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Industry News
Floor-level Door Sill
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The Combi Plan profile system from Grundmeier is now also available for barrier-free transitions with wooden doors. According to the manufacturer, the system, previously used for 20-mm-high versions, is also fully sealed as a zero threshold. A floor seal concealed in the door leaf is mechanically lowered when the door is closed. In addition, a fold sealing element made of soft plastic on the underside of the door leaf prevents moisture from penetrating.
www.grundmeierkg.de
A new challenge for architects in flexibility with modular wood construction
Buildings are static; they serve the purpose they have been designed for but when cities grow and the needs of the community change, this becomes a problem.
Modular construction with engineered wood products like Kerto LVL are the solution, because they enable adaptable, sustainable and cost competitive designs. It is time to provide solutions to the changing needs of our cities. Time to create an urban adaptation. The Urban Adaptation Competition challenges architects and students from around the world to find a way to create multi-purpose buildings that can adapt to the changing needs of urban communities. During the life cycle of a building, requirements can change dramatically due to changes in demography, culture or politics. A community might need less office space and more kindergartens instead. Or vice versa. In addition to adaptability, urban construction needs to become more efficient and environmentally friendly. Construction produces over 30% of the global CO2 emissions, but wood does the opposite, it stores carbon. Engineered wood is cost competitive because it enables fast construction with prefabricated elements and modules. These elements are flexible and allow designs which are adaptable. •4•
Architect Rahel Belatchew “A wooden structure is easy to adapt to various situations. Wood is adaptable: it is easy to build with, but also dismantle and rebuild according to changing needs,” says Rahel Belatchew, a Swedish architect and a competition jury member.
The Competition The competition is organised by Metsä Group, Aalto University and the Ministry of the Environment of Finland. The entrants are asked to select a centrally-located empty plot in a city area and develop an innovative modular wood design for a public building or a building system that easily adapts to the changing needs of the community. In addition to visual and functional criteria, the designs need to show 1. adaptability, 2. modularity and 3. sustainability.
The deadline for competition entries is on 31 December 2020 at 24:00 CET. No preregistration needed. The Jury The jury members are Andrew Scott, a Professor of Architecture and Urbanism at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rahel Belatchew, Chief architect and founder of Belatchew Arkitekter, Sweden and Minna Riska, Architect and partner at MDH Arkitekter, Norway. The winners will be announced in February 2021.
“Engineered wood enables construction which is both efficient and environmentally friendly. I am looking forward to new innovative designs which take into account the entire life cycle,” says Ilkka Hämälä, President and CEO of Metsä Group. We need to find a way to create multipurpose buildings, which can adapt to the changing needs of the community. We need urban adaptation. For more information about the competition visit www.urbanadaptation.com.
P C Henderson’s Sliding Door Hardware Specified for Luxury Hotel in Shanghai’s New National Exhibition and Convention Centre
P C Henderson’s sliding door hardware has recently been specified for a luxury hotel built within Shanghai’s new National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC) in China.
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uilt in 2019, the Intercontinental Shanghai Hongqiao NECC features 536 rooms across 10 floors and is the only hotel to be located within the NECC. The hotel boasts many luxurious features including a fitness spa and wellness centre, a grand ballroom and a signature restaurant which offers an array of international cuisines. The design brief required a sliding door system for each of the 536 rooms to create a partition wall between the bathroom and bedroom. A range of P C Henderson’s sliding door hardware systems were specified for the project including 504 Husky Sliding systems for the standard guest bedrooms and 85 Husky Telescopic systems for the hotels executive rooms.
Julius Zhu, Sales Development Manager for P C Henderson China, commented, “We are seeing an increased demand for sliding door systems within the luxury hotel market as a way to create two separate rooms when privacy is required whilst also allowing a large open plan space when open. Space is often a priority within large hotel complexes and so sliding doors are a great way to achieve flexible room layouts without imposing on the space available”.
A sliding door system was also required for the hotel’s lobby to separate the reception desk and lounge area. “The timber doors were designed with a copper decoration to enhance the luxurious feel within the hotel and therefore required a sliding door system which could comfortably cater for a significant door weight without impacting the operation of the system”, explained Julius.
The companies Straight Sliding 301 industrial hardware was identified as the ideal system for this part of the project. Catering for doors weighing up to 400kg, the system can comfortably accommodate the weight of the timber doors whilst ensuring a smooth and quiet operation.
P C Henderson’s range of sliding door hardware is becoming increasing popular within the international hotel market due to an increase in demand for flexible living areas for guests. The company’s range of hardware can cater for doors weighing up to 8000kg meaning virtually any type of sliding door hardware can be catered for.
industry news
Affordable housing developer Torus has created a framework of 12 local and regional contractors to help build its planned pipeline of more than 5,000 homes across the North West in the next five years.
