Turning to the private sector rental market, the abolition of capped rent deposits and letting fees in England was introduced with the intention of addressing the issues which affect private tenants; however, with rents being increased by landlords to off-set such losses, the Government must go further to close such loopholes and ensure that the intention and spirit of the legislation is delivered. The impending abolition of Section

Liz Gibbons is a Senior Associate and Social Housing Specialist at Capital Law. She deals with a variety of commercial and residential transactions with a particular focus on the social housing sector.

21 “no fault” evictions, also presents similar concerns – how, and will, the new Prime Minister address these or will the chaos of a no-deal Brexit overtake?

In light of the Grenfell disaster, safety is also a major issue requiring urgent attention, but the response to date has been slow and ineffectual. As with many issues facing the sector, changes have started but are too slow and too limited to address the full extent of the issues facing both social housing providers and their customers, the tenants.

Theresa May’s successor will need to show a commitment to, and focus on, the sector if the vision of solving the housing crisis is to be realised. Whether change can be achieved, is largely dependent upon the outcome of Brexit and the legacy it leaves. 

 www.capital-law.co.uk

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TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Landscaping

THE ROLE OF PLACEMAKING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Aldgate Square is now the first public space for the area’s multicultural residents and one of the largest public spaces in the Square Mile

For years, architects, planners, researchers and builders have tried to define how we shape our landscape to create better spaces. The concept of placemaking – the shaping and transforming public spaces – is not new. the 1970s, S ince placemaking has been finding itself part of the conversation. It might not have been called placemaking, but the resounding need for public spaces to be more sociable, safe and enjoyed by the community was certainly present.

As changing lifestyles, technology and economic conditions dictate the look, feel, colour, shape, textures and materials used to create spaces, there is now evidence that shows the interest in topics such as placemaking, multi use spaces and water management

Exhibition Road now clutter free and visually appealing, with Yorkstone paving and Granite setts

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is growing. A focus on wellbeing and a better understanding of environmental impact is leading to a need for town and city planning to support placemaking.

Placemaking is about making great places to live, visit, work and enjoy. Creating a bridge between the urban and the

natural world, harnessing the knowledge we have on our environmental footprint and creating spaces that enable communities to thrive. Research shows that healthy placemaking in the built environment can have a positive impact on people and communities however there are barriers.

These barriers, whether real or perceived, can hamper the placemaking process – cost, lack of data, lack of collaboration, lack of knowledge, or a general lack of understanding of what placemaking is and its potential for positive impact.

Done well, placemaking can help shape a community, strengthen social cohesion and contribute to the health and wellbeing of all. Furthermore, well-considered placemaking can boost the local economy as it draws more people to an area. However with an uncertain economic outlook in the UK, it can be safe to say that councils and planners will continue to face the pressure of delivering projects under increasing financial scrutiny. The key is to somehow achieve placemaking objectives amongst financial constraints, environmental concerns and community voices.

Placemaking is an opportunity for landscape architects, designers and engineers to shape the future of the built environment and influence conversations about how materials and the use of space can create high-quality environments that work for all stakeholders. Given the variety of purposes that successful spaces have to fulfil – and the diversity of the people who will benefit from them – placemaking has huge potential for innovative design approaches.

In order to create better spaces for everybody, it is crucial to look at urban planning socially, environmentally and economically. Placemaking brings those elements together in forging a better landscape, but one that functions at the heart of the community.

There is no doubt that placemaking is the way forward for landscaping.

It is important to understand how placemaking works for a 21st century environment.

Landscaping

Architectural features were retained during the redevelopment of Oldham’s Grade II listed Old Town Hall

EXHIBITION ROAD, LONDON Exhibition Road is one of London’s most high profile streets. Over time, it had become inefficient, dominated by traffic with narrow, crowded pavements and street clutter. A complete redesign was needed to improve the infrastructure and access to facilities.

People need to feel protected and safe. A great place has to serve different purposes, but respect its heritage and identity. Accessibility for all means for all – able pedestrians and those with impairments, cyclists, road users – with links to public transport and existing networks.

Understanding placemaking is also about understanding the world around us and that means climate change. Water

management and urban drainage solutions must appear alongside aesthetic features that bring enjoyment to users.

Placemaking asks that we respect our heritage and the environment, provide for the present needs of our communities, do so with integrity and care, whilst creating a great place for the future. 

 www.marshalls.co.uk

The street is now clutter free and visually appealing, with Yorkstone paving and Granite setts creating the diagrid crisscross paving pattern and giving the street its unique visual identity.

The flow of pedestrians is better enabled and there is easy passage from public transport. Two continuous near drainage channels, including bespoke cast iron tops, provide drainage solutions. A multifunction street lighting concept, including 28 bespoke tapering steel lighting masts, which is coordinated with street furniture range, has led to increased feelings of security.

ALDGATE SQUARE, LONDON Designed to remove barriers between communities, Aldgate Square is now the first public space for the area’s multicultural residents and one of the largest public spaces in the Square Mile.

It was created in response to the Mayor’s transport strategy which sets out a long term ambition to create more beautiful, accessible and people friendly streets across London that everyone can enjoy spending time and being active.

Natural stone paving in muted grey and brown tones enhance a feeling of openness. Slip resistant Yorkstone granite seating units create a centrepiece, allowing a large area for residents and visitors to congregate.

Flags, setts, steps and wall cladding were all used to great effect to create a harmonious aesthetic and generate a calming social space.

DEMONTFORD UNIVERSITY, LEICESTER Landscape design has helped to support the idea of multi spaced areas and the skilful use of product and light has added vibrancy to the space.

Multi use range of paving products were used to create different textures within the landscape which help to delineate multi use spaces. Sustainable drainage was provided by water management solutions.

The space was designed to help encourage collaboration to create blurring boundaries within the public space, making it ideal for the growing population and satisfying the diversity of needs.

OLDHAM TOWN CENTRE, OLDHAM Architectural features were retained during the redevelopment of Oldham’s Grade II listed Old Town Hall, whilst allowing the building a new use of incorporating cinema screens and leisure facilities.

A newly pedestrianised square houses bespoke Prospero Granite planters and seating to enable social interaction within the space. A mixture of setts, tactile units, steps and cladded planters in Scoutmoor Yorkstone facilitated a cohesive external landscape in the space.

Landscape design has helped to support the idea of multi spaced areas at DeMontford University

The hard landscaping on the scheme was selected to coordinate with the existing colour tones and heritage of the original Town Hall building, while the new natural stone planters and seating areas were chosen to contrast and pick out elements of the more modern extension.

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Furniture

Balancing the old with the new, functionality with beauty, the new facilities have been enhanced with the addition of KI’s Intellect Wave music chair

Project: King’s Bruton Location: Somerset Architect: Levitt Bernstein

KI CHAIRS SELECTED FOR NEW QUEEN ELIZABETH MUSIC SCHOOL King’s Bruton, an historic co-educational secondary school in Somerset, England has marked its quincentenary with the opening of a state-of-the-art music school. opened by Her O fficially Majesty The Queen on 28 March 2019, the new building is located at the very heart of the Bruton Conservation Area, replacing the school’s derelict swimming pool. Designed by Levitt Bernstein architects, with interiors designed by Morgan Stewart Interiors, it took around 18 months to build and has rejuvenated this previously underutilised part of the school’s estate.

Situated immediately adjacent to the River Brue, the new building has been designed to be sympathetic to the surrounding 17th century buildings and stone walls, with its two-storey entrance tower and stone-paved courtyard. Inside, there are performance, recital, teaching and recording spaces.

A member of the prestigious HMC association of leading independent schools, King’s Bruton sought to build a legacy with this iconic new music facility to build on the already busy programme of over 50 concerts a year. Providing a vast array of opportunities for students to develop their music skills, the school will now be able to boost its music programme further

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still. Ian Wilmshurst, Headmaster at King’s Bruton, said: “Music at King’s is arguably as strong as it’s ever been, but this was despite our facilities and not because of them. This new music school provides state-of-the-art amenities for both our students and the wider community.”

Balancing the old with the new, functionality with beauty, the new facilities have been enhanced with the addition of KI’s Intellect Wave music chair. The Intellect Wave music chair was specified with ‘Wet Sand’ polypropylene seat shells and matching powdercoated steel legs which make a striking statement against the warm, wooden interiors.

This chair is a unique variant of the elegant and popular Intellect Wave family, featuring a 5° forward tilted seat back and an elevated seat height to promote a more upright posture and enhanced breathing. This can make a notable difference in comfort and performance whilst playing a musical instrument.

