Refurb Projects August 2017

REFURB PROJECTS THE JOURNAL OF REPAIR, MAINTENANCE AND RETROFIT AUGUST 2017

Contents 

Vol. 28 No. 185 AUGUST 2017 

2 

18 

34 

13 

24 

Managing Editor 

Tony Prior 

Editor 

Peter Ashmore 

Editorial Assistant 

Sue Watson 

News Editor 

John Grant 

Advertising / Marketing 

Caroline Warby 

Design / Graphics 

James Kennett 

Kay Miall 

Ian Purves 

Co-Publishers 

Tony Prior and Carole Titmuss 

Printed by Manson Group 

Front Cover 

New York City’s newest 

boutique luxury hotel makes a 

bold statement in upper 

midtown Manhattan, thanks in 

no small part to the extensive 

use of Crittall steel windows, 

doors and internal screens and 

partitions. 

Full story page 14 

This journal includes editorial photographs 

provided and paid for by suppliers. 

Refurbishment Projects incorporating 

Refurbishment Products is published by 

Sheen Publishing Ltd 

50 Queens Road, 

Buckhurst Hill, 

Essex, IG9 5DD, UK 

Tel: 020 8504 1661 

Fax: 020 8505 4336 

Web: www.refurbprojects.com 

Email: editor@refurbprojects.com 

Twitter: @RefurbProjects 

Refurbishment Projects is available on 

subscription annual rate UK £25. 

Europe £36 Overseas £40. 

Single Copies £3.50 UK £6 Overseas. 

ISSN 1475-1135 

REFURB PROJECTS CONTENTS 

04 Energy Efficiency 

Improving comfort for hospital visiting families 

06 School Building 

Equipping schools for future needs 

08 Quiet Please 

How the right insulation can prevent noise nuisance 

11 Kew Fit-Out 

Refurb of the National Archives in Kew 

12 Social Housing 

Wireless emergency lighting in social housing 

19 Rooflights 

The future is daylight 

20 Refurb 

Reinvigoration of 1930’s cinema 

21 Project 

Redevelopment of Lincoln University 

28 Architecturally Ambitious 

30 Roofing 

A watertight solution 

31/36 Secure Times 

Supplement on fire, safety and security 

REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS, august 2017 1

PROJECT 

Historic London Church Restoration 

Focus Consultants has been appointed to project manage a plan for a major restoration at one of London’s 

historic churches. 

The Parish Church of St 

Marylebone, home to the 

internationally respected 

Healing and Counselling 

Centre and innovative NHS 

Marylebone Health Centre, has been 

awarded initial support of £700,000 

from The Heritage Lottery Fund 

(HLF) to develop proposals for the 

£8.6m restoration of the church and 

the renewal of community facilities. 

The historical Grade I listed 

London landmark has appointed 

Focus Consultants as project 

directors and project managers. 

The scheme is set to include new 

building work adjoined to the 

current structure to include a 

welcome and reception area, 

additional exhibition space and a 

café for visitors. In addition to this, 

extensive repairs and conservation 

efforts are expected to take place on 

the existing building. 

Focus Consultants partner Ellie 

Clarke said: “St Marylebone Church 

is an important building in London 

and the team at Focus is very 

pleased to have been appointed to 

help with the development in the 

next chapter of its history. 

“We have significant experience 

of working on such projects and are 

looking forward to project managing 

these inspiring proposals.” 

Constructed in 1817, the 

Anglican church located on the 

Marylebone Road is the third 

building used for the parish church 

in the borough’s 900-year-old 

history. The present church was the 

venue for the wedding of Robert 

Browning to Elizabeth Barrett and 

the baptism of Charles Dickens’ son. 

In the 1980s, the Parish took a huge 

leap in converting the unusable 

crypts of the church to create a 

range of complementary facilities 

for community uses. 

The Rector of St Marylebone, The 

Revd Canon Stephen Evans, 

commented: “The regeneration will 

allow the parish to become a 

Community Hub which will tell the 

story of St Marylebone "the great 

city north of Oxford Street". 

The Rector and Parochial Church 

Council will be partnering the 

Church Army’s Marylebone Project in 

providing a Community Café, staffed 

by women who would otherwise be 

homeless, Vital Regeneration, an 

innovative community enterprise 

project based in Church Street, one 

of Westminster’s most deprived 

areas, working with local young 

people who are not in employment 

or education, the Building Crafts 

College in Stratford (which was 

founded in and had its premises in 

Marylebone for nearly 100 years) 

and a host of other individuals and 

agencies. 

The Changing Lives project will 

lead to a more sustainable future for 

the church - creating a vibrant, 

welcoming hub and enabling visitors 

to learn more about the heritage of 

the church and the wider 

Marylebone area. 

The Focus team is currently 

working to develop the bid ready for 

submission to the HLF in Summer 

2018. The project is expected to be 

completed in 2020. 

Focus, which is based in 

Nottingham, has offices in London, 

Leicester and Boston in Lincolnshire. 

This project is being led by the 

London office. The company has, 

since 1994, secured for clients more 

than £953 million of grants for 

projects and businesses across the 

UK and delivered more than £1.3 

billion worth of projects and 

programmes – making it one of the 

most successful businesses of its 

kind in the country. 

It also offers a range of services 

to the property and construction 

industry, including building 

surveying, quantity surveying, 

project management, and 

sustainable development support. 

For more information, visit 

www.focus-consultants.co.uk 

2 AUGUST 2017, REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS

N E W S • N E W S • N E W S • N E W S • N E W S • N E W S • N E W S • N E W S 

1970’s Office Building brought back to life 

Architect Stride Treglown has 

transformed a dated 1970s 

office building in the 

UNESCO World Heritage 

Setting of Bath. 

Originally built in 1972, the sixstorey 

building at 20 Manvers Street 

did not meet the demands of 

modern occupiers, with plant at the 

end of its useful life and dark, dated 

interiors. 

Despite the constraints of its 

setting between two listed buildings, 

Stride Treglown has successfully 

repositioned the building within the 

Bath office market with the scheme 

being fully let to DC Thomson and 

Chase DeVere prior to completion. 

Removed plinth – one metre 

high, ground floor slab to back edge 

of pavement to remove visual barrier 

and improve relationship with street 

scene. Planning gain – 

improvements mitigated additional 

space on roof. 

A new glazed entrance has been 

introduced at pavement level with 

the original plinth being removed to 

vastly improved the building’s street 

presence. A rooftop glass box, 

providing an additional storey, adds 

a further contemporary feel to the 

scheme whilst giving occupiers 

panoramic views over the city. 

A spacious reception area 

designed using a palette of 

high quality materials creates a 

sense of arrival. Communal 

areas are designed with highquality, 

durable finishes and 

the provision of shower, 

changing and locker facilities 

encourages the use of cycling, 

running and walking, as well as 

the possibility of exercising at 

lunchtimes. 

The previous substandard 

office floors have been 

refurbished into highly 

desirable modern workspace. 

The replacement of the existing 

windows with full height, high 

performance glazing has 

created a light, airy open plan 

space. Externally the Bath 

stone of the facades has been 

repaired, repointed and 

cleaned. 

The building layout and 

services have been designed to 

provide maximum flexibility in 

occupation whilst the client’s 

sustainability brief was 

exceeded with the building 

achieving a BREEAM rating of 

‘Very Good’ and EPC A, superior 

to many new buildings. 

Web: www.stridetreglown.com 

In-Ground (Flip Lid) Units 

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P O W E R W H E N Y O U N E E D I T. . . H I D D E N W H E N Y O U D O N ’ T 

REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS, AUGUST 2017 3

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Improving comfort for visiting families 

Tony Prior looks at how the latest air conditioning technology is being used to keep families in 

comfort whilst visiting their children in hospital. 

Iget a lot of case studies across 

my desk each month and 

invariably they are notable and 

worthy but this month I really 

wanted to focus on one because of 

the use of the building itself as well 

as the state-of-the-art technology 

being used. 

Ronald McDonald House 

Charities offers vital support to 

families with a child in hospital, 

providing them with a comfortable 

place to stay that’s just a stone’s 

throw away from the hospital 

building. 

The house at Guy’s and St 

Thomas’ in London was the very first 

facility of this type and since it 

opened in 1990 it has helped 

thousands of families stay close to 

their child during a hospital stay. In 

2015 alone 325 families made use of 

this vital facility and avoided having 

to make long distance journeys from 

home or pay for costly hotel rooms. 

The success of the house has 

expedited the need for the brand 

new 59-bedroom building at Evelina 

London Children’s Hospital - part of 

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS 

Foundation Trust. The new Lambeth 

Road accommodation takes the form 

of a four story residential block and 

will allow families to prepare their 

own meals and get a good night’s 

sleep, providing a home away from 

home and a degree of stability in an 

often distressing and uncertain time. 

The 59-bedroom building for 

Ronald McDonald House Charities is 

utilising a water-based air 

conditioning system to provide 

comfortable accommodation to 

families in their hour of need. 

ENERGY EFFICIENT HEATING AND 

COOLING 

As part of this new build, project 

consultants Jones King identified the 

need for an energy efficient heating 

and cooling system and a regular 

supply of fresh air. VRF (Variable 

Refrigerant Flow) air conditioning 

was initially considered for the 

entire building but it was eventually 

decided that a Hybrid VRF system 

(HVRF) would be the best overall fit 

in the accommodation rooms. 

The ground floor, designed as a 

communal area for resident families, 

is served by a City Multi VRF system 

and Lossnay Mechanical Ventilation 

with Heating Recovery (MVHR) units, 

whilst the first, second and third 

floors, accommodating individual 

residency rooms, benefit from a 

HVRF system. In total, 76 family 

rooms are served by the Hybrid 

solution. 

Mitsubishi Electric’s HVRF system 

provides comfortable and stable air 

temperature control, without using 

refrigerant in occupied spaces. A 

truly integrated solution, this twopipe 

solution offers simultaneous 

heating and cooling, flexible controls 

and high seasonal efficiency. 

The unique Hybrid VRF system 

removes the need for leak detection 

in occupied spaces because it uses 

water to transfer heating and 

cooling between a special Hybrid 

Branch Controller (HBC) 

However, in this case the 

developers have also included leak 

detection between the outdoor unit 

and the HBC, due to the extended 

pipe run connecting the two parts 

of the system. 

On the ground floor, the Lossnay 

mechanical ventilation with heat 

recovery system provides energy 

efficient fresh air ventilation, 

improving air quality and comfort 

for residents. The Lossnay series of 

products use state-of-the-art heat 

exchange technology that enable 

CO2 reduction and energy saving. 

The newly installed Lossnay system 

extracts stale air from the Lambeth 

Road property, recovering heat 

energy through its paper core and 

transferring it into the fresh 

incoming air. 

No modern heating and cooling 

solution is complete without the 

right controls to ensure that the 

system can be monitored and 

adjusted with the minimum of fuss. 

The new charity house 

incorporates a touch screen 

centralised controller, capable of 

controlling up to 50 units and 

providing detailed analysis on energy 

consumption. In addition, individual 

wall mounted room controllers 

enable guest families to alter the 

temperature in their rooms. 

Sugoi Solutions - a Mitsubishi 

Electric accredited installer - carried 

out the installation and director Ben 

May made sure that everything went 

according to plan. He comments, 

“During the final design stage of the 

project it became apparent to Sugoi 

that leak detection would be 

required due to the refrigerant pipe 

work distances. Leak detection was 

an element that hadn’t been 

included within the project budget 

and therefore created a problem for 

all concerned. 

“The selection and installation of 

the Hybrid VRF system removed the 

need for leak detection and kept the 

project within original cost plans.” 

With the new systems in place 

the house is now ready to accept its 

first guests, providing them with a 

warm and peaceful environment 

away from the stresses of the 

hospital ward. 

Web: www.airconditioning. 

mitsubishielectric.co.uk 


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A T h e r m O z o n e P r o d u c t

SCHOOL BUILDING 

Equipping schools for the needs of the future 

By Craig Smailes, Project Director at Kajima Partnership 

Kings Langley School. and below, Goffs School’s main entrance. 

The demand for school places is 

reaching breaking point and is 

threatening to jeopardise 

standards of education: official 

figures suggest that by 2025, an 

extra 750,000 school places will be 

needed to keep pace with an 

expanding population. Policy makers 

are increasingly recognising the need 

for innovative solutions to bridge 

the gap between supply and demand 

and to deliver modern, fit for 

purpose, future-proofed schools. 

The last six years have seen 

significant changes to the ways that 

schools are procured, developed, 

constructed and maintained. 

Launched in 2011 the Conservative 

Government’s Priority School 

Building Programme (PSBP) was 

designed to replace the schools in 

the worst state of repair, providing 

new, modern premises that are 

equipped for the future. Below, 

Craig Smailes, Project Director at 

Kajima discusses the PSBP and 

Kajima’s role in developing seven 

schools part of the programme. 

A new generation of schools is 

needed in order for us to cope with 

the increasing pressure on the 

education system, which is 

hamstrung by the challenge of 

reduced funding and a growing 

demand for places. Appointed by the 

Education Funding Agency (EFA) in 

2015, Kajima and investment partner 

Interserve were awarded the 

contract for the first batch of PSBP 

(PF2) schools located in 

Hertfordshire, Luton and Reading 

and assumed primary responsibility 

for the design, construction and 

facility management of the schools. 

Kajima recently announced the 

completion of these seven secondary 

schools through a £135 million 

construction project, providing over 

8000 pupils with purpose built 

facilities. The schools are 

characterised by innovative and 

modern designs, each of which 

responded to numerous site 

constraints, whilst simultaneously 

meeting strict design, environmental 

and pedagogical standards within a 

challenging project budget. The 

seven schools comprise of the Kings 

Langley School, Bishop’s Hatfield 

Girls’ School in Hatfield, Goffs 

School in Cheshunt, Longdean 

School in Hemel Hempstead, 

Reading Girls’ School, Stopsley High 

School in Luton and Westfield 

Academy in Watford. 

Addressing the individual needs of 

the seven schools was tempered with 

a rationalised approach to design 

around a standardised theme of 

orientation, basic layout and building 

components, resulting in 

predominantly three storey structures 

of simple arrangement. The designs 

optimise whole life costs and 

operational efficiency through passive 

environmental solutions, maximising 

natural daylight and ventilation and 

by utilising the inherent thermal mass 

of the structure for night time 

cooling and purging. These solutions, 

combined with fully integrated 

building management system ensure 

that energy use is accurately 

monitored and consumption of course 

is kept to a minimum. 

A degree of flexibility has been 

integrated into the design to 

facilitate changes in room use, 

teaching methods and to 

accommodate future expansion with 

minimal disruption and intervention. 

Bespoke elements were introduced 

wherever possible into the building 

fabric to recognise the importance 

of each school’s unique identity and 

culture reinforcing its place in the 

community. Elements of the school 

were designed to encourage out of 

core hour’s use by third parties 

thereby offering much needed 

additional income generation. 

The Priority School Building 

Programme has been central to 

creating schools which are modern, 

efficient and future proofed whilst 

not sacrificing quality design. The 

programme has empowered schools 

to respond positively to the unique 

challenges they face, through new 

buildings that inspire learning and 

improve educational outcomes. 

Web: www.kajima.co.uk 


Paul Winch Furness. Source D&D London 

Traditional style outside. 

Exceptional performance inside. 

When converting a Listed C19th gym into a restaurant for the King’s Cross 

Central Limited Partnership, architect Allies and Morrison found that the 

Janisol Arte steel renovation window from Schueco Jansen delivered the 

perfect combination of appearance and performance. With narrow face-widths 

of just 25 mm or 40 mm, a wide range of opening types, multi-point locking 

and U w 

values from 0.8 W/m 2 K, Janisol Arte is also soon to be available in 

stainless steel and Corten steel. www.schueco.co.uk

INSULATION 

Quiet Please 

Noise nuisance has become one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time. Here, Anthony Barnett, 

Technical Marketing Manager at Armacell, looks at how development of specialist foams and a better 

understanding of where noise is generated is helping address the issue. 

ArmaComfort AB and ArmaComfort 

AB Alu is a new range of acoustic 

foams designed specifically by 

Armacell for noise control in 

plumbing applications. 

Much work has been 

carried out in the area 

of building acoustics 

over the last few years 

aimed at mitigating sound 

transmittance. One of the reasons 

for this is that noise at work, in 

public buildings or in the home, has 

become one of the greatest 

environmental issues of our time. 

A considerable amount of focus 

has always been put into ensuring 

that excessive noise from external 

sources such as roads, railways and 

aeroplanes does not transmit into 

the building. 

However, what is often 

overlooked is the fact that most 

noise is generated from inside the 

building, from sources such as 

plumbing, rainwater, walking on 

hard floors and transmittance of 

peoples’ voices. It is not uncommon 

for measures such as triple glazed 

windows to be specified to reduce 

external noise and then overlook 

these internal sources of noise 

disturbance. 

INTERNAL NOISE DISTURBANCE 

Plumbing and WC systems are a 

common source of noise 

disturbance, which can be more 

noticeable at night when they are 

replenishing. We can all testify to 

the disruptive nature of these in the 

middle of the night. This noise is 

transmitted through pipework and is 

amplified by boarding. Rushing 

water, loose fittings, or rainwater 

cascading through gutters and 

downpipes can also cause 

disturbance for building occupants. 

All buildings have the potential 

to generate unwanted noise, 

although it is a particular concern in 

multi occupancy buildings such as 

apartments as well as hospitals, care 

homes, hotels and schools. In these 

situations, because of the number of 

people, it can quickly cause a 

problem for occupants. In the 

majority of these cases, specifying 

acoustic insulation foams, which are 

relatively inexpensive and easy to 

install, can remedy the problem. 

The insulation industry has 

responded by developing flexible 

technical insulation materials that 

are designed specifically for 

attenuating noise in these situations. 

Construction of these acoustic 

foams consists of a 2mm thick foil 

faced acoustic EPDM-EVA barrier 

with 4kg/m2 weight and a 10mm 

polyurethane foam layer for 

decoupling, which makes it more 

effective compared to traditional 

products. In comparison to 

traditional acoustic insulation 

products, tests show that flexible 

insulation foams achieve a much 

greater reduction in sound level, and 

with a thinner wall thickness. 

