18 minute read
Product Showcase
Images courtesy of Peter Landers
Advertisement
EDUCATIONAL NORDIC COPPER
The architectural clarity of a new teaching facility at Gresham’s School in Norfolk – incorporating panels of Nordic Brown Light preoxidised copper alongside full-height glazing – typifies an innovative approach to education.
Enabled by Sir James Dyson, a former pupil at the school, the centre for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education is a state-of-the-art structure at the heart of the school campus. WilkinsonEyre’s design develops and refines the evolving STEAM building typology and follows a modern aesthetic integrating industrial components with landscaping and low-energy systems.
Opaque and perforated panels
The two-storey exposed steel-frame envelopes a mixture of large panels: some glass and others Nordic Brown Light pre-oxidised copper – either opaque or with square perforations adding transparency whilst screening glazing behind. Some of the panels are set back within the structure, introducing landscaped open areas, which can be used for outside teaching. Integrated planting blurs the boundaries between outside and in.
The thoroughly-modern building remains sympathetic to its historic context and its scale reflects that of the 1916 school chapel across the lawn. Meanwhile, the patterns in the Nordic Brown Light copper panels mirror decorative flint details on the chapel elevation.
Building as a teaching tool
Yasmin Al-Ani Spence, Director at WilkinsonEyre, said: “This building will provide contemporary teaching spaces for the investigation of the sciences and the arts simultaneously, enhancing critical thinking and promoting innovation. The building itself – through the clarity and honesty of design and construction – becomes a teaching tool in its own right.”
With an area totalling 4000m², teaching spaces are generous and filled with light. They include classrooms, laboratories, workshops, an auditorium and open-plan common spaces able to host a variety of teaching and learning uses. An inviting and interactive internal courtyard, doubling up as circulation, features an arts hub, seating area, and IT point and facilities, further reinforcing the integration of art, design and science.
The building is equipped with the latest technology to ensure the highest levels of teaching, from robotics and Artificial Intelligence to programming and machine learning. The building will also provide greatly-improved opportunities for the outreach programme which Gresham’s runs with local schools.
Performance and appearance naturally
Nordic Brown copper provides the same oxidised brown surface that otherwise develops over time in the environment. The thickness of the oxide layer determines the colour of the surface finish with dark or the lighter ‘Nordic Brown Light’ shades of brown.
Nordic Brown is part of an extensive range of architectural copper surfaces and alloys with an unrivalled lifespan, no maintenance and full recyclability. With a melting point of 1083˚C and ‘A1 (non-combustible material)’ fire classification to EN 13501-1, copper is suitable for cladding tall buildings, using appropriate constructions. Living copper surfaces
Apart from Nordic Brown, and also Nordic Standard ‘mill finish’ copper, Nordic Blue, Nordic Green and Nordic Turquoise prepatinated surfaces have been developed with properties and colours based on the same brochantite mineralogy found in natural patinas all over the world. As well as the solid patina colours, ‘Living’ surfaces are available for each colour with other intensities of patina flecks revealing some of the dark oxidised background material.
Copper alloys are growing in popularity as well, including Nordic Bronze and Nordic Brass – which can also be supplied pre-weathered. The innovative Nordic Royal is an alloy of copper with aluminium and zinc, giving it a rich golden through colour and making it very stable. A wide choice of Nordic Decor mechanicallyapplied surface treatments is also available for various surfaces and alloys, particularly suited to interior applications.
A growing series of online ‘copper stories’ exemplify the best in contemporary architecture and showcase the diversity of surfaces, forms and applications available with Nordic Copper today.
MODULAR TIMBER FRAME BUILDINGS PROVIDE FLEXIBLE PROVISION FOR SEND AND SEMH
TG Escapes modular eco-buildings have provided more than 300 education buildings in various settings UK wide. Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in demand from special schools and for SEND provision in mainstream schools.
Those working in SEND and SEMH report that a timber frame building, using natural materials, with floor-to-ceiling windows and doors, also providing easy access to the outdoors with covered walkways, provide a particularly suitable environment.
Each TG Escapes building is architect designed with specific needs in mind. Small rooms can be included for breakout spaces, while treatment rooms and sensory rooms can be easily accommodated, as can accessible toilets, ramps and kitchens.
The natural materials and excellent acoustics provide calming spaces, which have a significant and positive impact on student and staff wellbeing.
Two recent projects have seen the provision of a building to connect to a SEND garden at Chichester College, which provides further and higher education, and a multi-purpose building at Mountfield Heath SEMH school for students aged five to 11 with complex and challenging needs.
TG Escapes asked Executive Head at Mountfield Heath, Lyndsey Jefferies, about how the building is working for her staff and students.
Lyndsey says: “The first thing is it feels lovely. It feels very bright and airy and because we are in quite a rural area, it really is in keeping with the woodland, the trees and the fields. It doesn’t look out of place with our environment.
