infolink Building Products News, July / August 2015 issue

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JUL | AUG 2015 | VOL 51 | NO.4 PRINT POST APPROVED PP100007333

WHY MORE BUILDINGS ARE BREATHING EASY IN

MESH ARMOUR

BATHROOMS Get your fix of high-tech fixtures

PREFABRICATION & BUILDING DESIGN How things are nothing like they used to be

MULTI-RESIDENTIAL Total transformation of a brick warehouse

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Prebuilt Modular Homes

Jury Café – Photography by Martina Gemmola

Trust our plywood Sound Alliance by Environa Studio – Photography by Owen Zhu

Grocon Government Services Office

• A proven and durable, easy to work with range • Local manufacture utilising state of the art technology • Independently third party accredited products • Experienced technical support team • Extensive sheet size range for optimal design • Available termite protected – H3 ® • A better environmental choice and available FSC chain of custody certified For product support visit chhwoodproducts.com.au/plywood Disclaimer: Carter Holt Harvey has used its reasonable endeavours to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained herein and, to the extent permitted by law, will not be liable for any inaccuracies, omissions or errors in this information nor for any actions taken in reliance on this information. Products must be installed in accordance with relevant installation manuals and practices.

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CONTENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER

I

T’S A RARE THING TO BE ABLE TO REPORT THAT ALL VOICES IN AUSTRALIA’S BUILDING INDUSTRY ARE SPEAKING IN HARMONY. ON THE SUBJECT OF DODGY BUILDING PRODUCTS ENTERING THE SUPPLY CHAIN, THEY’RE ACTUALLY SHOUTING TOGETHER. After years of sounding the alarm, it feels like we’re on the verge of some real action.

I’m referring to the Senate inquiry announced in June (see news page 4) into ‘non-conforming building products’, and in particular into the imports increasingly being used as cheap substitutes for products that have been tested to meet and exceed local requirements.

As almost everyone in the industry could, and no doubt will, tell the senators, the big problem is not that Australia doesn’t set high enough standards – these are among the best in the world.

The issue is that compliance and enforcement processes haven’t kept up with the times.

More non-conforming, substandard products are being manufactured offshore and slipping through than ever before. At times, materials are falsely badged as compliant, without actually having been tested. Our ability to police this is woefully inadequate.

It’s not surprising that the loudest voices in this have been the member bodies representing manufacturers who do the right thing and invest a great deal to

PUBLISHER MARTIN SINCLAIR E-MAIL: MARTIN.SINCLAIR@CIRRUSMEDIA.COM.AU EDITOR DAVID WHEELDON E-MAIL: DAVID.WHEELDON@CIRRUSMEDIA.COM.AU JOURNALISTS

ensure their products are up to scratch. They’re rightfully outraged about the unfair competition.

But recently groups representing architects, builders and pretty much everyone in the industry have been growing increasingly alarmed, as the quantity of potentially hazardous materials infiltrating the supply chain reaches epidemic proportions.

You’d have to be living under a rock for the last few years not to have heard frightening stories.

A common theme is that the substandard materials being used in more and more buildings represent a fatal disaster waiting to happen.

Or ‘disasters’, to be more accurate.

Part of the trouble is that nobody knows how much defective stock is already in place. How many windows could fall out of place? How many facades are dangerously flammable?

The other huge question is around the untold economic costs. The vast impacts of fixing defects and replacing short-lived materials would be massive, as the upcoming inquiry will reveal.

However, safety is the big issue which has been able to unite everyone in the industry and public.

Thankfully nobody was harmed in the recent case of the Melbourne high-rise going up in flames (see page 4). We can only hope that it is enough to scare some sense into the regulators.

ON THE COVER: THE IDEAL ELECTRICITY BUILDING BY THOMAS CHONG ARCHITECT AND BMC ARCHITECTURE FEATURES KAYNEMAILE BUILDING-ARMOUR. (MORE ON PAGE 6).

20 Designers describe

NEWS

4 Product conformance

favoured materials in some custom prefab projects

controversy clicks up a gear

5 New standards set for fireplaces

BATHROOMS

24

New and high-tech bathroom fixtures now available in Australia

EXTERIOR WALL MATERIALS

SUSTAINABILITY

6 Architectural mesh and

28 We lift the lid on some

perforated metal as protective, breathable facade cladding

sustainable sanitary ware

PAINTS, STAINS & COATINGS

28

14 Wall coating technology to avoid cracking, splitting, flaking and other failings on precast concrete

14 PROJECT IN PICTURES

30 A multi-residential adaptive-reuse project which transformed an old industrial site

PREFABRICATED MATERIALS & SYSTEMS

18 Why there’s a growing interest

DAVID WHEELDON

from architects to incorporate prefab building processes

GRAPHIC DESIGN/ART DIRECTION LOUIS SANTOS PHONE: 02 8484 0724 E-MAIL: LOUIS.SANTOS@CIRRUSMEDIA.COM.AU

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ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER ADRIAN WILSON PHONE: +61 (0)2 8484 0612 MOBILE: +61 (0)417 779 215 EMAIL: ADRIAN.WILSON@CIRRUSMEDIA.COM.AU

FOR SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE: 1300 360 126 ISSN 1039-9704

NATHAN JOHNSON PHONE: 02 8484 0688 E-MAIL: NATHAN.JOHNSON@CIRRUSMEDIA.COM.AU

PRODUCT SHOWCASES

34 Information on new and exciting building and architectural products. Introduced with the full directory and how to enquire

TOWER 1, LEVEL 13, 475 VICTORIA AVE, CHATSWOOD, NSW 2067, AUSTRALIA LOCKED BAG 2999 CHATSWOOD DELIVERY CENTRE NSW 2067, AUSTRALIA PHONE: 02W8484 0888 | FAX: 02 8484 0633 ABN 80 132 719 861 WWW.CIRRUSMEDIA.COM.AU © Copyright Cirrus Media 2015 All rights reserved. No part of the publication can be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Utmost care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the editorial matter. Product specifications and claims are those of the manufacturers.

GERALDINE CHUA PHONE: 02 8484 0759 E-MAIL: GERALDINE.CHUA@CIRRUSMEDIA.COM.AU Opinions and viewpoints expressed by interviewees, writers and columnists in BPN do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publisher of the magazine.

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NEWS SENATE INQUIRY BEING HELD ON NON-CONFORMING BUILDING PRODUCTS Recent events have added momentum to the long-running campaign for more stringent measures to stop dodgy materials making it into Australia’s building product supply chain.

• The economic impact of non-conforming building products on the Australian building and construction industry

Announcing a national inquiry, Independent Senator for South Australia, Nick Xenophon referenced the recent high profile cases of “massive windows falling off the new ASIO headquarters in Canberra and a high-rise building fire in Melbourne’s Docklands last year that quickly spread when the exterior cladding - imported from China - caught on fire, something that should have been impossible under Australian building regulations”.

• The impact of non-conforming building products on: (i) Industry supply chains, including importers, manufacturers and fabricators

The senator acknowledged that the building industry has been demanding action for years amid rising safety concerns about substandard imported building materials “and the lax rules that let them into the country”.

“WHETHER IT BE ALUMINIUM, WHETHER IT BE STEEL, WHETHER IT BE GLASS, CURTAIN WALLS, WHETHER IT BE KITCHEN CABINETS, CLADDING — NEARLY EVERY TYPE OF BUILDING MATERIAL THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE IS IMPORTED INTO THIS COUNTRY, LOTS OF IT FROM CHINA AND NOBODY IS CHECKING WHETHER IT MEETS OUR STANDARDS.” – MICHAEL O’CONNOR THE CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION (CFMEU) NATIONAL SECRETARY. Xenophon said a key focus of the inquiry will be the inspection and regulation framework that was “clearly failing”.

“This inquiry is a breakthrough in addressing what many in the building industry and their clients have known for some time: Australia has become a dumping ground for some of the world’s dodgiest and most dangerous building products,” he said.

Groups actively campaigning on the issue include the Housing Industry Association, Master Builders, Australian Institute of Architects (AIA), Australian Windows Association and the Australian Industry Group.

THE SENATE INQUIRY WILL ADDRESS:

(ii) Workplace safety and any associated risks (iii) Costs passed on to customers, including any insurance and compliance costs, and (iv) the overall quality of Australian buildings AIA chief executive David Parken recently commented to members.

“This is an important issue and we will continue to be active with sensible recommendations to government on how to improve the system of project delivery to give more certainty that products specified are tested and compliant and in fact installed in projects,” he said.

Many of the groups are also members of the Australian Construction Industry Forum, which is looking at the issues from a holistic point of view covering the National Construction Code, standards, testing, certification, specifications and compliance.

Even the building union is on side, with its leader Michael O’Connor summing up their frustrations.

“Whether it be aluminium, whether it be steel, whether it be glass, curtain walls, whether it be kitchen cabinets, cladding — nearly every type of building material that you can imagine is imported into this country, lots of it from China and nobody is checking whether it meets our standards,” the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) national secretary said.

