Front cover image courtesy of CUPA PIZARRAS www.cupapizarras.com/uk/rainscreen-cladding - story on

CUPACLAD PROVIDES THE NATURAL SOLUTION FOR NEW COASTAL HOME

CUPA PIZARRAS’ CUPACLAD 101 Logic was recently installed as part of a striking new-build project, located in Aberystwyth, Wales. The natural slate cladding was chosen because it could complement the coastal surroundings as well as provide outstanding resistance to the harsh weather conditions. The site was purchased by homeowners, David and Shirley Harries who looked to extend the pre-existing bungalow but after finding significant issues with its structure, opted instead to erect a new build on the same plot.

“We really wanted a home that utilised a range of materials to create a modern look as opposed to building a glass palace that could look too ostentatious in the rugged seafront location,” said David. The couple approached Arwyn George from George + Tomos Architects who put together a design, which included CUPA PIZARRAS’ natural slate cladding system, CUPACLAD 101.

“The CUPACLAD system allowed the new home to blend into the surrounding cliffs beautifully,” said Arwyn. “In addition, I had to consider the high winds that the project would be exposed to and select something that would have the appropriate durability.” High quality natural slate is a very resistant material – its deterioration is unnoticeable to the human eye, meaning its colour does not change across its 100 year lifespan, even in the coldest environments.

Natural slate also has a permanent sheen, unlike other roofing materials which can decrease up to eight times superior. “We really loved the proposal,” the couple commented. “The slate would blend seamlessly with the local landscape – both the cliffs behind the property as well as some of the other houses in the area, which also utilise natural slate. What’s more, the material is sympathetic to its environment.”

CUPACLAD is constructed using specially selected slates, which are dark in colour, creating a bold and dramatic look, particularly when utilised alongside lighter materials such as glass, timber and render. CUPACLAD 101 Logic is made up of 40x20cm slates installed horizontally using fixing systems that are completely invisible once installed to avoid impacting the design.

As with the rest of the CUPACLAD 101 series, it is BBA certified, verifying that it has an incredibly low level of water absorption, test results show a value between 0.16 and 0.17%. This ensures that the material is not susceptible to frosting or hypothermal ageing.

Furthermore, the BBA certificate demonstrates the slate is very resistant to high winds, fire and impacts. Rhys Ben Wright from RBW Carpentry was then selected to install the slate system. A process made easier, thanks to the quality of the slate, with pre-drilled holes and self-drilling fixings.

What’s more, natural slate has a number of environmental benefits. According to research carried out by the University of Glasgow, it produces a limited amount of atmospheric carbon (1KgCO2/metre2 over its lifetime) and has a low water and energy consumption rate. Furthermore, by sourcing natural slate from CUPA PIZARRAS, a carbon neutral company, David and Shirley’s cladding solution is verifiably sustainable.

Once the project was completed, David and Shirley were over the moon with their new home: “The cladding fits the landscape seamlessly, which is due to the properties of the slate, as well as Arwyn’s design. He was able to shape the building in such a way that it really fits with the outlines of the hilly surroundings.

“We were concerned that some of the slates would be lost in recent strong winds; however, the cladding remained completely intact. We would definitely recommend CUPACLAD.” CUPA PIZARRAS’ slate is exclusively distributed by Taylor Maxwell to the UK market. www.cupapizarras.com/uk/rainscreen-cladding

FRAMEPRO® W1 CHOSEN FOR PASSIVHAUS PLUS HOUSING PROJECT IN CARDIFF

The FramePro W1 air barrier system from the A. Proctor Group has been chosen for a new modular Passivhaus Plus housing project in Cardiff. This innovative project will provide essential housing for Cardiff’s homeless population. It is designed by Beattie Passive using its award-winning, patented design and build system, which the company says is the UK’s first certified Passivhaus Complete Build System.

The development consists of 48 one, two and three-bed apartments with two ancillary office buildings. The three modular housing blocks provide complete flexibility. Satisfying Cardiff’s immediate requirement to provide housing for people and families in temporary accommodation, in later years, the modules can be dismantled, reconfigured and assembled to suit the demographic needs of the city at that time. The FramePro W1 system was chosen as an external air barrier.