For example, independent tests 

by CSTB (Centre Scientifique et 

Technique du Bâtiment) confirmed 

that these acoustic foams are able 

to reduce airborne sound pressure 

level of a Geberit roof drainage 

system by 16 dB (A) at 2 l/s water 

flow. Similar tests on a PVC pipe, 

where the vibrations caused by 

flowing water are stronger because 

of the lighter weight PVC, achieved 

a noise reduction of 12 dB (A). The 

human ear perceives a reduction of 

10 dB (A) as halving the volume. By 

choosing the correct flexible 

acoustic foam it is possible to 

achieve a weighted sound reduction 

index (Rw) up to 28 dB when pipe 

and elbows are insulated. 

Acoustic foam materials such as 

this have very good acoustic 

damping and acoustic isolation 

properties across the frequency 

range relevant for building acoustics 

– irrespective of whether it is 

installed on cast iron or PVC pipes. 

They also display very good fire 

behaviour, achieving the best fire 

class for organic products in the 

European SBI test. Contractors will 

find that the thinner thicknesses 

required to achieve the required 

decibel reduction is an advantage 

because it makes installation in tight 

spaces much easier. 

The consequences of not taking 

adequate steps to reduce noise 

generated from plumbing and 

rainwater systems usually only 

becomes apparent when the 

building is occupied, at which stage 

it is much more costly to remedy. It 

is therefore essential that noise 

abatement measures from external 

and internal sources are considered 

as early as possible in the design 

process. 

CONCLUSION 

Increased awareness of the need to 

address noise pollution in buildings 

has resulted in the development of a 

number of solutions by the 

insulation industry. Where effective 

sound insulation is specified it 

increases both the comfort for 

residents as well as the appeal and 

therefore the asset value for the 

building owner. Specifiers and 

installers that choose flexible 

insulation foams specifically 

designed for acoustic applications 

can demonstrate to their client that 

they have considered the needs of 

all parties involved.” 

The new ArmaComfort AB Alu 

acoustic insulation material are 

presented on YouTube and at 

www.armacell.co.uk 


Spacetherm ® Wallboard mitigates 

Thermal Bridging for Grade II building 

Spacetherm Wallboard has 

been supplied by the A. 

Proctor Group to mitigate 

thermal bridging for the 

historic Electricity House building in 

Bristol, recently converted by Crest 

Nicolson into a series of luxury flats 

ranging from £230,000 to £530,000. 

The renowned architect, Sir Giles 

Gilbert Scott, the creator of the 

iconic Battersea Power Station, 

designed the original Grade II listed 

building. 

Used in this instance as a 

Window Reveal Board, Spacetherm 

Wallboard was developed to prevent 

thermal bridging through a 

component or element of a 

structure. 

Spacetherm Wallboard is a high 

performance laminate, which 

consists of Spacetherm Aerogel 

insulation blanket bonded to 

plasterboard, and is ideal for use in 

applications where low U-values are 

required, and space is at a premium. 

Planning requirements stipulated 

that the original window opening 

aperture sizes had to be maintained, 

and to alleviate thermal bridging on 

the existing window reveals, a thin 

insulation solution was crucial. 

Spacetherm offers superior 

thermal performance, which enabled 

the contractor to insulate the 

existing window reveals with just 

17.5mm overall thickness, whilst still 

providing a high performing thermal 

conductivity of only 0.015 W/mK. 

Engineered for unsurpassed 

thermal performance in spacecritical 

applications, Spacetherm 

offers exceptional thermal 

conductivity, plus breathability allied 

to hydrophobic characteristics. 

Spacetherm Blanket is an ideal 

choice for timber or steel frame 

structures and on request can be cut 

to a variety of widths and sizes to 

suit different applications. 

In addition, it can also be 

bonded to a wide range of boards 

and substrates. 

Its flexibility and ease of use, 

combined with exceptional thermal 

performance qualities, which can be 

retained for up to 50 years, make it 

a preferred choice for many 

architects and specifiers. 

For more information and technical details contact our website: 

www.proctorgroup.com 

The Proctor Group, The Haugh, Blairgowrie, Perthshire PH10 7ER 

Tel: 01250 872261 Fax: 01250 872727 Email: contact@proctorgroup.com 


COMMENT 

A Self-Builders guide to 

Sustainable Property Construction 

If the government is to reduce the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions - as outlined in the Climate Change Act - by 

at least 80% of 1990 levels by 2050, it’s not only largescale developers that need to remain committed to 

progressing energy-smart construction processes - smaller, independent builders can play their part, too, writes 

Ben Warren, Managing Director at global building materials manufacturer, Baumit UK. 

Athird of the UK’s carbon 

emissions originate from 

heating draughty buildings, 

a fact worth retaining when 

designing a property with energy 

efficiency as its key factor. Before 

any plans are drawn-up, however, 

and in lieu of materials being 

specified, the first thing a selfbuilder 

requires in order to construct 

a sustainable home is the right 

mind-set. They have to begin the 

project intent on creating a property 

that will be theirs to reside in for 

the rest of their lives. This attitude 

of domestic permanence is more 

prevalent in Europe than the UK. In 

Austria, where Baumit has its HQ, 

the sustainable mentality is 

ingrained in the culture – from the 

food they eat, to the properties they 

build. Many Austrian restaurants will 

not source food outside a 15-mile 

radius, whilst builders on average 

construct houses to a 0.2 W/m² U- 

value, a higher tightness level than 

the country’s 0.4 W/m² U-value 

regulation for new homes. Their 

housebuilders’ general view seems to 

be: ‘I’ll build my property with the 

right materials and employ the 

correct methods in order to 

minimise energy consumption’. By 

going beyond the call of duty to 

construct homes which excel in 

terms of thermal performance, 

building regulations regarding 

energy-efficiency have little 

relevance to the Austrian selfbuilder 

- they view sustainability as 

a matter of course. 

FEAT OF CLAY 

Having discussed the mentality - 

which materials make for a 

successful sustainable build? A 

timber-frame shell offers an 

established, quick and reasonably 

energy-efficient solution, but if we 

are to pursue the Austrian model 

and construct homes which exceed 

thermal regulations, alternative 

technology is worth considering. 

Porotherm, a clay block walling 

system, is a popular infrastructure 

choice in homes across Europe. It’s 

lightweight in construction and 

extremely thermally efficient. 

Porotherm only requires one course 

of bricks, rather than the two used 

in cavity wall construction – the 

favoured building method in about 

90% of largescale building 

developments in the UK. 

A combination of high-spec 

external wall insulation and 

Porothem can produce a spectacular 

thermal envelope. At a development 

in Norwich, Baumit’s OpenSystem - 

a thermally-superior EWI solution 

which uses unique open-air 

technology to allow walls to breathe 

- was used in conjunction with 

Porotherm to achieve Passive House 

performance: 0.15 W/m², in all 14 

homes. Thermal efficiency doesn’t 

guarantee a home’s comfort and 

wellbeing, however. Applying a 

standard Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) 

system to clay block walling may 

well result in good levels of 

airtightness, but it would be akin to 

wrapping a house in plastic: walls 

wouldn’t breathe and moisture 

would build-up as a result. The same 

moisture retention would occur with 

an acrylic top coat applied to an EPS 

system. To prevent such occurrences, 

the construction of the wall from 

the inside-out needs to be 

considered. OpenSystem’s 

perforations and the application of a 

breathable topcoat such as Nanapor, 

a mineralic and highly vapourpermeable 

technology found in 

Baumit paints and renders, offers 

free movement of water vapour 

through the wall and exits through 

the whole system. 

Lime-based products when 

applied to walls enhance a building’s 

interior sustainability. Lime is a very 

adaptable product, offering more 

flexibility in material, enabling it to 

accommodate structural movement. 

It also acts as a moisture buffer. 

When working in conjunction with a 

clay block walling system, it absorbs 

and releases moisture in a regulatory 

fashion. 

SENSE OF WELLBEING 

‘Multi-comfort’ is a phrase currently 

applied to sustainable building 

which suggests sensory aspects such 

as sound, touch, light and colour are 

all important factors in increasing 

levels of wellbeing as well as 

thermal efficiency inside homes. In 

terms of paint, colour as well as 

consistency is important. As with oil 

paints, acrylic coverings can contain 

VOCs which emit a noxious vapour 

and strong odour that can lead to 

headaches and nausea for a 

building’s occupants. Baumit 

produces a number of mineral-based 

paint products that are kinder to the 

environment and the senses of those 

living within the walls to which it is 

applied. 

Embarking on a sustainable build 

requires a massive investment, and 

not just in monetary terms. Every 

detail, however small, should be 

pored over as if it were the most 

important: time should not be 

spared on any aspect of the project. 

Among the more lateral questions to 

consider at a building’s design stage 

might be: where does the sun rise 

and set? This will determine the 

amount of thermal gain through 

glass and help regulate comfort 

levels in a conservatory, for example, 

which can be unbearably hot in 

summer if the style or size of panes 

is left to chance. It’s a reminder that 

a home’s year-round interior 

comfort not only depends on its 

resistance to cold in winter; its 

ability to deflect heat in summer is 

just as important, particularly with 

climate change’s warming effect so 

reflective in current, global 

temperatures. 

Finally, once plans are drawn-up 

and approved and a programme of 

building works has been agreed, 

there’s only one thing a sustainable 

self-builder has in mind - get on 

with the job and get it done. Having 

highlighted the thermal benefits of 

Baumit’s OpenSystem when 

combined with a Porotherm clay 

block walling, aside from the 

comfort and wellbeing it creates, it’s 

also a rapid-build alternative to 

cavity wall construction methods. 

With only one course of bricks 

required and the EWI in place, work 

can begin on a building’s interior, 

which ultimately leads to reduced 

on-site working times and energy 

consumption. It’s a process that 

guarantees a project’s sustainability 

from beginning to end. 

Web: www.baumit.com 


Overbury completes Kew refurbishment 

PROJECTS 

National fit out and refurbishment specialist Overbury has completed a £780,000 refurbishment at The 

National Archives in Kew, London to create a vibrant and versatile new public space. The 4,700 sq ft project by 

Overbury represents the biggest change in the 40-year-old building in a decade. 

The refurbishment project, 

which started in January, is 

one of the ways that The 

National Archives is redefining 

its public areas and breathing new 

life into the space. The National 

Archives is a non-ministerial 

government department, and is the 

official archive of the UK 

government. With over 180 

kilometres of shelving, it is also 

home to some of the nation’s most 

iconic documents dating back more 

than 1,000 years, including the 

Domesday Book, Shakespeare’s will 

and tweets from Downing Street. 

The refurbishment saw the 

upgrade of the building’s 

mechanical, electrical and data 

infrastructure, as well as the 

creation of a double-height 

auditorium and new modern, open 

plan areas for reading and research. 

Transforming any public space in 

an occupied building with historic 

gravitas is a big task, says Bob 

Banister, managing director at 

Overbury: “We’re used to working in 

sensitive environments, and 

throughout the years we’ve worked 

within many listed buildings, 

however this project posed an 

entirely unique challenge. Managing 

the potential risk of water, fire or 

dust damage and maintaining the 

integrity of the documents in the 

building were principle concerns, as 

was keeping the archives open to the 

public with as little fuss as possible.” 

▲ The double-height auditorium which is available for provate hire. 

The entrance to the renovated Natonal Archives. ▼ 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROJECT 

INCLUDED: 

• 2.5 tonnes of data cable was 

safely removed and disposed of, 

supporting the buildings upgrade to 

fibre optic data connectivity 

• It took 246 hours to remove 8 

tonnes of concrete, which was cut 

with a hydraulic, high-pressure 

diamond saw 

• Building a 250 seat doubleheight 

auditorium that The National 

Archives will be able rent for private 

lectures and workshops, opening up 

a new revenue source 

• Exposing 2,066 sq ft of the 

original coffered concrete ceiling to 

highlight its architectural merit 

• All construction materials used 

throughout the project had to be 

non-organic to deter moths 

• 95% (7 tonnes) of all 

construction waste was recycled. 

Another consideration was 

making sure that the experience of 

visitors was not hampered by the 

refurbishment – a total of 2,700 

hours were worked after closing 

time to ensure minimal disturbance 

to visitors and staff. In addition, the 

project team made sure that the 

reading rooms could be used 

throughout which meant changing 

the access routes regularly, and in 

some weeks daily. Noise, dust and 

logistics were all carefully managed 

to ensure that the project wasn’t an 

inconvenience. 

Bob continues: “Accommodating 

researchers, students and employees 

of The National Archives was a 

cornerstone of the project. We 

needed to remain as flexible as 

possible and make sure that the 

public still had a great experience 

when visiting the archives. The 

overall success of the project is a 

real credit to the entire consultant 

and subcontractor team and we 

hope that The National Archives and 

community will enjoy the space for 

many years to come.” 

Lee Oliver, head of venue 

management for the National 

Archives, adds: “This major new 

space is exciting as it will change 

the way visitors engage with The 

National Archives’ collections on 

site. It allows us to expand our 

public programme and increase the 

range, capacity and frequency of 

public talks, events and other 

activities. This will in turn allow us 

to serve a wider audience including 

more families, students and teachers, 

community and arts groups as well 

as national and international 

researchers.” 

Web: www.overbury.com 


SOCIAL HOUSING 

Wireless emergency lighting in social housing 

When refurbishing social housing developments, one of the highest priorities for building owners and specifiers 

alike is the safety of residents. So, when Peabody, one of the largest housing associations in the UK, had the 

opportunity to overhaul emergency lighting across its estate of over 17,000 blocks, it turned to Harvard 

Technology to provide an innovative lighting solution. 

With over 80,000 

residents occupying its 

extensive estate, the 

necessity for effective 

and efficient emergency lighting 

was fundamental to Peabody’s plans 

to revamp its housing blocks. Not 

only does the housing provider wish 

to protect occupants, they also have 

to obey increasing stringent 

emergency regulations, which 

include the requirement for monthly 

and yearly functional and duration 

tests compulsory under test 

standards. Non-compliance with 

such standards would result in 

potentially hefty fines and 

repercussions for the housing 

provider. 

The long-awaited revision to the 

Emergency Lighting Code of Practice 

BS5266:1 2016, issued in May 2016, 

has only compounded the necessity 

The EyeNut wireless lighting control system. 

for sufficient emergency lighting in 

social housing blocks and Peabody 

were keen to address the issue. 

Although the regulations have 

been widely accepted as a step in 

the right direction for emergency 

lighting, especially in large, densely 

populated housing blocks, they have 

also brought a new unique set of 

challenges for both social housing 

providers and specifiers. Keen to 

address the issue at hand and 

improve emergency lighting 

significantly, Peabody sought a 

solution that would ensure 

functional emergency lighting at all 

times, whilst also keeping 

maintenance and operational costs 

to a minimum. 

The company understood the 

importance of installing an LED 

lighting solution that offered 

greater efficiency, lower running 

costs, and perhaps 

most importantly, 

improved 

illumination when 

compared to the 

traditional 

incandescent 

lighting installed 

previously. Equally 

essential was having 

a scalable and 

controllable lighting 

portfolio across all 

its buildings in the 

future. With 

ambitions to employ 

enhanced control 

strategies across its 

estate including 

occupancy detection, 

daylight harvesting, 

scene setting and time scheduling, 

Peabody also needed a system 

capable of delivering advanced 

control options. 

SMART EMERGENCY LIGHTING 

Harvard Technology, and fixture 

designer and manufacturer Fern 

Howard, worked closely with 

Peabody and the refurbishment 

team to review the social housing 

blocks’ requirements and ensure the 

best technology fit for the facilities. 

The specified solution was an 

integrated LED lighting system with 

a wireless-enabled emergency 

bulkhead fixture, which could link 

with the innovative wireless lighting 

control system EyeNut. 

The system, initially installed in 

two housing blocks in phase one of 

the project, comprised 80 emergency 

bulkhead LED fixtures, with 70% of 

these fixtures including an 

innovative emergency feature, 

enabled through the EyeNut 

Combined Emergency driver. The 

entire lighting portfolio is controlled 

through EyeNut, an intuitive cloudbased, 

remote access, wireless 

control system for indoor and 

outdoor lighting. 

Needing to meet emergency 

lighting test standards, which 

necessitate both monthly and yearly 

tests for the full rated duration of 

the emergency lights, the retrofit 

high-performance driver provided 

the perfect solution. An automatic 

test feature incorporated within the 

driver ensures all tests can be 

completed remotely, eliminating the 

requirement for monthly site visits. 

Results of the automatically 

scheduled functional and duration 

testing are exported for audit 

tracking through the EyeNut Graphic 

User Interface (GUI). For Peabody, 

this not only ensured complete 

compliance with emergency lighting 

regulations, but also saved them 

substantial time and money on 

maintenance. 

Connecting thousands of fixtures 

across a complex housing estate 

using a wired lighting control 

solution would prove almost 

impossible for Peabody, but wireless 

lighting control solutions have 

changed that completely. Unlike 

wired systems, the cloud-based 

EyeNut system is infinitely scalable 

and there are no limits to the 

number of locations, the number of 

gateways, or even the number of 

devices, which can be managed 

through the central hub. 

Using EyeNut, up to 500 EyeNutenabled 

devices can be controlled 

from a single gateway, via a robust, 

secure, ZigBee wireless mesh 

network. Facilities Managers can 

even manage both indoor and 

outdoor lighting fixtures, in car 

parks for instance, using the same 

system. 

For Peabody, this provided untold 

advantages. Through the intuitive 

EyeNut system, the leading housing 

provider can monitor and manage 

their entire lighting portfolio with 

multi-site control from a single hub. 

Accurate real-time energy data, 

including kilowatt/hours’ usage and 

energy hot spots, is easily accessible 

through the system’s GUI allowing 

Peabody to implement energy 

efficiency strategies and make 

further savings. Crucially, from an 

emergency lighting standpoint, 

maintenance has also been 

dramatically improved across the 

Peabody estate as any lamp failures 

are reported immediately, enabling 

necessary repairs to be made. 

By installing an LED lighting solution 

and wireless lighting controls, 

Peabody achieved a marked 

reduction in energy consumption 

across its two blocks, with energy 

savings equating to 44%. Through 

enhanced dimming and sensor 

control throughout its estate, the 

leading housing association is 

aiming to reach 50% energy savings. 