• Possible improvements to the current regulatory frameworks for ensuring that building products conform to Australian standards, with particular reference to the effectiveness of: (i) Policing and enforcement of existing regulations, (ii) Independent verification and assessment systems, (iii) Surveillance and screening of imported building products, and (iv) restrictions and penalties imposed on non-conforming building products • And “any other related matters”.

CLADDING INVESTIGATED ACROSS AUSTRALIA DUE TO FIRE DANGER In June, the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) began an audit of about 170 high-rise buildings in inner Melbourne and immediately surrounding suburbs to ascertain whether potentially dangerous non-compliant cladding products have been used.

of dollars’ worth of damage.

The investigation followed a finding that the external cladding used fuelled an apartment fire that broke out in the Melbourne, Docklands area last year, causing millions

The Western Australian Building Commission and City of Perth announced they would audit up to 70 high-risk buildings in the Perth CBD to identify if aluminium composite panelling products

The high profile case was reported widely in mainstream media, leading to broad discussion of the mounting safety risks with potentially non-compliant products being imported into Australia.

similar to that in question in Victoria “had been used in other buildings and if it has been used, to determine whether it complies with the building standards”.

The aluminium cladding identified in the Melbourne case was a brand named ‘Alucobest’. It was tested by the CSIRO to be non-compliant with combustibility requirements for a high-rise building.

At the time of going to print the audits were still going ahead.

FOR DAILY NEWS AND TO COMMENT

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NEWS

CHANGES TO AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS ON WOOD HEATERS A new standard comes into effect on August 8 which focusses on requirements for wood heater emissions and efficiency.

Typically the largest energy user in the residential setting, heating and cooling has come under particular scrutiny for energy efficiency, as reflected in the recent update to Australian Standard AS/NZ 4013 ‘Domestic Solid Fuel Burning Appliances – Method for Determination of Flue Gas Emission’.

Prior to the updates, there were no minimum efficiency requirements for wood heaters, and the maximum emissions allowed were set at 4g/kg (4 grams of particulate emissions per kilo of wood burnt).

The new standard means all wood heaters must have: • An overall efficiency of at least 55 per cent • A particulate emission factor of no more than 2.5g/kg Within five years these standards will again evolve, with minimum requirements becoming: • An overall efficiency of at least 60 per cent • A particulate emission factor of no more than 1.5g/kg The new document also recommends any wood heaters manufactured prior to 1992 be replaced.

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EXTERIOR WALL MATERIALS

MESHING THINGS UP: BREATHE EASY WITH BUILDING ARMOUR FOR YOUR FACADE

THE IDEAL ELECTRICITY BUILDING BY THOMAS CHONG ARCHITECT AND BMC ARCHITURE FEATURES KAYNEMAILE’S BUILDING-ARMOUR.

LOCKER GROUP’S CUSTOM PERFORATED SHEETMETAL ADORNS THE JOHN CURTIN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS BY JCY ARCHITECTS. [WORDS] GERALDINE CHUA

F

ACADES ARE OFTEN ALSO KNOWN AS THE SKIN OF A BUILDING; THE FIRST AND USUALLY LARGEST POINT OF CONTACT FOR OCCUPANTS, VISITORS AND PASSERS-BY, AND THE ENVELOPE THAT WRAPS AROUND A STRUCTURE TO DICTATE HOW MUCH NATURAL LIGHT, SOUND, AND VIEWS FILTER IN AND OUT OF EACH FLOOR. While Brutalist Architecture conjured up rough and raw concrete skins to convey a sense of strength and functionality, today’s buildings have been swept up by the ‘smart’ movement, so that operable facades made of anything from louvres to small sandblasted glass circles are employed to protect a building as well as allow it to breathe.

Two products that have been given more ‘air-time’ in recent years, in line with the idea of designing protected but ‘breathable’ buildings, are architectural mesh and perforated metal facade cladding.

The former refers to any woven or welded wire mesh made of steel or other high-tensile materials, and the latter, sometimes also known as expanded metal, is typically made of metal sheets punched with holes that vary in thickness and pattern. Both, however, work to create solid or semi shade while maintaining visual and air flows.

“The benefits of using perforated metal or architectural wire mesh are numerous and varied. The range of profiles available means that the architect or designer has great flexibility within the final appearance,” says Locker Group’s Group Marketing Manager, Carli Barnes.

“In addition to design flexibility these materials offer a selection in open area, so that they can provide both solar heat protection while still allowing natural light and air to filter through.

“Perforated metal or architectural mesh can also provide enough open area to reduce or negate the requirement for artificial mechanical ventilation.”

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EXTERIOR WALL MATERIALS

DREAMCATCHER BY FIONA WINZAR ARCHITECTS IS WRAPPED IN RONSTAN CARL STAHL X-TEND MESH. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD GLOVER.

SOLAR GAIN An area in which perforated panels and architectural mesh has proven to be valuable for exterior wall applications is in providing solar shading. Filtering the amount of sunlight entering a building, particularly in summer, can lead to reduced cooling costs without compromising on a high degree of transparency between indoor and outdoor spaces.

According to the design team, this Ronstan stainless steel Carl Stahl X-tend mesh not only pays homage to the decorative verandah screen of the original Victorian worker’s cottage and supports deciduous vines (and required wind loads), but also screens the house from the “ravages of the summer sun”.

The Ideal Electricity Building by Thomas Chong Architect and

BMC Architecture in New Zealand is another project that employs architectural mesh for solar control.

The architects replaced the firedamaged façade of the building in Lower Hutt with Kaynemaile’s Building-Armour, a recyclable polycarbonate seamless mesh, because it shaded the interiors from solar gain whilst ensuring a high degree of transparency in views out of the building.

One example from a long list of projects showcasing the potential of using mesh to protect and shade a building is Dreamcatcher

by Fiona Winzar Architects, a recently altered 1980s clinker brick townhouse in South Melbourne.

Sitting on just 130sqm of land, the new addition takes its cues from the light industrial fabric of the neighbourhood, and works to transform “the ugliest house on the street” into a spacious and functional 21st century family home.

Dreamcatcher is expressed in galvanised Speed Panel cladding and a galvanised steel deck structure that, nest-like and with height, ensures that the winter sun reaches the ground floor’s north-facing living space. Wrapped around this top floor deck and the courtyard and car space is a sculpted SS X-tend tensile structure, first designed by the architects with physical models, before being developed in 3D with Tensys Engineers and structural engineers Perrett Simpson Statin.

THE IDEAL ELECTRICITY BUILDING FEATURING KAYNEMAILE’S BUILDING-ARMOUR.

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EXTERIOR WALL MATERIALS VISUAL INTEREST For Kayne Horsham, founder of Kaynemaile, mesh and perforated panels also have aesthetic advantages, including adding vibrancy to a building or covering up old, dated joinery during a retrofit without incurring huge costs.

“If you’re using a plaster finish, or what I would call more traditional finish, you’ll typically have a 2D surface, whereas with mesh you get a textural effect and reflectivity. It can also mean that at different times of the day, the light reflects differently [on the façade], so the building is not a static object but something that’s interacting with the environment,” he says.

The tensioned stainless steel Jakob Webnet mesh screen featured on a project in Switzerland is an example of how a transparent and lightweight façade can add character to a building. Located right on the motorway, the Webnet screen and billboard stands 6.8m high and 18.5m wide, with over 2,000 aluminium triangles attached and coated with a reflective film so they remain iridescent both in the day, and at night.

Bates Smart’s Iglu Central, a 98-bed student accommodation facility located on a tight urban site in Chippendale, Sydney, also demonstrates how simple perforated panels can bring a building to life. Featuring a distinctive and warm BlueScope XLERPLATE HE350 COR-TEN steel skin, Iglu Central has a high ratio of solid to void, with a proportion of windows giving the building a sense of solidity and robustness in keeping with its surrounding brick context. Perforated COR-TEN spandrel panels provide bedrooms with privacy from the street while maintaining light and filtered views, while in other areas, full height perforated panels afford privacy to bathrooms and conceal façade exhaust louvres.

According to Bates Smart, these perforated panels provide an additional layer of detail and patination to the façade. The panels extend down to ground to provide a sense of solidity to the base of the building. Along Regent Street they act as a sunshade and visual filter between the street and the living room. Along Dwyer Street they screen the bike store and garbage room while providing natural light and ventilation.

WEBNET MESH FROM TENSILE DEFINES THE PERSONALITY OF THIS ROADSIDE FACADE IN SWITZERLAND.

“A lot of the neighbouring buildings have fully glazed bases that try to be inviting from the street but don’t respond well to this block-edge street condition, or to what’s effectively a harsh urban environment,” Bates Smart’s Director Guy Lake tells BlueScope’s Steel Profile.