The system comprises FramePro W1, a low-resistance vapour permeable air barrier for walls, plus Wraptite® Tape. Another benefit of the FramePro W1 system is that applying it externally simplifies the process, maintaining the building’s integrity, as there are fewer building services and structural penetrations to be sealed. www.proctorgroup.com

A high specification office building close to Manchester Airport has been subject to a series of planned refurbishment contracts, with the phased work including the upgrade of each floor or unit’s fire performance using smoke and flame barriers from the range of TBA FIREFLYTM. Owned by Orbit Developments – part of the Emerson Group - Park Square is a modern commercial office building offering up to 65,000 sq ft of space over five floors.

As leases of various occupants expire, the Group’s fit-out contractor, Kirkham, strips out and refurbishes the vacated spaces, including installing TBA’s Phoenix barriers above the suspended ceiling grids before fitting new panels and improved lighting.

TBA FIREFLYTM Phoenix is a lightweight smoke and flame barrier developed to enable compartmentation within buildings to provide up to 120 minutes integrity under BS476 Parts 20 & 22. Certified by IFCC the flexible and straightforward to install material I is suitable for both newbuild and retrofit situations.

Manufactured from woven and non-woven glass, the FireflyTM range is designed to optimise resistance to flame and smoke as well as offer heat protection in a wide range of scenarios. www.tbafirefly.com

OFFICE REFURB SPECIALIST UPGRADING FIRE PERFORMANCE USING TBA FIREFLYTM RANGE

YEOMAN RAINGUARD CROWNING GLORY ON HIGH END DEVELOPMENT

Property developers Golden Eye Group, augmented their latest residential development with a high-end exterior finish incorporating a rainwater system from Yeoman Rainguard. With a mantra of “a quality finish that will stand the test of time” Golden Eye ensured that quality was reflected not only internally but for all parts of the external building envelope too.

As part of the function and design criteria of the house façade, Yeoman Rainguard were able to provide a sophisticated, quality rainwater system to fulfil technical and aesthetic requirements.

To dovetail into the contemporary look, Yeoman Rainguard SL Aluminium gutters and downpipes were chosen. The 75 x 75 mm flush-fit SL Aluminium downpipes provided a modern clean line coupled with 125 x 100 mm MOG gutter. Aluminium Fascia and Soffits from Yeoman Rainguard’s new Squareline range were fitted to complement the sleek lines.

All were finished in a smooth RAL 7022 Grey colour to perfectly match the shade of the windows and doors. The aluminium products give a hardwearing, maintenance free lifecycle of 30 years or more, making this recyclable material both an ecologically and economically sound choice.

The rainwater system was installed by Yeoman Rainguard’s experienced installer, ensuring the perfect finish. www.rainguard.co.uk

HAURATON SURFACE DRAINAGE AND SERVICE CHANNEL SYSTEMS INSTALLED AT CENTRAL PARK, AVONMOUTH

At 600 acres, Central Park, Avonmouth, Bristol is a warehouse and distribution development, strategically located between the M49 motorway on its Eastern boundary and the A403 to the West. A 40 acre site has been built by Berberry, a privately owned property development and investment company based in the West Midlands. They demanded the contractors achieve the highest environmental standards for the surface water drainage systems installed.

With areas designated for HGV access and hard standing, car parks and areas accessed by smaller commercial vehicles, the road and yard surfaces employed included concrete, asphalt and block paving. This meant various types of surface channelling were required to ensure the drainage needs of the site. Hauraton systems; RECYFIX® HICAP®, FASERFIX® SUPER, RECYFIX® MONOTEC and ENVIROKERB were chosen to meet the drainage requirements. FASERFIX® SERVICE channel was also specified to house cables and coolant pipe-work.

All the channels supplied are made of recycled polypropylene with fixed ductile iron, 14mm open slot inlets finished with KTL, a rust resistant coating. The HICAP system has proved in similar applications to resist the weight (up to 44 tonnes) and twisting forces of HGV wheels. www.drainage-projects.co.uk

WRAPTITE® PROTECTS DIAMOND TOWER APARTMENTS IN CANARY WHARF

An impressive build-to-rent development in the heart of Canary Wharf, London, has highlighted another incredible benefit of the high performing Wraptite® air barrier. The iconic Newfoundland building, also known as “The Diamond Tower”, rises 60-storeys above the Thames and is home to 636 apartments.