Also selected were over 200 of KI’s Maestro high-density stacking chairs, specified with ‘Nordic’ (navy blue) polypropylene seat and backrest and chrome sled bases. Adding a huge amount of

flexibility to the versatile spaces, these chairs are stackable to 38 chairs on a transport dolly.

Comfortable and robust for student or audience use, they are quick and easy to move around and link together into rows. This allow rooms to be transformed into recital spaces, but neatly stack away when not required.

Andrew Morgan, Founder of Morgan Stewart Interiors, comments: “We have specified KI products for many of our customers over many years. They are a world-leader in creating seating designed specifically for

students, and the Intellect Wave music chair is a great example of this. It was an obvious choice for the new music school. It is elegant and cleverly designed to be comfortable and incredibly durable. This is an important factor especially for education environments, where student comfort has a huge impact on learning and performance. Being available in so many seat shell and metal finishes, it gave us even more flexibility to create the right aesthetic for the space.” 

 www.kieurope.com

Selected were over 200 of KI’s Maestro high-density stacking chairs, specified with ‘Nordic’ (navy blue) polypropylene seat and backrest and chrome sled bases

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Technical Focus

There are key differences between rigid insulation types and it’s important to know what these are

GROUND FLOOR INSULATION: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Rob Firman, Technical and Specification Manager at Polyfoam XPS, highlights the common misconceptions about ground floor insulation and offers guidance on specification and installation.

many cases with I ninsulation, materials are as likely to be identified by colour and visual appearance as they are by knowledge of their performance characteristics.

Unless it is a system requiring specialist installation equipment, like blown cavity wall insulation, there are no specialist insulation installers in the construction industry. Floor insulation tends to be considered an ‘extra’, carried out by other specialists – like screeding contractors – as part of their work.

There are however, key differences between rigid insulation types and it’s important to know what these are. That’s because if one material is specified, but an alternative material is offered, purchased and installed, that other material may not offer the same performance.

With specification switching, if an alternative product has a worse thermal performance, the building may not comply with energy efficiency requirements.

If it is not capable of bearing the same loads, there could be a failure of the floor.

This article will offer guidance on the different types of ground floor insulation

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available, and what to consider when specifying and installing these products.

The true purpose of insulation In the history of our built environment, floor insulation is still a relatively recent phenomenon. Experienced designers and contractors may remember when it did not feature in build-ups at all.

Over the last couple of decades, the performance required from buildings has made high levels of thermal insulation a necessity in all building elements. As a result, floor insulation’s primary function is to resist the flow of

heat energy from the building’s interior down into the ground.

However, a ground floor construction also bears the load of all the people, furniture, fixtures and fittings in a building – even vehicle movements in some cases.

Those loads transfer through the floor insulation, in addition to the dead weight of any screed or slab over it, so it has to be sufficiently strong as well as performing thermally.

The loadbearing nature of ground floor insulation means compressible materials are unsuitable. Rigid insulation materials, sold as boards, or sheets, slabs, or panels, depending on your preferred

terminology, not only bear loads with relative ease, but their large-format sheet sizes can be laid quickly and easily over the floor’s surface area.

Insulation comparisons Rigid insulation materials are mainly lightweight, plasticbased rigid foam insulations.

In recent years, vacuum insulated panels (VIPs) have begun to offer an alternative to the more common board stock materials. However, these products are best suited to refurbishment projects where the depth of insulation is constrained. The table shown highlights how VIPs compare to other insulation types.

Insulation Type

Known as

Typical thermal conductivity (W/mK)

Typical compressive strength (kPa)

Extruded polystyrene

XPS

0.033 to 0.036, depending on grade

200 to 500, depending on grade

Expanded polystyrene

EPS

0.032 to 0.038, depending on grade

70 to 250, depending on grade

Polyisocyanurate

PIR

0.022

140

Phenolic foam

PF

0.018

120

Vacuum insulated panels

VIP

0.007

150

Comparing EPS and XPS insulation As different types of polystyrene insulation, price tends to be the common differentiator between EPS and XPS. However, the significantly increased compressive strength offered by higher grades of XPS makes it the only choice for certain applications – particularly those involving vehicular traffic.

Like EPS boards, XPS products are typically unfaced, but they offer another important advantage – lower moisture absorption. They are more tolerant of wet conditions, so can be installed against the ground without affecting performance over time.

It’s not uncommon for phenolic and PIR foam manufacturers to receive questions about the suitability of their products for being laid on the ground, usually because they were installed below the DPM and somebody has queried the correct sequencing. More often than not

The Polyfoam XPS manufacturing plant in Hartlepool

it is too late to do anything, since there is an understandable lack of appetite to break up a freshlypoured concrete slab.

The floor will be accepted as-is, with no penalty to anyone except the end user – and their energy bills – if the thermal efficiency gradually worsens over time. XPS might need a slightly increased thickness to reach the same intended U-value, but can offer a more robust and flexible solution as it can be positioned above or below the DPM and is resilient if exposed to moisture.

Making the right choice There can often be little difference in how XPS and EPS products are perceived,

Technical Focus

Both phenolic and PIR foams derive some of their long-term thermal performance from facing materials that restrict the loss of the gas in the foam structure. Protecting those facings is important to ensure they perform for the life of the building.

That means keeping water away from the insulation boards, regardless of them being closed cell materials with low rates of water absorption. They should always be installed above the damp proof membrane (DPM), and never laid exposed directly to the ground.

Similarly, although EPS insulation has no facings that are susceptible to damage from alkalis or moisture, its capacity for moisture absorption means it must still be installed above the DPM. As the table shows, EPS is capable of much greater loadbearing capacity than phenolic and PIR foams – but is also made available in lower compressive strengths. Even with compressive strengths exceeding 120 or 140 kPa, manufacturers of phenolic and PIR products can be extremely cautious about offering their insulation for anything more than light commercial applications.

which is concerning when there is such wide variation in the performance range of EPS products. And because PIR and phenolic foams offer superior thermal performance, it’s not uncommon for it to be assumed that they are superior in compressive strength too.

Sometimes, insulation is simply used as a void-filling material. While there is nothing wrong with that, the desire to use the cheapest material might lead to the conclusion that the cheapest material will suffice for any ground floor construction.

It’s not hard to see why confusion can arise regarding insulation specification and installation. However, a greater

awareness and understanding of insulation products can significantly reduce risks on site and ease installation.

It’s important to value the thermal and loadbearing performance of materials over how much they cost to ensure ground floor construction performs as expected. And if a product substitution can’t be avoided, make sure the same material type is used with an equivalent performance.

If in doubt, seek advice from the insulation manufacturer’s technical team who should be able to guide you on specification and installation, including u-value calculations. 

 www.polyfoamxps.co.uk

The performance required from buildings has made high levels of thermal insulation a necessity in all building elements

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Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

Configured as a three-storey structure, the new school building sits along the site boundary edge, creating a strong street form

EDUCATIONAL COPPER Nordic Brown pre-oxidised copper from Aurubis forms part of the restrained palette of natural materials defining the new St John’s Primary School, Ealing, London, designed by Conran and Partners with detailed design by executive architecture practice Gibberd. and Partners’ C onran idea for a new school grew out of their proposals for the ongoing regeneration

of Green Man Lane estate.

With an exchange of land, the existing school could remain operational while a new one

A glazed corner provides transparency and signifies both the main school entrance and the circulation axis through the building

32

was constructed. Configured as a three-storey structure, the new school building sits along the site boundary

A restrained palette of natural materials has been selected throughout the new school – from weathered buff brick to the Nordic Brown pre-oxidised copper

edge, creating a strong street form and conveying a mature learning environment while giving the school its own distinct identity.

The entrance is demarcated by a floating, oblique form – clad in Nordic Brown copper with defined vertical seams – informing the design detail throughout. A glazed corner provides transparency and signifies both the main school entrance and the circulation axis through the building.

The strong vertical emphasis of the street elevation will set the school apart from the proposed neighbouring residential components of the development.

A restrained palette of natural materials has been selected throughout the new school – from weathered buff brick to the Nordic Brown preoxidised copper – to reinforce the design narratives. These materials provide robustness and warmth, while blending seamlessly with the material palette of the wider masterplan for Green Man Lane estate.

Nordic Brown products are pre-oxidised at the Aurubis factory to give straightaway the same oxidised brown surface that otherwise develops over time in the environment. The thickness of the oxide layer determines the colour – either Nordic Brown Light or the darker Nordic Brown – and the darkening oxidisation process continues in the natural environment.