“The natural materials change the feel of it and I think, for a modular build, it feels really solid and robust. The other thing is all the rooms have got lots of light, but there has been careful consideration about it. The kitchen area is a long galley with floor-to-ceiling windows that maximise the natural light.”
Lyndsey contines: “The height of the ceilings is another massive plus. Often the ceilings in modular builds are very low so you feel very enclosed, but our ceilings are of a really good height which gives a feeling of space. A lot of our children suffer from sensory processing issues and so the lighting and the feel of a space are very important, as are the acoustics. The acoustics in our building are very good. Although many modular builds are very echoey, ours is not because of the ceiling tiles which are different to the rest of the school. We also have adaptive ventilation, due to our concerns about COVID, and air conditioning, which are also great. The insulation is phenomenal and the building heats up very quickly then holds the heat. It’s very efficient.
“What works very well are the verandas. Having the decking coming straight off the front, that indoor/outdoor space works very well with our children. TG Escapes took full consideration of the school environment and maintained excellent communication.”
Robert Kay, Director of Estates at Chichester College, adds: “TG Escapes provide a real ‘turnkey’ solution, and take care of everything, from design to planning and final installation.”
AKW EXTENDS ITS RANGE OF BIDETS TO MEET MARKET NEEDS
Following extensive research with occupational therapists, AKW, a leading provider of bathroom accessibility solutions, has extended its bidet range to meet end users’ clinical and financial needs. The new additions include AKW’s flagship rise and fall bidet, a bottom-entry bidet, ergonomic and consilio bidet seats, and a new sensor flush, as well as compatible sanitaryware.
AKW’s rise and fall bidet has been designed with versatility in mind. It can be raised or lowered to suit individual user requirements, promoting toileting independence. The easily-adjustable toilet pan seat height (410 to 610mm height range from finished floor level to top of bidet) can accommodate users of different heights, needs and ages.
It also features fold-up arms for ease of access, which facilitates wheelchair transfers and can help users safely navigate around the bathroom.
A bottom-entry bidet has also been added to the collection. When combined with AKW’s Navlin and Navlin Doc M ranges, it offers a solution with a bottom-entry water feed that is cleverly concealed within the toilet pan. Both these new bidets complement the existing AKW side-entry bidet, which has been designed for installation on existing toilet pans and can be easily removed and re-installed elsewhere as required.
The AKW bidet collection also includes a wide, ergonomic bidet seat for optimum comfort and the consilio bidet seat.
To make bidet specifying more straightforward, AKW has also created four bidet collection packages. The close-coupled bidet pack feels at home in any 21st-century bathroom and comes with an accessible price point. The back-to-wall bidet pack is suitable for a variety of users and can be installed with a concealed cistern, with fitted furniture, or as a low-level WC. The wall-hung bidet pack is an ultra-modern and discreet solution that can be installed at a user-specific height. Finally, the rise and fall bidet pack addresses a variety of clinical needs while promoting the user’s retention or increase of independence and dignity.
ADVANCED OFFERS FIRE SAFETY GUIDANCE AT UK CONSTRUCTION WEEK
Advanced, a leader in intelligent fire, evacuation and emergency lighting systems, will be offering guidance on how these systems fit into the recent amendments to Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations on Stand B99 at UK Construction Week (4 to 6th October 2022 at the NEC, Birmingham). In addition to sharing its knowledge with visitors, the company will also be showcasing its latest evacuation alert and fire safety solutions. Ken Bullock, Business Development Manager for Evacuation Alert Systems at Advanced, said: “We appreciate that new regulation can be confusing, therefore, we have carefully designed the EvacGo to take away the hard work for building owners, end users and, importantly, frontline fire and rescue services.”
GILBERTS HELPS HOSPITAL SAFEGUARD STAFF WHEN RESEARCHING DISEASE
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust has opened an extended histopathology laboratory at the Blackpool Victoria Hospital as part of a five-year plan to improve facilities for staff and care for patients. To deliver on the commitment to create resilient environments, whilst reducing its carbon footprint and saving energy, the new facility is ventilated using grilles and diffusers from leading air movement specialist and Blackpool manufacturer, Gilberts. A combination of Gilberts’ MN multinozzle diffusers, DG square-faced louvres, GHV double deflection grilles delivers the high airflow required for the space. PGR perforated face diffusers provide air extract to efficiently remove used air and airborne contaminants. Gilberts’ Ductgard dampers provide fire and smoke protection. All are linked to a central control panel, also supplied by Gilberts. The modern-styled grilles and diffusers combine to provide the high volumes of entrained air, critical for such a sensitive environment, to safeguard staff who are diagnosing and studying diseased tissue. Building services consultant, Beech Jackson Partnership, specified the ventilation components for the installation by M&E contractor James Mercer Group. The histopathology laboratory extension at Blackpool Victoria Hospital builds on Gilberts’ proven track record in healthcare air movement, which includes Rutherford Diagnostics Centres, HCA Healthcare and Papworth Hospital.