Specialist contractor Sharpfibre provided fire stopping to the 636 apartments and common areas, installing Firetherm Intubatt and Intucompound and fire protection to the structural steels using Knauf Fire-Tek 160. During construction, the structural steels were exposed to the elements until the contractor could install the cladding, which could have caused an issue due to declension. Knauf Fire-Tek 160 does not have any hydrophobic additives to prevent the insulation from winddriven rain or moisture, so a solution was required to offer temporary protection from the elements.

The answer was to cover the protected steels with the Wraptite airtightness membrane from the A. Proctor Group. Wraptite is designed as an effective vapour permeable air barrier to maximise the energy efficiency of buildings. The application of the Wraptite membrane provided class W1 protection from the weather/elements to the Fire-Tek and the exposed steel until the diamond shape façade was installed and completed. www.proctorgroup.com

Bradite One Can and a local builders’ merchants have helped a small Suffolk village to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Residents of Thorpe Morieux voted for a giant Union Jack to be painted on the end wall of their village hall.

A design of a flag fluttering in the breeze was worked up by Tony Sheppard, and a team of keen helpers was assembled to take on the task. Then it was off to Kent Blaxill, Bury St Edmunds to seek some paint advice. “Knowing the properties of Bradite One Can … this made it the go-to product for this project,” said the store’s decorative branch manager, Mark Levett.

“After contacting Bradite about the project, they came back with an offer to supply the paints which was very gratefully received by those in Thorpe Morieux.”.

Paint was provided – of course in a colour scheme of red, white and blue – and the community got the job underway, finishing in good time for the festive celebrations. www.bradite.com

ONE CAN HELPS VILLAGE FLY THE JUBILEE FLAG

THE SKY'S THE LIMIT FOR THE RIVERSIDE MUSEUM, GLASGOW, WITH THE HELP OF BILCO UK

Housing the Glasgow Museum of Transport, one of the UK’s foremost transport and technology collections, the Riverside Museum reflects Glasgow’s historic role as a centre of shipbuilding, train manufacturing and engineering. Previously located in a former tram depot on the Glasgow South Side, the Transport Museum’s exhibits have moved to The Riverside Museum, designed by renowned architect, Zaha Hadid.

The museum’s iconic and beautiful design dominates its riverside location, whilst paying homage to the heritage of its surroundings. Crucial to the museum’s flowing design is its roof, which curves and undulates and continues around the east and west sides of the building to constitute the majority of the external structure. Silver-grey zinc panels complete the effect, placing the building firmly in the context of the River Clyde.

As part of the roof construction, Bilco UK was commissioned to manufacture and supply a E-50TB Roof Access Hatch, in addition to two ESW-50REM Smoke Vents, to meet strict requirements for convenient access and building safety regulations. Both the roof access hatch and smoke vents were custom-designed to unique specifications by Bilco UK’s in house team and clad in zinc to create a seamless, aesthetic finish with the museum’s distinctive roof. Expertly engineered to meet the requirements of Manual Handling Regulations, the E-50TB Roof Access Hatch allows for regular and convenient maintenance by facilitating easy onehanded operation.

The Access Hatch will enable engineers with small tools to safely access the roof to conduct essential maintenance, whilst its overlapping cover design, fully welded corners and insulated cover ensure both weather tightness and energy efficiency to deliver the highest standards of longevity for the museum.

Specified to ensure strict adherence with relevant fire safety regulations, the two ESW-50REM Smoke Vents open to 140 degrees in the event of a fire within 60 seconds, guaranteeing the highest standards in fire safety and allowing for the venting of smoke, heat and noxious gases in the event of a fire. Open to Glasgow to the North and the Clyde to the South, the museum’s interior is complex, inviting visitors to snake their way around the various exhibits. www.bilcouk.co.uk066 ATB

©CIC Glasgow Museums Collection

CUT-TO-FALLS MULTIBOARD HELP DRAIN TOP FLOOR BALCONY

An experienced builder and roofing contractor has made use of some 300 standard and tapered Marmox Multiboards to complete a complex refurbishment of a large, top floor balcony on an apartment building in North London. Lightwood Construction carries out work for mainly residential clients right across the capital and has used Marmox Multiboards on many occasions in the past for both interior and exterior applications.

In this instance, long term exposure to the weather and ponding had caused the original waterproofing system to deteriorate, and leaks to occur. Having stripped off all of the rotten felt and boarding, Lightwood Construction’s operatives installed 90 sheets of 20mm thick standard Multiboards, along with 200 of the cut-to-falls variant enabling subtle gradients to be created in draining the balcony to multiple outlets.