For more information visit: 

www.harvardtechnology.com 


Energy Academy provides a low-tech 

lesson for the future 

PROJECT 

It’s a given that fossil fuels are a finite resource and it’s only a matter of time before they run out. The problem 

is buildings use a lot of energy, so planning for the future has never been more important. Faced with this 

challenge, the team behind the design of an award-winning building in the Netherlands decided to create a 

building which demonstrates innovative design, materials and technologies that will serve as an example at a 

time when fossil fuels and other polluting, high consumption solutions are a thing of the past. 

Bringing together science, 

teaching and business 

interests under one roof, the 

Energy Academy Europe has 

set itself on a path towards a CO2- 

neutral university and one that 

produce more energy than it 

consumes. This exemplary and 

inspiring project is without equal 

among education-related buildings 

in the Netherlands. 

AN AMBITIOUS GREEN STRATEGY 

BREEAM award-winning and the 

most sustainable education-related 

building in the Netherlands, the 

Energy Academy Europe has been 

built on the Zernike Campus 

Groningen and provides a meeting 

place for students, entrepreneurs 

and researchers who work daily on 

innovative and sustainable ideas. 

Based on the BREEAM guiding 

principles, the unique design 

demonstrates how a building can 

make optimal use of the natural 

elements earth, water, air and 

sunlight as primary sources of 

energy. 

Comprising two sections, the 

15,000m2 building has research 

areas with laboratories and related 

offices have been built on the north 

side, while the south side houses 

workspaces, teaching rooms and a 

winter garden which serves as an 

important buffer zone, where air can 

be acclimatised. 

The design team worked along 

with these challenging energy 

performance standards: 

• Zero emissions (after 40 years, 

incl construction) 

• BREEAM-NL Outstanding 

• EPC = 0 or less 

• 51 kWh/m2 per year (which is 

extremely low for an educationrelated 

building) 

Earthquake safe (added later on 

during the design Phase) 

By taking a low-tech approach 

to energy, the design of the compact 

building makes optimum use of 

readily available natural resources, 

such as earth, water, air and 

sunlight. Energy is generated using 

solar panels, a ‘solar chimney’ helps 

with natural ventilation, the winter 

garden creates a pleasant indoor 

climate and geothermal energy is 

used to heat and cool the air. 

Finally, rainwater is collected for 

flushing the toilets and watering the 

plants. If natural resources 

temporarily prove insufficient, backup 

installations have been fitted for 

heating, ventilation and lighting 

systems. 

ROOFTOP ENERGY 

In order to achieve these highly 

ambitious sustainability objectives, 

the building has an unusual design 

with a sloping roof facing south for 

optimum solar performance. The 

roof is fitted with around 1,600 

solar panels, arranged in 133 

triangles so that natural daylight 

can penetrate deeply into the 

building, reducing the need for 

artificial light. 

The solar chimney is a striking 

solution for providing natural 

ventilation at the right temperature. 

The solar chimney on top of the 

building is a warm spot that 

stimulates the air flow. Air enters 

the building underground and flows 

slowly through a long system of 

ducts (i.e. the 200-meter-longlabyrinth) 

under the building, where 

it is heated in winter or cooled in 

summer with geothermal energy to 

ensure the right air temperature. 

This natural ventilation saves 

approximately 20% in energy. On 

warm summer nights there is 

additional cooling though a natural 

process that requires no energy. Cool 

night air flows through the interior 

winter garden via the atrium and 

through the entire building so that 

the next day occupants can start 

their day in a cool working 

environment. 

The building also makes a 

sustainable contribution to its 

immediate ecological surroundings. 

A ‘fauna tower’ and fauna-friendly 

green spaces have been designed to 

attract bats and swifts, as well as 

insects, such as bees and butterflies. 

Adjacent verges of wild flowers also 

attract insects, which then serve as 

food for the birds and bats. 

To ensure a pleasant climate the 

CO2 levels in every space are 

constantly monitored. If they are too 

high, the mechanical ventilation will 

function as back-up supplying more 

fresh air into a space so that 

occupants always work in a pleasant 

climate. 

BELOW GROUND 

The heating and cooling comes 

mainly from the ground. Two water 

reservoirs are located at a depth of 

100 metres – one for heating and 

one for cooling. In summer the cold 

water is pumped up and absorbs 

heat in the building. This now 

warmed water is then is pumped 

back into the second reservoir. 

In winter, this process is reversed. 

The water is further heated by a 

heat pump which efficiently turns 

electricity into heat which is 

distributed throughout the building 

for underfloor heating (60% of the 

heating), to heat the airflow through 

climate ceilings and to heat tap 

water. When needed, cool water can 

be used from the nearby pond. 

Rainwater that flows down the 

sloping roof is filtered and stored in 

the reservoir. This water is used to 

water the plants in the winter 

garden and to flush the toilets. 

Fostering innovation in the field 

of energy, the Energy Academy 

Europe (EAE) brings together 

institutes including the owner, The 

University of Groningen, Hanze 

University of Applied Sciences, 

Energy Academy Europe, Energy 

Valley and Energy Delta Institute 

who will work together towards the 

transition to a sustainable energy 

future. 

Commenting on the benefits of 

BREEAM Pieter van Hoesel, Project 

Manager, University of Groningen 

said: “The BREEAM guidelines help 

us to make highly sustainable 

buildings, like the Energy Academy 

Europe, in an objective and 

structural way. The institutes within 

the Energy Academy Europe focus 

their efforts on the transition to a 

reliable, sustainable and affordable 

energy future. 

“Housing in a BREAAM certified 

building supports this important 

aim. We want to develop more 

highly sustainable buildings in the 

future. BREEAM certification helps 

to fulfil this policy.” 

For more information on BREEAM 

visit: www.breeam.com 


PROJECT 

New York’s Whitby Hotel 

New York City’s newest boutique luxury hotel makes a bold statement in upper midtown Manhattan, thanks 

in no small part to the extensive use of Crittall steel windows, doors and internal screens and partitions. 

The Whitby is the second in New York opened by Firmdale Hotels 

whose owners, Tim and Kit Kemp, have already made a big 

impression back across the pond with several stylish and 

luxurious properties in central London including Ham Yard and 

Soho that also exemplify the use of fenestration by Crittall. 

Opened in late February, The Whitby is described as a celebration of 

contemporary art and design boasting a stylish restaurant, bar and 

conservatory as well as a colourful library, several private event spaces 

and a state-of-the-art cinema. Each of the 86 bedrooms has been 

individually styled with Kit Kemp’s world-renowned mix of colour, 

pattern, texture, and art. 

Located on West 56th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, The 

Whitby is just two blocks from Central Park. It is surrounded by worldclass 

department stores, luxury designer boutiques and is a short walk 

to Broadway. 

Its location informed the specific choice of glazing. At Firmdale’s 

other NYC hotel, on Crosby Street, W20 steel windows were used. The 

Whitby’s position called for even higher acoustic attenuation and so 

Crittall MW40 fenestration was selected. These windows can accept up 

to 30mm thick glazing providing excellent acoustic as well as thermal 

performance. 

Nevertheless, the sight lines are virtually the same as with the 

Corporate W20, that is to say the slender frames provide for maximum 

daylight while ensuring strength and security. All The Whitby’s guest 

rooms have floor to ceiling windows as a principal feature. The ground 

floor meanwhile (the first floor in American parlance) also features 

interior screens and lobby doors by Crittall employing a single-glazed 

W20 profile. These are especially versatile for use in association with 

door hardware, closers, card entry equipment and so forth, dependent 

on their use. Facing the streetscape at ground level are Corporate 20 

windows; large full pane windows that are even more robust than 

MW40s and which accept up to 28mm glazing. 

The Whitby has been designed by New York architectural practice 

Stonehill &Taylor, which also designed the Crosby Street Hotel. The 

Whitby presents an elegant limestone façade rising 18 storeys and 

featuring several balconies and terraces that create a distinctive shape, 

stepping back as the building rises from street level. 

The building harmonises with the architecture of the immediate 

neighbourhood, particularly Fifth Avenue. Says Paul Taylor, lead 

architect on the project, and president at Stonehill & Taylor: 

“The Crittall steel windows are imbued with old world 

craftsmanship and have the narrow sightlines that architects wish for.” 

Contractors for the project were Flintlock Construction Services 

LLC. 

Web: www.crittall-windows.co.uk 


COMMENT 

The Green Eyed Monster 

by Paul Trace of Lumen Rooflights 

Open any trade magazine or visit supplier websites and you will find numerous articles and products offering exceptional ‘green’ credentials. Nowhere is this 

more prevalent than in the glass and glazing industry as each manufacturer attempts to outperform the next by offering astounding figures for thermal 

performance. What is surprising however, is the regular use of terms such as ‘environmentally friendly’ or ‘green’ simply because a product offers a low u- 

value. As more buildings are constructed to Passivhaus standards there appears to be a blurring of the lines between what is good for the environment and 

what is thermally efficient. Whilst there is no doubt that increased thermal efficiency contributes to a reduction in burning of fossil fuels; this alone should not be 

the deciding factor in whether a product is actually environmentally friendly. The majority of flat rooflights on the market today are manufactured from either PVC 

or aluminium and both of these require an exceptional amount of energy to produce and extract a lot of resources from the planet without putting anything back. 

While most companies will adopt 

some sort of environmental policy, 

telling customers that their products 

use a percentage of recycled 

material, this is more likely to be 

about cost rather than any real 

environmental intentions. After all 

recyclables are recycled because it is 

the cheapest available option and it 

makes more financial sense to do so 

rather than to send them to a 

landfill – with Landfill tax currently 

over £84 per tonne, plus the gate 

fee on top. 

It stands to reason that 

consuming vast amounts of natural 

resources to produce the raw 

materials of a product negates the 

environmental benefits further down 

the chain, regardless of what the 

product becomes. This has often 

been overlooked in the rooflight 

industry because of the low 

maintenance and long life that 

aluminium and PVC can offer the 

end user. For decades these two 

materials have been unrivalled and 

it was widely accepted that flat 

rooflights should be manufactured 

from one of these materials; until 

now. 

There is now a real alternative in 

the flat rooflight market that not 

only offers exceptional thermal 

performance, but is also a genuine 

environmentally friendly product in 

every sense. The Lumen Planus is 

manufactured in the UK using 

Accoya® wood which is a material 

that has been thoroughly tested for 

dimensional stability, durability, 

paint retention and in-ground 

conditions to ensure optimal 

performance. It offers a new 

standard in high performance, 

sustainable and low maintenance 

applications. 

In addition to the outstanding 

performance, Accoya® wood is one 

of the very few building products to 

have acquired Cradle to CradleSM 

Certification on the elusive Gold 

level. Cradle to Cradle (C2C) provides 

a means to tangibly and credibly 

measure achievement in 

environmentally-intelligent design 

including the use of environmentally 

safe and healthy materials and 

instituting strategies for social 

responsibility. 

A carbon footprint assessment 

was executed for Accoya® wood by 

Verco in line with the World 

Business Council for Sustainable 

Development and World Resources 

Institute’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting 

Protocol best practice guidelines, 

based on a cradle to factory gate 

scenario. This includes sourcing, 

harvesting and processing of the 

input timber, as well as all energy 

and raw material consumption and 

waste production. The results are 

shown in the graph below. 

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS (KG C02 EQ PER M3 OF MATERIAL) 

Today there are some exceptional 

flat rooflight products available for 

specifiers to choose from. It is a fact 

that both aluminium and PVC are 

very good at providing superb 

thermal performance and that 

modern technology has reduced the 

end of life environmental impact. 

That said, if your project requires a 

truly environmentally friendly 

product then Accoya® provides 

compelling environmental 

advantages in every stage of the life 

cycle. 

For more information on the right 

products for your project 

information contact Lumen 

Rooflight on 0330 300 1090, 

email info@lumenrooflight.co.uk 

or visit www.lumenrooflight.com 


CONSERVATION 

Historic buildings could qualify for redevelopment grants 

Funding experts at Focus Consultants are urging the owners of historic buildings to consider following in the 

footsteps of Bridgford Hall which has become the first completed project in the East Midlands to benefit from 

a Heritage Enterprise Grant. 

Focus supported Rushcliffe 

Borough Council in its 

successful bid for a £1.5 

million Heritage Enterprise 

Grant from the Heritage Lottery 

Fund (HLF) to redevelop the hall in 

West Bridgford near Nottingham. 

The Grade II listed building has 

recently reopened as a luxury 

aparthotel and civil wedding 

ceremony venue, following a £2.3 

million redevelopment – making it 

the first Heritage Enterprise project 

to be completed in the East 

Midlands. 

“The Bridgford Hall project is 

paving the way in the East Midlands 

by illustrating how Heritage 

Enterprise Grants are helping to 

breathe new life into old buildings,” 

said Focus partner Heather 

Frecklington. “The team at Focus has 

been involved in the project at 

Bridgford Hall from the early days 

and it’s always a proud moment 

when a scheme is successfully 

completed. 

“This renovation aptly illustrates 

how a Heritage Enterprise grant can 

open a new chapter in the life of a 

building. We’re very proud to have 

helped to secure the Heritage 

Enterprise grant for his work – the 

first to be completed in the East 

Midlands. Since helping to secure 

the Heritage Enterprise grant for 

Bridgford Hall we’ve been involved 

in supporting other organisations 

across the UK with their bids and we 

are looking forward to seeing other 

schemes come to fruition in the 

future. 

“We’d be 

delighted to offer 

funding advice to 

any organisations 

that are thinking of 

similar projects.” 

For many 

property owners, 

owning a historic 

building requires a 

great deal of 

investment, firstly 

potentially restoring 

those buildings and 

secondly keeping 

them in good repair. 

The cost of repairing 

a neglected historic building is often 

so high that restoration is not 

commercially viable. The aim of the 

HLF’s Heritage Enterprise programme 

is to make such schemes possible by 

funding some of the repair costs 

with grants of £100,000 to £5 

million available. 

Since supporting Rushcliffe 

Borough Council with its Heritage 

Enterprise Grant bid, Focus has 

helped a number of other 

organisations with their applications 

including the University of 

Northampton Students’ Union, for 

its Engine Shed project, and 

Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder 

Mills Foundation Trust on proposals 

to bring many of the currently 

unused and listed buildings at the 

Royal Gunpowder Mills site at 

UK System Scaffold Hire shutes into history 

Waltham Abbey in Essex back into 

use. 

“Hundreds of neglected historic 

buildings across the UK could qualify 

for special grants to help bring them 

back into life,” added Heather. 

“Funding experts at Focus have 

successfully secured millions of 

pounds in various grants and funds 

for projects over the past 23 years, 

and we’d be very pleased to talk to 

organisations that feel they could 

benefit from Heritage Enterprise 

Grants.” 

Nottingham-based Focus, which 

also has branches in London, 

Leicester, and Boston in Lincolnshire, 

specialises in funding and economic 

development including area 

regeneration strategies, funding 

applications, economic impact 

appraisals, business plans, and 

research and evaluation. Since 1994 

Focus has also secured for clients 

more than £953 million of grants for 

projects and businesses across the 

UK and delivered more than £1.3 

billion worth of projects and 

programmes – making it one of the 

most successful businesses of its 

kind in the country. 

It also offers a range of services 

to the property and construction 

industry, including building 

surveying, quantity surveying, 

project management, and 

sustainable development support. 

Web: www.focus-consultants.co.uk 

UK SYSTEM SCAFFOLD HIRE specialise in providing temporary public access staircases – 

but the request to incorporate a children’s slide at historic Framlingham Castle in 

Suffolk was a first. The team at UK System Scaffold Hire has over 150 years combined 

experience in designing and managing projects using HAKI Access Systems, so it has to 

be a very unusual request to “be a first”. 

But that is precisely what Heritage Building and Conservation managed to conjure up. 

Scaffolding requirements at the early stages of the conservation work at Framlingham 

Castle (which gained global attention with the recent release of Ed Sheeran’s ode to his 

hometown, Castle on the Hill), but when it was suggested that the final phase of the £1.2m 

project should feature two public access staircases to enable visitors to see the restored walls 

close up, those involved in the project recognised that they needed to work with specialists who 

could deliver the best solution. 

Following a site visit, UK System Scaffold Hire worked with scaffold design specialists 

Creator Temporary Works and Design to finalise a scheme for two 9.5m staircases, before 

spending more time on site to assist with minor modifications required to protect important 

historic features of the 12th Century Fortress. 

It was then that it was realised that the temporary staircases provided an opportunity to 

create a unique visitor attraction by adding a slide. “It was a great idea – but posed unique 

design challenges that needed to be overcome quickly and effectively” explains Gary Griffiths, 

MD of UK System Scaffold Hire. 

For further information please contact: UKSSH 

Tel: 01246 820900 Email: info@uksystemscaffoldhire.co.uk 


ROOFING 

New roof for Aldershot Catholic Cathedral 

Amajor re-roofing project to 

preserve one of Aldershot’s 

most iconic buildings got 

underway in early July. 

The existing roof of St Michael’s & 

St George’s - the Roman Catholic 

Cathedral for the Forces, located on 

Queens Avenue - is being replaced, 

with 48 tonnes of slate tiles due to 

be laid over coming months. 

Around 60,000 nails and 3.5 

miles of roofing batten will be used 

in completion of the works on the 

listed building, which dates from 

1892 when Queen Victoria laid the 

foundation stone. 

The project is being delivered by 

Aspire Defence Services Limited 

(ADSL) (funded by Aspire Defence 

Limited), contracting with Southern 

Counties Roofing Contractors Ltd 

and Abbey Scaffolding. ADSL is 

contracted under Project 

Allenby/Connaught to maintain the 

defence estate at Aldershot and 

several Salisbury Plain garrisons on 

behalf of the MOD; the company 

refurbished the Cathedral’s spire in 

2009. 

Mark Bassett, Project Manager 

for ADSL, says, “The tiles on the 

current roof are of the original 

construction, are visibly worn and 

have become compromised over 

time, allowing water seepage into 

the church’s roof space. These works 

will ensure that the building is 

weather-proofed for decades to 

come.” 

The project has taken two years 

to plan, including annual condition 

surveys of the building to test for 

water tightness. Bespoke slates were 

procured from a 400-year old 

Cumbrian quarry, to ensure the new 

roof is in keeping with the building’s 

distinctive gothic revival design. 

Surveys have also been carried out 

to assess the Cathedral’s resident 

swift population and safeguard the 

birds’ habitat. 

Scaffolding is now being erected 

and is likely to take ten weeks to 

complete; roofing contractors move 

onto site in six weeks. The Cathedral 

will remain open as usual during the 

project, which is due to finish at the 

end of the year. 