Other Nordic Copper surfaces include Nordic Standard ‘mill finish’. Nordic Green and Nordic Blue are factory-applied patinas developed with properties and colours based on the same brochantite mineralogy found in natural patinas all over the world. Essentially, they enable designers to determine both the colour and intensity of patina for each project with ‘living’ surfaces: as well as a solid patina colour, other intensities can be created revealing some of the dark oxidised background material. 

 www.nordiccopper.com

CUBE ONE SHAPE, ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES FROM A FLEXIBLE, ROBUST AND HIGHLY EFFICIENT EXTERIOR LUMINAIRE The Cube LED exterior luminaire series offers a versatile solution for lighting designers and architects. The design is a study in clean lines and minimal form which takes the shape of a cube and can be mounted as either a floodlight, wall wash effect feature or on ground bollard. A wide range of beam angles and accessories allow comfortable viewing from any angle. Extremely precise beam spread optics offer the opportunity to create specific light effects.

To see further models in the range please visit our website.

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Disabled Access

To help build greater flexibility into housing stock, AKW has been working with many social housing providers

A different approach

BUILDING ACCESSIBLE BATHROOM FLEXIBILITY INTO HOUSING STOCK According to an Equality and Human Rights Commission report demand for accessible housing is increasing, with insufficient supply across all tenure types. Here Stuart Reynolds, Head of Product and Marketing at AKW, discusses how accessible bathroom flexibility can be incorporated into housing stock. piece of research A major by the Smith Institute forecasts that by 2034 there will be 170,000 more residents with mobility problems living in housing association properties.

In addition, almost half (48.5%) of all social rented households

have at least one person whose illness or disability limits their activities; a much higher figure than in other tenures.

With this in mind, in the next 10 to 20 years, many more older and disabled people living in private rented properties, or

Manufacturers are working hard to help social landlords provide ‘real-world’ solutions

34

homeowners with insufficient equity, will need to try and find more suitable, adapted accommodation. Inevitably, many of these will apply for social housing, putting further significant pressure on housing managers.

For many, the area that presents the most problems for accessibility is the bathroom.

Although a level access showering room promotes longterm safety and independence for those with mobility issues, this type of bathroom can cause difficulties when general-needs accommodation is re-let and the next occupants require a more traditional bathroom layout.

Even in sheltered housing, standard wet room solutions do not always work.

‘Personalisation’ is a common buzz-word but it is expensive to deliver in practice. So, what can housing providers do to provide both value for money and flexible solutions to keep all tenants happy? It’s clearly a big challenge that urgently needs to be addressed.

The Bathroom for Life solution To help build greater flexibility into housing stock, AKW has been working with many social housing providers to overcome this issue with their Bathroom for Life solution. It offers a conventional bathroom layout that includes a bath; however the bath can be very quickly and easily adapted to become a level access wet room showering area (and back again if required).

This solution also minimises any adaptation costs by reducing the amount of building work needed, as well as disruption to tenants. Once installed, it takes approximately half a day to either install a bath or take the bath out and return it to a wet room.

Typically, the price difference between a Bathroom for Life installation and a traditional bathroom refurbishment or new build is £500.

Although there is increasing pressure on housing stock to become even more accessible, manufacturers are working hard to help social landlords provide ‘real-world’ solutions. Thanks to companies such as AKW, many housing providers are saving time and building long-term flexibility into their housing stock. 

 www.akw-ltd.co.uk

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Offsite & Modular

A key requirement of the design was high levels of natural light and ventilation

BRIGHTER SCHOOLS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR BETTER LEARNING

Here, Scott Leeder, Director at VELUX Commercial GB & IRE, looks at the benefits of specifying prefabricated modular rooflights to maximise natural light and ventilation in educational facilities. population continues A stotheincrease, councils are warning that there will be a shortage of places in secondary schools over the next few years.

As such, the UK is experiencing a much-needed increase in construction and renovation of education facilities; which provides a great opportunity

VELUX Modular skylights are fully prefabricated skylights systems for commercial buildings

36

for both local authorities and architects to rethink how the physical teaching environment can be designed to have a more positive effect on learning.

A number of scientific reports have found that educational buildings have an impact on a student’s ability, attainment and aspiration. One in particular, conducted by Professor Peter Barrett and his team of design experts at the University of Salford, showed clear evidence that differences in the physical characteristics of teaching spaces explained 16% of the variation in learning progress over a year*.

The findings outlined in the HEAD Project (Holistic Evidence and Design)* also revealed that certain elements, including daylight, temperature and indoor air quality, are intrinsic to improving learning in the classroom. The report found that more daylight and fresh air, as part of an optimised teaching environment, can increase learning capacity by up to 8%.

Several other studies from across the world have shown a positive correlation between the size of classroom windows and how well students perform on mathematics, logic and reading tests. Poor indoor air quality due to a lack of ventilation has also been shown to seriously inhibit concentration and overall performance, as well as increasing absenteeism due to illness.

Furthermore, education buildings often contain multipurpose rooms that require different lighting levels at various times of the day, which can sometimes involve complex lighting control strategies.

As a result, lighting could be consuming up to 20% of the total energy costs in an establishment and it is estimated that up to 75% of buildings have lighting which is not only ineffective in its energy consumption, but is not delivering the optimum visual environment for its occupants**.

As children spend up to 90% of their day indoors, with much of that time spent within a classroom, it’s understandable that the design of these spaces matter. When developing plans for a school, college or university building architects must therefore consider how they can be constructed to be healthier and more supportive of better learning outcomes. 

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Offsite & Modular

A very effective method of ensuring optimum levels of natural light and ventilation, is to incorporate rooflights or skylights into the building design. Skylights are uniquely able to provide natural light and fresh air to deeper layouts, such as classrooms, lecture halls, corridors and common areas, where the size and shape of the space does not allow for adequate lighting through facade windows alone.

Brighter builds The Grade II Listed Hawthorn Engineering Works in Newcastle upon Tyne, is a great example of an education establishment that benefits from high optimum levels of natural light. The building forms part of the £12m pioneering new city centre University Technical College (UTC). The college specialises in IT and Health Science courses for 14-19 year olds and forms the latest part of the £200m Stephenson Quarter in Newcastle city centre.

Based on the site of George Stephenson’s Locomotive yard, where the Rocket was built in 1829, the college incorporates both a new build element and renovation.

The concept behind the development was to construct a four-and-a-half storey teaching block next to the retained and refurbished Grade II Listed building. A key requirement of the design was high levels of natural light and ventilation.

The existing roof on the Hawthorn building, which had originally been fitted with basic linear slot glazing, had fallen into disrepair and so it was agreed that it should be replaced, while retaining as much of the original timber structure as possible. It was felt that maintaining the lines of the original rooflights would enhance the internal space and so the focus was on identifying a system that would sit harmoniously with the roof aesthetic of reclaimed slate and traditional lead work.

The architects were looking for a rooflight system that could be used as longlights on the main UTC building and linking structure

The architects were also looking for a rooflight system that could be used as longlights on the main UTC building and linking structure. They overcame the challenge by incorporating VELUX Modular Skylights as fixed and natural ventilation longlights, ensuring that the internal space of the Hawthorn building, ‘link’ structure and laboratories in the main college are now naturally lit and delivered controlled natural ventilation throughout the day.

Summary

The Grade II Listed Hawthorn Engineering Works in Newcastle upon Tyne benefits from high optimum levels of natural light

38

Over the last few years it has become increasingly clear that the design of schools, colleges and universities has a profound effect on the health, wellbeing and academic attainment of students. An integral part of creating a wellbalanced, inclusive learning and development environment is ensuring high levels of daylight and natural ventilation.

Our prefabricated modular skylights are revolutionising both how skylights look – and how they’re installed. Created with both architects and installers in mind, the striking design allows for more daylight and more fresh air, which is matched by their performance and vastly improved installation, which is up to three times faster than traditional rooflight systems.

The modules simply click into place and can be fitted together in minutes, minimising time spent on the roof and ensuring a watertight seal is achieved exceptionally quickly, so rain won’t hold up the installation. This is vital for educational builds, where time and budget constraints can put strain on schedulers and builders alike. It is also why they are fast becoming the preferred choice for commercial glazing projects throughout Europe.

To highlight this and the benefits of modular products in the design and construction of educational facilities, we recently launched a new RIBA-approved Continual Professional Development (CPD) programme for architects working in the education sector.