Equally suitable for wet room applications, Marmox’s Sloping Boards are made from the same waterproofing products as Multiboard - thermally insulating XPS sandwiched between two layers of Marmox’s patented polymerconcrete. The boards have undergone rigorous tests to ensure they are suitable for external use so can be used on the most exposed balconies, as well as inside a wet room. The board is produced in just one size, 1200 x 1200mm, with the edge thickness tapering from 33mm down to 10mm at the opposite side. They can be combined with layers of 20mm thick Marmox Multiboard to extend the slope indefinitely. www.marmox.co.uk

WRAPTITE® CHOSEN FOR ZERO CARBON HOMES OFFSITE DEVELOPMENT

The Wraptite external air barrier system from A. Proctor Group has been chosen for an exciting low energy homes offsite project for developer Osco Homes. Commissioned by Kirklees Council, the site will demonstrate how high quality, energy-efficient housing can be achieved using offsite construction. The bungalows are designed to be light, spacious, and desirable but must also mitigate fuel poverty and provide a safe and healthy environment where residents can live.

The superior airtightness performance of the Wraptite membrane from the A. Proctor Group is the perfect solution, delivering significant benefits to the combination of infactory manufacture and on-site housing construction.

The Wraptite air barrier system offers a safer and simplified membrane system. It provides a fully self-adhered vapour permeable air barrier certified by the BBA and combines the critical properties of vapour permeability and airtightness in one self-adhering membrane.

The self-adhesive membrane is easily applied in the factory, bonded externally to the substrate, and ensures that the membrane is held firmly in place, even during transportation, maintaining the quality of the system from installation to build and completion. www.proctorgroup.com

STO CREATES PROTECTIVE SHELL FOR OLYMPIA LONDON’S NEW ENERGY CENTRE

A new energy centre in the heart of west London has been given a dramatic and eye-catching appearance thanks to the use of a portfolio of façade products provided by Sto. The company’s StoVentec R rainscreen system, with StoVentec A render carrier boards and bespoke 3-dimensional StoDeco profiles have been used to focus attention on the new Olympia London’s Energy Centre, which forms part of a major urban regeneration project in the capital.

Designed by SPPARC, the Olympia London’s Energy Centre building sits on a central London site. “It’s also an industrial building, and the architectural design needed to reflect both this, and the location, yet still deliver a striking appearance which made a strong statement,” comments Sto account manager, Jo Ebel.

The StoVentec stainless steel and aluminium subconstruction was installed onto the substrate of the new multi-storey building by specialist contractor, Craft Interior Ltd, before some 1400 2 m of StoVentec A render carrier boards were fixed to this sub-construction. StoVentec render carrier boards are ideally suited to rainscreen applications and consisting of 96% recycled glass, provide an environmentally-friendly solution.

Stolit K1.5 acrylic render was then applied to the boards to provide a rugged and resilient exterior finish. To complete the façade design, custom-made StoDeco profiles were fixed to the StoVentec system to create a unique, 3-dimensional shell-motif pattern for the elevation of the new energy centre.

Some sections of the building incorporate ventilation louvres, and the shell-shaped profiles had to extend over these areas to maintain the façade design. Said Jo Ebel, “We couldn’t obstruct the air flow through the louvres by installing the StoVentec boards over them, so we worked closely with the louvre manufacturer to design a series of aluminium plates which replicate the shell shapes.”

Available in both standard and individual designs, StoDeco profiles are manufactured from Verolith – a unique, lightweight and easily workable, natural material which is then machined to create custom shapes or decorative panels. They allow the architect to exercise their creativity by adding individual detailing to a façade. Because they are lightweight, this makes them easy to handle on-site, and they have excellent resistance to damage and the effects of weathering.

A final surface coat of StoColor Maxicryl façade paint was applied to the render finish and StoDeco profiles in a dark StoColor 37100. This acrylate paint combines a high covering power and reliable colour-fastness, ensuring that the building will retain its attractive appearance well into the future. www.sto.co.uk

MARMOX THERMOBLOCKS CUTTING CARBON FOR SOCIAL HOUSING RESIDENTS

Work is well underway on the first phase of an affordable housing project for Somerset West and Taunton Council, where the use of Marmox Thermoblocks was put forward by specialist developer, Equans Regeneration which is leading the work on the site in Taunton. Phase A of North Taunton Woolaway Project will see the construction of 47 new one, two and three bedroom properties with energy saving and the reduction of environmental impact both being given full consideration.