“The challenge for us was to design living spaces behind the facade at ground level that were not disconnected from the street, but that offered a screen or protecting device. We also wanted to make the building feel grounded, and so bringing the weathering steel to the ground and cutting perforations in the panels allowed us to do that.”

THE TREETOP WALKWAY IN THE MASOALA HALL, ZOO ZURICH, SWITZERLAND BY VOGT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS IS ENCLOSED WITH JAKOB’S STAINLESS STEEL WEBNET FILLINGS.

IGLU CENTRAL BY BATES SMART.

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EXTERIOR WALL MATERIALS PRIVACY, VIEWS AND AIRFLOW Other benefits of perforated metal and mesh facades is the ability to maintain privacy and views – a contradiction that actually holds true for some products – and allow airflow to pass through to internal spaces to minimise mechanical cooling systems, or because of certain regulations.

For instance, Reddog Architects’ Park Beach Plaza redevelopment in northern New South Wales, uses a perforated ‘bi-directional’ screening to its western façade to allow fresh air to flow in, as well as create a play of light and shadow – the transparency of the screening, coupled with illumination, offers an entirely different character to the building at night.

In some instances, a ‘building armour’ can also block out most of the rain and decrease the speed of wind.

THE PARK BEACH PLAZA REDEVELOPMENT FEATURES LOCKER GROUP’S ‘ATMOSPHERE’ FACADES.

AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY BRIDGE WRAPPED IN KAYNEMAILE’S BUILDING-ARMOUR.

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EXTERIOR WALL MATERIALS

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT BUILDING

JOHN CURTIN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS.

ARMOUR FOR ME?

THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS INCLUDE:

While the benefits of perforated metal and architectural mesh facades are many and varied, not every mesh and perforated range on the market is interchangeable, or even suitable for all applications.

For example, using a stainless steel product near the ocean or saltwater can be a nightmare, while using a mesh that is too ‘open’ for a car park could lead to too much car headlights flashing across nearby residential towers.

One of the biggest questions to ask the product manufacturer before selecting your facade then is how the product will be used.

This opens up discussions about whether a denser tensioned mesh or a perforated panel with less ‘apertures’ (holes) is better, and leads to a deeper understanding of the performance requirements demanded of a façade system.

For instance, architects should be looking at the fixing system and implied load that will be put on to the support structure by a perforated panel facade, as well as the wind loads, particularly

• AS/NZS 1170.0:2002 – Structural Design Actions Part 0: General Principles • AS/NZS 1170.1:2002 – Structural Design Actions Part 1: Permanent, Imposed and Other Actions • AS/NZS 1170.1:2011 – Structural Design Actions Part 2: Wind Actions • AS 1657:1992 – Fixed Platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders • AS4100: 1998 – Steel Structures • AS/NZS 4673:2001 Cold Formed Stainless Steel Structures

on the corners of buildings.

“Architects should be looking at how the façade interacts with the structure of the building to develop a well resolved solution while meeting the engineering requirements,” says the Locker Group’s Carli Barnes.

• BS EN 1990:2002 Eurocode – Basis of structural design TANK STREET CAR PARK.

• AS/NZS 1664.1:1997 Aluminium Structures Part 1 Limit State Design • BCA Volumes 1 & 2 • Recommended maintained illuminances for various activities (AS 1680.1:2006)

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EXTERIOR WALL MATERIALS

AS/NZS 1170 is the main standard in terms of the load requirements that need to be met, and it is important to ensure that the mesh manufacturer can provide test certificates for completed products.

“It is often the case that they provide, say a break load for the wire, but not for the nodes that connect the wires,” says Tensile’s Business Development Manager, Peter Bottero. “This node is the weakest link so if this hasn’t been tested when you have someone relying on your barrier, it is a big risk.”

Other elements to consider before specification include site access

– whether the product is easily installed or if it will require cranes – and how the materials will age.

Steel perforated panels for example, rely on powder coatings or paint to protect them from the elements, while stainless steel requires clean water to ‘wash away’ the salts and glutens on a building to prevent tea-staining, a brown surface rust commonly seen in coastal applications or humid areas.

Aluminium oxidises naturally unless it is anodised or powder coated, and polycarbonate too, ages or discolours eventually.

Regardless of the design and project requirements, Bottero says that the best results will be borne out of a close working relationship with the mesh or perforated panel manufacturer from the outset: “If it is designed into a project in isolation you are in for either a rough ride on site, or a budget blowout. The best projects for us are where we are brought in early and work collaboratively with the design team. Doing it this way allows us to remove many of the common pitfalls and ensure that the end result is an efficient system that works as an overall structural solution.” ■

AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY’S ATRIUM FEATURES AN EYE-CATCHING AND BREEZY KAYNEMAILE MESH

THE MELBOURNE SCHOOL OF DESIGN, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE BY JOHN WARDLE ARCHITECTS AND NADAAA SHOW HOW BUILDING ARMOURS CAN ALSO BE USED INDOORS FOR MAXIMUM VISUAL EFFECT. PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIMON WOODS.

www.healysbuilding.com.au 0418 107 769

Since 1990, Healy's Building have been producing timber period weatherboards and shingles. Drawing on their own experience in building restoration projects and in machining timber, Healy's understand it's the detail that matters and specialise in customising timber cladding to suit your project requirements.

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PAINTS & COATINGS

ELASTOMERIC TECHNOLOGY: A CRACK CONTROL COATING FOR CONCRETE

[WORDS] NATHAN JOHNSON

P

RECAST CONCRETE OFFERS DURABLE, FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS FOR FLOORS, WALLS AND ROOFS IN ALMOST EVERY TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION. HOWEVER, MOST STRUCTURES USING PRECAST WILL STILL REQUIRE A COATING FOR PROTECTION WITH EITHER CONVENTIONAL OR TEXTURED FINISHES.

The primary aim of any coating is to enhance and preserve the appearance of the substrate, and in terms of precast concrete this entails protection during the expansion and contraction cracking.

Cracking, splitting, flaking, efflorescence and other failings of rigid masonry renders and coating systems ushered in the creation of new paint technologies, and in the 1970s, flexible acrylic “membrane” or elastomeric coatings were introduced to

Australia. Along with other premium products, such as rigid silicate paints, elastomeric paints have been used to great success on precast concrete surfaces since their introduction, and are widely specified in Australia.

resistance to hydrolysis, and ultraviolet stability, but research shows that 100 per cent acrylic elastomeric emulsion polymers, although generally more expensive, offer the best performance of the three on most of these measures.

Elastomeric paints are designed to be applied in very high film builds (about 10 times as thick as regular paints) and therefore have a low spread rate and do require additional skill to apply.

Because of this, they are tough and flexible, have excellent Ultraviolet (UV) stability, and stretch as cracks underneath open and close, thus bridging the cracks and maintaining weather resistance.

In saying that, the performance of elastomeric paint on precast concrete is really in the formula and some suppliers use different polymers that are formulated specifically for Australian conditions and for a more affordable price. For example, suppliers of 100 per cent acrylic elastomeric paints use internal plasticisers which perform better in a more diverse temperature range however suppliers of styrenated and vinyl acetate using external plasticisers can offer a more diverse range of colours and a product that will perform in Australian conditions that don’t reach freezing.

Typically there are three types of polymers formulated into coatings labelled as elastomeric coatings including 100 per cent acrylic, styrenated acrylic, and vinyl acetate containing copolymers.

There are differences between these binders in terms of elasticity,

The internal plasticisers used in 100 per cent acrylic elastomeric paints to get that ultimate

FIONA STANLEY HOSPITAL BY HASSELL, HAMES SHARLEY AND SILVER THOMAS HANLEY USES DULUX ACRATEX ELASTOMERIC PAINT IN SPRAY ON 2MM FOR THE TILT UP PANELS AND ROLL ON 00 FOR THE STAIRWAYS AND SOFFITS.

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PAINTS & COATINGS

elongation, dirt resistance and ultraviolet stability means they will become “chalky”, particularly in sunny exposures. Therefore higher quality elastomeric paints have traditionally been specified in lighter colours to lessen the visual impact of this discolouration.

“PREPARATION, PREPARATION, PREPARATION,” ANDREW SULLIVAN, PRODUCT MANAGER OF DULUX ACRATEX The best coating advice for precast concrete is to use lighter colours because they develop less heat stress through to the substrate and can lessen the expansion and contraction cycle which ultimately causes cracking in the first instance.

Elastomeric paints act as a “weatherproofing barrier” to the ingress of moisture and atmospheric pollutants in order to prevent cracking and other concrete failures. Proper prep is therefore essential before any application.

Painting precast can be a tricky process and because of their high alkalinity, which is frequently in the region of pH 10 to 12, freshly prepared cementitious surfaces require time to age before they can be painted. Australian Standards 2311 (AS 2311) gives details on the ageing process and other precautions needed to ensure that the substrate is at an acceptable pH level but most paint suppliers recommend that the substrate alkalinity should be reduced below pH 9.