The CPD, ‘Under the Rooflight: Spotlight on Education’ offers a review of the latest regulatory changes in the design and construction of education buildings specifically relating to rooflights, as well as a look at the benefits of natural light and ventilation. 

 www.veluxcommercial.co.uk University of Salford’s Clever Classrooms – Summary report of the HEAD Project.

(Holistic Evidence and Design). Professor Peter Barrett, Dr Yufan Zhang, Dr Fay Davies, Dr Lucinda Barrett. *

The Carbon Trust, Further and Higher Education report, Training Colleges and Universities to be energy efficient March 2012 **

NATIONAL ACCESS AND SCAFFOLDING CONFEDERATION

SETTING THE STANDARD FOR SCAFFOLDING NASC full contracting members operating across the UK are audited and accredited every year – so you can rest assured that their operatives are highly skilled,

professional and reliable. For more information and to find an NASC scaffolding contractor visit www.nasc.org.uk

www.nasc.org.uk

Advantage Tennis Mesh - Now Available with Super Rebound

(t): +44 (0)1902 796 699 | (e): info@zaun.co.uk | (w): www.zaun.co.uk Tennis Mesh 185mm x 122mm.indd 1

22/06/2015 10:49:37

39

Floors, Walls & Ceilings

Polysafe Stone fx is a distinctive safety flooring collection designed for engaging interior environments

POLYFLOR LAUNCHES NEW POLYSAFE STONE FX SAFETY FLOORING COLLECTION Polyflor, a leading UK manufacturer of commercial and residential vinyl flooring is delighted to announce the launch of the new Polysafe Stone fx PUR collection. to capture the D eveloped beauty and authenticity of stone and concrete surfaces, Polysafe Stone fx is a distinctive safety flooring collection designed for engaging interior environments which require the assurance of sustainable wet slip resistance.

Engineered for safety, Polysafe Stone fx features virtually invisible aluminium oxide particles integrated throughout the performance layer to provide a safety flooring which is both functional and beautiful.

These carborundum-free safety particles ensure that Polysafe Stone fx offers full HSE compliance and sustainable wet slip resistance, achieving 36+ on the pendulum wet test and a ramp test of R10. Polysafe Stone fx also conforms to the EN 13845 European safety flooring standard with successful completion of the 50,000 cycles abrasion test.

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Tom Rollo, UK and International Marketing Director, comments: “Specifically designed to be a

practical choice for contractors and specifiers alike, the new Polysafe Stone fx has been neatly aligned to our hugely

popular Polysafe Wood fx collection and can be used in front of house environments where we see significant opportunities for the products to work together in engaging interior design schemes.”

The Polysafe Stone & Wood fx collections together present endless possibilities to create safe, contemporary interior spaces. Contrasting stone and wood effect finishes beautifully demonstrate how design and function can go hand in hand and be the perfect solution for interior environments where both the flooring aesthetic and safety performance are a priority.

Designed for low maintenance costs, Polysafe Stone fx features the renowned Polysafe polyurethane reinforcement (PUR) cleaning enhancement.

Cross-linked and UV cured, Polysafe PUR is a super strength reinforcement designed to facilitate even easier cleaning, whilst providing optimum appearance and colour retention as well as improved soil release. Polysafe Stone fx is a sustainable flooring choice, built to last and 100% recyclable via the Recofloor scheme.

 www.polyflor.com  info@polyflor.com  0161 767 1111

The Polysafe Stone & Wood fx collections together present endless possibilities to create safe, contemporary interior spaces

Wall membranes deliver Class W1 performance for severely exposed sites Protect Membranes, a UK producer of construction and roofing membranes, has introduced two new waterproof breather membranes designed for use externally on timber frame, SIPs and CLT wall panels, achieving a Class W1 resistance to water penetration.

Launched in tandem with the STA Advice Note 18, published by the Structural Timber Association in consultation with the NHBC,

the products are designed specifically for buildings sited in severely exposed locations which are typically high altitude, open to

Floors, Walls & Ceilings

high winds and on westerly coastal sites in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Protect Thermo Extreme is a low emissivity, insulating breather membrane with microporous film and microperforation technology to ensure high water tightness and vapour permeability. This protects the outer sheathing from moisture and allows vapour to pass into the external wall cavity.

Featuring a highly reflective surface, Protect Thermo Extreme helps deliver low overall U-values when the foil faces into an unventilated airspace, achieving an aged thermal resistance R-value of 0.77m2K/W, incorporating printed branding.

Protect TF200 Extreme is a high performance membrane used on the cold side of the insulated panel to minimise the risk of interstitial condensation, with microporous film technology to ensure high vapour permeability and exceed requirements recommended by TRADA and NHBC. It offers a temporary, first line of protection to the whole of the external wall.

Both membranes are CE marked, available ex-stock in 3m widths and 100m lengths and produced in the UK. For more information, contact us today and quote ‘Extreme’.

 www.protectmembranes.com  info@protectmembranes.com  0161 905 5700

Hunter Douglas Architectural manufactures ceiling for prestigious college One of Hunter Douglas Architectural’s dramatic Luxalon ceilings has been used to dramatic effect in the new £15m headquarters for the Royal College of Pathologists in London.

The international architectural products company was specified to manufacture 250m2 of its Luxalon V100 screen ceilings in RAL 7080 for the office floor and exterior canopy, to create a seamless visual screen from the inside to the exterior. The vertically installed panels were manufactured in different lengths, each of which was designed to ensure easy access to lighting, air conditioning and sprinkler systems.

 www.hunterdouglas.co.uk

 info@hunterdouglas.co.uk

Gerflor ‘serves’ up huge success for Hull table tennis club  01604 648229

Designer Contracts launches stylish contract carpet collection Designer Contracts – one of the UK’s largest flooring contractors – has introduced a brand new 100% polypropylene carpet collection aimed at the care, nursing home and hospitality sectors. Suitable for contract installations, Duracare Twist features a number of practical benefits, most notably an impervious backing, making it the perfect choice for more demanding environments. With an extensive colour bank of 20 warm toned shades, Duracare Twist is bleach cleanable, stylish and comfortable underfoot. Designer Contracts was recently named in the Business Reporter’s Best of British Campaign, which recognises success stories in British business. The accolade was awarded to just 10 companies in the UK.

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

The Goodwin Development Trust is an organisation committed to improving the quality of life within the communities of Hull. Its Octagon Centre is at the heart of the Thornton Estate in Hull, providing a range of services that meets the many needs of the community and includes a state-of-the-art multi-use sports area, providing a range of sports facilities which includes floor space for the Goodwin Table Tennis Club (GTTC) to practise and play on.

Providing a suitable playing surface for the GTTC would involve a local flooring installer supplying 300m2 of top-quality flooring from international flooring specialist Gerflor. It would prove to be an ideal project perfectly suited to Gerflor’s worldrenowned Taraflex Table Tennis Floor.

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

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HVAC

Balancing act Rejuvenating a 1990s concrete and brick multi-storey car park and indoor market hall posed major complexities for the building services – solved through teamwork and the capability to adapt and evolve.

Ty Pawb – Welsh for Everybody’s House – is the new £4.5m arts and cultural centre in Wrexham, commissioned by the town council. It offers two galleries, performance areas, shops, market stalls, studios, cafes in the remodelled building. The 3660m2 space varies in height from standard 2.4m ceilings to a 9m atrium, with wood, steel mesh and industrial plastic sheet curtaining dividing up the spaces.

The M&E supply and installation team of Margden Heating and Gilberts Blackpool on behalf of main contractor Wynne Construction has managed to ensure each area is comfortably aired without draughts, in a manner that complements the industrial interior design and aesthetics.

Gilberts supplied a variety of grilles, diffusers and plant louvres for the project.

The range included 14 x Gilberts’ patented

design GSJA/T thermally-actuated adjustable swirl diffusers with specially-engineered shallow (250mm deep) top entry plenum boxes, used in the higher spaces such as the atrium to ensure heated air circulated down to floor level, 48 x specially-designed JN jet nozzles which deliver a powerful air stream over long distances, and 24 x PX plastic extract air valves to provide a fresh environment in toilets and cooking areas.

Gilberts’ Series C double deflection grilles were employed within tubular ducting, whilst Series DG square faced and Series PG perforated face multi-directional ceiling diffusers delivered the air supply through ceilings.

The air temperature and volumes through the diffusers are controlled by the building management system, also installed by Margden. Some are manually adjustable to enable users of the specific space to alter as required, and some are self-adjusting, depending on warmth and air quality.

