ECOBuilder-Specifiers Journal spring2018

Specifiers Journal 

Spring 2018 

modern products for modern buildings 

In this issue: 

Editorial features from national bodies and associations working within the 

building industry. A wide selection of new and existing product advertising 

featuring case studies and industry specific news. Recently completed 

building projects showcasing both new build and renovation across a range 

of construction sectors. 

Also included in this issue: 

ECOBuilder - The Specifier a centre spread feature covering a variety of 

products and innovations specific to this ever growing sector of the industry.

Scotframe are one of the longest established timber 

frame manufacturers in the UK and supply more 

timber frame kit packages to Self Builders than any 

other manufacturer. Over the past 28 years they have 

built an enviable reputation for supplying innovative 

high quality products and excellent customer service 

levels which have kept them very much at the forefront 

of the industry. 

Customers can either select from the Scotframe 

comprehensive ranges of house styles, encompassing 

everything from compact 

bungalows to generously 

proportioned family homes all 

of which can be customised 

to suit their lifestyle 

requirements, or, as they do 

for many of our customers, 

they will be happy to prepare a 

tailor made package to match 

the design and specifications 

from a customers own 

bespoke architectural drawings. 

Scotframe manufacture Val-U- 

Therm PLUS® a unique family 

of advanced, closed panel, 

factory insulated, high thermal 

performance wall, roof and floor systems. Val-U- 

Therm PLUS® provides a winning solution along with 

extremely low U values and exceptional air tightness 

making it ideally suited to all forms of build projects. 

The thermal efficiency of timber frame is legendary, 

and Val-U-Therm PLUS® ensures properties that are 

very comfortable and require a lot less energy to heat. 

They provide their customers with a unique package 

service, not only for coordinating the 

manufacture and delivery of the timber 

frame structure, but also the supply of 

windows, external doors, insulation, 

plasterboard, stairs, internal door sets, 

architrave, skirtings and finishings - the 

complete package. 

Scothaus 

Scothaus – owned and 

manufactured by Scotframe is an 

innovative, proven, off-site closed 

panel system. Wall panels, floor 

and roof cassettes, with windows 

and external doors are factory fitted. 

The system is engineered to deliver 

outstanding thermal performance. 

Our in-house design and technical team tends to 

every detail of your home, to ensure your complete 

satisfaction throughout. 

Scotframe Case Study – Millbank, Udny near Aberdeen 

This contemporary timber frame house was designed 

and built to be energy efficient and airtight. whilst being 

mindful that these factors don’t influence design and 

final appearance of the house. This includes working 

together to create the design SAP with a target of 

achieving a minimum of 94% 

energy efficiency to ensure an A 

rating. Scotframe, who supplied 

the Val-U-Therm PLUS® timber 

frame kit package for the 

build ran various design SAP 

scenarios until the desired rating 

was achieved with budget. 

This 255m 2 house was 

completed in just 13 weeks – 

from bare plot to fully completed 

house with landscaped gardens. 

It achieved a 99% as built EPC 

and 0.5 air changes per hour. It 

was constructed using Scotframes Val-U-Therm PLUS® 

factury insulated closed panel walls and roof with a 

posi-joist cassette floor. The key benefits come from 

Val-U-Therm PLUS® being an energy efficient system 

with high thermal performance brought together in an 

integrated building envelope and manufactured in a 

factory quality controlled environment that minimises 

waste and provides a cost effective solution. 

Val-U-Therm PLUS® contributes towards providing 

solutions for whatever specification is required, be it 

‘A’ rated Energy Performance 

Certificates, the highest levels 

of the Code for Sustainable 

Homes or PassivHaus. With ever 

changing Building Regulations 

you can have future proofing 

at the level you desire. Val-U- 

Therm PLUS® offers a practical 

cost-effective solution to not 

only meet but surpass these 

new regulations now. 

This project was completed 

within time and on budget 

and exceeded the customers’ 

expectations in terms of energy efficiency and 

airtightness. By using a timber frame closed panel 

system such as class leading Val-U-Therm PLUS® they 

were able to erect the kit to a wind and water tight stage 

in just 5 days.

In a class of its own 

Val-U-Therm PLUS ensures space heating energy costs can be dramatically reduced whilst 

giving class leading speed of construction, extremely low U values and exceptional air tightness. 

AIRTIGHTNESS 

THERMAL 

PERFORMANCE 

ENERGY 

EFFICIENCY 

SPEED OF 

CONSTRUCTION 

www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk

Award- 

Winning 

Partnerships 

We specified the Rooflight Company 

because we were impressed by the 

attention to detail and quality of 

construction of their rooflights. 

We worked closely with their 

design department to develop 

a rooflight that would dovetail 

with the rest of our design. 

Buddy Haward, 

Burd Haward Architects 

Working closely with architectural 

practices across the UK, our rooflights are regularly 

specified on award-winning buildings. 

The Rooflight Company. 

Helping to create 

award-winning environments 

for over twenty years. 

Call us today on 01993 833108 or visit 

www.therooflightcompany.co.uk 

Bespoke openable Trapezoidal Rooflights at the 

RIBA award-winning Mottisfont Visitors Centre.

Contents 

The Modular and Portable Building Association p.12 

Heating and Hot Water Industry Council p.16 

Hot Water Association p.18 

UK Rainwater Management Association p.30 

The Tile Association p.42 

ECOBuilder - The Specifier Centre section between pages 52-53 

Featuring editorial by The Passivhaus Trust 

ICOM Energy Association p.62 

Stone Federation Great Britain p.68 

National Insulation Association p.72 

Association for Specialist Fire Protection p.78 

Featured Editorials Contacts List p.102 

Alphabetical List of Featured Projects p.102 

Alphabetical List of Advertisers 

Inside Back Cover 

We would like to thank everyone who has contributed and/or reviewed material included within this issue 

of Specifiers Journal Spring 2018 and its feature section, ECOBuilder - The Specifier. 

Copyright The Architects’ Publishing Partnership Ltd., 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this publication 

may be used, reproduced, stored in information retrieval system or transmitted in any manner whatsoever, 

without the express written permission of The Architects’ Publishing Partnership Ltd. 

Whilst the most meticulous care has been taken in the prep a ra tion of this publication, the publishers, 

editors and staff cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions, or any consequences 

arising therefrom, at any time. 

Front Cover Image: 

Bloomberg’s new European HQ, London 

by Foster+Partners - see the full project 

featured on pages 20-23. 

The Architects’ Publishing Partnership Ltd 

Venture House, Cross Street, 

Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 7PG 

Tel: 01625 511645 

Email: production@app-publishing.co.uk 

www.app-publishing.co.uk/specifiersjournal 

Creative Design & Production: Paul D Heath 

Sales & Editorial Co-ordinator: Helen Constantinou 

ISBN: 978-1-898340-09-6 

(SML0318) 

coming soon... 

The Building 

Services Journal 

Specifically designed to allow Architects, 

Contractors and Specifiers to quickly and easily 

source the products they need. 

Alongside each of the following sectors, a very limited but strong representation of key companies 

throughout that industry. The publication will showcase the expertise available within each sector. 

