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Industry News
Industry news Bates Smart completes skyscraper that’s only 11.5 metres wide
Australian architecture firm Bates Smart has built a skinny skyscraper named Collins House in Melbourne that’s 184 metres tall and just 11.5 metres wide at its slimmest point.
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The apartment building has a footprint the size of a single netball court and has a heightto-width ratio of 16:1. According to Bates Smart this makes skyscraper is Australia’s slimmest tower and the third slimmest skyscraper in the world.
Amenities for Collins House include a residents’ club on the 27th floor with a private dining room, a gym and a car stacking system with space for 108 vehicles. A terrace on the third floor features an open-air bar.
The tower was built above the 1908 Makers Mark building that has an 11-metre-wide ornate facade on Collins Street.
The building extends up from behind this facade, which has been retained, and then cantilevers four and a half metres out on one side over an existing 11-storey office building next door.
Australian developer Golden Age bought the air rights above this building to allow the development to happen.
The floors of Collins House have an H-shaped plan, with the lifts pushed to the side meaning that all of the floor plates are column-free.
A herringbone pattern is picked out in white frames around all four sides of the tower’s glazed facade.
Bates Smart used a modular system of prefabricated parts to speed up construction and facilitate building on such a compact site between existing buildings.
“It is the first superslim residential tower in Australia designed using modular components,” said Bates Smart managing director Simon Swaney. “A solution that enabled construction on a site that was previously deemed undevelopable.”
Prefabrication specialists Hickory developed a system of precast panels and components built in situ that did not require a jumpform – a working platform that is moved up the building as it is built.
Using a single tower crane and one hoist, precast storeys were craned into place, each level taking two to three hours to install.
Each storey was comprised of a 150-millimetre-thick floor, precast posttension beams and a facade that was already installed. Precast stairs were built off-site.
Bates Smart estimates that this method saved up to four days per floor in construction, bringing the overall timeframe down from 40 months to just 30.
The architecture studio hopes that Collins House is a demonstration of how superslim towers can be built in similarly constrained sites in other cities.
Bates Smart, which was founded in 1853, is due to completr the new Australian embassy in Washington DC in 2022.
Another skinny tower projects pushing the limits of architecture is 111 West 57th by SHoP Architects in New York. Due to top out at 433 metres tall and 13 metres wide when it completes, it will have a height-towidth ratio of 24:1.
New York has so many skinny towers under construction that the city’s Skyscraper Museum has built an online tracker to chart them.
Industry news WORCESTER BOSCH RAISES OVER £8,000 IN NHS FUNDRAISING RAFFLE
The company has matched a £4,096.38 raffle amount, so £8,192.76 will be donated to NHS Charities Together
Both winners chose to give forward, donating prizes to local NHS workers or holding their own fundraisers to raise additional donations.
Leading boiler manufacturer Worcester Bosch has donated a total of £8,192.76 to NHS Charities Together this month, after a recent raffle for two limited-edition rainbow-coloured boilers was held.
The winners were picked by fundraising powerhouse Olivia Strong, founder of the Run for Heroes 5k Challenge that has to date raised over £7 million for the NHS, via a live Zoom draw.
Two winners were announced:
• Will Stone Gas Plumbing and Heating,
Lymington Both companies, who will each receive a limited-edition version of the brand’s most popular boiler – the Greenstar i, have offered to either give away their boiler to a local NHS worker, or will run their own giveaway charity event.
The boilers are wrapped in two unique rainbow designs, inspired by the symbol the country has been using to celebrate the work of the NHS.
Victoria Billings, Director of Marketing at Worcester Bosch said;
“We are delighted to have been able to raise thousands to help support the incredible work NHS Charities Together are doing on behalf of the NHS.
“We’d like to thank all those who entered our raffle and contributed to this amazing figure and of course congratulate our two winners!”
Francesca Renouf-Stone, Office Manager at Will Stone Plumbing
said; “We’re looking forward to receiving our limited-edition boiler. We are hoping to give it away for free to a local NHS worker as another thank you for the essential work they do for our community.”