Places on the Development Framework have been awarded to • Carrol Build • Crossfield
Construction • M&Y • Penny Lane • RP Tyson • The Casey Group • Anwyl • Caddick Construction • Eric Wright • Lovell • Seddon • Vistry
Construction work will take place in the Liverpool City Region, Cheshire and Lancashire.
Torus Director of Developments & Sales, Steve Alcock, said: “Our development programme is growing at pace and its scale is surpassing our forecasted projections, meaning having an established framework of contractors is paramount to ensuring we meet our target of building 5,300 homes by 2024. “Being able to mobilise sites quickly and efficiently streamlines the whole process and having a bank of trusted contractors on hand will not only see more affordable homes built in a timely manner, but our investment in local social projects increase through working with partners with a large social impact.
“This ensures any financial investment not only supports the physical development of high-quality homes, but the creation of communities that are strong, diverse and healthy.
“We have always strived to work with local partners and support our regional supply chain and, after the impact COVID-19 has had on the construction industry as a whole, that commitment has never been stronger.
Local contractors win places on North West homes framework
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any local independent shops whether it is the butcher in your village, greengrocer or the local pub have embraced additional business channels allowing customers to order, click and collect or have a home delivery. Thus, ensuring they continue to operate and are profitable during a challenging business year.
Restrictions have brought a new audience to online shopping and ecommerce, an audience who have previously not adopted to the digital age. On a practical level, this has meant that organisations have had to make sure their website content is simple and easy to use. In these changing and uncertain times, it has never been more important to understand your customers and your market.
Here at the IPG, we have been impressed with how several of our members have responded to the changing competitive landscape and have adopted the new modern selling channels, making their businesses available 24/7 which will help them in their determination to continue to grow their business in 2021 and beyond.
New Year …. A new dawn.
As the sun sets rises in 2021, we can reflect on some of the positive changes that the previous year has brought to our lives, one of which is an appreciation of the local independent business, within our community, that has always been there, but we haven’t always supported. However, we have now realised that they are competitively priced, friendly, and informative and often more flexible than their larger competitors willing to adopt new ways to transact and communicate with existing and new customers.
Our experienced IT Team have supported members throughout the last 12 months with website development and ecommerce solutions. But don’t take our word for it, here’s what Mike at one of our members, Croxley Plumbing Supplies said:
“From my initial consultation with The IPG to my weekly emails and phone calls, getting onboard with e-commerce has been a big success. Sales have increased since going live, but what is also improved is my profile in the local area. The number of visitors to my website has grown significantly. Never as much as now has our relationship with The IPG felt so much like a team.” Unlike 12 months ago some of our IPG members are now offering a click and collect service and their businesses are open 24/7 with their new effective online platforms. This has meant they have reached brand new customers online and have experienced increased footfall to their locations. After so much negative news about retail in the last month it is reassuring that the independent merchants are adapting and expanding their service and delivery channels making sure they remain in our community for the foreseeable future.
Portaro and Easi-Fit doorkits
the fast way to achieve excellence
Leading interior door manufacturer Vicaima, have just introduced a totally new door kit and set brochure, which opens the way to assembly solutions for an ever increasing market diversity and performance criteria. In what has been seen as a dramatic extension to the Vicaima portfolio; these new kit and set solutions provide project specifiers with greater choice and flexibility to go beyond the realms of what was previously thought possible. With solutions in fire, security and acoustic performance, they present the fast way to achieve excellence.
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ith its striking yellow and black design, this new Vicaima technical guide contains 80 pages of inspiration and technical expertise for a wide scope of applications, ranging from residential living, hotel and leisure, together with education and medical situations among others. This handy and easy to reference technical brochure, spotlights two key brands from the Vicaima offering, to suit varying project requirements: Portaro Door Kits with their completely matching and finished, door and frame assemblies; together with the Easi-Fit Door sets which combines a choice of door with standard primed frames for on-site finishing. Throughout the new brochure, doorkit and set solutions are sub-divided into 4 main categories for ease of specification and these include: Non-fire, Fire, Fire and acoustics and Security solutions. Within these categories, an array of configurations are made possible, with inverse, sliding and pocket systems among them. With regulatory performance being a hallmark of Vicaima, products also provide third party accreditation where applicable and are tested to BS and/or EN Standards. And as care for the environment is paramount, everything is covered by FSC® certification.