Technical developments, design trends, new building products, solutions and materials such as: 

• Building Design and Building Controls 

• Building Services 

• Hot Water and Boilers 

• Cable Management 

• Electrical Services 

• Fire Safety 

• HVAC 

• ICT 

• Air Conditioning and Air Quality 

• Drainage 

• Energy Management and Smart Buildings 

• Heating and Ventilation 

• Healthy Buildings 

• Water Treatment 

• Combined Heat and Power 

• Security and Surveillance 

• Lighting 

• Plumbing 

SPECIFIERS JOURNAL - SPRING 2018 

5

DOOR HANDLES & ACCESSORIES 

WWW.ITESORI.CO.UK

MODULAR 

BUILDING 

BLOCKS 

Modular Building Blocks -- Everblocks UK 

Contact: Joe Plosky 

T: T: 0203 7959090 

Email: info@modularbuildingblocks.co.uk 

www.modularbuildingblocks.co.uk

Modular building 

blocks providing 

cost-effective 

solutions for 

specifiers 

The revolutionary Everblock system is 

generating a lot of buzz within the world 

of architecture. EverBlocks offer a flexible, 

versatile solution for specifiers looking 

for cost-effective and reliable materials. 

Everblocks from modularbuildingblocks. 

co.uk provide a semi-permanent building 

material that can be re-used and redesigned. 

The blocks are made from an anti-break, 

high-impact polymer which is UV resistant, 

making them suitable for use indoors and 

outdoors. They are designed to provide solid 

and stable structures that are easily cleaned 

and long-lasting. The blocks are available in a 

wide range of sizes and colours which means 

they can be used in a range of domestic, 

commercial and industrial environments. 

More than just a design tool, EverBlocks 

can be used to create practical building 

solutions from temporary walls to furniture 

and shelving. The wide range of blocks 

and accessories means that specifiers and 

architectural designers can create truly 

bespoke structures that are specific to the 

needs of each client. The blocks are simple 

to store and can be transported easily, 

eliminating any restrictions or logistical 

issues when liaising with clients. 

Everblocks have found success in countries 

all over the world and the brand is growing 

more rapidly than ever. Sales in the UK 

have boomed over the last two years 

thanks to the country’s leading supplier, 

modularbuildingblocks.co.uk. As a result of 

this success, Modular Building Blocks has 

officially partnered with Everblock Systems 

as an exclusive agent. This is great news for 

specifiers working within the UK as there will 

be even more cost-effective options available 

from modularbuildingblocks.co.uk. 

One of the most successful new ventures 

from modularbuildingblocks.co.uk came 

when the company decided to offer a hire 

service. 

Many architects and specifiers have already 

realised the benefits that modular building 

blocks offer through the design stage. The 

versatility of the blocks means that they can 

be used to create tangible designs that allow 

clients to see what the finished product 

will look like, or even use it as a finished 

product. The robust material used to create 

the blocks means they have a prolonged 

lifespan, allowing developers and interior 

designers to regularly re-use them. 

10 SPECIFIERS JOURNAL - SPRING 2018

The latest addition to the line of products 

at modularbuildingblocks.co.uk is the new 

flooring system. The range consists of 

modular flooring tiles available in a wide 

selection of colours and finishes. The 

combination of solid and drainage tiles 

allows them to be used for a range of indoor 

and outdoor uses. These revolutionary new 

flooring tiles will be available to be used 

underneath and on top of the modular 

building blocks. 

This means that specifiers have the option 

of renting a set number of Everblocks for 

a specific period of time. This can serve 

as a more cost-effective solution for 

professionals working on a client by client 

basis. The recent expansion also means 

that modularbuildingblocks.co.uk can offer 

a more diverse product range including 

shelves, countertops and other accessories 

direct to customers. This will reduce overall 

costs and streamline the process. 

All UK operations regarding Everblock 

sales in the UK will now be headed by 

modularbuildingblocks.co.uk. There are 

a number of bundles and packages 

available with prices varying depending on 

the chosen option. Find out how you can 

benefit from Everblocks by visiting: www. 

modularbuildingblocks.co.uk. 

Modular Building Blocks - Everblocks UK 

Contact Joe Plosky 

T: 0203 7959090 

Email: info@modularbuildingblocks.co.uk 

www.modularbuildingblocks.co.uk 


11

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE MODULAR AND PORTABLE BUILDING ASSOCIATION 

Modular Buildings 

Lead the Way for Offsite 

How do manufacturers and installers of 

volumetric offsite construction ensure 

sustainability and compliance when the key 

priority is time? Jackie Maginnis CEO of the 

Modular and Portable Building Association 

shows how the industry has been leading the 

way longer than you think. 

Offsite construction has become a hot topic in 

the last few years, and sustainability has been the 

buzzword of the decade (other than fake news of 

course) but there is still an element of ‘catch all’ with 

both words. 

In 2018 the MPBA will celebrate 80 years of 

representing modular and portable building 

manufacturers and installers, innovators in offsite 

construction. To our members, offsite means 

simply, built in the factory and transported to the 

final destination site where it will be assembled for 

final occupation. Built, and in most cases, fit out is 

completed in the factory where a high standard of 

quality can be achieved. 

Manufacturers drive quality in the product through 

ISO9001 accreditation and BBA approvals, and its 

due to these high standards that when it comes 

to thermal bridging and air permeability tests 

show that on average a factory built modular or 

portable building achieves air leakage of between 

two and three m 3 per hour per m 2 at fifty Pascal’s. 

There are many more examples of where exemplar 

quality increases carbon performance, leading to 

a more sustainable building. 

That brings us nicely to sustainability, where 

volumetric construction has long since lead 

the charge. Back in 2006 as an association we 

introduced communities and local government 

to the embodied energy, particularly within the 

hire and refurbishment markets. When a modular 

building is constructed as an alternative to 

traditional methods to be a permanent building 

it is built to the same standards required for all 

construction, and with the added benefit that the 

as built performance will match the as designed 

performance. 

Photo: courtesy of The McAvoy Group 


The sky is no limit for volumetric construction, 

the recent 29-floor student accommodation block 

in Wembley, Apex House, is a superb example of 

what is possible. With an internal area of 16,000m 2 , 

projects like Apex House show the true potential 

of volumetric construction in the UK where 

innovative technology meets great design. 

The speed of manufacture and construction is so 

impressive it can even keep up with the demands 

of fast growing markets, such as retail coffee 

shops. Only with modular construction can a drive 

through coffee shop be available and operational 

on your favourite motorway services, where it 

wasn’t there a month ago! 

It’s the hire and refurbishment market however 

where there is an even greater embodied energy 

benefit. When a module is manufactured it could 

be for a single storey or for a double storey school 

classroom, as it fits on the back of a lorry it could 

start the year as a classroom in York and finish the 

year as an office in Manchester, a huge benefit of 

this is the savings made through not having waste 

and not having two construction projects, two 

sets of building materials and so on. 

If a module is built to a particular set of standards 

it maintains those standards throughout its life. 

Two important additions to the 2013 building 

regulation part L2 was made to recognise this. 