Additionally, the tilt-up and precast construction techniques use bondbreaker materials to prevent the concrete from adhering to the building moulds. These release agents could interfere with adhesion of paint systems and must be removed prior to painting.

RELEVANT SUPPLIERS • Astec Paints, “Elastomeric Protective Wall Coatings” • Dulux, “AcraTex” • Resene, “Resitex” • Quickwall, “Aquaseal” • APCO, “Apcolite” • Ability Building Colours, “Duro Paint” (not an elastomeric paint but an inorganic mineral coating with a 25 year guarantee)

KNOW YOUR STANDARDS: HELPFUL GUIDES FOR PAINTING PRECAST • AS/NZS 2311: 2009 Guide to the painting of buildings • AS/NZS 4548: 1999 Guide to Long Life Coatings for Concrete and Masonry • AS/NZS 3730.22: 2006 Guide to the properties of paints for buildings - Concrete and masonry sealer - Solvent-borne - Interior/exterior

BUREAU^PROBERTS USED ELASTOMERIC PAINT FOR THEIR AWARD WINNING M&A PROJECT IN BRISBANE. DULUX ACRATEX ACRASHIELD IN ADVANCE MATT COATS THE TILT UP CONCRETE PANELS. PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER FREDERICK-JONES.

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OUR NEW FANDECK REQUEST YOURS AT TAUBMANS.COM.AU/

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PREFABRICATED MATERIALS & SYSTEMS

THE CHANGING PALETTE OF PREFAB IN AUSTRALIA

[WORDS] NATHAN JOHNSON

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ERCEPTIONS IN AUSTRALIA ABOUT PREFABRICATED BUILDINGS ARE CHANGING AND ARE SLOWLY TRANSCENDING THE NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH TRADITIONAL PREFAB DESIGN—THINK DEMOUNTABLE SCHOOL CLASSROOMS AND PINE LOG CABINS.

prefab building processes that has driven manufacturers to improve their prefab product offerings.

“This palette was driven by the caravan park market and a lower cost mindset.”

“Traditionally, kit and transportable homes were constructed using materials such as treated pine logs and conventional plywood or Colorbond cladding products,” explains Colquhoun.

“But due to the quiet but firm direction of architectural design, materials that are now used include a variety of proprietary wall linings such as James Hardie Scyon products, Weathertex, Alucobond,

CARBON POSITIVE HOUSE BY ARCHIBLOX COMBINES THE LATEST IN PREFAB BUILDING PRODUCTS WITH ARCHITECT-LED DESIGN. IT WAS A RECENT ENTRANT IN THE 2015 VICTORIAN ARCHITECTURE AWARDS. PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM ROSS

And while at last count the prefab sector accounted for only three per cent ($4.6 billion) of the Australian construction industry’s $150 billion contribution to GDP, this figure has been tipped to triple over the coming decade.

The building products sector is expected to innovate along with this movement and already we are seeing manufacturers and suppliers diversifying their product ranges to be better aligned with prefab construction processes.

Rob Colquhoun, director of Prebuilt, a prefabricated building outfit based in Melbourne, notes it’s the growing push from architects to incorporate customisation into

INVERLOCH HOUSE WAS DESIGNED BY PLEYSIER PERKINS ARCHITECTS (PPA) WITH CONSULTATION FROM PREBUILT OVER EIGHT WEEKS. WORKING WITH THE ARCHITECT ENABLED PREBUILT TO COMBINE THE BENEFITS OF PREFAB BUILDING MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING WITH THE IDIOSYNCRATIC NATURE OF ARCHITECT-LED PROJECTS. PHOTOGRAPHY BY HILARY BRADFORD.

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PREFABRICATED MATERIALS & SYSTEMS

high grade timber cladding such as Woodform and even ceramic coated metal cladding called Ceratec Vitreous Enamel Cladding and colour through cladding materials such as Vitrapanel.”

THE CARBON POSITIVE HOUSE BY ARCHIBLOX FEATURES UBIQ’S RANGE OF INEX BOARDS WHICH CAN BE USED AS A SUBSTRATE FOR OTHER FINISHES OR USED TO CREATE A POLISHED CONCRETE-LIKE FINISH. PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM ROSS.

Similarly, Jason Fremder, Managing Director of Harwyn, who recently won a 2015 Good Design Award for their range of prefabricated modular office pods, believes that it is material improvements, namely in single solution building envelope systems that have helped his pods to become more thermally efficient, lighter, customisable and cheaper to build.

“As far as Harwyn is concerned, we have been able to do away with traditional framing and apply an insulated sandwich panel for the walls, floors and roofs,” he notes.

“The stiffness of the interlocking panel and spanning ability for floor and walls allows us to very quickly construct the ‘pod’ on a steel base prepared for cranage or fork Lift, and ready for transport.”

But innovations haven’t been restricted to exterior envelope products, nor have they remained confined to whole building solutions. Companies such as Hickory Group, Interpod, PreFab Bathrooms and Podfirst all offer prefabricated bathrooms solutions to the Australian market that come equipped with high grade materials that perform well on a variety of measures.

Melbourne’s ArchiBlox arhitects also recently completed the world’s first carbon-positive prefabricated house and it featured, among other materials, Ubiq’s Inex Floor board range which is a high strength lightweight internal or external flooring sheet with tongue and grooved edges.

Inex boards also come off the shelf with a dual-side feature adaptable to a variety of client tastes. They include one rough side which can be used as a substrate for most finishes such as tiles, vinyl or timber and a smooth side that can achieve a polished concrete like surface.

Big businesses like BlueScope Steel are also innovating. Their Enduroframe Building System utilises a special rollformer unit and CAD software program to prefabricate custom light gauge steel framing for residential and light commercial building trusses and wall frames.

BlueScope notes that because their rollformer is designed to operate in conjunction with their software, framing systems can be easily designed, detailed and manufactured in a factory with reduced material usage, reduced labour and improved turnaround.

While some experts still consider Australia to be lagging behind in prefab compared to other countries such as Switzerland and Japan, there are signs beyond the innovations we’re seeing in the building products sector that prefab is gaining the attention of both the private and public sector.

The University of Melbourne recently received a $4 million government grant to establish a Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing in hope that their research could produce ideas for innovative and customer specific building products required in future markets.

Australian hub for building prefabrication, PrefabAus are also set to host their second conference in August and the event has attracted some big sponsors from the Australian building products sector.

THE HARWYN OFFICE POD RANGE ARE CLAD IN ACM PANELS FROM ALUCOBOND AND USE KINGSPAN PIR PANELS FOR STRUCTURAL FRAMING AND INTERIOR WALLS.

THE ENDUROFRAME BUILDING SYSTEM IS A PRE-DEFINED STEEL FRAMING SYSTEM INCLUDING STEEL ROOF TRUSSES, WALL FRAMES AND FLOOR JOISTS. ALL FRAMES ARE DESIGNED TO AS/NZS4600:2005 AND IT IS THE ONLY STEEL FRAMING SOFTWARE PACKAGE THAT IS DEEMED TO COMPLY WITH THE AUSTRALIAN BUILDING CODES BOARD (ABCB) PROTOCOL FOR STRUCTURAL SOFTWARE WHICH MEANS THAT MANY DESIGNS CAN MEET CODE WITHOUT AN ENGINEER’S SIGN-OFF.

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THESE ARE A FEW OUR FAB-OURITE THINGS

ROB COLQUHOUN, DIRECTOR OF PREBUILT “Weathertex is a low-cost, durable, attractive and sensible alternative for cladding and comes in material lengths that make sense for us. If detailed correctly, it can be used in conjunction with more expensive finishes to provide a very high quality appearance overall.”

“Equitone and Vitrapanel, while very expensive, also provide a beautiful, highly durable finish we’ve used on commercial prefab buildings.”

INVERLOCH HOUSE. PHOTOGRAPHY BY HILARY BRADFORD

JASON FREMDER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HARWYN

“Kingpsan PIR Panels first and foremost provide excellent thermal and a high level of acoustic insulation.

They have also given us the ability to engineer a solution that lets us do away with traditional framing and apply this PIR sandwich panel which we utilise for walls, floors and roofs. The stiffness of the interlocking panel and spanning ability for floor and walls allows us to very quickly construct the Pods on a steel base.”

“Alucobond ACM offers so many positives to our process. With the use of CNC routers, we are able to build up a database of sizes and cuts which ultimately allows us to output a very large number of panels in very short time frames with laser like precision. This element is one of the reasons that as a small company, we are able to turn around the build of a complete Harwyn Pod on such short time frames.

“Albedor- True Reflections cabinet doors were a genius touch and fit so perfectly with the overall sleek design of a Harwyn Pod. They are perfectly flat and highly reflective which adds the feeling of depth and space to the pods. And Albedor is another supplier who really got the colours right with this range.”