This new brochure is certainly a must have tool for anyone looking to source door kits and sets that present rapid and simple installation, while at the same time meeting or exceeding some of the most demanding specifications the industry requires. For a copy of the new Portaro and Easi-Fit brochure or for further inspiration and trendsetting ideas,
Visit the Vicaima website www.vicaima.com
or contact info@vicaima.com Tel +44 (0) 1793 532333
First impressions count
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eptember 2020 was a month of records for the UK housing market. The stamp duty holiday triggered the highest number of residential property sales ever agreed in a month. When selling or looking to purchase a house, first impressions really do count. Here, Nick Cowley, managing director of leading window and door manufacturer Euramax, explains the impact of a carefully selected front door on a home’s kerb appeal.
Homes are selling faster than ever before in the UK. The average time to sell is 50 days quicker than any previously recorded figure, according to a report by real estate website Rightmove. In such a saturated market, it’s vital that a property stands out, for the right reasons.
In the initial stages of selling a property, the exterior appearance holds great
importance: the front exterior shot of a home typically takes centre stage on online listings and many prospective buyers will make an informal drive-by visit before requesting a viewing. With such a great focus on the home’s exterior, maximising kerb appeal is a crucial element of a successful exchange.
Whether a homeowner is enhancing their property’s sellable status, or plans to remain there for years to come, the front door is commonly regarded as a property’s focal point, connecting the inside with the outside. It should reflect the personality of the home, and can provide a subtle hint towards the interior décor inside the property. Selecting a front door that successfully achieves this requires three key decisions: colour, material and design.
Colour choice
A front door’s colour is ultimately down to personal preference, but there are a few essential considerations that should be made when creating a stand-out first impression. The goal is to radiate a welcoming feel, which can be reached either by adding a new colour or by maintaining the property’s existing colourway.
One of the most popular colours to add to a property is a pale green. Inspired by nature, this hint of colour subtly matches any surrounding foliage. This promotes a view of the house and its garden as a single entity, helping the home to blend in with its exterior environment.
Alternatively, neutral shades bring a classic and sophisticated style to any property. Recent years have seen a rise in the popularity of grey interiors, so selecting a grey front door complements the interior décor and sets the tone of what’s to come if you were to enter through it.
It’s also worth taking the style of the property into account, to ensure the door colour helps rather than hinders the home’s aesthetic appeal. For example, dark colours such as Anthracite grey may be too bold for ornate period homes, but the perfect fit for a modern or Tudor-style property. Considering all these points in advance gives homeowners some creative freedom with their door colour, without compromising on style.
Material matters
Material is not only key to a door’s aesthetics, but also its functionality. Meeting a door’s aesthetic goals should not come at the expense of performance. Ultimately, a front door must provide security without sacrificing energy efficiency, so material choice should support these performance objectives.
A traditional material choice would be timber, thanks to its timeless look and customisability. There are many types of wood to select from and it can be painted any colour. However, timber comes with its downsides. Repeated exposure to harsh weather conditions can cause warping and peeling, hampering the door’s insulating properties and demanding periodic maintenance.
PVCu is another material option, which outperforms timber on energy efficiency and maintenance. PVCu doors have a smooth finish that is naturally insulating and weatherproof, requiring minimal maintenance. Contrary to popular belief, PVCu doors are now available in a range of colours, including Anthracite grey and Chartwell green. Their sleek, clean However, the modern appearance of PVCu may look out of place on a traditional property, while timber doors may not meet all the performance goals. Composite doors combine the benefits of different materials to offer maximum security, unrivalled energy efficiency and virtually zero maintenance. With a variety of colour choices and the option to add a woodgrain effect, composite doors are suitable for any home, whatever its style.
Design details Having decided on colour and material, it’s important to think about the door’s design. As with colour choice, homeowners should be mindful of their property’s architecture and ensure that their door is in keeping with the style.
The UK’s most popular four-panel door with two glass panels at the top and two solid panels at the bottom is a classic option that suits most properties. However, a modern property may benefit from a trendy design such as a door with four central glass square panels.
It’s also advisable to spend some time considering the door’s accessories. Every front door must have a handle and a letter box, but you may decide on additional features such as numbers or a door knocker. Traditional doors may suit gold fittings, whilst contemporary properties may better suit chrome hardware.
Euramax is a leading UK manufacturer PVCu and composite doors, which come in a range of colours with an array of customisable glass and accessory options. What’s more, our made-to-measure service allows us to offer bespoke products to meet any homeowners’ specific requirements.
Whether your contemplating selling or just want to improve your property’s exterior, the front door holds the key to success. Carefully selecting a door’s colour, material and design ensures that the door seamlessly fits with the property’s style, while allowing the home’s interior style to shine through, making the property stand out for all the right reasons.