The first addition was the introduction of a Target 

Emission Rating (TER) adjustment, specifically 

for use in the construction of a new building 

from refurbished modules. For example, in a 

construction to be completed today, to the 

current building regulation standards, if a module 

manufactured in 2014 was to be utilised, an 

adjustment factor would be taken into account 

on calculation within the simple building energy 

modeling (SBEM) tools to reflect the embodied 

energy. 

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE MODULAR AND PORTABLE BUILDING ASSOCIATION 

specifically for the hire market, where a distressed 

purchase is required due to a disaster or accident, 

or temporary accommodation is required whilst a 

larger building is under construction. 

The aim of the scheme was to maintain a high 

level of energy performance within a temporary 

building whilst not increasing the cost to the 

purchaser or delaying the time taken to have an 

operational building. 

It is based on the premise that modular buildings 

under 1000m 2 only have a specific number of 

combinations that they can be assembled in, hence 

where the age of the sub-assemblies (modules) is 

verified a generic energy rating can be applied to 

demonstrate to the purchaser what is typical of 

the construction that they have purchased. 

The scheme was created and managed by the 

MPBA and provided as a service of membership 

at no additional cost. Our members recognise 

the importance of sustainability in construction, 

and will continue to lead from the front with 

innovation, technology and communication. 

It would be wrong to identify a specific sector 

to readers as the fact is that Volumetric/Modular 

buildings have no boundaries, we can provide 

buildings to all sectors Education, Health, 

Commercial, Private, Construction and Events. 

The unique building models that are available 

gives client’s opportunities to work with their 

supplier directly to obtain their requirements, 

control their budgets and ensure that they are 

delivered on time. 

The benefit of this addition to the volumetric 

construction industry and society as a whole is 

immense. Instead of sending highly efficient, high 

quality building modules to landfill they can be 

reused for a more sustainable future. 

The second addition to the building regulations 

was the introduction of the generic energy 

performance certificate scheme. The scheme is 


13

Sewage Treatment, Boreholes and Soakaways 

For over 30 years we have designed, supplied, installed and maintained bespoke sewage 

treatment systems and constructed water supply boreholes and soakaways. 

H.D. Services Ltd. is a small 

family run company based in 

Buckinghamshire and operating 

throughout the South East. 

We specialise in the 

construction and development 

of boreholes, soakaways, the 

installation of independent 

sewage treatment systems and 

open-loop ground source heat 

pump installations. 

Founded in 1984 the company 

initially specialised in cable 

percussion drilling and sewage 

treatment installations. In 

2009 we expanded into the 

renewable heating sector, 

achieving regional success in 

both 2015 and 2016 winning 

the RHI installer of the Year 

Award at the Green Deal and 

ECO Awards. 

We offer a one stop solution 

for self builders, developers, 

contractors, consultants and 

architects, providing waste 

and drainage solutions, 

independent water supplies 

and renewable heating options 

– all specifically tailored to 

individual needs and suited to 

the geology of the South East. 

Our bespoke HD-SM plant is designed to meet the needs of the 

individual clients and comply with strict legislation in regards 

to discharge. We provide support and advice in dealing with 

the EA and can help in securing any necessary permits and/or 

licences required. 

For more than a decade our bespoke sewage treatment systems 

were unique in that they had no mechanical or electrical 

moving parts beneath the cover and were made of durable 

and tough polypropylene. Recently Klargester have launched a 

sewage treatment system with similar properties, which is mass 

produced and hence meets EU regulations and is cost effective 

for the client. As this system now meets what we consider to be 

important design criteria we are happy to install them. 

We have a positive relationship with Klargester and are a 

preferred installer. 

All our boreholes are constructed using the cable-tool 

percussion method - preferred by the Environment Agency 

(EA) when drilling the chalk aquifer - and are logged with the 

BGS to ensure that they are not at risk from derogation. 

Our underpinning ethic is that we want to protect the 

aquifers from which we make our living. 

Our portfolio includes the National Trust, RSPB, various 

county and borough councils as well as hundreds of 

domestic clients and estates. 

We also offer a borehole development service, including 

airlifting and acidisation. For more information regarding 

this service, please contact us directly. 

Ground Source Heat Pumps 

Open-loop ground source heat pump (GSHP) installations utilise ground water as a heat 

source. A system will pump groundwater from a borehole directly to the heat pump unit 

where the heat is extracted. The water is then returned to the aquifer from where it was 

abstracted, meaning that this system is non-consumptive. 

As ground water is utilised, there is the option of a potable water supply (subject to analysis 

and suitable filtration) and a grey water supply which can be used for garden irrigation. If 

diverted to a buried harvesting tank, this water has the opportunity to regain heat prior to 

returning to the aquifer from which it was extracted, thus reducing the risk of temperature 

pollution. 

While some closed-loop GSHP’s can be converted to utilise water as a heat source, efficiency 

of the system will be reduced as they are not specifically designed for this purpose. 

The heat pumps we install are manufactured by a British company in Devon and are fully 

MCS accredited. We have been actively involved in the development and configuration of the 

new unit, developing user guides for the benefit of end users and installation requirement 

manuals to support the other trades involved in the installation. 

All our heat pump installations are designed to be RHI eligible 

and we provide support and advice in applying for the domestic 

Renewable Heat Incentive. 

We are members of the Ground Source Heat Pump Association 

(GSHPA), Renewable Energy Association (REA), National Custom 

and Self Build Association (NaCSBA). We subscribe to the 

Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), Renewable Energy 

Consumer Code (RECC) and British Geological Survey (BGS) and 

are BS EN ISO 9001 and 14001 certified, meaning that clients 

can trust in the quality of our work and our commitment to our 

environmental responsibilities. 

enquiries@thehdgroup.co.uk | 01494 792000 | www.hdservicesltd.co.uk

enquiries@thehdgroup.co.uk | 01494 792000 | www.hdservicesltd.co.uk 

RENEWABLE 

HEATING 

SEWAGE TREATMENT 

SYSTEMS 

WATER SUPPLY & 

SOAKAWAY BOREHOLES 

As members of the Well Drillers 

Association (WDA) we provide a onestop 

solution for the domestic market 

throughout South East England which 

includes: 

FREE feasibility study, Complete supply 

and installation, Fully qualified and 

accredited staff, Support in applying 

for the RHI, Annual Maintenance 

Programme, MCS accredited. 

We have been installing sewage 

treatment systems since 1984. Our 

own HD-SM plant is made to order 

and constructed of highly durable 

polypropylene. We offer a complete 

supply, installation, commissioning 

and servicing package. Our experience 

of other systems means we can offer 

servicing packages to most domestic 

installations All are installations comply 

with Environment Agency requirements. 

Cable-tool percussion drilling is the 

method preferred by the Environment 

Agency when drilling the chalk aquifer, 

this method is clean and causes 

minimal risk of contamination of the 

aquifer and fissures. 

Provided the hydro-geology at the site 

is suitable, up to 20m 3 of water can be 

abstracted per day without the need 

for a licence. 

With over 30 years experience in the South East, we offer 

bespoke solutions for the domestic market, such as: 

An independent water supply to use as a heat source for an Open-Loop Ground 

Source Heat Pump, which can reduce heating bills by up to 50%. 

An independent sewage treatment system designed specifically 

to meet your needs. 