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PREFABRICATED MATERIALS & SYSTEMS DOUG JOYCE, PRODUCTION PROJECT LEADER AT INTERPOD OFFSITE “BlueScope steel is used in the manufacture of the base steel and wall frames and ensures that the very highest quality and reliability is achieved on every Interpod bathroom. Manufactured to the highest AUS Standards, the extensive range of solid, hollow and sheet steel, allows for multiple and varied designs and all steel can be supplied in a painted or pre-galvanised surface treatment.”

“Bostik have been providing suitable solutions for the assembly of Interpod bathrooms in all applications from installing access panels and mirrors, to the bonding of laminate boards and wall facades.”

“Although we use whatever the architect requests, Laminex Aquapanels are used extensively in Interpod bathroom pods because they are non-porous, grout free and exceptionally hardwearing.

The surface has excellent abrasive resistance, is UV stable

and is available in a selection of contemporary colours and finishes with colour matched aluminium jointers to suit most architect requirements.”

“Interpod use Technoglas HG surfaces when a superior high gloss acrylic finish has been required on cabinets and access panels. It delivers an exceptionally high quality finish with virtually seamless edges and its tough, scuff resistant coating which is bonded to moisture resistant board, consistently delivers high end results while remaining cost effective.”

A better choice for asthma and allergy sufferers 2.3 million Australians suffer from asthma and one in three of us has an allergy Gyprock Sensitive has been approved by the National Asthma Council Australia’s Sensitive Choice® program as a better plasterboard choice: -

Enhanced mould resistance Improved moisture resistance Low in volatile organic compounds (VOC) GECA accredited

Gyprock Sensitive is a 10mm plasterboard designed for residential projects. Gyprock EC08™ Complete – for commercial projects is also a Sensitive Choice approved product.

Expect more from Gyprock® see more at gyprock.com.au/sensitive

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DESIGNING FOR BATHROOM PODS HOW TO TURN YOUR BATHROOMS INTO EASY-TO-INSTALL APPLIANCES Are you thinking of incorporating bathroom pods into your next project to reduce risk, increase quality and save time?

There are a number of best practices you should be familiar with to get the most out of your bathroom pod project.

Here we are given some expert advice by Interpod, Australia's leading manufacturer of bathroom pods for large projects.

Get ready to turn your bathroom into an appliance that you can have manufactured cost effectively and installed easily, streamlining the construction of your entire project.

A VARIETY OF FACTORS There are many ways to get smart about pods, to ensure your project runs smoothly and efficiently and you receive the maximum cost and time saving benefits.

These include the design of the bathroom itself - layout and finishes, the design of the actual building to accommodate the bathrooms, installation considerations, and the timing and requirements of your bathroom pod manufacturer.

THE BATHROOM DESIGN The actual design of the bathroom is very important, and for best results should be ‘Designed for Manufacture & Assembly’ which is known as DfMA. Some bathroom pod manufacturers have standard designs for different industry sectors, which you can select from, knowing you will get a well

COST PLANNING Determining the cost-benefit ratio of implementing bathroom pods is always a difficult exercise the first time around. Many of the benefits show themselves as reduction in blowouts, therefore not fully showing in initial studies. However after the final analysis of successful pod projects, clients consistently say that using bathroom pods saves them a lot of money.

Talk to Interpod to find out where you will save money using bathroom pods, to get an accurate cost analysis done.

When assessing the feasibility of using pods, it is recommended that at tendering stage, builders ask trades to keep bathroom works as a separate element in scope. Too often, all trades submit their prices based on a traditional

designed bathroom also efficient for manufacture. This is an ideal scenario as it means lower design cost and production cost. However, with minor considerations a good architectural firm can design something just as efficient. Here are some elements of good bathroom DfMA.

KEEP THE NUMBER OF TYPES DOWN. This is the biggest factor to efficiency and cost-effectiveness in your bathroom pod project.

Because each new design is essentially a new product, your manufacturer needs to set up a number of things specifically for it. These include but are not limited to: computer modelling each type, gaining required certification, production engineering and prototyping, and setting up the production line itself.

build and the builder is left struggling to get a realistic giveback as they reduce the scope.

Everyone is kept happier if the scope and expectations are set at the start of the project.

For more information on making the numbers stack up, contact Interpod and request your copy of the “Cost Planning for Bathroom Pods” whitepaper.

For more information on trade relations, contact Interpod to request your copy of the “Trades Guide to Bathroom Pods”.

INVOLVE YOUR BATHROOM MANUFACTURER EARLY Bathroom pods are most effective when the decision to use them is made early in the project.

Pods need to come up much earlier than traditional

Each time the company goes through a set-up there is a cost involved. So the less bathroom designs in a project, or the higher repeatability, the lower the cost of the bathrooms contract to the purchaser. It’s that simple.

STAY WITHIN A WORKABLE SIZE & SHAPE For easy manufacture, delivery and installation, the bathroom design should be kept to no more than 2.4m wide by 3.6m long.

Most efficient designs fit in this space so you should have no trouble with designing your bathrooms for manufacture, in any given hotel, student accommodation, aged care or multi-residential development.

Minimal complexity is also key – ideally the bathroom layout would be kept to 4 walls, however Interpod also has the ability to build bathrooms with 6 walls.

bathroom decisions, and be one of the tenders let early with foundations, structure & precast etc.

•

•

Benefit from a Best Practice lead-in programme, with time to make the best decisions about bathroom design.

Manufacturers such as Interpod can offer cost-effective solutions right at design stage.

This will not only accommodate pods into construction methodology efficiently, but your bathroom pod manufacturer could also offer recommendations with overall project that can save you thousands of dollars.

Benefit from an early bathroom prototype – Obtain client sign-off long before construction can also be used for display suite in applicable projects.

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From Interpod’s experience, clients find having minimal number of floor penetrations makes a big difference to ease of install, once the bathrooms get to site.

Two separate floor wastes can be eliminated by using a single linear drain to take surface water from both inside and outside the shower area.

Toilet suites should be designed as P-trap types through the bathroom wall into a service riser, and vanity wastes should also drain through the wall.

CHOOSE QUALITY FINISHES Matching the building specification is almost always achievable, however a standard range of fixtures will also be part of any good manufacturers package. At Interpod Offsite there is a full range to choose from, and plenty of options and advice to help you choose your own.

For example: Interpod recommends steel door jambs due to a superior strength, quality and finish.

ADVERTISING FEATURE – INTERPOD

Prefinished ceilings, such as Laminex Aquapanel are usually recommended for projects such as student accommodation as they are maintenance free for the end user, and they reduce rework on site (often experienced with plastering and painting.)

HIDE IN JOINERY

GENERAL LAYOUT RECOMMENDATIONS

ALLOW ROOM FOR MANOEUVRING

LOW STUD WIDTH FOR MAXIMUM SPACE The wider the studs in the walls, the more room you take up out of the bathroom. And with a high density of bathrooms in the building, the more room you lose in the overall building. At Interpod, the team recommends a 64mm stud width as it maintains strength in the structure without taking up space in the room, and ultimately the building.

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KEEP IT TO A SINGLE FLOOR PENETRATION

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For functional and aesthetic reasons, Interpod recommends designs to include cabinets, as opposed to exposed pipes and plumbing in the interior.

Bathroom pods need to be wheeled into position on a skid so allowing a clear access path for this in design stage is critical. The final clearance required can vary from design to design and should be discussed with your bathroom pod manufacturer.

THE BENEFITS OF STRIP DRAINS

While the team at Interpod Offsite will build bathrooms directly to the architect’s specifications, there “This information are a few things the team has SET-DOWNS OR THRESHOLDS is made up of excerpts learnt over the last few thousand In the past poorly engineered from Interpod’s bathrooms they’ve built. One prefabricated bathrooms meant “Designing for Bathroom is the benefits of using a strip that you had to take a big step up Pods” Manual. Contact drain as opposed to having into pod from the floor of the Interpod and request a number of floor wastes. room. Bathroom manufacturing your copy of the If the bathroom uses a has come a long way since full document. strip drain, you can often then. When bathrooms are have all the falls on a single designed and installed correctly plane. This means it eliminates with a quality supplier, the end result the process of screeding falls is that there is no visible difference and cutting tiles around floor wastes. between a bathroom built off or on site.

It also means that can have the falls designed within the floor substrate, which eliminates ponding There are a couple of ways this is and pooling above the waterproofing, adding achieved. Builders can design a longevity to the service life of the bathroom. set-down into concrete slab for the Interpod offers proprietary strip drain bathroom base, or pods can be engioptions to provide a more functional neered to have a thin floor, meaning and aesthetically pleasing finish. you have a small threshold.

THE BUILDING DESIGN

With thresholds, designing the bathroom to have the doorway close to the drain will mean lower floor height near the door, which equates to smaller threshold height.

It also allows easy access to shower and toilet for the bathroom’s end user.

Depending on the sector, Interpod can offer a range of threshold options from stainless steel for projects such as student accommodation, to luxury stone for hotel or residential projects.