NEW SCHÖCK SCONNEX FOR MAJOR PASSIVHAUS SOCIAL HOUSING SCHEME
Minimising thermal bridging at the wall connection to the floor or floor slab is an ongoing problem with reinforced concrete construction. However, a dedicated new solution – the Sconnex type W – has been developed by Schöck and is being installed in what is currently the largest Passivhaus-accredited social housing scheme in the North of England.
The ‘Greenhaus’ nine-storey development of 96 affordable homes in Chapel Street, Salford, is part of the 50-acre Salford Central regeneration and the result of a collaboration between The English Cities Fund (ECF) – a national development partnership between Muse, Legal & General and Homes England – contractor Eric Wright Construction and Salix Homes. The scheme focuses on sustainability and is designed to reduce the energy consumption of the building. With Passivhaus, energy savings can be as much as 90% compared with the average building stock and more than 75% compared to average new builds.
Thermal losses are greatly reduced
The unique Schöck Sconnex type W makes a major contribution to achieving this initiative and is a product based on derivative technology from Schöck. Sconnex utilises the company’s longstanding expertise in structural thermal breaks for balconies and other cantilever constructions and applies it to reinforced concrete wall and support applications.
By installing the Sconnex product in Chapel Street, thermal losses are greatly reduced, and the surface temperature in the rooms increases to considerably more than the critical dew point temperature. Heating costs are lower, a pleasant room climate is created and the linear thermal transmittance (Psi) of the connected reinforced concrete wall is reduced by as much as 80%. This outstanding insulation performance is combined with an excellent load-bearing capacity. It transmits very high pressure, tensile and shear forces, in the longitudinal and transverse direction, made possible by the use of a pressure buffer consisting of ultra-high-performance, fibrereinforced concrete. Compressive strength levels in excess of 175N/mm2 are achieved, with extremely good flexural strength. A further important benefit is the significant cost reduction involved when compared to installing insulation beneath the floor slab.
Eric Wright and Salix have key roles
Greenhaus forms part of ECF’s wider £1bn, 50-acre Salford Central masterplan transforming former surface car parks and derelict buildings into a vibrant and diverse community. John Hartnett, Managing Director at Eric Wright Construction, comments: “We are proud to be supporting not only a green future for Salford, with the delivery of high-efficiency buildings built to Passivhaus standards, but also supporting Eric Wright’s own journey to net-zero carbon. These new homes will deliver valuable social housing in partnership with Salix Homes.“
Sue Sutton, Chief Executive at Salix Homes, also adds: “Chapel Street enjoys an incredibly rich history and the innovative Greenhaus development marks the next exciting chapter for this historic part of Salford. At a time when affordable housing is in such short supply, we’re very proud to work alongside our partners to deliver these high-quality, sustainable, eco-homes of the future, and we look forward to seeing this ambitious development take shape on the Salford skyline.”
TACONOVA GROUP ACQUIRES BUSINESS ACTIVITIES OF HEATLINK TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS AND CLIENT SERVICES
The Taconova Group, a leading manufacturer of innovative hydraulic solutions for heating, plumbing and solar energy applications, completed the acquisition of the business activities of Sheffield-based Heatlink Technical Solutions Limited and Heatlink Client Services.
The acquisition will see the business activities of Heatlink, a provider of intelligent heating and hot water solutions, transferred to the UK arm of Taconova Group, Taconova UK Limited. This transaction will bring together the expertise and know-how of both companies and provide an evengreater offering to its customers.
Operating under the Taconova UK Limited name, the company will offer the existing Heatlink range as well as the entire Taconova portfolio – including hydronic balancing, area heating systems, system technology, valves and accessories, and pump technology – in the UK.
“We are very pleased to be part of the Taconova Group,” says Phil Harrison, Managing Director at Heatlink. “Like us, Taconova specialises in intelligent building technology solutions and, as an ISO-certified company, stands for quality and durability.
“Having already worked with Taconova, we know this first-hand. Our proven turnkey solution, known in the market as ‘The Monitor Bundle’, already includes the HIU, a residential transfer station designed specifically for the UK market by Taconova.”