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loud House, which is actually a pair of three-storey homes united behind a pink-archcovered facade, is set to be built in Gospel Oak after winning planning permission earlier this month.
Peter Morris Architects designed the pair of houses, one of which will be its founder Peter Morris’ own home, to bring an element of fun to the street it will be located on.
“The goal was to create a building that would bring joy and delight to the neighbourhood,” Morris told Dezeen.
“Something that would feel like a surprising treat for anyone who came upon it, as well as to create a beautiful home for my family to live in, alongside one for someone else to buy.”
Cloud House by Peter Morris Architects in Gospel Oak, North London
The home will be built between a heritagelisted school and a modern, brick home on a street that has buildings in a variety of architecture styles.
It was the arches at St Martin’s Church, which stands opposite the site and was referred to by architectural writer Nicholas Pevsner as “the craziest of London’s Victorian churches”, that informed the houses’ many arches.
Cloud House by Peter Morris Architects in Gospel Oak, North London
“I know it’s not generally a very fashionable idea in architecture, but I love the idea that a building can be decorated on its outside as well as on its inside,” said Morris.
“The arches on The Cloud House mostly aren’t structural, but their decorative sculptural quality informs the whole look and feel of the building.”
“Once I’d had the idea of exploring the arch shape which appears both in the interiors and exteriors of St Martin’s Church opposite, it made sense to modernise and simplify that shape and then use it unapologetically, absolutely everywhere.”
Cloud House by Peter Morris Architects in Gospel Oak, North London
Morris arranged the pink arches, which will cover all four facades of the house, through a process of trial and error.
“More than three years ago, when I first began the drawings, I started to play around with the pattern of arches. I staggered them, cut them in half in places, doubled them in size in others,” explained Morris.
Cloud House by Peter Morris Architects in Gospel Oak, North London
“Some were solid, others became glazed. I added circular windows in various spots. The decision not to flatten the top of the arches was key, as that created the curves in the balustrades,” he continued.
“The design happened like a game of consequences. Each decision changed the design, but at every stage, the house grew curvier and prettier and managed to reinforce the original concept, which was to create a joyful building that would surprise and delight.”
Cloud House by Peter Morris Architects in Gospel Oak, North London
lower floors and living spaces on the upper floors. Each house will be topped with a roof terrace and the large one will include a plunge pool.
The arched forms on the houses’ facade will continue within the homes, which will include arched doorways and barrelvaulted ceilings.
Both the exterior and interior colour scheme for the homes was drawn from the Art Deco architecture of Miami. On the facades, pale pink arches will be combined pale green metalwork.
Inside, the floors will be made from paleblue poured resin, pink and white marquee stripes will run across the walls and ceilings and the kitchens will be emerald green with black and white terrazzo worktops.
Cloud House by Peter Morris Architects in Gospel Oak, North London
“The buildings in the street range from red brick to yellow brick, with various buff tones in between, not least in the ragstone facade of the school next door and the church over the road,” said Morris.
“It isn’t a street with just one colour, so the choice of pale pink render with a yellowy hue complements the other buildings, without trying to match them,” he continued.
“Once we’d chosen the pale pink tone, it felt right to pair it with pale green metalwork – they’re colours that I’ve always loved, and they remind me of our honeymoon in Miami.”
Morris believes that the colourful, fun architecture will be appropriate for a family home.
“I like fabulous spaces that are a joy to look at and a pleasure to inhabit, buildings that make you feel good and prompt a smile,” he said. “I think that spaces that make you feel a little bit like you have to be on your best behaviour can, of course, be wonderful, but this was about making a home for my family – a place for laughter and creativity and daftness. I crave more diversity in design.”
The bright home is one of many colourful buildings that are being built in London as part of a trend called New London Fabulous, which was identified by designer Adam Nathaniel Furman during Virtual Design Festival.
Industry news COMPLIANT DOOR CLOSING
A door closer is a mechanical device that reduces the physical burden of opening and shutting doors, and can be housed above, beneath or within the door unit.