On the exterior, Gilberts’ WGF38 flanged frame integrated louvres, ranging from 0.23m to 1.4m, provide a neat, compact means of protecting and screening plant whilst ensuring an adequate flow of fresh air through.

 www.gilbertsblackpool.com  info@gilbertsblackpool.com  01253 766911

Stand alone energy saving controls for heating and cooling Luxury multi-million pound apartments light up the London skyline To create the perfect living environment for the new multi-million pound apartments in Central London, Waterloo’s air terminal devices were fitted inside five of the six luxury pavilion buildings.

Waterloo delivered aesthetically pleasing linear bar grilles, which were integrated at a high level in every room. The APM plasterline grille was chosen so that the surrounding frame could be plastered into the wall with only the central core visible.

Special clip fixings were developed so that the frame could be installed first. After the room was decorated, the core was then fitted. Waterloo’s variable ventilation controllers deliver the exact amount of airflow to enhance the luxurious feel of each of the residential and retail blocks.

 www.waterloo.co.uk  enquiry@waterloo.co.uk  01622 711500

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Danlers manufactures a range of quality controls for switching a variety of HVAC loads, which are wall mounted, hard-wired and easy to install. Its heater boost switches automatically to turn the load off after a selected time period has elapsed, and is designed for use with immersion heaters, heated towel rails and more. A version of the switches is available with different time settings and has the option for switching air conditioning loads. The PIR thermostat controls for heating loads combines an adjustable room thermostat with a passive infrared person detector. If a person is present within a room, the heating unit is switched on to achieve the selected thermostat temperature, but falls to a setback temperature if vacant.

 www.danlers.co.uk

 sales@danlers.co.uk

 01249 443377

Remeha launches the new Gas 120 Ace range Pioneering heating manufacturer, Remeha has launched the innovative new Gas 120 Ace, an exceptionally compact, ultraefficient, floor-standing condensing boiler range with a new advanced heat exchanger and next-generation control platform.

The new Gas 120 Ace range, available in 65, 90 and 115 models, is a class-leading floor-standing boiler series that combines top-quality components with precision engineering to deliver outstanding heating reliability, efficiency and durability in an extremely small footprint. Delivering near maximum gross seasonal efficiencies and ultra-low Class 6 NOx emission levels, the Gas 120 Ace offers a high modulation ratio of 5:1 for improved boiler efficiency and longevity.

 www.remeha.co.uk

 0118 974 3076

Specify Specify Specify Specify Specify CFA CFA CFA CFA CFA members members members members members Specifying Specifying Specifying Specifying aSpecifying CFA a CFA member a CFA member a aCFA member CFA for member member for your for your next for your for next your flooring your next flooring next next flooring project flooring flooring project project could project project could mean could mean could could the mean the mean mean thethe the difference difference difference difference difference between between between success between between success success —success or success — aor —flooring aor— flooring — aorflooring orafailure. aflooring flooring failure. failure.

Most failure. failure.

Most ofMost the ofMost Most the of UK’s the of UK’s ofthe UK’s theUK’s UK’s largest largest largest and largest and largest best and best known and best and known best best known Manufacturers, known Manufacturers, known Manufacturers, Manufacturers, Manufacturers, Distributors, Distributors, Distributors, Distributors, Distributors, Contractors Contractors Contractors Contractors Contractors andandandand and Consultants Consultants Consultants Consultants Consultants areare CFA are CFA members are CFA are members CFA members CFAmembers —members and — and — forand — for good —and for and good reason. for good for reason. good good reason. reason. reason.

• CFA members promote high standards, knowledge and expertise • CFA members promote high standards, knowledge and expertise • CFA members promote high standards, knowledge and expertise • • CFA members promote high standards, knowledge and expertise CFA members promote high standards, knowledge and expertise • Specifying CFA members will maximize your investment and • Specifying CFA members will maximize your investment and • Specifying CFA members will maximize your investment and • • Specifying CFA members will maximize your investment and Specifying CFA members will maximize your investment and minimize costly flooring failures minimize costly flooring failures minimize costly flooring failures minimize costly flooring failures minimize costly flooring failures • All members have to pass a vetting process • All members have to pass a vetting process • All members have to pass a vetting process • • All members have to pass a vetting process All members have to pass a vetting process

Tel: Tel: Tel: 0115 0115 Tel: Tel: 0115 941 0115 0115 941 941 1126 941 1126 941 1126 1126 1126

www.cfa.org.uk www.cfa.org.uk www.cfa.org.uk www.cfa.org.uk www.cfa.org.uk Email: Email: Email: info@cfa.org.uk Email: Email: info@cfa.org.uk info@cfa.org.uk info@cfa.org.uk info@cfa.org.uk

Subscribe to free of charge - simply visit www.psbj.co.uk /subscriptions

43

Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

Bauder Total Roof System PLUS is the new formidable bitumen waterproofing system from Bauder

ROOF SOLUTIONS TO STAND THE TEST OF TIME Bauder’s new premier bitumen waterproofing for flat roofs offers potential lifespan of up to 50 years.

Total Roof B auder System PLUS is the new formidable bitumen waterproofing system from Bauder. The system incorporates both rubber and elastic properties in the dual-modified BauderKARAT cap sheet to

deliver superior durability, extended service life and exceptional waterproofing.

BauderKARAT BTRS PLUS supersedes BTRS as Bauder’s premier waterproofing system owing to the dual

formulation capping sheet, BauderKARAT. Utilising a topside of atactic polypropylene (APP) modified bitumen with embedded slate granules, BauderKARAT increases the roof’s resistance to UV radiation and improves weathering.

The APP modified bitumen has a higher softening point allowing it to tolerate installers walking on the membrane as it is laid without creating imprints. The proven styrenebutadiene-styrene (SBS) modified elastomeric bitumen on the underside provides outstanding flexibility which eliminates splitting caused by climatic extremes and building movement.

Due to Bauder’s special coating formulation, the soft underside of the SBS bitumen reacts more efficiently to heat application, allowing for reduced installation times of more than 10%. The cap sheet also incorporates a lightweight polyester-glass composite which adds to the extreme strength and stability of the membrane.

Key benefits Heavy duty and extremely enduring system Fire classification BROOF (t4) Installation time reduced by more than 10% Outstanding guarantee package

BTRS PLUS – the system The BauderKARAT cap sheet is only available within the BTRS PLUS solution that incorporates the BauderTEC KSA DUO 35 underlayer which is a 3.5mm self-adhesive SBS modified bitumen membrane. Together the pair of waterproofing membranes offer increased durability for the overall system and deliver a life expectancy of potentially 50 years.

When to specify?

The BTRS PLUS system is suitable for both refurbishment and new build schemes and can be installed on timber, metal or concrete decks.

Specify BTRS PLUS for projects that require long life span and high durability.

Book an introduction to BTRS PLUS with your area technical manager by calling Alex on the hotline.

BauderKARAT increases the roof’s resistance to UV radiation and improves weathering

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 www.bauder.co.uk  0845 271 8800

A grade II Listed building with a Renaissancestyle frontage has become the latest awardwinning project to feature Proteus cladding. The homogenous pattern featured on the Proteus SC perforated cladding covers the entirety of the new extension, making it difficult to discern the position of the different floors and giving the structure a monolithic presence. Choosing round perforations was no accident, it creates a contrast with the right angles of the surrounding cityscape, but mirrors the internal layout. A defining feature of the building is its extremely complex geometry, in fact only four rooms have walls in a square format, every other space is curved or a polygon.