The issue of thermal bridging, in particular, is being addressed through the decision to utilise the highly insulating Thermoblocks around the perimeter of the ground floor slabs. With over 200 homes to be built in the next few years, the total number of Thermoblocks required will run into the thousands. Each length of Thermoblock is comprised of ultra-high performance XPS insulation, encapsulating miniature epoxy concrete columns, while the top and bottom are covered by alkali resistant glass-fibre mesh, retaining a surface of fibre reinforced polymer concrete to facilitate bonding.

The concrete columns have a very low conductivity, so do not present thermal bridges themselves and when coupled with the highly insulating XPS insulation core, a combined thermal conductivity of 0.47W/mK is achieved. Crucially, being able to employ a defined, very low thermal transmittance – derived by thermal modelling or measurement – offers a far more advantageous result than adopting the ‘default’ figure offered in SAP, which can often result in non-compliance under Part L. www.marmox.co.uk

FIREFLY™ APOLLO LITE CREATING HALF HOUR FIRE BARRIERS IN NEW RESEARCH BUILDING

A specialist contractor undertaking all of the fireproofing within a new medical research building in Surrey has been making use of two well proven, flexible fire barrier products from the TBA’s FIREFLY™ range, to provide 30 minutes protection within the majority of the ceiling voids throughout the four-storey structure. CLM Fireproofing has established a reputation as a leader in the fields of both passive fire protection and fire-stopping.

CLM is employing Apollo Lite and the Collaroll product in tandem to protect the ceiling voids. The spaces which typically house pipework, power cables and air conditioning units above the suspended ceiling grid, are provided with 30 minutes integrity and insulation through the installation of the flexible Apollo Lite barrier.

The Apollo Lite 30/30 has been developed for use in vertical separation or compartmentation situations, offering both 30 minutes integrity and insulation, thereby exceeding the minimum requirements of the Building Regulations. It is widely specified to form fire barriers within roof voids in many different property types.The flexible woven material is easy to cut and fix and is chemically treated to improve its cooling properties, and therefore prevent temperatures rising in adjoining areas. The system has been fully tested to BS 476 Parts 6.7, 20 & 22 and is third party certified by IFCC. www.tbafirefly.com

HOWE GREEN ON THE RIGHT TRACK WITH CROSSRAIL CONTRACTOR, DMC CONTRACTS

As Europe’s largest current infrastructure project, spanning over 60 miles via 41 different stations, the Elizabeth line will transform rail transport for London, with annual expected passenger levels reaching 200 million. The landmark project has seen the construction of 42km of new tunnels and the development of 10 new stations, with 31 existing stations also undergoing extensive upgrades.

As part of the formation of the central line, which spans from Westbourne Park to Plumstead and Pudding Mill Lane, official Crossrail contractor and one of the UK’s leading fit-out contractors, DMC Contracts, has installed over 1,500 Howe Green Floor Access Covers throughout seven stations.

This includes Whitechapel, Farringdon, Paddington, Bond Street, West Ealing, Ealing Broadway and Acton Mainline, where over the last five years DMC Contract’s team of engineers have also installed over 30,000 square metres of Terrazzo and Granazzo floor tiles.

Howe Green’s 7500 Series stainless steel Floor Access Covers have been installed throughout the ticket halls, walkways and main concourses of each station to provide engineers with secure and concealed access to underfloor services, whilst the tamper proof construction also prevents unauthorised access. This is due to the cover’s unique design, which features unobtrusive barrel cover lifting points that can only be accessed with specific lifting and securing keys. As only the securing bolt and barrel edge are visible, the covers provide the highest standards of security, without impacting on the overall design scheme or presenting a potential trip hazard.

Manufactured to BS 476: Part 22, the 7500 Series provides resistance to fire and smoke for up to two hours, providing the highest standards in safety, performance and compliance throughout all seven stations.

With each floor access cover withstanding up to five tonne pneumatic tyre wheel loads, the 7500 Series was also supplied in a range of configurations, including singles, multiparts and ducts, to provide unobstructed access to rodding points and winch systems and electrical pits throughout all areas of the stations.

As the lifting blocks are anchored to the inner frame, the floor access covers can be handled easily and safely by contractors, reducing any potential disruption to passenger’s travel as the maintenance can be conducted quickly and safely. www.howegreen.com