An independent water supply for consumption* or garden irrigation. 

*subject to analysis and suitable filtration 

We can usually determine a projects feasibility upon receipt of a site postcode!

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE HEATING AND HOT WATER INDUSTRY COUNCIL 

Changes to legislation for new 

boiler installations! 

The UK boiler market is the biggest and 

most valuable in the world, but still, there are 

opportunities to boost productivity. In the 

last few years, new and better technology 

has come forward and so Government have 

agreed that the time is right to raise standards 

for household heating, and expectations for 

installers. 

Stewart Clements, Director, HHIC 

From April 2018, when a gas combination boiler 

is installed, an additional energy efficiency 

measure will be required. This requirement is 

flexible to allow a suitable choice to be made 

that reflects the diverse nature of the housing 

stock, and the needs of the household. The 

energy saving technologies that can be used to 

comply are; 

• Flue gas heat recovery systems 

• Weather Compensation 

• Load Compensation 

• Smart controls featuring automation 

and optimisation functions 

This new piece of policy is called Boiler Plus, 

and was announced on 12 th October 2017 

by the Department for Business, Energy and 

Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The policy, which 

will form part of Building Regulations will also 

require a new minimum performance standard 

for domestic gas boilers in English homes to 

be set at 92% ErP. The ErP Directive aims to 

phase out poorly performing products across 

a range of product groups to reduce carbon 

emissions across Europe, with the ultimate goal 

of achieving the EU’s 2020 targets. 

Why is this policy being introduced? 

Given the extent to which domestic heating 

contributes to emissions, the new standards will 

help reduce carbon emissions and encourage 

consumers to prioritise the thermal comfort and 

energy efficiency of their heating. 

Today 99% of all new boilers sold are 

condensing and there are over 10 million 

installed in UK homes. However since 2005, 

government and the heating industry have 

been searching for ways to further improve the 

efficiency of domestic heating- the ‘condensing 

boiler’ equivalent. To date there have not been 

any suitable products that could be mandated 

to save energy. 

The problem is often unit cost or complexity 

of installation. In some circumstances 

product development has not materialised 

as expected. The result is that over ten years 

after the mandating of condensing boilers, 

government has not been able to introduce 

further legislation to increase the efficiency 

of heating installations. Industry and indeed 

the government knew that further savings 

were possible, and so using the condensing 

boiler policy as a precedent, the Heating and 

Hotwater Industry Council, HHIC, identified 

further improvements that can be made to the 

efficiency of residential heating systems by 

mandating Boiler Plus systems. This idea was 

initiated with constructive input from a number 

of HHIC members in our offices two years ago, 

worked on with the Department for Business, 

Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), consulted 


upon with industry and now it becomes law. 

That’s a great achievement for HHIC – and 

apologies for blowing our own trumpet at this 

point 

Market reaction 

We believe that a natural consequence of the 

new requirements set out in this consultation 

will be a greater range of heating system 

products for consumers to choose from. 

By mandating certain controls, such as 

programmable timers and thermostats, the 

market for these products will inevitably be 

widened whilst consumer awareness of them 

and their benefits will also inevitably increase. 

This will, in turn, lead the market to develop 

new products and improve existing ones to 

cater for the increased demand. The range of 

products available for controlling domestic 

heating systems is already rapidly developing, 

as evidenced by the significant increase in the 

number of smart home systems available in 

recent years. These changes will compliment 

and accelerate this trend by making consumers 

more aware of the many options for enhancing 

the efficiency of their system that are available 

to them. 

But do consumers engage effectively with 

things like ‘smart controls’? 

Every consumer is different in the way they 

use their system and its additions, to control 

their heating. Many that are conscious of the 

efficiency of their system will make full use 

of additions which require their input such as 

timers, thermostats, TRVs. Others will not make 

active use of theirs, especially when they are 

installed in a fixed location out of sight, such as 

in an airing cupboard or garage. A lack of usage 

is particularly prevalent when consumers move 

into a new property that has controls they are 

not familiar with, or when controls are installed 

in their home but not properly explained to 

them. 

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE HEATING AND HOT WATER INDUSTRY COUNCIL 

efficiency from the new system they are having 

installed. Furthermore, modern controls are 

far more intuitive now than they ever have 

been, and the latest innovations such as smart 

home automation devices are enabling users to 

interact with their heating system in new and 

extensive ways. 

We know from talking to installers that many 

already fit the technology specified in Boiler 

Plus, as standard, so ‘challenges’ should be 

minimal. Consumer education is a continual 

challenge faced by the industry as whole. 

We believe that a further natural consequence 

of the new requirements will be a greater range 

of heating system products for consumers to 

choose from. By mandating certain controls, 

such as programmable timers and thermostats, 

the market for these products will inevitably be 

widened whilst consumer awareness of them 

and their benefits will also inevitably increase. 

The new legislation only affects new 

combination boiler installations. It does, 

however, focus attention on the efficiency of 

boilers and heating systems, which can only be 

a good thing. 

The UK needs to modernise old heating 

appliances. This means replacing the 9 million 

inefficient boilers currently operating in UK 

homes, with more modern condensing ones 

that use less energy, thus reducing household 

energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Some would say; if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. 

Well, if it could be better, then it’s as good as. 

Boiler Plus will act as a catalyst for improving 

the UK’s energy efficiency. 

However, these changes will mean far more 

conversations between installers and their 

clients about the requirements set out in 

this consultation and the options that are 

available to meet them. This will clearly increase 

consumers’ awareness of what controls are 

and how they can be used to get maximum 


17

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE HOTWATER ASSOCIATION 

Hot Water Storage and 

inadequate mains pressure 

The Hot Water Association, (HWA), is a dynamic and forward focussed trade 

association, with a history going back over a 100 years. The HWA represent 

the hot water storage industry, within the larger umbrella of the Energies 

and Utilities Alliance (EUA), providing a collective voice across the industry, 

within both UK Government and European Parliament. 

Isaac Occhipinti, Head of External Affairs, HWA 

The one thing that can compromise the flow 

rate and pressure advantage of a mains pressure 

storage water system such as an unvented cylinder 

is an inadequate mains water supply. 

Here is an explanation of the varying technologies 

and products available to boost water performance 

and advice for installers and specifiers on correct 

diagnosis of water supply problems and the 

optimum products to select. 

Cylinder manufacturers’ technical helplines 

receive incoming calls from installers complaining 

that the water pressure in a given property is 

inadequate as the client is unable to run 2 or 3 

showers simultaneously. In at least 90% of cases 

this diagnosis is incorrect. There is usually nothing 

wrong with the water pressure, the problem is lack 

of water flow rate. 

When a plumber measures water pressure prior 

to an installation of a mains pressure system, as 

they normally should, they typically measure the 

pressure with all taps closed and no water flowing. 

This is the static water pressure. If they continue 

the test but open a cold water tap, they are then 

measuring dynamic water pressure. Dynamic 

pressure is what makes a system work correctly. 

Dynamic is always lower than static, is a function of 

available flow rate and reduces further with every 

extra outlet opened. Ideally an installer should 

open 3-4 cold water outlets simultaneously, 

measure the flow rate of each whilst they are all 

running together and add them up. This will give a 

strong indication of the maximum water flow rate 

available to the property. 