Guthrie Douglas expertise puts valuable pieces of art in the shade Engineering experts at Guthrie Douglas have devised two innovative systems that provide vital shade to protect valuable artworks at two world-class galleries and museums. The challenges set by The Broad Museum of Contemporary Arts, in Los Angeles, USA, and The Latvian Museum of Art in Riga, led to the blinds and shades technicians quickly developing a scientific understanding relating to the preservation of artworks. The 350 uniquely shaped vaulted rooflights at The Broad Museum of Contemporary Arts, have their light levels controlled – from 100% ambient light to 100% blackout – thanks to a Guthrie Douglas TESS 660 tensioned blackout shade, which is connected to a single wireless network that covers the roof.

 www.proteusfacades.com

 info@proteusfacades.com

Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

Proteus cladding establishes ‘hole’ new look for Spanish City

 0151 545 5075

A piece of home delivered by BMI Redland Cambrian Slate A first in the UK for its innovative use of reconstituted slate in a modern interlocking roofing material, the BMI Redland Cambrian Slate combines great traditional looks with great durability and cost-effectiveness; and so provided an ideal solution for roofing Butterfly House, an important and sensitively-designed £4.8m hospice in High Wycombe. “The roof looks fantastic and it’s cost-effective. The slate works well with the quality facing materials that we’ve used, it was quick to install on site – and it has all the appearance of natural slate,” says Amanda Walker, Director of DP Architects.

 www.guthriedouglas.co.uk  projects@guthriedouglas.com  01926 310850

 www.bmigroup.com/uk

 sales.admin@bmigroup.com

 03705 601000

The world leader in timber preservation technology

Protim

®

TRIED AND TRUSTED METHOD OF PRESERVING TIMBER AGAINST FUNGAL DECAY AND INSECT ATTACK, FOR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL TIMBER THE ORIGINAL WOOD PRESERVATIVE AND STILL THE BEST

FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit: www.kopperspc.eu Email: kpc@koppers.eu Call: +44 (0)1628 486644 Fax: +44 (0)1628 476757 Protim Solignum Limited, Fieldhouse Lane Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1LS ™ Protim Solignum Limited trading as Koppers Performance Chemicals. Koppers is a registered Trademark of Koppers Delaware, Inc. Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in this document, Protim Solignum Limited gives no undertaking to that effect and no responsibility can be accepted for reliance on this information. Information will be updated when the need arises. Please ensure you have an up to date copy. All products are produced by independently owned and operated wood processing facilities. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Koppers Performance Chemicals, Protim Solignum Limited, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1LS. Visit: www.kopperspc.eu, Email: kpc@koppers.eu, Call: +44 (0)1628 486644, Fax: +44 (0)1628 476757.

Registered in England 3037845. © Copyright 2018.

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

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Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

The site features two existing 15-storey blocks, which have been extensively refurbished

A notable aspect of the scheme was the colourful panellised treatment chosen for certain elevations of the two no-fines concrete towers

PERMAROCK EXTERNAL WALL INSULATION INSTALLED ON NOTTINGHAM HIGH-RISE BLOCKS UK manufacturer PermaRock Products has supplied one of its thermal external wall insulation (EWI) systems for a new retirement village in Nottingham. development is T hepart£11m of Nottingham City Homes (NCH) and Nottingham City Council’s ‘Building a Better Nottingham’ programme.

Known collectively as Winwood Heights, the site features two existing 15-storey blocks, which have been extensively refurbished, and a new extra care facility built between them.

The properties are managed by social housing provider Nottingham City Homes (NCH) and the scheme was delivered by Willmott Dixon.

The contractor chosen for the installation of the external wall insulation system was Sustainable Building Services UK. NCH required that the EWI system should incorporate non-combustible insulation and that it must be suitable for use on the new build low-rise Fusion SIPS construction and existing non-traditionally built ‘No-Fines’ high-rise buildings.

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Designed for projects on which the highest levels of fire safety are required, the specified PermaRock Mineral Fibre EWI system incorporates Rockwool’s non-combustible (EuroClass A1) stone wool insulation and a high-performance nano-quartz self-cleansing decorative render, PermaRock SiliconeULTRA K-Finish.

The system is suitable for installation above DPC level on all building types and heights and is tested and assessed to EN 135011:2007 + A1:2009 (A2-s1-d0 fire classification) confirming compliance to the latest revisions to the Building Regulations.

The Rockwool stone wool insulation, available in thicknesses from 50 to 250mm, is adhesively bonded and mechanically anchored to the substrate, avoiding the formation of a cavity and reducing the risk of thermal bypass. The reinforced render system is applied directly over the insulation and is additionally anchored through to the substrate to ensure

resistance to wind action and stability in the event of fire.

A notable aspect of the scheme was the colourful panellised treatment chosen for certain elevations of the two no-fines concrete towers.

The coloured panels – achieved using PermaRock throughcoloured SiliconeULTRA render – give the high-rise blocks a striking appearance and provide design continuity, with similar colours reflected in the smaller, new-build extra-care facility.

This development showcases the design possibilities achievable with PermaRock renders and finishes.

PermaRock’s Mineral Fibre EWI systems are manufactured in accordance with BS EN ISO 9001 / 14001 and are approved by the Solid Wall Insulation Guarantee Agency (SWIGA) for installation onto low and high-rise buildings. They are accredited through BRE Global Certification and are suitable for all heights of buildings,

either retro-fitted or used as part of a new build scheme.

Comprehensive design, technical advice and support throughout the project ensured that the installation work progressed smoothly. PermaRock technical services staff provided compliance checking at all stages, assisting the installer, Sustainable Building Services, in ensuring that the highest quality standards were maintained throughout.

The completed works have meant residents have benefitted from enhancements to the local environment and improved aesthetics, increased comfort levels, a reduced carbon footprint and confidence in the fire performance of the cladding.

Additional fire safety and system design advice can be obtained by contacting PermaRock’s technical support team.

 www.permarock.com  info@permarock.com  01509 262924

The New ASSA ABLOY Protect family of Sliding & Swing Door Systems

PAS 24 and RC3 certified automatic doors to keep your building safe

When you want to keep unwanted visitors out Whether your building use is healthcare, education, retail, transportation, commercial or multi-residential, we understand that you want the best security for your property.

0333 006 3443 www.assaabloyentrance.co.uk

ASSA ABLOY have launched the Protect family of risk-reducing, security enhanced automatic entrances. Our Swing and Sliding Door Systems have been developed to help design out risk. The Protect Swing Door system is third-party Secured by Design certified, whilst our Protect Sliding Door system is RC3 rated - providing you with piece of mind and industry-leading functionality.

Doors & Windows

low U-values and continued performance are guaranteed. The intelligent design of the profile means the same profile is used for the jambs and the head, providing mitre frame construction and two options for site transport – preassembled or stick using pinned crimped cleats or mechanical cleats.

FSDX eXtra – Glazing The view out of the FSDX door offers the homeowner that little bit extra. With the slimmest sightlines available of 60mm, the doors maximise daylighting into the home. Maximising glazing without lacking performance, the maximum width of the doors has been increased allowing door sets to be over 4m with only three doors.

Comar 7P.i FSDX – British by design The next generation of aluminium bi-fold, folding sliding door has arrived. FSDX: Superior, stabilised rolling action with the quietest roller in the industry and improved weight bearing capacity means fit-once and reduced call outs.

FSDX eXtra Roller The stainless steel dual roller seamlessly integrates with the stainless steel running track, with a stabiliser the wheels always remain in contact with the track, which means that even if the track is slightly mis-aligned due to building tolerances the smooth rolling action is not hindered. The

weight bearing capacity is increased to 120Kg which with the FSDX’s glazing pocket of 62mm triple glazed or acoustic glass can easily be incorporated.

FSDX eXtra – Hinges The new hinge design incorporates a central gasket strip, which actively reduces hinge gasket prep and site installation.

Even the roller pillar has been treated with consideration and pre-applied foam pads seal the roller to the door. This increases homeowner satisfaction with a draft-free solution and no call backs for the installer. Adequate sealing between the sliding doors ensures that a long-term solution is guaranteed.

FSDX eXtra – Track Superior thermal performance with integrated stainless-steel rail means that

 www.comar-alu.co.uk  projects@parksidegroup.co.uk  020 8685 9685

Promat SYSTEMGLAS passes 30-year UK milestone

1000… and counting The 1000th Moat home has received new windows, installed by The Window Company (Contracts) since the commercial specialist was appointed to the window and door replacement framework at the start of last year.

Fittingly, the 1000th property was in Maldon, Essex where Moat has more homes than in any other local authority area, and where a Moat Foundation Community Hub opened last year, partfunded by a £10,000 donation from The Window Company (Contracts). This was the first time that Moat had appointed a specialist installer rather than a main contractor to carry out its windows and door repairs and, as well as the positive feedback, it is enjoying very real benefits in terms of value for money.

 www.thewinco.co.uk  01245 268120

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This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first UK installations of SYSTEMGLAS, the complete fire-rated glazing system from Promat UK, and demand is stronger than ever. The 30-year milestone is proving to be an important factor behind the increasing interest in SYSTEMGLAS from architects, specifiers, interior designers, clients and contractors who are seeking assured passive fire protection in their glazing, partitioning and building interiors. The system, which is supported by Promat UK’s ‘360° Wheel of Assurance’ encompassing full control and traceability through design, manufacture, installation and completion inspection, is suitable for a wide range of applications including offices, residential, retail spaces, public buildings and transport interchanges.

 www.promat-glass.co.uk

 sales@promat.co.uk

 0800 588 4444

New improved locking mechanism is the key to success Camden Windows and Doors is at the forefront of home security as it has introduced new locks to its PVCu window range. The new Inliten espagnolette locking mechanism is fitted to the vertical edge of the window and meets stringent security tests. It also comes with British Standards Institution (BSI) Kitemark approval. Roy Harrison, Camden Group Sales Manager, said: “The new locking system is taking our product up a level, as the added security it gives for the home owner as well as commercial properties is second to none. Our customers peace of mind is important to us and that’s why here at Camden Group our products are covered by a ‘Secured by Design’ licence, awarded to us by the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives Limited. Our customers can be assured they have the best products on the market today."

 www.camdengroup.co.uk

 info@camdengroup.co.uk

 0289 446 2419

The All New Hybrid Plus2 Aircool® is Attracting Attention Fast and simple installation · Contemporary design · Versatile mounting options

Hybrid ventilation does not have to come in boxes.