DESIGN FOR SIMPLE SITE WORKS Design for “side-load” It is best to design & program construction to include loading decks to unload bathroom pods as opposed to installing bathrooms as the floors go up.

Plan Sequencing Various works will need to be completed prior to the installation of bathroom pods.

These include, but are not limited to: plastering, plumbing and fire services.

Project and site managers need to ensure that the sequencing of works are planned to ease execution of works around pods prior to and after pod installation.

Handling

SLAB FINISHES When positioning and installing bathroom pods, you will need some tolerance around penetration in the building’s slab. This eases positioning and location of the bathroom within the room.

There is also the consideration of the slab itself.

The less variation in the slab, the less preparation for floor finish outside the bathroom.

SERVICE RISERS With regards to the position of the building’s service risers, it is best to design the toilet and basin close to these.

This will ease connection & reduce cost to onsite plumbing trades.

Following simple work instructions provided by Interpod will ensure zero damage to bathroom pods while unloading/craning, manoeuvring to respective rooms and installing.

The work instructions are provided by Interpod along with the pod installation document package.

Interpod’s friendly team will work along with the trades to formulate the most efficient pod installation methodology.

Training will be provided to installers as part of the Interpod package.

Connections Pods will need to have hydraulic, sewer and electrical terminating points to ease connection to services in building.

For support regarding specification and design visit

interpod.com

1300 007 637

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BATHROOMS

WHEN COMFORT MEETS TECHNOLOGY: HIGH-TECH INNOVATIONS FOR YOUR BATHROOM [WORDS] GERALDINE CHUA

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HE JAPANESE ARE KNOWN FOR MANY THINGS: THEIR CARS, FOOD, BUSINESS…AND BATHROOMS. EVOLVING FROM THEIR LOVE OF CLEANLINESS, WASHROOMS IN JAPAN ARE BEST DESCRIBED AS HIGH TECH LAVATORIES, WITH TOILET SEAT LIDS THAT LIFT AUTOMATICALLY WHEN YOU STEP IN, AND FLUSHES THAT ACTIVATE WHEN YOU STAND UP, FINISHED WITH THE SPRITZ OF AN AIR PURIFIER. In Australia, the automated self-cleaning public toilet seems to have lost its allure a few years ago, at least in Victoria, with a Fairfax report in 2006 saying many of the state’s councils were “backing away” from the “experiment that really didn’t work”. The ‘experiment’ included public washrooms such as those in Prahran that played classical music (so you can do your business in private), and had doors that automatically locked and unlocked (reportedly leading to four young children being ‘trapped’ in a Monash council toilet in the span of two years).

And yet, the high-tech bathroom is one that a rising number of Australian homeowners probably wouldn’t mind owning, supported by the growing trend of automated bathroom systems targeted at improving both comfort and efficiency in the home toilet.

For instance, this year’s ISH, a leading industry trade fair held in Germany, saw a number of these automated products unveiled under the show’s banner theme of ‘Comfort meets Technology’.

“Integrated electronics are being utilised in the bathroom at an increasing rate,” notes Dr Steve Cummings of Caroma in the ISH Latest Trends Report.

“This incorporation is becoming further resolved at the design stage and aesthetically pleasing as opposed to looking like additions to an existing design.”

THE MOXIE SHOWERHEAD + WIRELESS SPEAKER BY KOHLER

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HERE ARE FOUR HIGH-TECH INNOVATIONS

KOHLER’S MOXIE SHOWERHEAD + WIRELESS SPEAKER Everyone sings in the shower, but not everyone can hold a tune or even remember all the words to the song stuck in our head.

The Moxie Showerhead + Wireless Speaker by Kohler combines the delivery of water with music or other audio such as the news.

Syncing with Bluetoothenabled devices including smart phones, laptops and tablets up to 10 metres away, the water-resistant wireless speaker pops in and out of the showerhead for easy recharging – the built in Lithium-ION battery has approximately seven hours of run time.

Available in a polished chrome finish, the product is available in two sizes: a five or eight inch showerhead with a white sprayface featuring 60 angled nozzles for a full coverage, enveloping spray. It has a 3 Star, 9 Litres/min WELS rating, and a seven year warranty for the showerhead, but only one year warranty for the speaker.

AUSTRALIA’S FIRST AND MOST TECHNICALLY ADVANCED TOUCH FREE POINT OF USE THERMOSTATIC MIXER SOLUTION

For all aquablend eSQX options www.enware.com.au/esqx

For more information:

1300 369 273 www.enware.com.au

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BATHROOMS RINNAI’S DELUXE BATHROOM CONTROLLER This bathroom controller is used in conjunction with Rinnai’s INFINITY system and has an automatic bath fill function, a shower saver feature where you can pre-set your desired litres, and a digital clock, speaker and volume controls. The Master Controller is usually installed in the kitchen, but up to four controllers can be installed throughout the home.

RAINBRAIN BY HANSGROHE

DYSON’S AIRBLADE TAP HAND DRYER You can wave hand towels and wet floors goodbye with this tap that doubles as a hand dryer. Marketed to public toilets, the Airblade Tap dries hands at the sink in just 12 seconds via HEPA filters that captures 99.9 per cent of bacteria and viruses in the air. The whole process, powered by a Dyson long-life digital motor that is switched at 6,000 times per second, is touch-free, and both the tap and dryer are sensor-operated. The digital motor only has three moving parts, so there are no slip rings or carbon brushes to wear down.

According to LCA results, which compares the product with data taken from US environmental statistics including electricity grid mix and recycling practices, the Airblade Tap produces at least 67 per cent less CO2 than some other hand dryers, and 62 per cent less than paper towers. It has a WELS 6 Star 3.5L/min rating, and a five year guarantee.

We’ve all experienced the frustrations of getting the shower temperature just right, but Hansgrohe’s RainBrain innovation gives users control over how hot or cold the water is, as well as spray modes, water volumes, lighting and sound. The electronic shower control consists of four single components controlled by the brain – the function box housing the electronic temperature and water flow control, five magnetic valves to control the shower functions, a power supply unit and the entire electronic control system.

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The Trend Towards Concealed Cisterns in Bathroom Design

“Making the most of every square inch in the bathroom is crucial, not only for improving access and usability but also for allowing the maximum amount of space�

Concealed Cisterns The systems can be hidden inside the wall, in a vanity under counter, behind a wall or even in the ceiling.

Space saving The bathroom is one of the most commonly used yet smallest rooms in the house; making the most of every inch is especially important in apartments.

Contemporary Design Style is a top consideration and with concealed cisterns, once installed, all you see is the flush plate, offering a cleaner, sleeker look.

Reliability, Hygiene and Easy Maintenance The use of concealed cisterns makes it much easier to clean right around the pan. The flush button flat on the wall also makes cleaning easier. Touchless flush plates with inbuilt sensors can increase hand hygiene even further.

Geberit has been providing premium products for modern bathrooms for more than 50 years.

For support regarding specification and design visit

geberit.com.au/architectural-content

To download the White Paper scan the QR code or visit www.geberit.com. au/white-paper

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SUSTAINABILITY

FOUR WATER SAVING TOILET INNOVATIONS YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO SEND DOWN THE DRAIN THE CAROMA PROFILE 5 TOILET

[WORDS] GERALDINE CHUA

I

The Caroma Profile 5 toilet is Australia’s first 5 Star toilet suite featuring a cistern with a dual-flush push button and spout combination, which allows the fresh water used to wash hands to be recycled for flushing.

N 1980, BRUCE THOMPSON OF CAROMA DEVELOPED A TOILET CISTERN WITH TWO BUTTONS AND TWO FLUSH VOLUMES – ONE MEASURING 11 LITRES, THE OTHER 5.5 LITRES. NAMED THE DUOSET CISTERN, THE INNOVATION WOULD GO ON TO SAVE 32,000 LITRES OF WATER A YEAR FOR EACH HOUSEHOLD IN A SMALL SOUTH AUSTRALIAN TOWN DURING A TRIAL, AND LATER-ON PAVE THE WAY FOR MAKING DUAL-FLUSH TOILETS COMPULSORY FOR NEW BUILDINGS IN EVERY STATE IN AUSTRALIA BUT NEW SOUTH WALES.

Developed in collaboration with Brisbane City Council over a decade, the Profile 5 discharges water from the cistern during flushing while fresh water simultaneously enters the cistern separately via an inlet valve connected to the water supply. Rather than fill the cistern tank, the valve re-directs fresh water to the spout, and the water that is used here flows from the basin into the cistern tank.

Today, although toilet flushing continues to represent a significant proportion of the water supplied to Australian cities and towns, our toilets are relatively water-efficient, thanks to further advancements in sanitary ware that minimise the amount of water being wasted, and the introduction of schemes such as the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS), which is compulsory for all lavatory and urinal equipment.