As a general rule of thumb, 25 litres per minute is 

satisfactory for a property with 2 showers. More 

is needed if there are extra showers. Our own 

experience at OSO is that 30 – 35 lpm can be 

considered average and this will satisfy all but the 

largest of properties with 4 showers plus. 

Water pressure varies dramatically around the 

country and to a lesser degree, during different 

times of the day. Some localities are well known for 

poor pressure, however it is relatively rare for static 

water pressure to fall below 2 bar. A water pressure 

of between 3 and 6 bar could be considered 

average, and pressures in some areas can reach 8 

to 10 bar, especially at night. 

An unvented system will work perfectly well at 

2 bar, indeed some manufacturers’ factory set 

pressure reducing valves will restrict the pressure 

to this point or even lower without compromising 

performance. 

If static pressure is OK, as it usually is, the typical 

solution to a poor flow rate is to add an accumulator 

to a system. Accumulators are large expansion 

vessels, typically up to 500 litres, that are fitted 

immediately after the stop cock. They store cold 

water under mains pressure and drive this water 

into a plumbing system when the demand from 

hot and cold outlets exceeds the available mains 

water flow. 

An accumulator system should be supplied with a 

dedicated “upstream kit”, including a double check 

valve, line strainer and pressure reducing valve. 

These are required to protect the integrity of the 

rubber bladder holding the water store and are 

needed in addition to the standard inlet control 

kit supplied with all approved unvented cylinders. 

It should be remembered that the concept of an 

accumulator driven unvented cylinder is a patented 


FEATURE ARTICLE: THE HOTWATER ASSOCIATION 

idea. Prospective 

purchasers must source 

the products from one 

of the 2 suppliers who 

are license holders of 

patent 2349908 and 

who will ensure that 

the correct selection of 

equipment is supplied 

to suit the installation. 

The performance 

difference that a 

correctly specified 

accumulator system can 

achieve is incredible. 

Multiple outlets can be 

supplied at full flow. In 

most cases only one 

accumulator is required, 

but some commercial 

installations such as 

hotels or sports centres 

can benefit from multiple accumulators to ensure 

optimum performance. 

Most plumbers know that installing a booster 

pump on the water mains contravenes the water 

regulations if the pump is attempting to draw 

more than 12 lts/min, however if static mains 

pressure is inadequate, typically less than 2 bar, 

there are certain WRAS approved products known 

as Charger Pumps that will trickle charge an 

accumulator by drawing water from the mains in 

an otherwise dormant period to increase the static 

pressure in the accumulator and therefore the 

entire hot and cold water system in the property. 

This will ensure a good performance regardless of 

the static pressure. 

In a very large plumbing system, the optimum 

solution to a low static pressure problem can be a 

break tank and booster system. Once again, water 

regulations approved products are available. These 

products store cold 

water in a ball valve 

controlled break tank 

and boost the water into 

an unvented cylinder via 

a flow switch controlled 

pumping set to achieve 

optimum performance. 

Hot water is central to 

many aspects of our 

lives; from making a 

morning cuppa, to 

taking a hot shower. 

In essence, having hot 

water, on tap, keeps our 

days running smoothly. 

I’m sure many a 

householder has been 

in the scenario where 

water begins to run 

cool before everyone 

has had a shower – the 

source of many an argument and early morning 

stress, no doubt! Often this boils down to a 

household simply not having the right hot water 

system to meet their needs, especially where 

simultaneous water provision is concerned. 

Within the industry, we have a duty to ensure 

that people’s hot water needs are met and that 

the systems they have in place are appropriately 

matched to their current or projected usage. With 

the Government outlining a commitment to build 

hundreds of thousands of new homes and many 

existing homeowners going for a system retrofit, 

there exists an opportunity to educate consumers 

about the various systems, and to individually tailor 

the system to meet their needs, making many a 

morning routine far more stress-free! 

As ever members of the Hot Water Association will 

be happy to answer any questions you may have. 

Contact us; info@hotwater.org.uk. 


19


Foster+Partners 

24/10/2017 - The new European 

headquarters of Bloomberg LP was 

launched today at an event hosted by 

its founder Michael R. Bloomberg, in 

the company of Lord Foster, Founder 

and Executive Chairman, Foster + 

Partners and Sadiq Khan, Mayor of 

London. Located between the Bank 

of England and St Paul’s Cathedral, 

the building responds to its historic 

context, yet is uniquely of its place and 

time. 

It is a true exemplar of sustainable 

development, with a BREEAM 

Outstanding rating – the highest 

design-stage score ever achieved 

by any major office development. 

Occupying a full city block, the 3.2- 

acre site comprises two buildings 

united by bridges that span over a 

pedestrian arcade that reinstates 

Watling Street, an ancient Roman road 

that ran through the site. 

Bloomberg Arcade is now a key route 

for people moving around the City, 

with restaurants and cafes at ground 

level, set back behind an undulating 

façade under a covered colonnade. 

Three public plazas, located at each 

end of the arcade and in front of the 

building’s entrance, provide new civic 

spaces in the heart of the Square 

Mile. The building height protects 

key views of St Paul’s Cathedral whilst 

respecting neighbouring historic 

buildings. Its striking façade is defined 

by a structural sandstone frame in 

response to the adjacent Magistrate’s 

Court, with a series of large-scale 

bronze fins that shade the floor-toceiling 

glazing. 

The fins give the building a visual 

hierarchy and rhythm as they vary in 

scale, pitch and density across each 

façade according to orientation and 

solar exposure, whilst also being an 


integral part of the building’s natural 

ventilation system. Lord Foster, 

Founder and Executive Chairman, 

Foster + Partners, said: “From day one, 

we talked with Mike Bloomberg about 

creating an elegant stone building 

that responds to its historic setting 

yet is clearly of its own time and which 

would be a good neighbour in the City 

of London in every sense of the word. 

We wanted the building to have an 

integrity and continuity of expression 

both inside and out, creating an 

inspiring, innovative, dynamic 

and collaborative workplace for 

Bloomberg that embodies the core 

values of the company. Above all, we 

had a shared belief with Bloomberg 

that we should provide the highest 

standards of sustainability and 

wellbeing for its occupants, as well 

as create major new public spaces 

at ground level, making a significant 

contribution to the daily life of the 

City of London and its inhabitants. Art 

plays a central role in the project, with 

major site-specific commissions in and 

around the building. 

Cristina Iglesias’ water sculpture in 

three parts, ‘Forgotten Streams’ – a 

homage to the ancient Walbrook River 

that once flowed through the site – 

defines the public spaces at each end 

of Bloomberg Arcade. Other works 

in the building include pieces by 

Michael Craig-Martin, Olafur Eliasson, 

Arturo Herrera, Langlands and Bell, 

David Tremlett and Pae White. The 

new Bloomberg building also returns 

the archaeological remains of the 

Roman Temple of Mithras to the site 

of their original discovery, with a new 

interpretation centre and cultural hub 

designed to give visitors an immersive 

experience of the temple and bring 

the history of the site to life. 