Ralph Seewald, Managing Director at the Taconova Group, is positive about the future. “With the foundation of Taconova UK Limited and the acquisition of the Heatlink business, we are creating an excellent basis for an evenstronger local presence in the market. We are very pleased to be building on what is already an excellent partnership.”
www.taconova.com info@taconova.com
A NEW DISCOVERY IN SMOKE PROTECTION
Students at the University of Salford have discovered a new approach to being safe. Gilberts’ “first of its kind” Series 60 dampers were chosen by leading smoke control systems company Baiceir to protect the 14-storey Discovery Quay development. Some 26 dampers – each capable of providing up to two hours’ fire integrity – were incorporated into the common corridors to protect the two stairwells within the £24.5m building, comprising 400 student bedrooms and ancillary communal space. Manufactured from galvanised steel with intumescent material and gaskets within, Series 60 has passed all relevant smoke and fire tests (EN 12101-8 and EN 136610), retaining its integrity and performance when incorporated into evacuation shafts and risers.
VENT-AXIA’S LO-CARBON POZIDRY PRO LOFT PIV NOW MADE FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC
British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia has relaunched its Lo-Carbon PoziDry Pro Loft Positive Input Ventilation (PIV), which is now made from recycled plastic. These changes are another step towards more sustainable choices for customers and will help social housing meet their environmental goals. The move to using recycled plastic in part of the construction of the Lo-Carbon PoziDry Pro Loft means that the unit now comes in black for the non-visible parts, while the diffuser will remain white as this is a visible part of the product for residents. The black ABS comes from a recycled source, it will not change the function, performance or impact the form or fit of the product in any way and, more importantly, improves the environmental credentials of this product.
Setcrete Level-Smart represents the next generation of floorlevelling compounds. It is a high-performance, fast-setting, fast-drying, water-mix levelling compound for smoothing flooring screeds where old adhesive residues are present. It is recommended for use in flooring refurbishments and projects that face tight time constraints or when a fast-track, time-saving option is simply preferred. Setcrete Level-Smart can be applied over old adhesive residues, including bitumen, carpet tile tackifiers and ceramic tile adhesives, eliminating the need for mechanical removal. In such applications, there is no need to prime beforehand, saving further time and expense. Setcrete Level-Smart’s fast-setting characteristics enable a walk-on time of just 90 minutes and new floorcoverings can be installed from four hours.
IS YOUR LIFT READY FOR THE ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL SWITCHOVER?
The digital switchover of telephone lines in the United Kingdom is happening now. By 2025, Openreach will have phased out all copper analogue telephone lines in favour of optical fibre networks. Alastair Stannah, Managing Director of Stannah Lifts Distribution & Service, talks to PSBJ about the implications of the changeover.
Many building managers may already be aware of the need to change phonelines in the building, but some may not have realised that their lifts will be affected by the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) switch off.
As part of the Remote Alarm on Passenger and Goods Passenger Lifts Standards EN 81-28 (2003), all lifts in the UK are required to have an emergency alarm that was traditionally connected to a rescue service via telephone. With the analogue to digital switchover, lift owners must now manage the transition of their emergency alarms from analogue phonelines to other digital alternatives. Choosing the right solution ahead of time is becoming essential for building owners and managers to keep their lifts compliant and their passengers safe. Phasing out the UK’s ageing network of copper will help Openreach prioritise the development of optical fibre networks for high-speed broadband in the United Kingdom and meet the Government target for at least 85% of UK premises to have access to gigabit broadband by 2025.
What the impacts will be on existing lift stocks
The implications of this move to telephone and internet service provision has been well publicised, however, the knockon effects on equipment that are not immediately thought of as being connected to telephone lines are still emerging. One of those types of equipment is the stock of hundreds of thousands of existing lifts installed in the UK, which collectively transport millions of people per year.
All passenger lifts installed since 1999 in the UK are required to contain an emergency alarm. Once the emergency button is pushed, an auto-dialler provides two-way communication between the passengers and a rescue service, which is usually run by the lift service provider.
Optical fibre lines may not always be compatible with these existing emergency alarm units, even after adaptations are made, even with an analogue telephone adaptor (ATA) to support analogue devices on fibre connections.
If the emergency alarm is found to be non-functional during a three-day line test under EN 81-28 regulations, it will be declared non-compliant and switched off. Lift owners and facility managers, therefore, need to act soon before PSTN line services are withdrawn in their area.
The GSM phoneline alternative
GSM (otherwise known as mobile or cellular) telephony provides a reliable and cost-effective digital solution for most existing lifts. Without the need for physical phone lines and installations, a GSM module can be easily installed and batterybacked to provide a failsafe in the event of a power outage. Signal strength dips can also be resolved through a roaming SIM.
It is important to consider a professional, trusted and managed SIM service, to ensure hassle-free and cost-effective virtual communication for your lift. Prepaid SIMs can run out of credit, expire or just get turned off mistakenly, potentially leaving passengers stranded or in danger.
Stannah’s new portfolio of digital services includes a managed SIM service, which covers the cost of calls, line rentals and 24/7 connectivity monitoring, offering peace of mind to lift owners, improved product safety for users and reduced risk for the owner. For more information, visit the Stannah website below to find your local service branch.