The product was banned in Queensland for two years after its initial launch, from 2009 to 2011, over an interpretation of the Plumbing and Drainage Act relating to the use of the product. The ban has since been lifted following results from extensive testing showing that the water used for hand washing in the cistern constitutes no increased health risk to the user compared to a regular suite and separate basin.

According to a 2008 report by the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney, the average flush volume of a toilet sold then was about half of what it had been 25 years earlier. Dual-flush cisterns offering nine litres full flush and 4.5 litres half flush – not too dissimilar to the sizes Thompson invented – are the least efficient products that can be sold, and about 22 per cent of water savings under the WELS scheme comes from toilets and lavatory equipment.

The advantages of these initiatives shouldn’t need to be stated (but we’ll say it anyway): reducing water consumption in the bathroom – where about 40 per cent of all water is consumed in the home, a quarter of which is flushed away – helps households save on their water bills. In commercial settings, these measures also contribute to lower operating costs and a smaller carbon footprint.

There are other environmental benefits to using water-efficient sanitary ware, including reducing the amount of energy that would have been needed for aerating and pumping when waste from flushed toilet systems go through to waste water treatment plants. A changing climate, with reports of falling annual rainfall, also brings home the importance of being frugal with a much-needed resource.

However, our cisterns are not just getting smaller to increase water-efficiency in the bathroom. In some cases, we’ve even given up the use of water altogether and found ways to make the ‘waterless toilet’ more family-friendly, and dare we say, an elegant addition to the bathroom. Here, we explore four products and innovations that seek to minimise the amount of water we are sending to the sewerage.

COMPOSTING TOILETS The composting toilet (CT) is typically recommended for homes in water-scarce areas such as the mid-north region of New South Wales. CTs treat human waste using natural decomposition processes, usually without the use of a water flush system. The waste is retained until they are broken down to a safer, more stable product, and the material buried.

“The composting toilet has come a long way from the pit latrine,” the YourHome guide notes. “If appropriately designed, they conserve precious water resources and keep effluent and pollutants out of waterways and the general environment. They can also reduce the site restrictions, and pollution and nutrient problems, of systems such as septic tanks.”

Some CTs have electric or wind driven heating/ drying units to assist with the decomposition process, which is influenced by factors such as “temperature, pH, desiccation and digestion

by invertebrates” – all of which takes place over an extended period. There are two key system arrangements: batch systems, which comprise two or more containers that alternate in use, and continual composting systems, which feature a single container permanently fitted under the toilet seat.

If installed correctly and well-maintained, CTs should not smell, with some manufacturers like Ecoflo even claiming that their products actually emit less odour than you would encounter with a normal flushing toilet.

Clivus Multrum’s waterless composting toilet (pictured) using a blackwater system only requires a moving fan to ensure that fresh oxygen is always moving through to facilitate optimum composting and minimal odour. It is an accredited system certified by the Health Authority of each state.

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SUSTAINABILITY DROP-A-BRICK Dropping a brick into the toilet cistern is a traditional Aussie way of saving water in a drought (lowering the volume of water needed in refill), but standard bricks often disintegrate over time and have been known to damage plumbing systems.

Taking the idea and responding to the current Californian drought, San Francisco company Level 2 Industries has designed a rubber bio-based rubber brick filled with an eco-friendly hydro gel that solidifies when water is added to it.

This rubber brick displaces water when placed in the tank and “tricks” the toilet into using less water for every flush. The extra weight of a solidified brick is enough to displace about two litres of water, the product designers say.

DESERT CUBE WATERLESS URINAL SYSTEM Desert Cubes are 100 per cent biodegradable waterless and odour free urinal cubes that sit at the base of a urinal and release beneficial microbes as they dissolve over several weeks. Working with an automated flush timer delivering four flushes per day, the cube’s microbes trigger a breakdown of organic matter inside the drain, and “interfere with the bacterial digestion that produces unpleasant odours”. This controls odours and the build-up of uric scale, but should be complemented by daily cleaning with Desert Wash room Cleaner, which contains proteins to activate the microbes.

The Cube System is ideal for septic systems, and according to Adelaide-based manufacturer Desert, a waterless urinal is a more hygienic choice for public or commercial wash rooms.

The WELS scheme tests products according to the Australian Standard – AS/NZS 64002005 – Water efficient products - Rating and labelling (the WELS Standard).

The tests for sanitary wares include their performance in discharging material at full and reduced flush, the endurance of inlet and outlet cistern vales, as well as issues such as leakage, splashing, and physical distortion. Urinals are also subjected to tests for the effective flushing of urinal surfaces and splashing, while water closet and urinal flush devices are tested for flushing performance and water tightness.

The WELS label tells consumers of each product’s water efficiency and water consumption or flow figures.

According to the ACT Government’s actsmart sustainability initiative: •

The one to six star rating allows a quick assessment of the model’s water efficiency – the more stars on the label the more water efficient the product

•

The water consumption or water flow figure shows the water consumption per use for whitegoods and sanitary ware) or the water flow per minute for plumbing products based on laboratory tests.

“When you are shopping for appliances or plumbing fittings, choose a product that has the highest star rating you can find for a model that is within the size/ capacity range that you want as well as within your price range,” actsmart advises.

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SYDNEY’S CARGO APARTMENTS MARRY BRICK WAREHOUSE WITH LUXURY MATERIALS

[WORDS] NATHAN JOHNSON

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S THE SOUTH SYDNEY CORRIDOR READIES ITSELF FOR THE MASSIVE EXPANSION OF ITS APARTMENT OFFERINGS AT GREEN SQUARE, A RECENTLY COMPLETED PROJECT IN ALEXANDRIA SHOWS US AN ALTERNATIVE TO BUILDING BRAND NEW, GLAMOROUS BUILDINGS—EVEN FOR THOSE TARGETING THE HIGH-END PROPERTY MARKET. Cargo Lane Terraces by Turner + Associates and PBD Architects at 8 Brennan Street, Alexandria saw the injection of six, three-storey terrace houses and 34 apartments into the existing brick veneer façade of an industrial warehouse.

While the apartments are rather large and few in number, they do demonstrate the ability of the architect to create a space that could have just as easily alienated itself from the surrounding locale.

Cargo Lane is a stone’s throw from the CBD and steps from the heritage listed Alexandria Park, so it was only a matter of time before it

went down the road of gentrification. Getting the building right for the client’s target market however was a less assured task for PBD Architects, who were briefed to create a building with all the bells and whistles of upmarket apartment living within the industrial fabric of a South Sydney warehouse.

Paul Buljevic, Managing Director of PBD Architects notes that marrying the history of the site with the new additions was achieved through referential material detailing and with help from structural engineers.

“Even though Council did not actually require retention of the existing façade as it was not a heritage building it was retained for its existing character and adaptive re-use approach for the terrace component of the development,” says Buljevic.

“The limitation imposed upon by the existing façade retention was the biggest challenge for the project however we worked closely with the structural engineer to explore innovative methods of supporting the existing façade with elements of the new built fabric.”

1 Modern building materials such as Fielders Nail Strip metal panelling and Capral window frames were selected by the architects to juxtapose the fabric of the existing façade, a portion of which was retained to recognize its intrinsic value within the streetscape.

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2 2 & 3 Behind the brick veneer faรงade the material palette is further modernized.

Western Red Cedar timber screens and Modwood composite decking add warmth and contrast the stark white concrete coated in Astec Acrylic Render.

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The detailing Buljevic refers to included the use of a diverse palette of materials including steel, concrete, Western Red Cedar battens, plants and a unique application of Fielders Nail Strip which clads the box volumes above the revitalised brick façade.

Another detail Buljevic highlights as an important part of the project is the punctured slot in the building façade which he says provides additional articulation whilst contributing to cross flow ventilation across the apartment verandas.

Walk inside Cargo and you’d think you’d left the suburb of Alexandria; “open-planned”, “light-filled” and “triple storey” certainly aren’t words traditionally associated with South Sydney living arrangements; nor are Cargo’s expansive outdoor entertaining areas with luxury lap pools and landscaped courtyard gardens.

But just like any investment property project, Turner + Associates and PBD Architects were handed a brief, given a target market and marked on their ability to design and sell.

PBD says they were very pleased that the project was so well received by the buying public and that their design strategy was successful in aiding this outcome.

4 3 4 Sliding doors from Capral open onto the private balconies, clad in that robust Fielders Nail Strip metal panelling and enclosed by steel and glass balustrades from YME Metal Projects. The carpet is Casa Twist from Godfrey Hirst.

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4 5 Where space was limited, sliding doors from Capral were specified over bifolds, meaning no door sill and a more seamless transition from the Havwoods Europlank interior floorboards to the Modwood exterior decking.

Welcome to inspiration redesigned

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5 6 & 7 A mixture of aluminium, steel and glass balustrades from YME Metal Projects walk down the triple storey voids at the back of the apartments and open onto the kitchen and living rooms. The voids and the Alspec operable bifold doors at the back of the apartments facilitate cross ventilation.