The main entrance to Bloomberg is 

defined by a substantial porte-cochère, 

where the building forms two sides 

of a new formal city square. Beneath 

this square is a new entrance to Bank 

Underground station, constructed as 

part of the project, that connects to 

the Waterloo and City line. Arriving at 

the main entrance, everyone passes 

through the reception lobby before 

being drawn into the Vortex – a 

dramatic double-height space created 

by three inclined, curving timber 

shells, whose unique form echoes the 

dynamism and energy of Bloomberg. 

These shells twist to form an oculus 

at their apex, which contains an 

artwork titled ‘No Future Is Possible 

Without A Past’ by Olafur Eliasson. 

From here, high-speed fully-glazed 

lifts with a unique concealed 

mechanism – another innovation 

developed specifically for the building 

– carry everyone directly to the 

sixth floor. Central to Bloomberg’s 

ethos, the double-height ‘pantry’ 

on the sixth floor is the heart of the 

building, reflecting the importance 

of sharing and collaboration at the 

company. Everyone passes through 

this animated space, increasing the 

likelihood of chance meetings and 

informal discussions. 

The upper level of the pantry is formed 

by a sweeping crescent of individual 

meeting booths that overlook the 

central space, known as the Ha-Ha, 

referring to the classic landscape 

device that inspired their design. A 


21


distinctive hypotrochoid stepped 

ramp, characterised by its smooth 

continuous three-dimensional loop, 

flows through the full height of the 

building, adding to the drama of the 

space. Clad in bronze, the ramp is 

designed and proportioned as a place 

of meeting and connection, allowing 

people to hold brief impromptu 

conversations with colleagues, whilst 

not impeding the flow of people. 

Michael Jones, Senior Partner at 

Foster + Partners and Project Architect 

of Bloomberg’s new European 

headquarters added: “The design of 

the building supports the values of 

Bloomberg as an organisation and the 

way it operates. The cores have been 

pushed to the edges of the building 

to visually open the floors and reveal 

a spiralling ramp, the heart of the 

building, bringing together the people 

who work in it. In a sense, it is all about 

community and collaboration – both 

within the building and the way 

it embraces its surroundings”. The 

notion of teamwork and collaboration 

flows into the desking systems and 

layout of each floor. Bespoke heightadjustable, 

radial desks are laid out in 

clusters and pods for up to six people, 

allowing for privacy, personalisation, 

wellbeing and collaborative working. 

The ceiling is another unique and 

innovative element developed for 

the building, inspired by the pressed 

metal ceilings of New York. Its 

distinctive polished aluminium panels 

of ‘petals’ perform multiple roles – 

ceiling finish, light reflectors, cooling 

elements and acoustic attenuation 

– combining various elements of a 

typical office ceiling into an energysaving 

integrated system. 

Development Information 

Architect: Foster+Partners 

Client: Bloomberg LP 

Area: 102,190m² 

Sustainability Rating: 

BREEAM - Outstanding 

Structural Engineer: AKT II 

Quantity Surveyor: AECOM 

M+E Engineer: SWECO 

Landscape Architect: 

Charles Funke Associates 

Lighting Engineer: 

Tillotson Design Associates 


23

The Temple of Mithras restoration, London 

Foster+Partners and Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) 

Moving down another flight of stairs 

the visitors enter an area without 

any further written information but 

find themselves in a smoke-filled 

environment. This smoke then slowly 

dissipates to reveal the ruins of the 

temple itself. 

Beneath Bloomberg’s new 

European headquarters in London a 

subterranean Roman temple where a 

mysterious cult worshipped has been 

restored within an immersive museum 

by the exhibition designers, Local 

Projects, who were responsible for the 

9/11 memorial museum. 

Part of Bloomberg’s £1 billion plan 

was to restore the Temple of Mithras 

to its original location seven metres 

below modern street level. The 

reconstructed temple sits in a dark 

room with a viewing gallery running 

around the sides and a platform 

suspended over the nave. Visitors 

enter the timed experience, which 

uses haze, light projections and baffles 

to create the illusion of the temple 

walls and columns rising from the 

ruins. An illuminated scene of Mithras 

slaying a bull flickers to life in the apse, 

while a soundscape of chanting, bells 

and horns adds to the multi-sensory 

experience. 

Visitors to the London Mithraeum enter 

through the Bloomberg SPACE, a new 

art gallery on Walbrook Street with a 

rotating display of contemporary art. 

Displayed here within a vitrine are 600 

of the artefacts discovered in the 2010- 

14 archaeological dig undertaken 

ahead of the construction of the 

Bloomberg building. The wet soil of 

the Walbrock valley means the 14,000 

24 SPECIFIERS JOURNAL - SPRING 2018 

objects unearthed were unusually well 

preserved. One particularly interesting 

find was the earliest dated writing 

tablet from London. Written on 8 

January AD 57, it is a financial record 

of money owed, dating from when 

London was only 7 years old and 1,960 

years before a global financial markets 

company built their base on the site. 

From here, visitors descend to a dimly 

lit mezzanine level, with scenes of 

Roman statues projected against 

the walls and interactive screens 

containing all the information gleaned 

about the temple by the Museum 

of London Archaeology (MOLA). 

Little is known about the Cult of 

Mithras as it was so secretive at the 

time. It’s all-male membership was 

drawn from soldiers, merchants and 

freeman who travelled widely through 

the Roman Empire. 

It is believed members gathered in 

windowless temples to drink and 

perform rituals and animal sacrifices 

naked in the dark, illuminated by 

torchlight. The mythology of Mithras 

involves the young deity killing a 

primordial bull in a cave, and every 

temple dedicated to him would 

have prominently displayed a bas 

relief called a tauroctony depicting 

this moment. Academics have 

hypothesised this was a form of 

creation myth that drew on theories of 

the cosmos. 

Bombing during the Blitz of WW2 

destroyed most of the buildings on 

the site, and after the war in 1954 

excavations of the rubble revealed 

the 1,800-year-old temple. In 1962 

the London temple remains were

emoved wholesale and reassembled 

nearby and were completed with 

anachronistic elements including a 

crazy paving floor. 

In an effort to be as accurate as 

possible to the era, the Bloombergfunded 

return of the temple to its 

original site planned to be more 

faithful than early attempts. Even the 

trampled Roman-era earthen floor of 

the restored ruin is a hand-painted 

resin cast reconstruction. 

Above the museum rises Foster + 

Partner’s sandstone and bronze 

Bloomberg European headquarters, 

a structure that has been called 

the world’s most sustainable office 

building. 

Project Credits: 

Architect: Foster+Partners 

Client: Bloomberg LP and Museum of 

London Archaeology (MOLA) 

Consulting Curator: 

Nancy Rosen Incorporated 

Artist Consultant: Matthew Schreiber 

Exhibition Architect: Studio Joseph 


25

Paradise Gardens, London W6 

Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands 

Nestled within a sheltered site in 

the heart of the Ravenscourt and 

Starch Green conservation area the 

development is entered through a 

cobbled courtyard with six parking 

spaces and cycle storage for up to 12 

bikes. This leads to a lush landscape 

of private and communal gardens 

beyond the dwellings, designed 

by eminent landscape designers 

Bradley-Hole Schoenaich. This 

creates a beautiful setting for both 

the surrounding properties and the 

development itself. 