“This building holds great 

historical and current importance, 

both for Aldershot and the wider 

military community, and ADSL is 

proud to be responsible for its 

renovation and ongoing 

Contemporary meets aethetic charm 

maintenance,” says Mark. “We will 

work very closely with all parties to 

ensure that any potential disruption 

is minimised during this significant 

project.” 

Web: www.aspiredefence.co.uk 

Acontemporary visitor centre, 

in 150 acres of historical 

landscape, has been 

constructed to blend 

seamlessly with its surroundings, 

supported by the specification of JB 

Western Red Cedar Shingles from 

Marley Eternit on its roof and part 

of its facade. 

Wynyard Hall is a Grade II listed 

building located on the outskirts of 

Durham, which holds a hotel, 

conference facility, and luxury 

wedding venue. At the heart of the 

150-acre estate lies The Gardens, an 

extensive 19th Century rose garden 

home to over 3,000 roses and a 

Victorian-inspired Glasshouse. As 

part of the wider Wynyard Walled 

Gardens project, the site’s owner was 

keen to construct the Wynyard Hall 

Visitor Centre within the old walled 

garden - however, the bespoke brief 

meant work needed to blend 

contemporary tones with 

overarching Victorian themes. 

As part of the project, subcontractors 

Barclay Roofing Ltd, 

specified JB Western Red Cedar 

Shingles for the entire roof and 

certain sections of the walls of the 

visitor centre. 

The JB Western Red Cedar 

Shingles, which are Certi-grade 

accredited as ‘Blue Label’ by the 

CSSB (Cedar Shingle and Shake 

Bureau) were specified as they 

guarantee the highest quality 

shingles and are PEFC accredited. 

Furthermore, the shingles specified 

were also treated with MicroPro®, a 

clear treatment which not only 

protects against wood rooting fungi 

and insect attacks, but also lets the 

shingle weather naturally without 

any staining sometimes associated 

with other treatments, and can 

deliver an extended life span of 40 

years. 

Yet, the benefits of the shingles 

reach far beyond a longer life span, 

with cedar shingles also offering a 

renewable and sustainable roofing 

and cladding solution with one of 

the lowest carbon footprints of any 

widely used building product. In 

addition, the shingles require low 

maintenance, and the colour blend 

ensures the building fits seamlessly 

within the type of natural 

environment the project sought to 

replicate. 

Commenting on the bespoke 

brief, Mike Flounders, Contracts 

Manager at Barclay Roofing Ltd 

says: “The unusual nature of this 

project meant we needed a roofing 

material which could effortlessly 

merge contemporary and classical 

themes, complementing the 

surrounding environment. JB 

Western Red Cedar Shingles were 

the obvious choice as they are not 

only sustainable; they also offer the 

rich aesthetics which perfectly suit 

the heritage of the surrounding 

area, which was really key to this 

project.” 

In addition to the shingles, the 

project contractors also specified 

ShingleFix Staple System, which uses 

specially designed stainless steel 

staples to fix the shingles instead of 

using the traditional nail, 

significantly reducing the 

installation time of the project – up 

to 50% for larger projects. 

JB Red roofing battens were also 

selected for the project as they offer 

guaranteed strength, compliant with 

BS 5534:2014 and, therefore do not 

require any further grading on site. 

JB Red battens are characterised by 

their red finish and ‘BS 5534’ stamp, 

confirming they have been 

stringently tested to ensure they 

meet all the strength requirements 

of the new British Standard, using 

production processes independently 

certified by the Building Research 

Establishment (BRE). 

Web: www.marleyeternit.co.uk 


PROJECTS 

Iconic London church roof refurb 

Apopular East London church 

has regained its post-war 

glory thanks to the solventfree 

and odourless liquid 

waterproofing solution from Kemper 

System. 

The manufacturer’s Stratex Warm 

Roof system and Kemperol 2K-PUR 

liquid waterproofing solution was 

specified to refurbish the Calvary 

Charismatic Baptist Church in Poplar. 

The church, which was 

experiencing severe water ingress 

due to the failure of the existing 

asphalt waterproofing and glass 

skylights, was built in 1951 as a ‘Live 

Architectural Exhibition’, part of the 

Festival of Britain. The building is a 

heritage site with an unusual design 

to the structure of the roof. 

For many years, financial 

Rapid floor makeover from Bradite 

Before and after treatment with Rapid coating. 

challenges meant the church had to 

carry out temporary repairs, which 

included a timber structure built 

over the entire roof area, and a 

felted covering on top of the 

original roof surface. 

The initial single-ply specification 

was changed to Kemperol 2K-PUR 

by architects, A&RME, to provide a 

liquid waterproofing solution 

capable of addressing the complex 

design of the building with its 

concrete gutters and columns, as 

well as a number of round rooflights 

- meaning Kemper System’s seamless 

waterproofing solution was ideal for 

the level of detailing required. 

The Stratex Warm Roof system, 

comprising Kempertherm insulation 

and Kemperol 2K-PUR cold applied 

liquid waterproofing membrane, was 

quick and easy to apply, minimising 

possession times on site and 

allowing the community to enjoy 

the church at its best once more. 

Roofing contractor, Capital 

Roofing Co Ltd of Blackheath in 

Greenwich, installed the roof system 

which involved removal of the 

timber structure and felt layers to 

reveal the 40 original circular 

skylights. 

The contractor then applied a 

primer and vapour control layer, 

followed by a hard-top insulation 

board over the whole roof area. The 

build-up included a substantial 

amount of insulation to fill the void 

in between the concrete beams. 

Insulation was also installed to the 

upstands of the beams and walls, 

and a cut to falls scheme was laid 

over the whole roof area to reroute 

the drainage into the existing side 

concrete gutters. 

The Kemperol 2K-PUR liquid 

waterproofing system was then 

installed on the flat roof area, 

providing a seamless membrane 

around the skylights and around the 

concrete upstands. A bespoke, 

aluminium trim was then fixed to 

cover the insulation and the 

Kemperol 2K-PUR system at all the 

abutments. 

Commenting on the project, 

Chris Shulver at Capital Roofing Co 

Ltd, said: “This was a challenging 

refurbishment not only because the 

church is a heritage site, but also 

due to the amount of detailing 

required with its 40 circular 

skylights. A long-term waterproofing 

solution was needed following many 

failed refurbishment attempts in the 

past, using alternative waterproofing 

systems. We have installed Kemperol 

many times before and its versatility 

made it the ideal choice. 

“A temporary roof had to be 

erected prior to installation of the 

system to help keep the building as 

watertight as possible. Thanks to 

Kemperol’s quick and easy 

application, we could tackle the high 

level of detailing required on site 

with ease. It also decreased the time 

required for the temporary roof 

because of the single, wet-on-wet 

application process that doesn’t 

require the base coat to cure before 

subsequent site visits and further 

coatings are applied, unlike wet-ondry 

systems.” 

Steve Henderson, technical 

manager at Kemper System, added: 

“We worked closely with Capital 

Roofing and architects, A&RME, to 

develop a specification which met 

the needs of the project and we are 

delighted with the result. 

“The Stratex Warm Roof system 

and Kemperol 2K-PUR liquid 

waterproofing solution was a perfect 

choice for the church, and its 

completely odourless solvent-free 

qualities were a bonus for the 

contractors and congregation alike.” 

Web: www.kemper-system.com 

ABirmingham warehouse floor has been given an 

impressive makeover thanks to the use of Bradite’s 

fast drying Rapid polyurethane coating. The 450 

square meter concrete floor of the premises owned 

by Allgood plc – a leading supplier of architectural 

ironmongery - was repaired and repainted in double-quick 

time with technical advice from Bradite. 

“This was the first time I have used their product but the 

help and advice I received from the company was absolutely 

first class, “ said Barry Tipper, owner of B Tipper Painter and 

Decorators, the painting sub-contractor for the project. 

Main contractor for the Brearley Street, Birmingham, 

warehouse makeover was Robert Peters Building & Electrical. 

The warehouse floor is subject to heavy usage, including 

movement by forklift trucks. This is just the type of 

challenge that Rapid floor paint is designed to overcome. 

An initial thinner coat of the moisture cured 

polyurethane coating is applied followed by a second and 

third coat at intervals of eight hours. The paint provides a 

tough, hard-wearing flexible film which is ready to take 

forklift traffic once more after 48 hours. 

“Bradite’s national sales manager James Burton visited 

the site and provided us with a full specification for 

preparation and applying the paint,” said Mr Tipper.“ After 

that, it was a seamless operation.” He added: “This has been 

massively helpful to me commercially as well.” 

Web: www.bradite.co.uk 


ROOFLIGHTS 

Rooflights – The future is daylight 

With refurbishments now making up approximately 40% of UK construction projects, one of the most cost 

effective ways of introducing natural light and ventilation into an existing flat roof building is through the 

specification of rooflights 

From energy savings and 

improved occupant comfort, 

to greater productivity in 

commercial applications, dome 

rooflights provide a cost effective 

way of introducing natural light and 

ventilation at challenging flat roof 

refurbishment projects. 

Through a comprehensive range 

of ready-to-fit options to meet a 

myriad of project requirements, 

factory assembled dome and flat 

glass rooflights provide architects, 

contractors and building owners 

with a versatile rooflight choice 

which is more suited to meeting the 

challenges and uncertainties 

presented in the refurbishment of 

flat roofs or low -pitched and gently 

curved roof structures where the 

roof pitch does not exceed 15°. 

A MYRIAD OF OPTIONS 

Where a building has been 

developed over time, it is often the 

case that a contractor is faced with 

a variety of roof types. Furthermore, 

pre-existing rooflights which need 

to be replaced or upgraded can add 

further complication to 

refurbishment projects, especially 

when faced with a multitude of 

variations such as builder’s upstands, 

non-standard sized rooflights or 

glazing only repairs. Specifiers can 

now benefit from a range of kerb 

and fixing options for the 

application of dome rooflights on 

different roof types whether new 

build or refurbishment. In the case 

of Brett Martin’s dome rooflights, 

these are approved for use with all 

major flat roofing manufacturing 

systems – including single ply, 

bituminous, metal, liquid applied, 

asphalt and green roofs – and can 

overcome the complexities of 

builders upstands through a choice 

of standard and tall kerbs, and fixing 

options. These innovative technical 

solutions ensure rooflights can be 

installed easily and meet existing 

building standards. 

UNMATCHED PERFORMANCE 

With thermal performance now 

crucial at every project, dome 

rooflights can be configured to 

achieve stringent thermal efficiency 

targets. For instance, in Brett 

Martin’s range, triple skin 

polycarbonate dome rooflights 

achieve the requirements of Part L 

while quadruple skin polycarbonate 

domes and double glazed flat glass 

rooflights exceed the requirements 

still further. They can also play their 

part in reducing heat loss and 

minimising the risk of condensation. 

In addition, an extensive choice of 

ventilation and opening options are 

available to help meet the 

requirements of Part F. 

FLAT OPTIONS 

Improving the internal environment 

is a fundamental requirement when 

installing rooflights and the quality 

of light transmission is crucial. 

Intelligently designed to combine 

contemporary styling with 

exceptional thermal performance 

and regulatory compliance, a flat 

glass rooflight allows natural 

daylight to flood into a building for 

the lightest, brightest interiors. For 

example, Brett Martin’s Flat Glass 

rooflight is a thermally efficient, 

double glazed rooflight which offers 

the specifier a high-end design that 

is suitable for flat and low pitched 

roofs in a wide range of powered 

opening, ventilation, kerb and fixing 

options. 

No matter what the application, 

the involvement of a rooflight 

manufacturer or daylight consultant 

on a project can provide good advice 

and influence the right rooflight 

decision. Using a reputable 

manufacturer offers far more than 

the quality of the product itself. 

Leading suppliers and manufacturers 

do not just design a wide range of 

systems to deliver optimum 

performance, durability, safety and 

regulation standards – they also 

provide superior technical support, 

detailed installation instructions and 

maintenance guidelines to ensure 

systems perform as promised, and 

work alongside all other roofing 

elements. 

Web: www.brettmartin.com 


PROJECT 

Reinvigoration of 1930’s Cinema 

Bennetts Associates’ Storyhouse in Chester, featuring a Proteus HR rainscreen clad 

copper ‘head’, is an inspired rework and reinvigoration of the 1930s Odeon cinema. 

Executed in Proteus HR TECU 

copper, the ribbed, abstracted 

rainscreen clad fins envelope 

the 150-seat studio theatre 

that sits on top of the main 

auditorium, creating a presence like 

no other. 

The copper fins announce the 

new studio theatre, jutting 

outwardly and inwardly, with their 

slotted appearance being described 

as a touch of ‘1920s German 

Expressionist theatre’. 

Clad entirely in Proteus 

rainscreen cladding this ‘copper 

pavilion’ jauntily points to the 

Chester skyline, bookending the 

western corner of the elongated 

square building, which is framed at 

one side by the town hall and 

cathedral at the other. 

It was Cheshire West and Chester 

council that stepped in with a bold 

plan to deliver this £37m vision for 

transforming the Grade II-listed 

Odeon cinema building. Charged 

with implementing this ambitious 

plan was multi RIBA-award winning 

architects Bennetts Associates. 

Bright and bold, the Proteus 

rainscreen clad studio theatre sits 

confidently above the much larger 

800-seat theatre, comprising the 

new build elements. What was the 

existing Odeon has been 

transformed into a 94-seat 

‘boutique’ cinema, library, 

restaurant/bar and café. 

Visitors to the building cannot 

fail to notice that Bennetts 

Associates’ striking design makes a 

central play of the Proteus copper 

cladding. The gleaming, protruding 

copper-clad box will transition over 

time to an oxidised green that will 

echo the appearance of the original 

Odeon roof. 

The Proteus HR cladding now 

cuts across the green tinged castglass 

panels and striated brickwork 

of Storyhouse, compositionally 

breaking up and blurring the lines 

between the refurbished and new 

build elements. 

“The success of the Storyhouse 

design lies in the way the extension 

containing the theatre spaces was 

added to the shell of the Grade 2 

listed 1930s Odeon. Whilst the 

proportions of the extension relate 

directly to the historic brick cinema, 

we used copper and glass to create 

the elevations, to provide contrast 

and to identify the main elements of 

the new building. 

Proteus HR TECU cladding is used 

to clad the studio theatre and bar, 

which is expressed as an 

overhanging element on the skyline 

of the building. The flatness of the 

panels and the long-term beauty of 

the natural copper finish were key to 

this decision,” said Simon Erridge, 

Project Director, Bennetts Associates. 

Storyhouse has been designed to 

the highest standards for audience 

comfort and sightlines. The same 

rigour has been applied to the 

rainscreen cladding, both visually 

and technically. The Proteus HR 

copper panels are fitted to rigid 

vertical mullions that are anchored 

to the backing wall with adjustable 

support brackets. 

The intimate space that is 

enveloped with Proteus copper 

cladding looks set to become the 

hardest working space in the 

building. Retractable seating has 

been incorporated to allow for a flat 

floor for workshops and rehearsals, 

while as a performance space its 

intimacy allows for a close 

relationship between actor and 

audience. 

Main contractor at Chester 

Storyhouse was Kier North West, 

with the cladding installed by Curtis 

Moore (Cladding Systems) Ltd. 

For more transformative rainscreen 

facades from Proteus, visit: 

Web: www.proteusfacades.com 

Tel: 0151 545 5075. 


£2.2m Redevelopment 

of Lincoln University 

PROJECT 

CONTEMPORARY design and flexible teaching spaces are at the heart 

of Bishop Grosseteste University’s £2.2m redevelopment, which has 

now completed on site. Delivered by Lincoln-based architects 

LK2 and local construction company Robert Woodhead Ltd, working 

with Sutherland Consulting and Price & Myers. The project was carried out 

in two phases and saw a circa 7,770 sq ft extension added to the Constance 

Stewart Hall to accommodate new, flexible teaching space. 

Andrew Kitchen, director at LK2, said: “We are delighted to have worked 

on this iconic scheme which has transformed the cityscape. We have worked 

closely with Bishop Grosseteste University to create a modern teaching space 

which complements the design of the original building. 

“These new facilities will provide improved work spaces for staff and 

students and bring the university into a new era.” 

Steve Deville, director of resources at the university, said: “This fantastic 

new building reinforces BGU’s commitment to invest in our students and 

their learning experience. 

“This building is to be opened just a few months after our new Centre for 

Enhancement in Learning and Teaching facility and will provide students 

with flexible teaching spaces and state-of-the-art facilities to aid their 

learning.” 

The extension is supported by an impressive steel framework made from 

locally-sourced steel and erected by Robert Woodhead Ltd. Throughout the 

project, contractors pledged to use local resources wherever possible. 

Steve Gribby, construction director at Robert Woodhead Ltd, said: “We 

erected an impressive steel frame, in just 14 days. Built to overhang the 

existing structure and enable both buildings to blend into each other, the 

design offers a contemporary and modern twist on the original fifties design. 

It makes a fantastic statement as you drive in to the city and is will be a 

great landmark for Lincoln. 

“From working with local suppliers and using as much local labour as 

possible, to operating closely alongside the university project team and LK2, 

we have done our best throughout this project to deliver a site which best suits the needs of the client, while ensuring sensitivity to the design of the new and 

old parts of the building. I look forward to seeing the building in full operation.” 

The university’s Centre for the Enhancement or Learning and Teaching (CELT building) was completed earlier this year and is already being used by staff and 

students. The space has a modern, contemporary feel whilst still respecting the character of the original Victorian building. 

The project was procured through the empa framework which is managed by Scape Group. Tel: 01522 750777 


PROJECT 

Pathé Films building transformed 

Sheppard Robson Architects LLP has completed the renovation of the former offices of production company 

Pathé Films at 103-109 Wardour Street. Overcoming initial specification difficulties, the architect’s practice 

turned to Allgood to provide a bespoke, bronze finished ironmongery solution that would seamlessly integrate 

with the architecture of the building. 

The transformation of the 

building was a challenging 

task for Sheppard Robson. 

Originally offices for Pathé 

Films, the 1900’s building was 

renovated for the first time in 1996. 

However, there was an architectural 

imbalance as whilst the facade 

retained the original Edwardian 

style, the rest of the building was 

renovated. This led to the historical 

front forming a veil that covered a 

contemporary building of lower 

design quality. 