A division of Building Product Design Ltd

To find out more call 01732 850770 or email sales@passivent.com quoting Hybrid Plus2 or visit www.passivent.com/hybridplus2

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...each month, in print or direct to your inbox. Simply visit

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49

Focus & Innovation

GETTING THE TOILETS RIGHT GIVES BEST VALUE FOR EVERYONE IN EDUCATION Best value of available school resources can be enhanced by heading to the toilet.

So claims Closomat, one of Britain’s leading providers of accessible hygiene. claim follows National T heEducation Union research indicating the number of children with special needs has increased by more than a third in less than five years, up to 320,000. Further, research shows £11m or one million hours each year is spent by teachers cleaning up children after they’ve used school toilets, just in primary schools.

The Government has allocated £7.4bn to maintain and improve school buildings since 2015. In the past six months, it has allocated a further £400m for what it terms ‘small capital projects’ and specifically itemised toilets under that heading.

Elaborates Robin Tuffley, Closomat Marketing Manager: “Evidence shows that lack of suitable toilet facilities impacts

50

on the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff. It affects pupils’ ability to learn. Suitable toilets, that children feel happy to use, can help achieve better value and use of resources.

With the ever-growing number of children with special needs, toilets that enable them to develop basic life skills, and be clean, are more important than ever.

“Equally, ensuring that appropriate facilities, such as hygiene rooms, are in place for dealing with the whole range of toileting issues – from helping pupils with special needs through to cleaning after accidents – has a positive impact on people and resources. The Department for Education’s own guidelines say it is better to have fewer, but better equipped toilets.”

Closomat has produced a white paper to help schools get it right.

‘Considerations and Specification of Assisted Accessible Toilet Facilities in Educational Buildings’ in one place covers the key elements of the revised Building Bulletin 104, and BS8300:2018.

It enables specifiers to easily cross-reference their specifications and designs to ensure appropriate compliance on accessibility and special needs. It can be downloaded from the Closomat website.

In addition, Closomat offers an innovative project management service. It can survey, provide design advice, supply, install, and commission assisted accessible WCs, hygiene rooms and changing places. This is to ensure anyone using the school who has special needs, or

who supports someone with needs, has an appropriate space, with appropriate equipment, to enable dignified, independent, hygienic and safe intimate hygiene.

Closomat is believed to be the only specialist provider of assisted toilet solutions that is fully CDM compliant. Its credentials, amassed over almost 60 years of meeting the toilet needs of disabled people, include accessible toilet provision at educational establishments as diverse as Rose Hill Primary School Stockport, North East Campus Dundee, Kingsweston School Bristol, a raft of Cornwall mainstream schools, to Cambridge University.

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

Three is the magic number for new modular housing scheme An innovative combination of three reflective, low emissivity wall construction membranes from Protect Membranes has been used to deliver the magic formula for a flagship affordable housing scheme in Swansea on behalf of Gwalia Housing/Pobl Group.

Based on the former Four Seasons Social Club site, the development is made up of 41 timber frame properties, offering a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom homes that

provide a modern living space inkeeping with local architecture.

Appointed by main contractor Morganstone, timber frame specialist Seven Oaks Modular

Baldwin Boxall leads the way to safety with VIGIL3 Built on decades of experience, VIGIL3 is Baldwin Boxall’s most flexible, scalable and powerful system to date. Built on a fault-tolerant Ethernet backbone that requires no Ethernet switches, VIGIL3 is entirely modular for complete scalability. Rather than a centralised voice alarm router, inputs and outputs are now delivered via modules – inputs in blocks of two or four, and outputs in blocks of eight – which can easily be distributed across a project; enabling systems to grow with customers’ needs up to a maximum of 400 inputs and 800 outputs. The amplifier modules have also been completely revisited for even greater efficiency and performance. VIGIL3 is suitable for any size system, from a single, simple rack up to large, complex configurations with hundreds of inputs and outputs. It supports all Baldwin Boxall amplifiers and speaker line solutions, and is compatible with all Baldwin Boxall interface modules.

 www.baldwinboxall.co.uk  mail@baldwinboxall.co.uk  01892 664422

Focus & Innovation

constructed the wall panels offsite in its factory, followed by delivery and installation on-site. Installing Protect’s reflective membrane solution helped Seven Oaks Modular to reduce material waste during manufacturing and value engineered without severely impacting labour cost.

The timber frame panels incorporated Protect TF InterFoil – a vapour permeable, reflective membrane installed on the cold side of the insulation – with the foil facing into an airspace to deliver low emissivity performance.

This was combined with Protect TF200 Thermo, a reflective, external breather membrane, and Protect VC Foil Ultra, an internal vapour control layer on the warm side of the insulation to help create a radiant barrier, delivering thermal efficiency benefits and reduced heat loss.

This system achieved the client’s target U-value of 0.19W/m2K and achieved important insulation savings, with a reduced thickness of PIR needed for the 140mm stud without increasing the overall wall footprint.

Warren Rowlands, Senior Designer at Seven Oaks Modular, commented: “The use of Protect’s full reflective membrane system enabled us to not only value engineer this project but ensure a robust solution that provided affordability to the client.”

 www.protectmembranes.com  info@protectmembranes.com  0161 905 5700

Advanced’s high rise reputation sees it protect European landmark Global fire systems leader, Advanced, has been specified on another landmark tall building. The 278m-office building – 22 Bishopsgate, London – is a new people-focussed workspace, which will offer a diverse range of community spaces all designed to inspire businesses and its staff. At the centre of the active fire protection for Bishopsgate are over 80 networked MxPro 5 panels with graphic display and BMS integration, alongside three special build panels for the building’s Fire Command Centre, that will form part of the intelligent fire detection network. Advanced’s panels are used alongside Apollo’s Soteria detectors and its networking is widely regarded as the most resilient and scalable solution on the market. It can be expanded up to 200 node networks covering huge areas with complicated cause-and-effect. Once completed, Advanced will protect both of Western Europe’s tallest buildings, with 22 Bishopsgate being the latest in a long line of London’s most prestigious and iconic skyscrapers specifying Advanced, including the Shard, the Leadenhall Building, the Heron Tower and the HSBC Tower.

 www.advancedco.com  jmountain@advancedco.com  0345 894 7000

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Focus & Innovation

Hauraton high capacity drainage systems installed at Port Sunderland The Port of Sunderland now boasts some impressive infrastructure and associated services.

Municipally owned and situated on the south side of the River Wear, the latest wharf facilities now allow for multi materials handling.

A fleet of fork lift trucks, from four to 29-tonne capacity, has a wide range of

attachments to meet all cargo handling requirements. Additionally, a drop-sided HGV, an articulated tractor unit and two 40-tonne low-loaders are also available for transportation of cargoes within the port estate.

Designed to resist the rigours of site work, 180m of Hauraton RECYFIX HICAP 8000 highcapacity channels were installed to drain the wharf area. Factory fitted with 14mm wide slotted ductile iron inlets, the channels comply with a loading class of F900 so can easily take the weight of the fully laden vehicles employed.

Importantly, once installed the complete channel system is highly resilient to the twisting forces imposed by their wheels.

The RECYFIX HICAP 1m channels used each have a water capacity of 171.4 litres so the 180m channel system installed is able to accept a water volume of 30,852 litres. Trash boxes to match the channels were also supplied.

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

Trees don’t die – they’re killed Trees are an important part of our natural life support system; they have a vital role to play in the sustainability of our towns and cities and we need to take better care of them, both now and in the future.