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PEOPLE CLIENT CBRE DESIGN ARCHITECT TURNER + ASSOCIATES PROJECT ARCHITECT PAUL BULJEVIC, PBD ARCHITECTS BUILDER TQM DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT PHOTOGRAPHY NEIL FIELON PRODUCTS BRICKS RECYCLED BOX VOLUME CLADDING FIELDERS NAIL STRIP FIXED TIMBER SCREEN WESTERN RED CEDAR BATTENS BATTENS FINISH SIKKENS EXTERIOR RENDER ASTEC ACRYLIC RENDER WINDOWS & HINGED DOOR FRAMES CAPRAL BIFOLD DOORS ALSPEC GLAZING ALSPEC VERANDA BALUSTRADES YME METAL PROJECTS POOL FENCING YME METAL PROJECTS INTERNAL DOOR FRAMES ADVANCED METAL INDUSTRIES FRONT ENTRY DOORS HUDSONS DECKING MODWOOD INTERIOR FLOORBOARDS HAVWOODS EUROPLANK KITCHEN BENCHTOP CEASARSTONE OYSTER KITCHEN KICKBOARDS AND CABINETRY NAVWOOD HVAC DAIKIN VRV

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The redesigned ArchitectureAndDesign.com.au is your new essential industry resource, containing everything you loved about Architecture & Design, but now integrated with Infolink. com.au, Australia’s most comprehensive building and architectural product directory.

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PRODUCT SHOWCASES

BATHROOMS & LAUNDRIES

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CEILINGS, INTERNAL WALL MATERIALS & PARTITIONING Choosing a ceiling lining for indoor pools & spas COATINGS & PAINT FINISHES

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PRODUCT SHOWCASES ARCHITECTURAL ENTRANCE MATTING Birrus have been manufacturing functional and visually beautiful entrance matting for over 50 years. We use the best quality Australian made aluminium and carpet to ensure the life span of your matting under heavy traffic.

With over 50 beautiful colours of carpet to choose from, we encourage special shapes and bright or subtle colours to make our matting a feature piece of your entrance way. For something different why not anodise the aluminium black, bronze or gold for a classy look or some wow factor.

We are proud of our Australian Made and Owned company and the quality product we manufacture. Our manufactured matting comes with a 10 Year Warranty and our Ultramat and Duramat are Green Star Rated.

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SPANTECH CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM – SIMPLE, STRONG, VERSATILE The Spantech Construction System provides building solutions for numerous applications.

The system is simple and strong, yet elegant and graceful.

The Spantech System is based on site-rolled metal building panels of various sizes and thickness.

Panels are capable of use either flat or as self-supporting curved arches.

The system can provide unsupported spans of up to forty metres.

Panels interlock to form a continuous structural membrane with minimal screws or bolts. All attendant works – skylights, ventilators, lights, insulation, ducts, ceilings, and so forth – can be incorporated easily and economically.

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PRODUCT SHOWCASES ALUMINIUM SEATING Aluminium Grandstands BAB Aluminium is the leading manufacturer of low cost, long life aluminium seating in Australia. BAB Aluminium seats are found in schools, parks, outdoor areas, workplaces, clubs, boats, theme parks and so on across Australia and overseas.

BAB Aluminium grandstands are designed to be long lasting, completely safe, easy maintenance, easy installation, fixed and portable, with or without backrests and come in standard and custom styles and lengths.

BAB Aluminium grandstands are engineer structural certified and are cyclone rates for cyclone wind regions.

Outdoor Aluminium School Seating BAB Aluminium has been supplying outdoor school seats across Australia for over 30 years and we are the leading outdoor school seating manufacturers and direct suppliers.

Aluminium outdoor school seats are very long lasting, easy to keep clean, available in standard and custom lengths with or without backrests.

Available for delivery across Australia and overseas.

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POSISTRUT CASSETTES ARE FLOORING CUSTOMERS Many builders and developers – especially those working on large, multi-storey projects are specifying MiTek PosiStrut Flooring Cassettes.

The floor includes allowances for deflections, reactions, plumbing locations, voids stacks, wastes and duct chases and recessed wet areas. Plus, MiTek PosiStrut Flooring Cassettes can utilise top chord support for ease of installation.This means they can be craned into position on-site and fixed in minutes!

‘Two men can do in a day what it takes three to four to do in 7 days – the results are that dramatic! Another advantage is: there is no storage issue on-site. The truck rolls up and within minutes the first cassette can be craned into position. Once installed and fitted (and relevant safety scaffolding erected) the cassettes can be walked on so the next part of the construction process can get underway. The implications this has on-site are substantial…with more square metres of flooring laid by less labour in a lot less time!

To view the video or for more information about MiTek PosiStrut Flooring Cassettes, visit: mitek.com.au

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PRODUCT SHOWCASES AM-BOSS ACCESS LADDERS & FALL PROTECTION SYSTEMS AM-BOSS Access Ladders are installed in all types of buildings: government, factories, hospitals, domestic, new and existing.

The AM-BOSS system is the ideal way to create safe access to the ceiling space for a storage facility, or access to plant room and rooftop access. AM-BOSS raised the standard of workplace safety by being the first pull-down access ladder to comply with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and are CodeMark Certified.

AM-BOSS pioneered installations of access ladders into suspended ceilings and we manufacture, supply and/or install to suit each individual environment.

AM-BOSS Access Ladders Pty Ltd provides superior customer service through the manufacture, supply and installation of quality products. The company’s philosophy of providing consistent product quality and adhering to agreed customer service levels, has resulted in its continuing success, and helped establish AM-BOSS as a leader in the commercial, industrial and domestic industries.

AM-BOSS Access Ladders Pty Ltd is totally committed to understanding and meeting the quality needs and expectations of all our customers.

AM-BOSS also offers a pull-down access ladder that is Fire-Rated to AS1530.4-2005 with a -/90/90 rating. We supply and install Fall Arrest Systems, Anchor Points, Walkways, Guardrailing, Fixed Access Ladders, etc.

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BRIGHT IDEA FROM HÄFELE AANOTHER 3-IN-1 HIGH VELOCITY LOOX LED FOR LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION ANY WASHROOM This neat unit is an affordable, Decorative illumination has theintegrated power tocabinet transform with three features in one installation, the any residential or commercial building.offering It accentuates following features benefi architecture, addsand mood andts:can be as important as any significant furniture piece.

• High Velocity Hand Dryer – suitable for highunderstands traffic areasthe importance of lighting Häfele •andHolds 500 Standard Multi-Fold Paper with LOOX – the innovative plug and play largesystem, capacityselecting means less for LEDTowels furniture– light thework perfect maintenance staff been easier. The product of illumination has never •several 26 Litre Waste With Springyears of HäfeleBin engineering and development, Loaded Lid – prevents paper towel from and LOOX is being used by furniture manufacturers blowingaround out ofthe theglobe bin to set their designs apart. designers •OurOptions For Recess Semi-Recess motto is “plug and play”.&LOOX has a driver with – makes the unit flexible depending on the an integrated switching function that makes a direct application required connection to your most frequently used switches •such2 as x Tumbler Locks, Keyed Alike – push switches; sensor switches; dimmer keeps and the motion unit secure and allows for ease of switches detectors. maintenance •LOOX Satin Stainless Steellighting Finishsolution – offersthat’s gives you a beautiful modern and designto the highest safety future-proof andstylish guaranteed •standards.

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PRODUCT SHOWCASES

MANAGE DESIGN CHANGES ON-SITE WITH CONFIDENCE In the journey from architects’ original drawings to construction documents, changes are inevitable. The way you manage changes impacts the project’s timeline, cost and quality.

Construction companies are increasingly turning to digital technologies to distribute, view and mark up plan sets. Digital documents assure the entire team works off current drawings, available on whatever device team member’s use, whether at their desks, in the site office, or in the field.

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CHOOSING A CEILING LINING FOR INDOOR POOLS & SPAS Addressing the growing trend for pool and spa facilities in high-rise city accommodation has created unique challengers for designers and buildings.

It is crucial to install ceilings in these areas which will efficiently overcome issues associated with excess moisture, thermal control and noise reverberation. Additionally ongoing maintenance costs need to be considered.

The installation of a taut ceiling lining will meet all these requirements by solving moisture, thermal and noise problems as well as being virtually maintenance free.

A taut ceiling will also give the designer exceptional aesthetic licence.

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PREMIUM QUALITY COATINGS FROM PYLON COATINGS Pylon Coatings is an Australian owned manufacturing company that is dedicated in developing and supplying premium quality coatings for a wide range of industries.

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Recent developments from the R & D team include a range of low VOC & MIR polyurethanes, low odour polyester coatings and the feature product being Bio-Guard Antimicrobial Coating.

Bio-Guard is available in a range of gloss levels and can be tinted to a comprehensive range of colours. Bio-Guard is an effective antimicrobial polyurethane coating for commercial areas and for homeowners looking for a more hygienic finish.

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