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oor closers play a crucial role across many commercial buildings, yet despite this, many building owners remain unaware of their importance, which could be contributing to inadequate specification choices. Here, David Saxby, Senior Category Manager at IronmongeryDirect, highlights some of the key considerations for specifiers as well as some recommended solutions.
Approved Document B (Fire safety) in England and Wales, Section 2 in Scotland and Part E in Northern Ireland, require fire doors to be fitted with a minimum ‘power size 3’, CE accredited self-closing device that will reliably close the door within 25 seconds to prevent the spread of flames and smoke in the event of a fire.
For common installation situations, the ‘Lever on Rose Fire Door Kit’ offers a simple, cost effective solution for building owners. It provides all the required CE marked hardware and components necessary, including hinges, overhead door closer, sashlock, levers, intumescent seals and even signage. Different kits are available dependent on the requirements of the door - such as heavy or light duty.
A building must be designed and constructed in a way that allows everyone to move freely - in line with the Equality Act 2010. This means that door closers need to reliably close, without having such a force that would prevent anyone with a disability from opening the door, or restrict day to day access for any group of users. The Arrone AR3500 is one of the most trusted and economical solutions for an overhead closer. With an adjustable power size 2-4, it is ideal for medium use areas and is compliant with the Equality Act, suitable for living accommodation and office corridors.
The Rutland TS9205 is a slim-line, power adjustable heavy duty arm door closer with an architectural finish. With a 120-minute fire rating, this overhead closer is ideal for use in student accommodations, as well as in office corridors, hotels and public buildings.
The Arrone AR3500 Door Closer and Rutland TS9205 Door Closer both feature a delayed action option that slows down the closing speed of the door, making it ideal for prams or wheelchair access. For durability, the backcheck function on both products offers resistance when the door is opened with excessive force, preventing damage to doors, making these ideal for high traffic areas and affording building owners with a longer door lifecycle.
For more guidance, please read IronmongeryDirect’s Fire Door Checklist: www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/ fire-door-checklist
When it comes to allocating time and budget to self-build projects, the unassuming, often-forgotten loft is one area which, if carefully planned from the outset, can end up being the most striking and coveted space in a new home.
Enjoy balcony views from your selfbuild with VELUX®
Once considered the place for storing luggage, there’s now a host of products which can help you transform your loft space into an enviable, spacious and daylight-filled room. And there are some products in particular that deliver truly exceptional results.
Grant Sneddon, product manager at roof window manufacturer VELUX, explains more: “To make a loft space work, those building their own home need to consider how much daylight and fresh air they need for their loft and work with their architect to design their space with this in mind. Even some of the smallest spaces can be turned into useable and enjoyable rooms to live in if these two elements are prioritised during the planning phase.
“At VELUX all our roof windows are designed to maximise daylight and fresh air, helping customers create healthier indoor environments. And where there’s space to do so, the VELUX roof window range also includes products which will bring a bit of a wow factor into a home too. •10•
“This could be as simple as making sure roof windows are of a large enough scale to frame a beautiful panorama, as featured with VELUX STUDIO. These roof windows include three slimmer profile sashes in one frame, allowing more daylight to enter a loft while also offering a panoramic view, as the roof window is twice as wide as it is high. Alternatively, it could be about incorporating a stunning outdoor space, indoors.
“The VELUX CABRIO® Balcony fits perfectly into roof spaces, and fits flush with roofs when closed. In a matter of seconds, the balcony brings the outside in, letting in more natural daylight and fresh air, creating the perfect spot for a morning coffee break or lunch al fresco.
Katherine and Anthony Yiannaki’s home is just one example which highlights how carefully selected roof windows can turn a loft space into the best room in the house. The couple developed their loft and had decided on VELUX CABRIO® even before they had appointed their builders.
Katherine said: “Maximising the amount of daylight we could bring into the space was high on our list of priorities, which is why we wanted to install two VELUX CABRIO® balconies. Not only have they brought a wow factor, but the amount of natural daylight and fresh air they bring to the space is just unbeatable.”
VELUX’s website has a host of options for those planning a self-build project. For more ideas and project inspiration, visit www.velux.co.uk/selfbuild