Yet we see them starved of natural food and water and damaged at their roots by earthworks, particularly in developed areas of towns and car parks. As a result of the built environment, soil compaction can inhibit or prevent natural root growth.

CIS Resin Bound and Slot Drain Tree

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Surrounds are a great way of enhancing the sustainability of your project for future generations. Grilles can be supplied factory filled with Resin bonded gravel or supplied unfilled for site application of gravel.

Trees will be not only protected but these tree grilles will also allow water as

well as nutrients to pass through to the root system, greatly enhancing the health of the tree. Read more on CIS’ website.

 www.cis-streetfurniture.co.uk  sales@cis-streetfurniture.co.uk  01483 203388

Spiral UK creates the centrepiece for Falmouth University’s new Creative Bridge When Falmouth University were looking for a striking feature to draw the eye upon entering the new Creative Bridge building in Penryn, Cornwall, bespoke staircase specialist Spiral UK had the perfect solution.

The building, which connects the AIR building (Academy of Innovation and Research) and

the new Launchpad building, was created as a welcoming space for visitors with a

Focus & Innovation

look and feel that reflected the university’s innovative and creative brand.

Spiral UK knew that the staircase it was commissioned to design, manufacture and install needed to make a stunning centrepiece, so working closely with the project team, the bespoke staircase manufacturer made sure it created a staircase design that really delivered.

Spiral UK Managing Director, Eric Nicholls, explains: “It was a real privilege for our team to work on such a prestigious project.

We crafted this helical staircase in mild steel, added hardwearing porcelain tiles for the treads and made the balustrade from toughened curved glass on one side with a white plaster inner.

“This staircase design is very popular. It gives a wonderful flowing arc to the curve of the stair, which in this case, leads visitors up to the Chancellor’s offices. An incredibly effective centrepiece solution.”

Spiral UK works on all types of bespoke staircase projects for the commercial and public sector. Recent jobs include staircases for Salesforce tower, Sony Interactive’s head office in London, Swansea University and large fire escape staircases for Exeter University.

 www.spiral.uk.com  info@spiral.uk.com  0330 123 2447

McAvoy wins place on new £500m public sector framework

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has awarded four lots on its new £500m Modular Building Solutions framework to The McAvoy Group.

CCS is the largest public sector procurement organisation in the UK. Under the new agreement, McAvoy has secured the opportunity to provide bespoke modular buildings and interim hire facilities with a particular focus on education and healthcare. Commenting on this latest framework appointment, Eugene Lynch, Chief Executive of The McAvoy Group, said: “Long-term frameworks are very important to our business and are a major source of new contracts, helping us to continue to grow sustainably. We look forward to working with CCS over the next four years.”

 www.mcavoygroup.com

 info@mcavoygroup.com

 028 8774 0372

Wolverhampton pioneers new boost in burial plots Stylish steel fencing has been installed around a new Staffordshire cemetery, the first in a number to provide much-needed additional burial plots nationwide. Zaun – a mesh fencing manufacturer – has supplied its Gemini convex fencing for the new cemetery in nearby Essington, which was successfully installed by fellow Wolverhampton business, Steelway Fensecure. Respects Bereavement Services is developing the multi-faith cemetery to eventually provide 20,000 burial plots. Zaun Gemini comes in four curved toppings – wave, convex, concave and surf – on top of Duo6 or Duo8 twin wire mesh fencing. The convex topping was chosen due to its aesthetic finish and the sloping nature of the site.

 www.zaun.co.uk

 sales@zaun.co.uk

 01902 796699

Deanestor awarded its largest education furniture contract Deanestor has been awarded its largest ever contract in the education sector. The £3m project is for the manufacture and supply of furniture, fittings and equipment for the new £55m Inverurie Community Campus. Deanestor will furnish and fit out 360 rooms across the campus in just 26 weeks. Fitted furniture manufactured and fitted by Deanestor for the new campus will include 1950m of shelving, 670m of laminate and laboratory worktops, 400 base and wall storage units, bag stores, over 80 teaching walls, and more than 500 items of metalwork. 60 serviced units with power, data or water supplies are being designed and manufactured by Deanestor for the laboratories.

 www.deanestor.co.uk/schools  enquiries@deanestor.com  01623 420041

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Focus & Innovation

Hellberg Safety PPE and Snickers Workwear: Comfort and safety combined The Hultafors Group adds Hellberg Safety PPE products to its premium brand portfolio for professional tradesmen and women.

With over 50 years’ experience in the PPE industry, the Hellberg Safety specialist equipment includes highly advanced hearing protection products, face protection and communication solutions for personal protection on site. From face guards, helmets and passive hearing protection with up to three levels of protection from low to extreme noise, Hellberg also supplies secure electronic hearing protectors to suit different work environments. Hellberg PPE products complement the Snickers Workwear and Solid Gear Safety Footwear product portfolios, in particular the newly-launched Snickers Workwear ProtecWork Heat and Flame Protective Wear.

 www.hellbergsafety.com

 info@hellbergsafety.se

Tamlite Lighting granted ICEL certification via LIAQA Scheme  01484 854788

Postura+ chairs help schools and colleges meet their sustainability objectives KI’s iconic Postura+ chairs in Jet Black are now made from 100% recycled polypropylene, helping schools and colleges meet their sustainability objectives. Whilst all Postura+ products are 100% recyclable, the Jet Black is itself composed of recycled postconsumer and post-industrial plastics, processed using the latest technology to ensure consistency and strength on par with virgin polypropylene. This cost-neutral addition to the range provides a solution for the circular economy. Kevin Geeves, KI’s Education Director, comments: “Products suited to the circular economy are increasingly specified for both public and private education projects. For some customers across Europe, this is becoming a legal obligation when procuring for government-funded schools.”

 www.kieurope.com

 education@kieurope.com

Tamlite Lighting has secured Industry Committee for Emergency Lighting (ICEL) certification for the manufacture and testing of quality luminaires. Tamlite is the first lighting manufacturer to be granted ICEL membership via the Lighting Industry Association Quality Assurance (LIAQA) Scheme, confirming that its technologies and solutions are designed to be effective in the event of an emergency or loss of mains power, allowing a building’s occupants to evacuate quickly and safely. John Allden, Tamlite Lighting’s Managing Director, commented: “The ICEL certification offers proof that we maintain extremely high standards within the manufacturing process of our emergency luminaires – giving our customers an added level of confidence.”

 0207 405 7082

 www.tamlite.co.uk  01527 517777

Cistermiser welcomes new brochure on its infrared urinal control valve

Metalline shines on Centre of Innovation

The University of Leeds’ new Nexus Innovation and Enterprise centre is a stunning example of how a building’s modern exterior envelope can sit harmoniously within an existing campus setting. Architectural fabrication specialist Metalline worked closely with Associated Architects, Glassolutions and United Anodisers to produce a range of bespoke rainscreen panels in anodised silver and a striking two tone striped anodised bronze to enhance the brick and glazed facade of the new centre. The two tone bronze effect is a first for the UK and one that Metalline rigourously tested and trialed in conjunction with partnering anodisers.

 www.metalline.co.uk  info@metalline.co.uk  01543 456930

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The Cistermiser IRC infrared urinal flushing control valve has been fully detailed in an informative new sales brochure, designed for ease of use by specifiers, installers and merchant counter staff. Fitted together with a robust and proven brassbodied solenoid valve assembly, the IRC sensor now features a compact body shape, an economy mode option to provide even greater water savings, a new-style mounting bracket for recessed installations and an improved design which allows clients to conveniently replace the batteries. The IRC employs motion-sensing infrared to automatically control the flushing of cistern-fed urinals, minimise water wastage and ensure compliance with Water Regulations.

 www.cistermiser.co.uk

 sales@cistermiser.co.uk

 0118 969 1611

Offsite Solutions achieves NICEIC electrical accreditation Offsite Solutions has become one of the first bathroom pod manufacturers in the UK to achieve NICEIC Approved Contractor accreditation for electrical installations. The Offsite Solutions electrical testing team demonstrated that they meet the stringent industry standards and regulations for the factory installation of electrics in bathroom pods after a detailed assessment was carried out by NICEIC. Its qualified supervisors have been assessed for competence in inspection and testing in accordance with BS 7671.

The completed electrical installation of every Offsite Solutions bathroom pod undergoes a full function and resistance test carried out by a NICEIC-approved electrician. Test certificates are then provided to the contractor for both electrics and plumbing.

 www.offsitesolutions.com

 info@offsitesolutions.com

 01278 780807

MI N D

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