Architect: Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands 

Developer: Ravenscourt Studios Ltd 

Planning Authority: 

London Borough of Hammersmith and 

Fulham 

Development Data 

Site size (ha): 0.1576 

Date of completion: 2017 

Schedule of accommodation: 

1 x 4 bed house, 5 x 5 bed house 

Tenure mix: 100% private 

Size of typical home: 228m 2 

Parking spaces: 6 


Dujardin Mews, London EN3 

Karakusevic Carson Architects and Maccreanor Lavington Architects 

Dujardin Mews provides generous 

private outdoor space for each new 

home and a new landscaping and 

public realm for the community. 

Recessed balconies, terraces, 

courtyards and leafy back gardens 

are provided for residents while soft 

landscaping and play areas create 

a welcoming and friendly new 

streetscape for the community. 

Planning History 

In September 2012 London Borough 

of Enfield appointed the design team 

to create the masterplan, housing 

design and public realm for the 

Dujardin Mews project. Over a 6 month 

period, the Design team worked with 

the community, the council and the 

Oasis Hadley Academy to deliver the 

detailed planning submission for the 

38 new homes. Planning Approval was 

received in May 2013. 


Architect: 

Karakusevic Carson Architects 

Maccreanor Lavington 

Developer: London Borough of Enfield 


London Borough of Enfield 



Date of completion: October 2017 


6 x 1B2P, 8 x 2B4P, 20 x 3B5P, 4 x 4B6P 

Tenure mix: 100% affordable - 

50% shared ownership, 50% social rent 




27

Never before have fire precautions been of 

such a high profile than they are at present. 

It is well publicised that “sprinklers’ save lives”. Even if they don’t put the fire out, they allow sufficient 

time for occupants to escape safely – indeed they have done so in commercial and retail buildings 

for well over 100 years, so perhaps it’s time for domestic dwelling construction to catch up. 

Legislation passed by the Welsh Assembly some years ago 

means that every domestic dwelling constructed in Wales 

must have fire sprinkler protection, this requirement is now 

being applied as a “Planning Condition” in many English 

Councils. 

The cost of such systems installed, either as part of a new 

construction or refurbishment programme, need not 

be prohibitive. A typical three bedroom property can 

be protected for around £2,000 - the cost and physical trauma of an 

uncontrolled event is incalculable. 

Of the several options available to developers for sprinkler system, all require a connection to the 

water mains to ensure they operate effectively. 

Traditional solutions have previously required a “tank and pump” system, which whilst being 

suitable for blocks of flats is somewhat wasteful in terms of land management. Alternatively a 

direct feed of water supply, which relies on an internal cupboard – again taking up unnecessary 

space. 

Our Firebreaker system is the most recent addition to the armoury of sprinkler management 

tools and is designed to offer a minimal “footprint” and a “Fireman’s Switch” for sprinkler management 

systems, is compliant with all relevant Water Regulations and offers easy access for maintenance. 

Firebreaker literally ticks all the boxes for a sprinkler management 

system – the concept being endorsed by the Home Builders Federation. 

For further information and contact details, please visit our web site 

www.firebreaker.co.uk 

Have you ever thought that there should be a simpler way to 

replace a water service pipe other than ripping through the 

floor of a property causing days of trauma, mess and 

high cost involved? 

The simple answer is YES there is with INSUduct®. 

INSUduct® is a purpose designed product that eliminates the risk of freezing to incoming above ground water 

supplies. Thermally insulated, quick and easy to install and made from 100% reprocessed materials* INSUduct 

TM 

delivers an environmentally friendly and cost effective solution to water pipe protection. 

Simply drill a core through the wall (min. 95mm), line it with a suitable duct and insulate with SHalloduct® 

product, line up INSUduct from outside the property and feed through a new water service pipe – the whole 

process taking just two hours or less! 

Not forgetting that water service pipes need to be insulated to a depth of 750mm below ground level, INSUduct® 

provides the total package to ensure compliance with Water Regulations. 

For situations where water pipes enter at first floor level or higher, INSUduct® offers 

the facility to “ladder” to whatever height is required. 

Whilst INSUduct® is on the “approved list” of most water companies, it should 

be noted that amending a water service pipe (with or without INSUduct) is a 

notifiable event and your water company should be advised in writing (using 

our downloadable documentation as required) of any proposal. Permission to 

proceed should not be held up, and deemed to have been granted if no response 

is received from the water company after ten working days. 

Available through multiple merchant outlets including mail order, all details of 

which are available through our web site www.groundbreaker.co.uk/INSUduct 

As always, for further information, please contact us directly.

® 

What is Firebreaker? 

Firebreaker is a purpose built unit that enables 

fire sprinkler systems to be managed externally. 

A “Fireman’s Switch” for water supplies that supply 

fire sprinkler systems, Firebreaker helps to “design 

out” complex traditional systems and space 

wasting, both inside and outside of properties 

P Firebreaker is compliant with Water Regulations and 

water company guidelines, and is suitable for all types 

of plumbing arrangements. 

P Firebreaker can be attached externally onto a property 

both for new build and retrospective installation 

P Firebreaker removes the need to house space-taking 

fire suppression systems controls within the property, 

for example in kitchen cupboard space. 

P Firebreaker is cost effective. Mains fed*, it removes the 

need for large, expensive water storage units and is 

easily accessible for maintenance and management. 

P Firebreaker offers fire crews accessibility to sprinkler 

water supply controls without having to enter 

the property 

Contact Firebreaker Systems 

T: 01379 741993 E: info@firebreaker.co.uk W: www.firebreaker.co.uk 

*Subject to local water authority guidelines and permissions. Firebreaker is a registered trademark of Steve Leigh & Associates Ltd.

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE UK RAINWATER MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION 

The Government’s 25-Year Plan 

to Improve the Environment 

a green future … 

The Government’s recently published 25-Year Plan to 

Improve the Environment is much to be welcomed, 

albeit not without some reservations. In particular, 

the management of surface water to avoid floods 

and droughts receives 

very light and, by-andlarge, 

unconvincing 

coverage. 

The Plan is a weighty 

151-page tome; this 

may encourage many 

interested but busy 

readers to garner 

the gist of future 

environmental aims 

and delivery polices 

from the Plan’s two 

Forewords and its 

Executive Summary. 

Sadly, so far as surface 

water management is 

concerned, this leaves 

the reader little the 

wiser. 

managing surface 

water … 

Closer inspection of the body of the plan does reveal 

a number of surface-water related aspirations, 

including a desire for clean and plentiful water, and 

the avoidance of floods. The missing link, however, 

is scant recognition that, insofar as surface water 

is concerned, all aspects of its management needs 

to be taken into account collectively rather than 

separately. 


about the author … 

Steff Wright is the innovative 

CEO of a business that has 

specialised for 20-years 

in the design and build of 

low energy and low waterconsumption 

homes. He is 

also a founder-member and 

Director of the UK Rainwater 

Management Association 

Taking the agricultural sector as an example, 

Environment Agency projections (see chart) indicate 

a rapid and imminent deterioration in growing 

conditions, the response to which is increasing 

investment in farm-level reservoirs; this is likely to 

gather pace as the projections become reality over 

the next few years. 