Consequently, Sheppard Robson 

looked to redesign the contemporary 

elements in a way that would 

complement the original structure 

and opted for a bespoke bronze 

finish on all ironmongery supplied 

by Allgood, which helped to turn an 

architectural vision into a working 

reality. 

ID:SR, Sheppard Robson’s interior 

design group, wanted to deliver 15 

residential units, including two 

penthouses, that were rooted within 

the history of the area whilst 

simultaneously providing modern 

amenities. With the flats retailing at 

the higher end of the market, it was 

imperative that Allgood’s 

specification complemented a luxury 

aesthetic. 

Initial discussions with the 

architect showed that they wanted 

to specify a consistent ironmongery 

finish throughout the entire 

building. This was a challenge for 

Allgood, as there were several 

different types of doors, textures 

and colours throughout the 

property. 

Allgood felt stainless steel would 

not be appropriate for this type of 

residential building so a bronze 

finish was agreed upon. 

Discussing the project’s 

ironmongery requirements Borja 

Marcaida, Associate at Sheppard 

Robson Architects LLP said: “The 

biggest challenge was to keep a 

consistent bronze effect finish for all 

ironmongery throughout the 

building.” 

As such, incorporated 

throughout the building is Allgood’s 

Modric 1761 900mm pull handles 

and Robert-Mallet Steven’s designed 

FSB 41076 lever handles with a 

specialist bronze finish. 

Complementing the ironmongery, 

Allgood also supplied bespoke 

signage in a matching bronze finish 

including numerals, letters and 

various symbols. 

Like with any central London 

residential building, space is an 

extremely valuable commodity. In 

order to maximise space in the 

apartments, Allgood also supplied 

bronze pocket door locking kits for 

all the bathrooms. 

This successful collaboration and 

renovation resulted in a BREEAM 

Ecohomes ‘Excellent’ rating for the 

refurbished elements and Code for 

Sustainable Homes Level 4 for new 

build areas. 

Designed and manufactured in 

Allgood’s UK factory, Modric utilises 

the finest Grade 316 solid stainless 

steel bar, resulting in a high quality, 

durable ironmongery range. Finished 

by hand, the smooth satin finish is 

achieved by a superior attention to 

detail. 

In addition, the unique FSB 

range provides ergonomic handles, 

using the four rules of good grip as 

the basis for its designs and 

structure. 

Borja Marcaida adds, “We 

enjoyed working with Allgood Sales 

Representative, Stewart Froome, 

throughout this project. His flexible 

approach meant that any challenges 

were swiftly addressed and that the 

ironmongery achieved the unique 

finish required.“ 

Simon Wilkes, Head of Business 

Space Development at Legal & 

General Property said, “There was a 

clear vision for this historical site, 

and the collaboration between these 

companies has enabled the 

renovation of the Pathé Building to 

reach it’s true potential. 

“A stunning combination of 

contemporary and historical 

architecture, a building that 

complements London’s Soho and the 

culture within it has been created. 

Specifying Allgood’s bronze handles 

in the interior of the building has 

allowed synchronisation between 

interior and exterior.” 

For more information on Allgood 

plc please visit Web: 

www.allgood.co.uk/ 

or follow @Allgood_plc on Twitter. 


SOCIAL HOUSING 

Argos Business Centres helping Grand 

Union Housing Group to furnish properties 

At Argos for Business we are always looking to help busy social housing providers 

achieve their objectives. Our latest success story comes through our work with 

Grand Union Housing Group. Grand Union Housing Group is an innovative leading 

provider and developer of affordable housing and related services in Bedfordshire, 

Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, managing around 12,000 properties. 

VISION FOR GROWTH 

Grand Union Housing Group’s ‘2020 

Vision’ is to build 1,500 new homes 

by 2020, enabling more people to 

rent or own a home that they can 

afford. Its aim is to deliver an 

ambitious, expanded programme of 

high quality services that its 

customers want, in the way that 

they want to receive them, while 

improving the wellbeing of those 

who need extra support, particularly 

the elderly. 

The Group offers a range of 

tenures and home types, ranging 

from fixed term tenancies or starter 

tenancies at social or affordable rent 

all the way to shared ownership, 

market rent and market sale. 

This is where we at Argos for 

Business comes in. We help furnish 

Grand Union Housing’s properties to 

a high standard, in readiness for new 

tenants to move into. 

The size of the product range we 

offer gives the Group great choice 

and availability; ensuring homes are 

furnished with modern, quality items 

throughout the properties. 

Richard Pearce, procurement and 

insurance manager at Grand Union 

Housing Group, says: “When 

choosing a supplier to help support 

our work, great service and 

communications are priorities. Argos 

for Business provide both of these 

through their Business Centre 

Solution. 

We have a day-to-day contact 

in-store, which helps reduce our 

administrative workload. Processing 

orders, sourcing stock and managing 

delivery deadlines is all taken care of 

for us”. 

IMPROVING SUPPORT SERVICES 

We are also able to improve the 

efficiency of the Group’s support 

service, Encourage. 

Encourage allows the Group to 

provide housing and support for 

adults with learning disabilities, as 

well as providing homes for the over 

55s. The service also supports older 

tenants via its Lifeline and 

Community Alarm and Support 

Service (CASS). The CASS gives 

customers the ability to maintain 

their independence while living in 

their own home. 

With such varied customer 

needs, the Group would ordinarily 

need to work with a very large 

number of different suppliers. 

However, as Argos offers such a 

breadth of product categories in one 

place, Grand Union Housing is able 

to minimise the number of suppliers 

used. 

Richard says: “Being able to 

source thousands of items from 

Argos means that we aren’t wasting 

valuable time chasing around lots of 

different suppliers and trying to 

consolidate multiple orders. We have 

a core range of items we know we 

need for our homes, and whether its 

furniture, furnishings or electrical 

items or appliances, the Argos 

Business Centre is able to source and 

supply what each home needs. 

“The Argos Business Centres’ real 

strength is their communication to 

us, ensuring we are aware of how 

each order is progressing. For us, 

having someone to be able to call to 

discuss our needs and to fully 

understand what we are trying to 

achieve is refreshing and a real point 

of difference. It helps us get our 

homes ready on time for our 

customers”. 

Web: www.argos-business.co.uk 

The refurb sector is probably the most active sector of the UK Building Industry at the moment. RP’s new website 

will keep you up to date with news, projects, opinion, and also the latest issue that can be viewed on-line. 

www.refurbprojects.com 

NEWS. DAILY 


SCHOOL BUILDING 

Great performance at Bristol Grammar 

Proteus HR cladding in TECU 

Brass and TECU Bronze 

materials have created a 

striking, expressive façade at 

Bristol Grammar School’s new 1532 

Performing Arts Centre. 

The Proteus HR TECU Brass and 

TECU Bronze materials were used for 

the external envelope of the new 

performance hub. 

Being manufactured from copper 

alloys means that the TECU materials 

from Proteus will weather over time, 

subtly changing the façade’s 

appearance as it develops a tough, 

maintenance-free and beautiful 

patina. 

1532 Performing Arts Centre, the 

year being when the school received 

its royal charter, comprises a new 

build auditorium and associated 

facilities that are linked to the 

school’s existing Elton Road Block. 

The architects specified Proteus 

HR TECU Brass and TECU Bronze 

materials for the rainscreen panels 

on the performance hub because its 

honeycomb core creates a 

lightweight façade, minimising 

weight loadings on the underlying 

structure, whilst helping the panels 

achieve near perfect optical flatness. 

These lightweight, strong 

properties of the Proteus rainscreen 

cladding panels provided an 

effective way of created the 

counterbalanced visual on this 

development where the hub appears 

to be cantilevered from the main 

building. This elegant, and at first 

impressions, gravity-defying design 

is supported by only two discreet 

columns. 

The management team at Bristol 

Grammar School also liked that fact 

that the subtle weathering of the 

TECU Brass and Bronze materials 

would complement the same natural 

process that occurs on the local 

stone used on nearby buildings on 

campus. 

This subtle matt surface on the 

rainscreen cladding panels will 

gradually develop an oxide layer 

that will protect the building from 

rain, frost, wind, UV rays and other 

external elements. The process brings 

with it striking colour variations 

through an entire range of brown, 

green and brown-violet tones that 

change depending on the level of 

natural light and time of year. 

Ultimately, the TECU materials 

will develop a robust patina that will 

accentuate its distinctive character 

and outwardly project the aim of 

the school to improve and develop 

its performing arts facilities. The 

Proteus carrier system was used to 

support the vertically arranged, 

elongated cladding panels. 

Proteus HR rainscreen cladding 

systems are available in a wide range 

of alternative materials and finishes 

including steel, aluminium, zinc and 

stainless steel. The rich diversity of 

the TECU range of copper and 

copper-alloy materials allows 

unparalleled variety and highquality 

aesthetics for architecture. 

The company’s ability to 

manufacture perfectly matching 

roofline, window reveals and soffits 

accentuate the striking, naturallyweathered 

aesthetic. 

The main contractor at the new 

1532 Performing Arts Centre was 

able to overcome the challenges 

presented by the building being 

located in the midst of the school 

campus and with limited access. 

Scheduling work around term times 

to minimise disruption to the school, 

Cladanco, the façade installer, 

utilised its convenient Bristol base 

and local workforce to assist in this 

process. 

To find out more about Proteus HR 

rainscreen cladding panels and 

other TECU materials, visit: 

www.proteusfacades.com or call: 

0151 545 5075 


Flooring Systems 

New Marmoleum Solid 

Marmoleum Solid is the 

contemporary new 

linoleum collection from 

Forbo Flooring Systems. 

Authentic in nature, its five 

individual ranges provide the 

foundation for creating pure, 

distinctive and modern spaces. 

Building on its exemplary natural 

ethos, Marmoleum remains the most 

sustainable resilient flooring product 

available and its new Cocoa range 

supports this profile further by 

introducing a new upcycled natural 

raw material. 

Created from 97% natural, raw 

materials (including linseed oil and 

wood flour), 72% of which are 

rapidly renewable, and with a 43% 

recycled content, Marmoleum 

already achieves a natural high 

performance. The introduction of 

the Marmoleum Cocoa range goes 

one step further by adding a 

seventh natural ingredient, upcycled 

cocoa shells from a Dutch chocolate 

producer. 

An innovation in construction 

and aesthetics, the result is a rich 

organic scattering that introduces a 

completely new tactility for 

Marmoleum. This has led the range 

to win the 2017 IF Design Award for 

product design – adding to the 

many accolades and Ecolabels 

Marmoleum already holds, such as 

Nature Plus, Blue Angel and the 

Nordic Swan. 

Adding an entirely innovative 

dimension in embossing is the new 

Marmoleum Slate range. It features 

a naturally inspired texture that 

exudes sophistication, offering the 

timeless aesthetic of stone, with the 

warmth and purity of linoleum. The 

strong natural shades available 

provide visual interest, whilst 

remaining understated – the perfect 

natural backdrop to any 

environment. 

Julie Dempster, Marketing 

Manager at Forbo Flooring Systems 

explains: “Marmoleum Solid is a 

contemporary collection that sits 

perfectly with today’s desire for 

more solid visuals and raw tactility. 

The concept of which is designed to 

combine beautifully with other 

building materials such as wood, 

glass and metal. 

“Marmoleum Solid shows that 

linoleum flooring has the capacity to 

move beyond the classic marbled 

structures, and will encourage 

designers to consider using it in 

spaces such as retail, leisure and 

hospitality and offices, where other 

finishes are often more 

predominant.” 

Marmoleum Concrete has a new 

counterpart, which introduces a 

flash of colour shimmer to bring the 

distinctive material to life. 

Providing opposite visual 

expressions, the range is made of 12 

brightly coloured concretes with 

subtle grey details and muted 

concrete shades featuring highlight 

tones that appear to glisten across 

the surface. 

Completing the collection is a 

variety of plain to semi-plain 

aesthetics running across the 

remaining Walton and refreshed 

Piano ranges, ensuring Marmoleum 

Solid provides a large choice of 

honest and pure designs that give 

the collection a strong, modern 

identity. 

The Marmoleum collection is a 

prime example of Forbo’s 

‘Committed to the Health of One’ 

programme, which strives to create 

better indoor environments. It is 

naturally bacteriostatic, does not 

harbour allergens and holds the 

Allergy UK Seal of Approval. 

Marmoleum has extremely low VOCs 

contributing to positive indoor air 

quality and has high LRV’s which 

help create positive environments in 

which to work, live and play. 

Marmoleum is also protected by the 

unique water-based ‘Topshield 2’ 

finish, which ensures no hiding place 

for dirt or bacteria. What’s more, by 

including a seventh natural 

ingredient from another industry 

into the Marmoleum Cocoa range, 

Forbo is continuing in its efforts to 

reduce waste and improve recycling. 

Tel: 0844 822 3928 

Email: info.flooring.uk@forbo.com 

Web: www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/ 

marmoleumsolid 

www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/CHO 


FLOORING 

Trampoline Park refurbishment 

Almost 1,500 sqm of luxury 

flooring products from 

Moduleo have been 

installed in the recent 

refurbishment of RUSH Trampoline 

Park, Kings Norton, in Birmingham. 

Contractors at refurbishment 

specialists, Calmack, specified 

authentic shades of stone and 

walnut from Moduleo’s popular 

Transform collection to overhaul the 

main reception, shop, seating and 

dining areas. 

All floors were first prepared 

with Moduleo’s new Flex Pro 

underlay, which offers unrivalled 

sound insulation properties. 

Sophie Holness, design manager 

at Calmack, comments on the 

project: “In any commercial 

refurbishment we’re very conscious 

of the constant levels of footfall the 

venue must sustain on a daily basis. 

This naturally dictates what products 

we specify. 

“Moduleo is perfect for settings 

such as RUSH as its heavy-duty 

characteristics mean we can rely on 

it for durability, yet its extremely 

stylish and gives us an exceptionally 

professional finish.” 

To save time on-site, Calmack 

installed Jura Stone and Persian 

Walnut floor coverings from the 

Transform Click range. 

Click technology negates the 

need for traditional adhesives and 

timely room preparation, meaning 

floors can be installed in next to no 

time. The unique 

LockXpress system 

with practical 

tooth-groove 

connection 

ensures easy, 

convenient 

installation. 

Whilst 

traditionally LVT 

flooring required 

significant 

preparation of the 

floor’s surface, 

Click flooring 

offers a much 

more flexible and 

simple alternative. 

This solution ideal 

for those of 

whom time is of 

the essence as it 

does not require 

any adhesive and 

can be fitted 

quickly and easily. 

Click from 

Moduleo is scuffproof, 

waterproof 

and absorbs 

sound and can therefore even be 

used in bathrooms and kitchens. 

Available in a variety of natural 

finishes including stone and wood, 

Click from Moduleo is easy clean 

and can be used with under-floor 

heating. 

In public refurbishment projects, 

where contractors are under 

increasing pressure to complete on 

time, to budget and to a high 

standard, flooring technologies such 

as Click can significantly reduce the 

time spent on site without 

compromising on finish. 

With leisure operators adopting 

more contemporary, open-plan 

facilities, designers and installers are 

finding increasingly innovative ways 

to separate spaces, such as 

receptions, changing facilities and 

eateries – like at RUSH. 

Selecting both wood- and stoneeffect 

floorcoverings in the same 

space, the finished product allows 

for ‘zoned’ areas. The mixture of 

textures and colourways give the 

different spaces identity without 

losing the continuous flow of the 

space. 

David Bigland, managing director 

for Moduleo UK and Eire, explains: 

“Here at Moduleo we constantly 

strive to bring great designs and 

styles to market, as well as the very 

best in flooring technologies. 

“We’ve seen a considerable 

increase in the demand for woodand 

stone-effect LVT products in 

refurb projects over the past 18 

months, especially. Contractors 

appreciate the authentic patterns 

and textures that can now be 

manufactured onto planks and tiles 

to produce a look that’s as close to 

the real deal as it can be. 

“This is all achievable at a 

fraction of the cost of slates, stones 

and hard woods. What’s more, end 

users are not only delighted with the 

price tag but appreciate the low 

maintenance and long life span of 

the products. Moduleo flooring 

really does have the longevity 

required to withstand the heavy 

levels of footfall the popular RUSH 

venue will experience on a daily 

basis. 

“We’re thrilled to have been part 

of such a fantastic refurbishment at 

RUSH and couldn’t be happier with 

the end result. The use of both 

stone- and wood-effect planks in 

multiple spaces really does showcase 

what’s possible within the one 

location – something we’re seeing 

increasing numbers of contractors 

utilising at the moment.” 

For more information, visit 

www.moduleo.co.uk or contact the 

Moduleo team on 01332 851 500. 


Retirement apartments receive 

acoustic performance solution 

Amodern development of 

retirement apartments in 

the beautiful town of 

Blairgowrie, Perthshire has 

been enhanced with Ethafoam, a 

high quality acoustic flooring 

solution, offering impact sound 

insulation properties, from The A. 

Proctor Group Ltd. 

The new development, from 

McCarthy & Stone features a 

collection of 36 stylish apartments 

designed exclusively for those over 

the age of 60. Specialist floor 

screeding contractor Glenalmond 

Contracts installed Ethafoam 2222, a 

closed-cell polyethylene foam, which 

is designed as a resilient acoustic 

insulation layer for concrete floor 

structures. 

Ethafoam has a low profile, 

requiring only a minimal increase in 

floor height, and is highly resilient 

to the rigours of on-site 

environments. Lightweight and easy 

to install, the versatile design means 

it can be applied as a single, or 

multiple layer system, dependent on 

space and performance 

requirements. At Blairgowrie a 

double layer system was installed, in 

alternate directions, followed by a 

self-levelling screed to finished floor 

level. 

For conversions and new build 

developments of flats where impact 

and airborne sound reduction is 

mandatory, the use of Ethafoam is 

the perfect choice, and enables 

developers and contractors to meet 

the current legislative performance 

requirements. The superior impact 

sound insulation performance of the 

product has resulted in it forming a 

standard specification for McCarthy 

& Stone in their developments. 

For more information and technical details contact our website: 

www.proctorgroup.com 

The Proctor Group, The Haugh, Blairgowrie, Perthshire PH10 7ER 

Tel: 01250 872261 Fax: 01250 872727 Email: contact@proctorgroup.com 


PROJECT 

Architecturally Ambitious 

Faced with a complex brief on a site scrutinised by planners, conservation teams and Historic England, 

architectural ambition was crucial for Kingsdown House, which provides new boarding 

accommodation at The King’s School in Canterbury. Walters & Cohen Architects needed to carefully 

consider the kind of products to use on the project, which is when building materials manufacturer 

Wienerberger was introduced to the scheme. 

The King’s School site abuts the 

historic City Wall in 

Canterbury, which is a 

Scheduled Ancient Monument 

and is in close proximity to 

Canterbury Cathedral, a World 

Heritage Site. Therefore, any 

proposed new buildings are closely 

evaluated and must demonstrate a 

high degree of quality, with a 

correspondingly detailed specification 

to satisfy this requirement. Working 

closely with the architect was 

essential in completing the details 

required to achieve a beautiful 

building that enhances its location. 

The project was not without its 

challenges: the build needed to be 

completed to suit the school’s 

academic timetable, and logistical 

complexities meant a tight delivery 

schedule needed to be devised and 

strictly adhered to. 

Clay tiles are a prominent feature 

of many buildings in Kent and 

specifically in this part of 

Canterbury. Walters & Cohen drew 

inspiration from local architecture 

and construction techniques, 

interpreting these with 

contemporary detailing and working 

with Wienerberger to ensure the 

roof tiles reflected the elegance and 

quality of the neighbouring 

buildings. 

Rather than using modern 

interlocking tiles, Wienerberger’s 

Alban Sussex Blend tiles were used 

to create the roof and walls of 

Kingsdown House. The versatility of 

the Alban Sussex Blend tile was 

highlighted: the tiles blend beautiful 

design with a stunning aesthetic 

result. The tiles were chosen because 

they enabled the architect to use a 

single material for the roof and 

walls, creating a simple, attractive 

façade that complements its 

neighbours . 

The design remit for the building 

was to create a neat, angular and 

seamless quality, therefore external 

angle tiles were not used and all 

corner tiles were cut to create an 

elegant edge against the aluminium 

corner trim. Additionally, all tiles 

under the windows were cut by 

hand to assist in waterproofing the 

building as no lead was used. 

Precision cutting on the angle 

ensured a perfect fit. 

To further assist with the 

detailed specification, 

Wienerberger’s Alban Sussex Blend 

bespoke Mansard and Gutter tiles 

were specially hand made for use at 

the eaves junction with the wall. The 

tiles to be used under the windows 

were again cut in detail and fixed 

using a dedicated Wienerberger 

adhesive. On the apex, rather than 

using the traditional Winchester cut, 

the architect required a neat straight 

line to achieve the desired 

composition and give a 

contemporary look. 

Nigel Dyer MIoR, Heritage 

Service Manager at Wienerberger, 

commented: 

“We’re over the moon with the 

end result at Kingsdown House; it’s 

an absolutely beautiful building that 

truly reflects the heritage it 

surrounds. Through using our Alban 

Sussex Blend tiles, a build that 

complements the historic 

architecture of the nearby 

surroundings was achieved and a 

personality was given to the 

construction.” 

Speaking about the project, Rob 

Hill, Associate Director of Walters & 

Cohen Architects said: 

“The project needed to suit the 

school’s academic timetable, 

therefore very careful project 

management was essential. We 

completed the project on time and 

within budget, and are delighted 

with how the finished building looks. 

The Wienerberger products we 

specified reflect the architectural 

heritage of the site, and their 

specialist knowledge also made them 

a highly suitable partner for the 

project.” 

For more information on 

Wienerberger please visit 

Web:www.wienerberger.co.uk/. 

Follow Wienerberger on Twitter at 

https://twitter.com/wienerbergeruk. 


ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Upgrade brings a Zen-like quality to hotel 

Set in the heart of Abergavenny on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, the Angel Hotel offers luxurious, award 

winning accommodation to visitors from around the world. A former 19th century coaching inn, the 35 room 

hotel has now been modernised and refurbished in order to offer guests a level of personal attention and 

comfort that exceeds their expectations. 

Since taking over the site in 

2002, the management team 

at the Angel Hotel have 

made it their mission to 

become the regional hotel of choice 

and in 2016 they secured the AA 

Hotel of the Year, Wales. 

The Angel has an impressive 

pedigree - former guests include 

Gregory Peck, Richard Burton and 

Elizabeth Taylor – and after years of 

underinvestment the historic 

building is now getting the care and 

attention it deserves. 

As part of this commitment to 

excellence, the hotel management 

demanded the very best in air 

conditioning technology and 

recently selected contemporary Zen 

indoor units for the stylish 

bedrooms. 

Marketed as a high-quality 

boutique hotel with a unique but 

old fashioned room layout, it was 

imperative that no pipework was put 

on display and that the installed 

units should have aesthetic appeal 

and run quietly. 

Mitsubishi Electric’s Zen Series is 

a low profile, unobtrusive wall 

mounted system that blends 

seamlessly with its surroundings and 

offers lower power consumption 

twinned with powerful performance. 

The sophisticated elegance of the 

units makes them an ideal choice for 

hotel environments. 

Serving the Zen units is a City 

Multi R2 heat recovery system, 

which is able to offer simultaneous 

heat and cool different rooms 

throughout the building. The 

previous air conditioning was not 

able to achieve this in the way 

required by the owners. 

Hotels regularly require cooling 

in some areas and heating in others 

and City Multi is the only VRF 

(Variable Refrigerant Flow) system 

able to offer simultaneous heating 

and cooling using only two pipes 

instead of the usual three. 

The system’s two pipe technology 

also meant that disruption to guests 

and hotel staff was kept to an 

absolute minimum during the 

refurbishment. City Multi is also 

capable of delivering dramatic 

efficiency improvements and the 

Angel Hotel can now expect savings 

of up to 30 per cent. 

In a building as old as the Angel 

Hotel it can be difficult to carry out 

work without causing structural or 

cosmetic damage. The building is 

made up of stone walls and contains 

a whole host of annexes and 

awkward spaces to work in. 

Cardiff-based Airpro Systems 

Holdings was brought in to carry out 

the installation and was mindful not 

to disturb the historic building any 

more than necessary. 

Mark Derbi of Airpro comments: 

“At times the Angel proved to be a 

testing installation. The rooms 

needed to be refurbished one at a 

time and we were very aware that 

the bulk of the air conditioning 

needed to be hidden from sight 

without risking damage to the fabric 

of the building. 

“With the builder also on site 

high levels of cooperation were 

needed to ensure that we were able 

to stay on schedule and meet the 

timescale set out by the client.” 

After 30 indoor units had been 

successfully installed, Mitsubishi 

Electric PAR31 room controllers were 

wired in and temperature 

restrictions were set up. These 

enable guests to have control of 

their heating or cooling within a 

range controlled by the hotel to 

ensure absolute comfort combined 

with maximum efficiency. 

With a user-friendly backlit 

screen and simple to use adjustment 

controls the room controllers 

provide both guests and hotel 

employees with the high levels of 

functionality expected in a state-ofthe-art 

heating and ventilation 

installation. 

Sympathetic restoration work 

and carefully considered upgrades 

have ensured that the Angel Hotel 

has been returned to its former 

glory. 

The new energy efficient heating 

and ventilation system is a key part 

of the transformation, helping to 

provide a comfortable environment 

for guests and enhancing the hotel’s 

growing reputation as the place to 

stay in South Wales. 

INSTALLATION SUMMARY 

A City Multi R2 heat recovery system 

is able to offer simultaneous heating 

and cooling to different rooms 

throughout the building. 

The outdoor unit serves 30 Zen 

Series indoor units which offer a 

stylish, low profile, unobtrusive wall 

mounted system delivering lower 

power consumption twinned with 

powerful performance. 

Each room utilises a PAR31 room 

controllers to offer guests individual 

control, whilst a centralised AE200 

controller allows the hotel staff to 

monitor and control energy use 

throughout the building. 

Web: www.livingenvironmentalsystems.mitsubishiwlectric.co.uk 

Zen units in place. 


ROOFING 

Complex Installation 

Sika-Trocal and contractors Maincare Roofing and Building worked together to provide a watertight roofing 

solution for the National Memorial Arboretum, completing a complex, multi-roof installation that was Highly 

Commended at this year’s Single Ply Roofing Association (SPRA) Awards. 

The National Memorial 

Arboretum is the UK’s yearround 

centre of Remembrance 

for those who served and 

continue to serve in the Armed 

Forces. Located at a 150-acre 

woodland site at Alrewas near 

Lichfield, Staffordshire, it opened to 

the public in 2001 and contains 

more than 300 dedicated memorials. 

It is described as a ‘living tribute’ 

that ‘will forever acknowledge the 

personal sacrifice’ made by UK 

Armed Forces and civil services. 

In December 2015, Maincare 

Roofing and Building was selected 

to supply 14 roofing systems of 

differing size and complexity to the 

Arboretum’s new £15.7 million 

Remembrance Centre. The stunning 

new development includes 

exhibition areas, shops, cafes and a 

cloistered courtyard. 

The roof systems not only had to 

provide the highest level of 

waterproof protection, each had to 

offer a crisp, uniform look in order 

to maintain the centre’s aesthetic 

properties. Ideal for mechanicallyfastened 

roofs in new build and 

refurbishment applications where 

quality and speed of installation is a 

priority, the Sika-Trocal Type S 

system was selected for the highprofile 

project. 

Carrying full BBA accreditation 

with a 35-year lifespan, Sika-Trocal 

Type S, does not require a separate 

fastening system for the thermal 

insulation as it utilises the same disc 

and fastener for securing the 

insulation and the waterproofing 

membrane, thus improving speed of 

install. A total of 3,500m2, 2mm 

Type S was applied during the 

Remembrance Centre project. 

Upstands, such as kitchen extractor 

fans were prominent throughout the 

installation, adding to its complexity. 

To ensure the symmetrical 

appearance of each installation, 

roofing laps had to be perfectly 

aligned and metal-affixed butt 

straps required ‘marrying’ with all 

corners. 

A round turret, which perforated 

one particular area of roofing, was 

also given decorative details at its 

base and top to maintain the 

system’s cohesive aesthetic. Thanks 

to the flexibility of the Type S 

system, these additional features 

were accommodated with ease 

without compromise to its 

watertightness. 

There were a number of other 

challenges for contractors. Midway 

through the works programme, 

onsite teams were required to carry 

out major refurbishment on an 

existing curved-roof structure to 

ensure its look remained in-keeping 

with adjacent new buildings. 

Installers also had to contend with 

the site’s exposed location, which 

meant periods of disruption due to 

high winds during winter months. 

Additionally, work ceased out of 

respect to special consideration held 

at the centre for half-hourly periods 

each day. VIP visits, particularly 

those attended by royalty, caused 

another temporary hold to roofing 

works, which needed to be 

completed to a strict, agreed 

deadline. 

Carl Pryce, Contractors Director 

at Maincare Roofing and Building, 

said: “For such a high-profile and 

potentially challenging project, we 

needed a roof system that excelled 

in terms of ease and speed of 

application, as well as long-term 

performance and aesthetic qualities. 

The specification of Sika Trocal Type 

S, coupled with the skill and 

dedication of our installation teams, 

was absolutely crucial to the roofing 

programme’s success.” 

To provide stronger support in 

areas such as roof balconies and 

terracing where foot traffic was 

potentially high, a total of 300m2 

Sika-Trocal SGmA was installed. The 

multi-layer, synthetic roof 

waterproofing sheet is based on 

premium quality polyvinyl chloride 

(PVC) and contains an inlay of nonwoven 

glass fibres. As well as 

offering quality, long-term 

protection against physical stresses, 

SGmA – if covered with a minimum 

50 mm depth of gravel ballast – is 

deemed to achieve an FAA fire 

rating. Fully-installed, the system 

also offers a higher degree of sound 

reduction, therefore enhancing 

occupants’ domestic well-being. 

Excellent logistical planning on 

behalf of Maincare, coupled with 

the superb flexibility and handling 

properties of the Sika Trocal Type S 

system meant the Remembrance 

Centre project was completed to the 

agreed timeframe and the client’s 

full satisfaction. It’s provided this 

inspiring and fitting addition to the 

National Memorial Arboretum with a 

cohesive look and waterproof 

protection to ensure the heroic 

deeds of those who made the 

ultimate sacrifice will be gratefully 

acknowledged by generations to 

come. 

Web: www.gbr.sika-trocal.sika.com 


REFURB PROJECTS’S SUPPLEMENT FOR FIRE, SAFETY & SECURITY PROFESSIONALS

SECURITY MATTERS 

Safeguarding high rises from the silent killer 

When it comes to high rise refurbishment, it’s important to bear in mind that with multiple people living in 

one building, different processes are required to ensure everyone is alerted in the event of a carbon monoxide 

(CO) leak. With this in mind, specifiers need to be aware of the most effective alarms available and where best 

to site them. Adrian Keats from Honeywell’s Home Safety business explains more. 

ensure the tenants and facilities 

manager can be confident that the 

residence is protected. 

Wired connected systems are also 

available on the market. Wireless 

systems which incorporate highquality, 

sealed units are just as 

reliable as wired variations, 

especially if the alarms can be 

locked to the wall for protection 

against damage or tampering. 

With such a wide range of 

requirements to address, the key is 

to be aware of the best products 

available and to understand their 

applications. This will help safeguard 

high rise buildings and ultimately, 

save lives. 

Web: 

www.homesafety.honeywell.com 

According to the NHS, 

approximately 50 people in 

the UK die every year from 

accidental carbon monoxide 

poisoning and at least 200 are 

treated for exposure.1 Often called a 

“silent killer,” carbon monoxide 

fumes are undetectable by human 

senses – they are colourless, 

odourless, and tasteless. CO is 

produced by the burning of any 

fossil fuel, but when the levels get 

too high in an enclosed space, it can 

be deadly. 

As of October 2015, the 

government introduced CO 

regulations for landlords. According 

to regulation, landlords must install 

a CO alarm in rooms containing a 

solid fuel burning appliance. Noncompliance 

will result in a £5,000 

fine, and although no price can be 

put on the cost of a life, it is hoped 

that this financial penalty is a great 

enough deterrent against failing to 

install the relevant products. 

Legislation also currently does not 

include a requirement to fit CO 

alarms where gas appliances are 

present and gas appliances cause 

the majority of CO incidents in 

rented accommodation across the 

UK. 

Throughout various iterations of 

safety standards, the level of safety 

provided for those living in buildings 

with multiple units has always been 

intended to equate to that of those 

living in houses. The key here is 

ensuring that there are processes in 

place so residents are alerted to any 

danger quickly. 

This presents a challenge. The 

potential for fire or CO leakage to 

spread from one residence to 

another has always been a concern 

for those specifying alarms. Alerting 

an entire building to a problem that 

initially developed in an individual 

flat, and not just the immediate 

tenants and their neighbours, is 

vital. 

It’s for this reason that 

interconnected alarm systems are 

becoming increasingly popular. An 

interconnected system means that 

every alarm in the building is linked, 

and if one is triggered, all of the 

others will also activate. This ensures 

that every occupant is alerted to the 

danger no matter where in the 

building they are. 

Honeywell’s wireless system, for 

example, uses a flood type network; 

ensuring interconnected alarms send 

and receive information from each 

alarm in the network. Therefore the 

time taken for every alarm to sound 

is significantly reduced, allowing 

more time to evacuate in an 

emergency. 

Our X-Series alarms, for example, 

can all be connected wirelessly using 

a plug-in module to form a full 

alarm system of up to 32 connected 

alarms. The XW100 module simply 

clicks into any X-Series alarm, 

offering full protection to a building 

within minutes and features easyto-understand 

LED indicators to 

Blast resistant, natural 

ventilation is possible 

Windows from Crittall-Fendor that can be left open for natural 

ventilation but which slam shut automatically in the event of a 

blast can enhance the working environment in hazardous sites 

without compromising safety. 

The company’s BlastLine SlamShut window has a restricted opening 

that allows natural 

ventilation and also 

features as standard 

thermally enhanced 

glass that contributes 

towards energy 

efficiency. The 

reinforced steel or 

stainless steel frame is 

narrow so as to 

maximise natural 

light, ventilation and 

increased airflow. 

In the event of an 

explosion the opening 

vent is slammed 

closed by blast 

Pre-test (above) and post-test (below). 

pressure. The window 

is designed to be low 

maintenance, is 

finished in an anticorrosive 

paint 

system, and features 

an integrated water 

drainage system. 

Because it is 

openable it reduces 

the need for air 

conditioning in 

petrochemical 

facilities, offices and 

modular buildings. It 

is fitted with the 

SlamShut latch and locking system for security and can be supplied with 

an energy efficient coating. 

Different fire rated options (to EN1654 and EN1560) are available and 

glazing can be single, double, triple, security or acoustic. It is available in a 

full RAL/BS powder colour range or with a bespoke finish. 

The BlastLine SlamShut window has been tested to GN04-105, ASCE 

Design of Blast Resistant Buildings and GSA Standard. 

Web: www.crittall-fendor.co.uk 


FIRE & SAFETY 

SMART PANELS 

Plant ahead for intelligent fire protection 

by Peter Lackey, UK Fire Product Manager, Tyco. 

False fire alarms can be a major 

annoyance. Not only are they 

disruptive and expense to the 

organisation in question, they 

are also a huge waste of time for the 

fire brigade. Non-fire events place an 

unnecessary strain on already 

stretched resources, not to mention 

the increased risk of a crash on the 

way to a false alarm or a delayed 

response to an actual event. 

To combat the problem, facilities 

managers need to invest in smart 

field devices and alarm control 

panels. Intelligent connected 

technology can help companies to 

reduce false alarms, increase accuracy 

of fire diagnosis and provide useful 

insight for fire safety crew to act 

swiftly should a real fire occur. 

The world of fire prevention is 

standing on the cusp of a new era. 

We are now seeing the introduction 

of smart technology, including the 

use of intelligent analytics and 

multiple-input detection, with the 

upshot that fire officers have access 

to a whole world of possibilities that 

were previously out of reach. 

A situation in which an 

automated alarm system integrates 

with smart building systems (CCTV 

and access management, for 

example) to decide the appropriate 

response to an event is increasingly 

becoming reality. Smart technology 

will significantly improve efficiency, 

accuracy and reliability. What’s more, 

the digital technology employed by 

modern systems generally allows the 

reuse of existing cabling (subject to 

an engineer’s inspection), which saves 

considerable project cost and 

channels investment into technology, 

rather than cabling and labour. 

STOPPING FALSE ALARMS 

By implementing this kind of 

intelligent panel technology, 

companies can get early, reliable 

detection of all fire types, and work 

towards a zero-tolerance approach to 

potential sources of false and 

unwanted alarms. Smart panels can 

analyse multiple alarm indicators and 

so help to reduce instances of 

misdiagnosis and unneeded call-outs. 

It’s also essential to ensure that 

the field detection technology which 

feeds into the panel is up to scratch. 

It’s essential to have the correct 

mode of detection for the risk in 

question, and detectors must be able 

to report on all the likely products of 

combustion in the area. Data must 

also be transferred back to the panel 

with speed and accuracy, and it must 

arrive uncorrupted if the panel is to 

work correctly. 

Such systems can examine all 

activity and filter real fires from false 

alarms automatically through a 

powerful and accurate set of 

algorithms using the ‘fuzzy logic’ 

principle. As a result, they don’t 

require an external investigation of 

events, reducing call-out costs. 

Modern systems must also give 

the building occupier the confidence 

to use the system in the daily 

management of the fire safety 

strategy. A modern control panel 

should be able to accept bespoke 

information relevant to the site as 

well as describing the appropriate 

action to take when an alarm sounds. 

To ensure this information is as easily 

accessible as possible, the panel needs 

to have intuitive instructions and 

controls. 

SCOPE AND SCALE 

Smart panels should also be able to 

operate smoothly in a wide range of 

different environments, from office 

blocks to factory floors. By 

implementing a modular design, in 

which new loops can be added easily 

to existing systems, fire systems can 

be tailored to any type of building - 

including developing sites like 

growing hospitals or burgeoning 

business districts. Smart panel 

controllers can expand and adapt to 

changes in the system, so if a facility 

is extended or a new site is 

introduced, there’s no need for extra 

cabling and labour, which means that 

installation is quick and safety levels 

can be ensured. Multiple panels can 

also be hooked up over vast distances 

to ensure that the entire organisation 

can be protected by a single unified 

system. 

Speed and accuracy are critical in 

protecting people, assets and valuable 

infrastructure from fire. Today’s fire 

prevention professionals demand an 

alert system that is reliable even in 

the harshest of environments but also 

cost effective to run. By investing in 

advanced, future-proof technology, 

organisations in all sectors can 

benefit from the next generation of 

fire safety, as well as making tangible 

and significant savings in operational 

and maintenance costs in the long 

run. 

LOOKING FORWARD 

Installers and end-users alike are 

faced with a challenging task when it 

comes to moving onto the next 

APOLLO FIRE DETECTORS 

Staff and pupils at Marchwood 

Junior School, near 

Southampton, are benefitting 

from the reliability and 

innovation of the new SOTERIA® 

range from Apollo Fire Detectors in 

an installation which marks the 

range’s first educational application. 

With nearly 300 pupils aged 7– 

11, Marchwood Junior School is 

housed within a uniquely designed 

building which was built in the 

1980s and refurbished in 2004, 

when a single storey extension was 

added. 

In 2016, Southern Fire Alarms 

(SFA) was awarded the tender by 

Hampshire County Council (HCC) to 

specify and install a new fire 

detection system at the school. The 

old system was obsolete and noncompliant 

and was due for renewal 

as part of the HCC Schools’ 

Refurbishment Programme. The 

school building contains many open 

areas with high ceilings and 

interconnected spaces, presenting 

generation of technology. There can 

be a resistance to change, a worry 

that installation, integration and dayto-day 

use will be difficult - and 

ultimately, that a hard-to-use fire 

alarm might be more dangerous than 

an old one. 

That way of thinking must 

change. There’s a world of 

opportunity out there for fire officers 

and installers willing to be bold and 

step up. Together intelligent 

analytics, flexible provisioning, widearea 

protection and user-friendly 

interfacing offer users a powerful 

and effective way to keep their assets 

and staff safe. False alarms will 

increasingly become a thing of the 

past. It’s a brave new world - all you 

have to do is take the first step. 

Web: www.tycoifs.co.uk 

challenges which the designer of the 

fire detection system needed to 

overcome. 

Apollo Fire Detectors, which has 

an established relationship with SFA, 

suggested the use of SOTERIA® for a 

number of reasons as Charles Smith, 

Head of Product Management, 

explained: “SOTERIA® was the ideal 

choice for Marchwood Junior 

School. The advanced technology 

used within the range significantly 

improves the detection of smoke, 

enhances the reliability of the 

detection process, and reduces the 

risk of false alarms. Our stringent 

testing procedures offer peace of 

mind to staff, pupils and parents, 

with products comprehensively 

tested to exceed EN54-5 and EN54- 

7 standards. At Apollo, we’re really 

proud to have been part of this 

project, which marks the first 

educational installation of SOTERIA® 

in the UK.” 

For more information on SOTERIA® 

visit www.apollo-fire.co.uk/soteria 


FIRE & SAFETY 

Fire Safety at Great Scotland Yard 

WES+ fire alarm system is protecting the original Scotland Yard police station in London whilst 

it is turned into a five-star luxury hotel by Galliard Homes. 

The historic building served as the 

headquarters for the Metropolitan police 

from 1829 to 1890 and the £110m 

development involves retaining the original 

Edwardian façade. When completed, the new fivestar 

hotel will offer rooms costing up to £10,000 a 

night. 

Galliard Homes makes fire safety a priority on 

all its developments, which is why the project 

team at Great Scotland Yard set about identifying 

what they considered to be the ‘most effective fire 

alarm system’ currently available. 

The company had used a hard wired firm alarm 

system on other construction sites but found it to 

be cumbersome. The trailing wires created a trip 

hazard and the process of repositioning the call 

points as work progressed was both time 

consuming and required a qualified electrician. 

David Ridge, Sites Services Manager at Galliard 

Homes, said: “We felt that there must be a better 

way of protecting the Great Scotland Yard 

development from the dangers of fire. Following 

extensive research we identified WES+ as a system 

that would provide us with a step-change in 

usability by the fact it is wireless.” 

He added: “That overcame the challenges we 

had with hard wired systems and being compliant 

with the relevant sections of EN 54 meant that we 

were also confident that it gave us the best fire 

protection. When we complete Great Scotland 

Yard later this year, we will be able to transfer the 

WES+ system to our next project, making it is the 

best and most cost effective system on the market 

today without doubt.” 

The WES+ system installed at Great Scotland 

Yard will trigger a site-wide alarm even if just one 

of the manual call points or automatic heat/smoke 

detectors are activated. This will allow all 

personnel to evacuate the site and rescue services 

to be alerted at the earliest opportunity. 

Incorporating heat/smoke detectors into the 

WES+ fire alarm system means that the iconic 

Great Scotland Yard is protected 24/7, even when 

personnel are not present on site. Nominated 

personnel at Galliard Homes will instantly receive a 

text alert if any call point is activated. 

The WES+ fire alarm system, which can be 

installed with a few simple button-presses to pair 

the interconnecting call points, creates a 

completely secure mesh network. The scalable 

nature of the system means that up to several 

thousand units can be paired, making it suitable 

for large and small construction sites. A silent test 

facility eliminates downtime on site. 

Additional complexity was added on this 

project because it is in the heart of one of 

London’s most popular tourist areas and 

surrounding by other significant buildings that 

house large numbers of people. A fire doing 

construction could soon spread to adjoining 

buildings. As the dangers of fires on construction 

sites become better understood an increasing 

number of developers are specifying a WES+ fire 

alarm system. 

Insurance companies and clients are also 

encouraging developers to use an EN 54 compliant 

fire alarm system that incorporates automatic heat 

/ smoke detectors. Zurich Insurance has stated that 

there is an ‘expectation that customers comply 

with the Joint Code of Practice Fire Code 

guidelines as far as is practicable and reasonable’. 

The Joint Code of Practice on the Protection 

from Fire of Construction Sites and Buildings 

Undergoing Renovation (JCOP) now contains the 

advice; Components of automatic fire detection 

and alarm systems should be marked as complying 

with EN 54 (paragraph 13.8). 

Along with Galliard Homes, WES+ is currently 

used by over 75 percent of the top 100 UK 

constructions companies to protect personnel and 

assets from fire on site. It is designed specifically 

for construction sites and has a three-year battery 

life. 

To ensure your site has the best possible 

protection from fire, whilst complying EN 54, 

call the WES+ helpline: 00 44 (0) 115 822 3424 

Web: www.wesfire.co.uk 


FIRE & SAFETY 

Multiple Choice 

Kidde discusses the growing diversity of selection criteria applied today 

to domestic smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms. 

Without doubt, smoke 

and heat alarms save 

lives but, of course, 

third party certification 

such as BSi Kitemarking and longterm 

reliability are essential – 

particularly in a critical area like fire 

safety. But whole-life commitments 

from manufacturers are important 

as well. For example, Kidde’s Slick 

brand is the only range of fast-fit 

rechargeable smoke and heat alarms 

guaranteed for 10 years. 

STRAIGHTFORWARD 

INSTALLATION 

Straightforward installation is also a 

consideration and Kidde’s Slick fastfit 

system utilises a separate base 

plate that can be installed and its 

integral terminal block wired at first 

fix. Then, near completion, the alarm 

simply slides onto the base plate 

hinge flap and locks into place by 

default. 

Interest in energy saving is now 

focusing on safety products as well 

and the latest Firex smoke and heat 

alarms, manufactured and supplied 

exclusively by Kidde, cost less than 

£1 per year to run – a major benefit 

for tenants and homeowners. The 

Firex range also includes options for 

long-life lithium battery back-up, 

alongside the usual loose battery 

and integral rechargeable battery 

versions. This innovation ensures 

reliable backup throughout the 

whole alarm life, without the need 

to change batteries, at a much lower 

price than rechargeable products. 

SWIFT SOLUTIONS 

Mains smoke alarms are a Building 

Regulation requirement and 

recommended for most existing 

housing and all rented properties 

under BS5839 Part 6. But there may 

still be situations where battery 

smoke alarms can provide quick, 

simple protection – particularly 

where no alarms are present at all. 

For example, Kidde’s 10Y29 optical 

smoke alarm has a full 10-year 

guarantee covering both the alarm 

and sealed-in lithium battery, and is 

simply installed without wiring – 

features shared with Kidde’s selfcontained 

10LLCO and 10LLDCO 

carbon monoxide alarms. 

These CO alarms are full of 

features and the CO sensors – the 

key component – are actually tested 

throughout a 10-year period or 

longer. Kidde also offers a wide 

“ 

Kidde’s 10-year guarantee, sealed-in battery, smoke and CO 

” 

alarms can be simply and quickly installed without wiring 

range of other CO alarms including 

the 4MCO and 4MDCO mains CO 

alarms. These can be interconnected 

with each other and also the 

company’s Slick or Firex ranges of 

smoke and heat alarms using the 

unique ‘Smart Interconnect’ feature 

to create a comprehensive system 

for whole home protection. 

Crucially, the CO alarms have 

different, distinct alarm sounder 

patterns for carbon monoxide and 

fire, supported by different display 

messages on the digital model. 

SMART INTERCONNECT 

So, without the need for any further 

operation of the system (such as 

remote switches), Smart 

Interconnect automatically alerts 

occupants of the specific hazard 

that confronts them. This allows 

them to respond quickly, making the 

right choice from the very different 

alternative actions for either fire or 

the presence of carbon monoxide. 

Using Smart Interconnect, Kidde CO 

alarms act as sounders for the 

smoke/heat alarm system as well as 

warning of carbon monoxide. This is 

particularly useful in bedrooms 

where occupants may not be 

awoken by landing smoke alarms. 

For peace of mind, the long-term 

reliability of CO alarms is also 

critical – particularly with the 

presence of non-compliant products 

in the market. An established 

manufacturer with a reputation for 

quality, supported by third party 

accreditation, is essential. All Kidde 

CO alarms, whether hard-wired or 

battery, are BSi Kitemarked and 

comply with the latest edition of BS 

EN 50291:2010. Kidde also 

manufactures its own sensors, 

allowing tighter quality controls to 

be applied. 

For more information, call: 01753 

766392, email: 

sales@kiddesafety.co.uk or visit: 

www.kiddesafetyeurope.co.uk 


FIRE SAFETY 

SPRINKLERS: A case of better protection 

The Grenfell Tower tragedy has led to a nationwide debate around fire safety, especially concerning building 

materials, regulations and the value of fire sprinkler systems. On the specific call for the fitting of sprinklers, 

only residential buildings erected after 2007 and taller than 30 metres are required by Building Regulations to 

be fitted with sprinkler systems. But the fire has led housing stock owners such as councils and housing 

associations having to look beyond the tragedy and rolling out additional fire safety measures and considering 

retrofitting sprinklers in existing buildings. However the deciding factor about whether or not to fit sprinklers 

should not be about how tall a building is but more around what benefits do sprinklers offer in terms of both 

protection of life as well as protection of property. 

The tragic recent events have 

not stopped at the door of 

residential property owners as 

others sectors have now 

started to look at their property 

portfolios and how well they are 

protected. Designers, owners and 

users of student accommodation, 

hotels, healthcare and commercial 

and industrial buildings, all need to 

recognise the value of fire protection 

with sprinkler systems reducing the 

risk to life and significantly reducing 

the degree of damage caused by fire 

and in these cases the costs of 

business interruption. 

Evidence shows that while 

sprinklers are primarily intended to 

contain or control fires, they can 

also be instrumental in saving the 

lives of people. There are no cases 

on record of multiple fire deaths 

occurring in buildings with 

appropriately designed and properly 

installed and maintained sprinkler 

systems. The evidence also shows 

that no lives have been lost in the 

UK due to fire in homes fitted with 

domestic sprinkler systems. 

CALLOW MOUNT 

Despite one of the enduring myths 

about sprinklers being costly and 

tricky to fit into buildings after their 

initial construction, a number of 

local authorities are actively 

retrofitting sprinklers to some of 

their housing stock. 

Following the Lakanal House fire 

in 2009, a pilot project was 

undertaken at Callow Mount, a 13- 

storey, 1960’s tower block in 

Sheffield. It took only four weeks to 

successfully install sprinklers within 

47 flats and was completed with 

little or no disruption to the 

residents who remained in their 

homes throughout the installation 

programme. 

The sprinkler installation was 

carried out at a cost of £1,150 per 

flat. The cost of annual maintenance 

will be £250 per year if a contract 

for the whole block is entered into 

and if access can be guaranteed at 

the same time. The combined cost of 

installation and maintenance 

provides an annualised cost per flat 

of £40 over a 30 year timeframe. The 

Callow Mount retrofit project proved 

conclusively that it is possible to 

retrofit sprinklers into an existing 

high-rise block without having to 

evacuate and relocate the tenants. 

Sheffield Council is using the 

learnings from its Callow Mount 

pilot to retrofit sprinklers to about 

540 low-rise, timber frame, ranchstyle 

maisonettes. 

As a result of the outcome of 

Callow Mount project, a number of 

housing authorities and associations 

have installed sprinklers in an 

increasing number of high and low 

rise social housing schemes. 

A CALL FOR SPRINKLERS 

The events at Grenfell have far 

ranging implications for other 

sectors with recent devastating fires 

at the Weybridge Health Centre and 

Camden Market bringing into sharp 

focus the vulnerability of 

unsprinklered buildings. 

Housing two GP practices, a 

walk-in centre and other NHS 

services, the Weybridge Health 

Centre fire in the early hours of July 

12th spread across all three floors of 

the building. The unsprinklered 

building was completely destroyed 

and all medical services have been 

transferred to alternative sites. In 

addition to the disruption to staff 

and patients in the local community, 

the fire caused the evacuation of 

nearby residents and road closures. 

At Camden Market three days 

earlier, 10 fire engines and 70 

firefighters attended a blaze in a 

building containing different 

businesses and market stalls. While 

the cause of the fire is under 

investigation, the first, second and 

third floors, plus the roof of the 

building were severely damaged by 

the blaze. This market building did 

not have sprinklers which is in stark 

contrast to a fire earlier on February 

28th that broke out at the Stables 

Market in another area of Camden 

Market. In this case, a sprinkler 

system has been retrofitted and 

helped control the spread of the fire 

at a market stall until firefighters 

arrived, with crews able to confine 

the fire on the ground floor where 

the blaze originated. 

The sprinklers controlled the fire 

spread in the Stables Market fire, 

limiting damage to the building and 

preventing anyone from being put 

at risk. 

So as well as limiting fire 

damage and being potentially lifesaving 

devices, sprinklers and other 

fire suppression systems helped with 

business continuity by minimising 

disruption and allowing businesses 

to get back to normal as soon as 

possible. 

BUSINESS RESILIENCE 

One of the most efficient and 

effective ways to reduce the 

impact of fire is through measures 

which ensure that when fires start 

they are quickly extinguished so 

that damage is minimised. Fire 

sprinkler systems do just this – 

they make buildings and businesses 

resilient to the impact of fire 

because they automatically control 

or even put out the fire before the 

fire and rescue service arrives, with 

the result that the business can be 

up and running again usually 

within hours of the incident. 

It should always be appreciated 

that UK fire safety laws seek to 

ensure only minimum standards of 

fire protection for the safety of 

persons in and around buildings. By 

simply complying with fire safety 

legislation, a building owner might 

not be adequately protecting either 

the building or their future business 

activity. 

A wide-ranging review of the 

building regulations relating to fire, 

particularly the guidance contained 

in Approved Document B (ADB) is 

long overdue. It is needed to protect 

people and property from fire and 

help business and building owners 

better understand the threat that 

fire poses to their infrastructure and 

future. 

Having sprinklers fitted therefore 

protects businesses in the long run, 

safeguarding them against 

potentially disastrous losses, which 

amount to £3.4m each day across 

the UK. By preventing large fires, 

they also protect the environment 

by avoiding CO2 emissions, excess 

FRS water use and water supply 

contamination and by preventing 

buildings from being destroyed by 

fire. Proven time and again with 

consistent reliability, sprinkler 

systems control or extinguish fires in 

99% of cases and are a small price 

to pay to ensure people and 

property are protected. 

Efficiency and Effectiveness of 

Sprinkler Systems in the United 

Kingdom: An Analysis from Fire 

Service Data – May 2017 

Web: 

www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org 


N E W P R O D U C T S • N E W P R O D U C T S • N E W P R O D U C T S 

New wall-liner provides improved thermal 

performance for refurb of solid walls 

The A. Proctor Group has 

extended its range with an 

innovative new thin internal 

wall liner, which will signifi 

cantly improve the thermal 

performance of solid wall dwellings. 

Spacetherm WL (Wall Liner) is a 

high-performance laminate specifi 

cally designed to be fi xed to the 

internal surfaces of existing solid 

walls without the need for 

mechanical fi xings. Spacetherm WL 

consists of 10mm Spacetherm 

aerogel insulation blanket bonded to 

3mm Magnesium Oxide Board 

(MgO), for use in applications where 

improved therma performance is 

required with limited space. 

Spacetherm WL can achieve 

similar performance to traditional 

plasterboard laminates, but at a 

fraction of the thickness allowing 

greater fl exibility for refurbishment 

projects. At just 13mm thick, in 

many cases, there is no need to 

remove skirting boards and cornices, 

saving time and cost. 

Typically, a solid wall will have a 

U value of around 2.1 W/m2K. 

Following the application of 

Spacetherm WL this can be reduced 

to around 0.8 W/m2K, dependent on 

the wall structure. Specifi c 

calculations can be provided upon 

request. 

The Spacetherm WL system can 

be used with a variety of decorative 

fi nishes such as paint, wallpaper 

and tiles, and is easily installed in 

line with the manufacturer’s 

guidelines. 

Web: www.proctorgroup.com 

Saint-Gobain Weber introduces weberspec and 

new RIBA approved tile fixing CPD 

Saint-Gobain Weber 

manufactures a 

comprehensive range of high 

quality products for 

professional tile fixers and 

applicators and is recognised for 

bringing innovative, high 

performance technologies to the 

market. This includes Low Dust 

Technology, the proven 

formulation that significantly 

reduces airborne dust created during 

the pouring and mixing processes, 

and ECO SMART Cement 

Replacement Technology 

demonstrating Weber’s commitment 

to sustainability. 

Weber’s latest introduction is the 

new easy to use WeberSpec online 

tool that allows architects and 

specifiers to create up-to-date and 

technically accurate tiling 

specifications at 

www.weberspec.co.uk. In a simple 

registration procedure an account 

can be opened and accessed by 

email and password. A project brief 

is required with prompts to enter 

specific fields such as: the surface to 

be tiled; the substrate; type and area 

of tiling; finish and movement 

joints. A full M40 specification to 

NBS standards is automatically 

generated, including all necessary 

components and ancillaries. The 

M40 specification is saved in the 

account which can be accessed at a 

later date or amended if necessary. 

This specification is supported by 

British Standard BS 5385, the 

recognised Code of Practice for wall 

and floor tiling. 

“WeberSpec is a completely free 

M40 specification tool constructed 

on an easy-to-use platform, but 

when advice is required our 

technical team is on hand,” says 

Tracey Dempster, head of marketing, 

Saint-Gobain Weber. “And, to 

support WeberSpec, we have also 

introduced a new RIBA-Assessed 

CPD: Floor Tiling onto Calcium 

Sulphate Screeds. This is a subject 

frequently raised by architects, 

contractors and applicators with our 

technical team.” 

The main learning aim of the 

new CPD is to assist in the design 

and specification process. By 

identifying potential problems and 

how to avoid them, specifiers will 

learn to understand the key 

considerations when detailing tiling 

work on anhydrite screeds and 

meeting industry standards. This 30 

minute CPD can be presented by 

Saint-Gobain Weber’s specification 

team either on site or at a clients’ 

office, and has been designed for 

individuals and small groups. 

“We pride ourselves in providing 

full technical advice and application 

support, helping customers and 

clients to specify the right solution 

for every project,” continues 

Dempster. “As a global business, 

Saint-Gobain is totally committed to 

training through in-house 

programmes and at Technical 

Academies across the UK and Ireland 

to ensure correct specification and 

application every time.” 

Saint-Gobain Weber provides a 

10 year materials guarantee on all 

tile adhesives and grouts which are 

manufactured under the 

requirements of BS EN ISO 

9001:2000. 

For more information, or for 

technical support, please contact 

Saint-Gobain Weber on 08703 330 

070 to book a CPD, or visit 

www.weberspec.co.uk to generate 

your Weber specification. 

A free download of the new 

WeberSpec app is available for iPad 

users from the App Store. Follow 

Saint-Gobain Weber on Twitter 

@SGWeberUK for the latest 

company news and updates. 


PRODUCTS & SERVICES DIRECTORY 

BUYERS GUIDE 

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION CALL SUE ON 020 8504 1661 

RAINWATER GOODS 

J & J W LONGBOTTOM LTD 

Bridge Foundry, Holmfirth, Nr Huddersfield HD7 1AW 

Tel: 01484 682141 Fax: 01484 681513 

Traditional Ironfounders producing Cast Iron 

Rainwater and Soil Goods comprising: 

• Moulded Gutters (including OGEE, Box, Boundary 

Wall) 

• Curved Gutters to individual radius 

• Rainwater Pipes & Fitting (Round & Rectangular) 

• Soil Pipes & Fittings (BS416) 

• Ornamental Rainwater heads (over 160 patterns) 

• Air Bricks ( 6 types, inc ornamental) 

• Manhole Covers & Frames 

• Gratings, Grids & ancillary Ironwork 

40 page fully illustrated catalogue available on request. 

Full “ex stock” service and special requirements made 

promptly. Regular delivery over all UK. 

COOLING SYSTEMS 

C h i l l e r s b u i l t f o r y o u 

0118 918 1400 

Call or email today for a brochure or a free 

no-obligation site survey 

www.thermagroup.com/chillers | sales@thermagroup.com 

CLADDING 

EUROCLAD is the UK’s home-grown, independent supplier of metal roof and wall 

products which provide exceptional acoustic and thermal performance for the life of 

a building. Products are sustainably credible with proven routes for recycling and 

disposal. Euroclad listens to the needs of its customers and offers high performance, 

cost effective solutions. 

Founded in 1981 Euroclad has taken huge strides over three decades, consistently 

investing in people and technology to satisfy customer needs. Cutting edge UK 

manufacturing maintains Euroclad’s position at the forefront of the metal roofing and 

cladding industry. 

As part of its commitment to quality, service and the environment, Euroclad operates 

a Quality Management System approved to BS EN ISO 9001:2008 and an 

Environmental Management System approved to BS EN ISO 14001:2004. 

Euroclad’s Elite Systems provide a package of components from leading 

manufacturers which combine to form guaranteed roof and wall systems with 

defined performance. They offer superior, proven roofing and cladding solutions that 

are easy to specify and offer great performance throughout their lifetime. 

Elite Systems can be used for a multitude of roof and wall applications, all with 

inherent design flexibility. Trapezoidal, secret fix and standing seam roof options are 

available, with Opus plank, Sinusoidal, Half Round and Trapezoidal wall profiles. 

Elite Systems offer reliability too; with a standard 12 year system guarantee and the 

option of an ElitePLUS system with a 25 year system guarantee. 

Also available from Euroclad is the popular Vieo roof and wall solution and rainscreen 

facades via Specialist manufacturer Booth Muirie. 

EUROCLAD LTD, Wentloog Corporate Park, Cardiff CF3 2ER 

T: 02920 847 813 E: john.dunnington@euroclad.co.uk 

W: www.euroclad.com | www.vieoroof.com 

SECONDARY GLAZING 

ThermOzone 

T h e C o o l i n g S p e c i a l i s t s 

Secondary Glazing 

For seamless integration with the added benefit of: 

Warmer Quieter Safer 

TM 

Major energy savings 

Nationwide service 

FREE design service 

2- 5 years warranty 

Typical installation 30 

days min 

NuChill 

• Most effective method of sound proofing 

• Exemplary thermal retention and draught 

insulation 

• Reversible adaptation for heritage 

• Secured by Design 

A T h e r m O z o n e P r o d u c t 

T:01727 837271 

www.selectaglaze.co.uk 

@selectaglaze 


PRODUCTS & SERVICES DIRECTORY 

BUYERS GUIDE 

STAINED GLASS 

EXTERNAL WALL INSULATION 

Tel : 01942 717100 Email: info@wbs-ltd.co.uk 

WOOD REPAIR 

THE DESOWOOD REPAIR SYSTEM 

A DURABLE 

ALTERNATIVE TO 

LINSEED OIL PUTTY 

DESOWOOD DAP 

ELASTIC GLAZING 

SEALANT 

● A Product with an established record for performance. 

● A Product with over 20 year’s history in use. 

● Ideal for windows affected by break down of linseed oil putty. 

● Ideal for sash and casement windows. 

● For use on existing or new bead glazed windows. 

● Ideal for fixing single or double glazed sealed units on puttied or 

bead glazed windows. 

● For fixing laminated / safety glass. 

● Can be used on softwood, hardwood and metal windows. 

● Ideal for sealing plywood or pre-finished ‘in-fil’ panels. 

● Ideal replacement for ‘Back putties’ on windows affected by 

condensation on internally bead glazed windows. 

● Improves paint durability and contributes towards the prevention 

of wood decay 

● Can be painted with an opaque paint finish or translucent wood 

stain. 

● Excellent adhesion to timber, metal, concrete, brick and glass. 

Wetherby Building Systems Ltd is the UK’s market leader in the manufacture 

and distribution of a wide range of external wall insulation (EWI) systems, 

polymer modified renders, silicone & acrylic thin-coat renders & brick slip 

systems for the retrofit market. 

Wetherby’s insulated render systems offer environmentally sympathetic 

external façade solutions that have been successfully installed on many 

domestic refurbishment projects, new build schemes, commercial buildings 

and educational establishments for over 20 years. 

With over 7 million untreated solid wall properties in the UK the government 

recognise the urgent need to tackle this housing stock to reduce energy bills 

and cut carbon emissions. 

Following the clients choice of insulant, Wetherby can then offer a range of 

different renders and polymeric coatings in an unlimited colour range 

ensuring whatever finish or colour the client wishes to achieve we can 

match. 

Complementing the render systems Wetherby also offer a unique brick slip 

system, allowing the façade to match traditional brickwork and increasing 

the scope for design. Including our new 7mm Brick 

Wetherby operate through a 

network of approved installers, 

all of whom are trained and 

regularly inspected to ensure 

specifications and best site 

practices are followed. 

Wetherby offer a comprehensive 

technical service to ensure 

potential customers have all the 

information to specify the 

correct system that will achieve 

maximum efficiency of the EWI 

specification. 

www.wbs-ltd.co.uk 

Tel: 01767 682446 E:sales@desofil-uk.com 

THE DESOWOOD REPAIR SYSTEM 

Web-site: www.desofil-uk.com 

BUILDERS SURPLUS COMPANY 

Pindar Road, Hoddesdon EN11 0BZ 

Please phone Danny: 0786 222 1931 Matt: 07900 241361 


PROJECTS 

e 

Sustainability/Energy Efficiency 

The need to improve the energy 

efficiency of all the country’s existing 

housing and commercial building stock. 

Preview of EcoBuild at 

ExCel London 79th March 

Coatings & Finishes 

Internal & external applications for 

timber, stone & brick and products 

in action. 

Social Housing 

EDITORIAL FEATURES 2017 

Roofing/Cladding/Floor Renewable Energy 

ing/Interiors 

Energy Savings with 

A guide to materials, air/ground source heat 

Building Services 

applications, Including Heating & designs, 

Ventilation, Fire pumps, biomass and 

Protection, Insulation and Lighting. 

fixings Renewable and Energy 

other forms of 

developments. Preview renewable energy. 

of RCI Show 1st 2nd Preview of UKCW 

Nov 

JULY / AUGUST 

Sustainability 

Insulation / Energy Efficiency 

The Built Environment and a review of Innovative products, case studies in 

sustainable building products. 

Building 

saving energy 

Services 

& ways of reducing 

carbon footprint. 

Building Conservation / 

Restoration 

A look at the many 

specialist aspects of 

Roofing/Cladding/Flooring/Interiors 

A guide to materials, applications, 

designs, fixings and developments. 

Preview of RCI Show 1st 2nd Nov 

conservation/restoratio 

n, the companies 

involved & their 

particular skills in 

helping to improve the 

Building Conservation / Restoration 

A look at the many specialist aspects of 

conservation/restoration, the 

companies involved & their particular 

skills in helping to improve the standard 

of conservation carried out on our built 

heritage. 

standard of 

conservation carried out 

on our built heritage. 

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 

School Building 

Fire Safety & Security 

The repair and modernisation of school Fire Protection and Security products & 

buildings. 

services. 


SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 

MARCH / APRIL 

Health & Safety 

Health Sector Building 

News, Products, Services, Legislation. Another & services. sector of prime importance 

Preview IFSEC & Firex 20th22nd June. this year with the refurb of many 


hospitals Social and Housing 

health sector buildings. 

MAY / JUNE 

10th Doors & Windows 12th Oct & Glass & Glazing Fire Safety & Security 

The case put to repair or replace, and a Fire Protection and Security products 

look at systems available in PVCU, & services. 

timber, metal and composite materials. School Building 

The use of glass / glazing in refurb. 

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 

Heating & Ventilation 

Energy Efficiency and 


This sector will be active as Contractors 

and 

Roofing/Cladding 

Housing Associations increase their 

activity in repair & maintenance. 

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 

‘Green’ issues. Materials. 

Renewable Energy 


Renewable Energy Savings with energy. air/ground source 

heat pumps, biomass and other forms 

of renewable energy. 

Preview of UKCW 10th 12th Oct 

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 

Building Services 

Heating & Ventilation Energy Efficiency 

and ‘Green’ issues. 

Renewable energy. 


Fire Protection and 

Security products 

Flat and Pitch Systems, 

Case Studies and 

Fire Protection and Security products 

& services. 


Roofing/Cladding 

Flat and Pitch Systems, Case Studies 

and Materials. 

Sustainability matters 

Sustainability has always been an important part of our DNA at 

Grundfos and much focus and effort has been directed at ensuring that 

every contributory factor comes under scrutiny. Two recent tangible 

examples of this are, a partnership with the Danish Refugee Council to 

secure access to water and sanitation in some of the world’s largest refugee 

communities, and the second would be the way Grundfos is delivering water in 

an urban settlement in Nairobi in a unique and innovative way. 

Another clear indicator of commitment is the recently updated Grundfos 

Code of Conduct - that now includes an even stronger commitment to 

upholding human rights and clearly outlines anti-corruption initiatives - as 

well as showing how we are continuing with our efforts within the area of 

social responsibility. This for instance is exemplified by an initiative in Mexico, 

where our production company plays a key part in getting former criminals 

back on track through employment. 

Other on-going and successful initiatives can be found in our commitment 

to reducing our environmental impact. We have cut CO2 emission by 7.2%, our 

water consumption by 5% and our energy use by 2% in 2016. 

For more information on these and other initiatives visit 

www.grundfos.co.uk 

www.refurbprojects.com 

Fire Safety with Crittall Fabrications 

Architects and designers 

planning a fire escape route 

within their buildings can 

now specify Crittall 

Fabrications glazed partitions and 

doorsets. As the use of such glazed 

partitioning to transform the 

interiors of both new build and 

refurbished properties gains in 

popularity, in commercial, retail, 

hotel and educational 

establishments in both the UK and 

the US, Crittall Fabrications offers 

the ideal solution. 

Its extensive range of steel fire 

rated glazed doorsets, flush fitting 

steel fire rated doors, and fire rated 

steel glazed partition walling 

provides a winning blend of 

elegance and peace of mind. All the 

company’s glazed partitioning 

products comply fully with the 

appropriate BS and EN standards. 

As accredited manufacturers 

Crittall Fabrications can assist the 

creation of fire route plans by 

supporting design ratification, 

technical information, test 

certification and documentation. 

Clients may choose supply-only, or a 

full design and installation service 

which is offered through The Crittall 

Group 

Fire rated steel doorsets and steel 

glazed partitioning can be supplied 

as single or double-leaf doorsets, 

with a range of latches or handles, 

with sliding doors, a break-in/breakout 

emergency function and with 

fire ratings that range from 30 to 

120 minutes integrity or 30 to 60 

minutes integrity and insulation. 

All Crittall Fabrication 

fenestration and doorsets are known 

for their combination of elegance 

and toughness thanks to the slim 

profile and inherent strength of steel 

components. To this is added the 

factory-applied powder coating that 

provides an extremely hard-wearing, 

highly durable, maintenance-free 

finish. 

The doorsets and partitioning 

compliments all other product 

ranges within the Crittall group of 

companies so they blend 

consistently and aesthetically with 

the choice of external glazing. 

Web: 

www.crittall-fabrications.co.uk 


26 & 27 

SEPTEMBER 

DISCOVER THE LATEST TOOLS, TRENDS 

AND DESIGN IDEAS TO TRANSFORM YOUR 

RESTAURANT PREMISES 

OVER 80 SEMIANRS INCLUDING: NG: 

Lisa Prisk 

Head of Creative, 

Tossed 

Jon Dover 

Founder, 

Dover Designs 

LEE NESS 

General Manager, Global 

Upholstery Solutions Ltd 

80 SEMINARS 

Fuel your business ideas, and hear from the 

most current professionals in the industry 

5 ZONES 

Including; Lighting, Al Fresco, Design, 

Furniture, Surfaces and more! 

120 EXHIBITORS 

From innovative design aids to bespoke 

furnishings,we’ve got it all! 

@RestDesignShow 

#RBDesignShow 

@RestaurantDesignShow 

#RBDShow 

REGISTER FOR FREE TICKETS 

VISIT WWW.RESTAURANTDESIGNSHOW.CO.UK 

OR CALL 08000 68 69 70 NOW!

THE UK’S ONLY TIMBER EVENT 

CPD CERTIFIED 

FREE 

BUILDING 

SAFETY 

WORKSHOPS 

WHY ATTEND? 

• Source hundreds of new 

timber products 

• Network with the entire timber 

supply chain 

• Meet potential and existing 

key clients 

• Learn about the latest trends 

and regulation on the market 

GET YOUR FREE TICKET 

REGISTRATION INCLUDES ACCESS TO: 

timber-expo.co.uk 

PART OF UK CONSTRUCTION WEEK 2017 

10 - 12 OCT 2017 NEC Birmingham

Refurb Projects August 2017

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