Saving winter rainfall solely to provide water for 

summer irrigation use, however, is an opportunity lost 

from a downstream flood-prevention point of view. 

Catchment reservoirs built simply for this purpose 

will typically become full by late Autumn, thereafter 

over-flowing and thus offering no mitigation to flood 

risks. With Government encouragement, however, 

an attenuation capacity could relatively easily be 

built into catchmentlevel 

reservoirs. These 

would be designed to 

retain water during 

significant rainfall 

events, releasing it 

later at a rate with 

which downstream 

infrastructure can 

cope. This would help 

to reduce flood risks, 

allowing any residual 

risk to be re-calculated 

and associated flooddefence 

needs adjusted 

accordingly. 

urban sustainable 

drainage … 

The principle of 

attenuation is already 

applied to urban 

SuDS, so why not to 

catchment collection 

as well? More importantly, why is the principle of 

collecting water for agricultural re-use deemed to be 

obviously sensible, whereas its urban equivalent is 

not? A high proportion of water used domestically 

and commercially is for non-potable purposes, such 

as toilet flushing, for which the use of harvested 

rainwater or recycled greywater is entirely satisfactory 

from both a hygiene and aesthetic perspective.

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE UK RAINWATER MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION 

Sadly, for some unexplained reason, and unlike 

other countries facing similar surface water 

management issues, the UK Government seems to 

be disinterested in water re-use playing a part in its 

overall surface water management strategy. The 

Welsh Government policy, in sharp contrast, is to 

place collecting rainwater for re-use right at the top 

of its measures for mitigating flood risks. 

Put into practice, this policy results in combined 

SuDS/water re-use systems (along the lines 

illustrated) serving the twin purposes of reducing 

demand on mains water supplies (a key 25-Year Plan 

aim incidentally) and reducing downstream flood 

risks. Such integration also makes the overall system 

easier to maintain, and thus more straightforward 

to adopt as envisaged in the 2010 Flood & Water 

Management Act. Why this approach is not part 

of the UK’s overall thinking is particularly puzzling, 

given its recognition by the Welsh Government, and 

the relative abundance of water per capita in Wales 

compared, say, to south-east England. 

integration, regionality & nature … 

Two possible explanations come readily to mind, the 

first being the “silo” approach to the various aspect 

of surface water management, with adequacy of 

supplies, flood risks, quality and environmental 

impact all being managed at both the policy and 

implementation levels by separate Departments 

and organisations. Even assuming high-levels of 

time-consuming inter-Departmental liaison and 

coordination, from an effectiveness and efficiency 

perspective, it would be much better to use 

integrated management/organisational structures 

for the management of surface water. 

lend itself to political administrative boundaries, 

water husbandry being aligned with geography, 

topography and natural water-courses. 

Plan implementation … 

Happily, the Government’s 25-Year Plan to Improve 

the Environment, contains provision for developing 

mechanisms for measuring, monitoring and fostering 

its progress; hopefully, this will result in the Plan to 

be used as a baseline on which to build, rather than a 

constraint which prevents further creative evolution. 

If so, far more flesh needs to be put on the current 

bare-bones insofar as surface-water management is 

concerned. A good start would be made by replacing 

current departmental and organisational silos, with 

fully integrated arrangements that take into account 

all aspects of surface-water management; moreover, 

such arrangements need to be based on river-basin 

geography, and river-basin policies and programmes. 

Policies and programmes also need to ensure that 

surface-water management decisions are based on all 

the relevant factors, and take an integrated approach 

to both the developed and natural landscapes. Most 

importantly of all, both floods and water-shortages 

need to be held in mind when making surface-water 

management decisions, in the process giving proper 

consideration to the cost-effective contribution that 

water re-use can make to reducing the future risks 

of both. 

For further information visit www.ukrma.org 

Secondly, surface water management does not lend 

itself well to national policies, as issues vary widely 

with geography and topography. Neither does it 


31

The Protection and Care of Wood 

Wood is an excellent material to provide 

cladding for buildings. Apart from being 

easy to install and aesthetically pleasing, 

wood contains sequestered atmospheric 

carbon captured during photosynthesis 

and acts as a carbon store. Carbon 

capture and storage for free! 

However, wood when used in exterior 

applications often requires some sort 

of protection, but the question is what 

protection is needed and where? Wood 

protection is a broad term which includes 

wood preservation against fungi and 

insects, protection against 

fire, protection 

against the effects of weathering in exterior 

situations, as well as surface protection 

against (for example) abrasion for floors, 

decking, work surfaces, etc. 

Wood preservatives usually rely on 

a biocidal action in order to enhance 

the durability of wood against biological 

degradation. The decision whether to 

apply a preservative or not depends upon 

the species and type of timber, the service 

conditions under which the timber element 

will be used and the desired lifetime of 

the product. Timber species are classified 

according to Durability Classes, as defined 

in BS EN 350-1. The environment in which 

timber is to be used is defined in terms 

of Use Classes, which are defined in BS 

EN 335-1. The main criteria by which use 

classes are defined are the exposure to 

moisture, with the length of time that the 

moisture content of the wood is above 

20% being the key defining property. When 

timber has a moisture content above 20% 

it becomes susceptible to fungal decay. 

Timber used in cladding applications is 

considered to be in Use Class 3, which 

is divided into Use Class 3.1 (exterior, 

above ground, protected) and Use Class 

3.2 (exterior, above ground, unprotected). 

In Use Class 3.2, the moisture content of 

the wood is frequently greater than 20% 

and for some wood species it might be 

recommended to use a wood preservative. 

Guidance for the appropriate choice 

of timber for different applications is 

given in BS EN 460, where the selection 

of timber for different Use Classes is 

matched against the Durability Classes. 

For example oak, which is in Durability 

Class 2, can be used in outdoor cladding 

applications (Use Classes 3.1 and 

3.2) without the use of a preservative. 

However, species such as Scots pine and 

Larch may require preservative treatment, 

especially in Use Class 3.2. The need for a 

preservative treatment applies especially if 

sapwood is present in the wood elements. 

The key factor in ensuring a durable 

wood product in cladding and decking 

applications is to ensure that there is 

a good air flow to limit the risk of the 

wood moisture content rising above 

20%. It is also highly advisable to apply 

a surface protector in order to prevent 

water from entering the wood material. 

Surface protection agents are available 

as solvent or water borne systems and 

can be clear or pigmented. 

They form a water-repellant 

film by polymerisation or 

coalescence and form a 

physical bond with the wood 

surface. 

Unfortunately over 

time, coatings will fail 

and therefore require 

maintenance. Opaque 

coatings generally perform 

better than clear coatings 

because the underlying 

wood material is not 

exposed to damaging 

UV solar radiation. Many 

specifiers choose clear 

coatings because they 

want the beauty of 

the underlying 

wood to show through. 

The achilles heel with clear 

coatings has always been 

the lignin in the wood which 

degrades on exposure 

to UV light, resulting in 

de-bonding of the wood 

surface. The clear coating 

initially fails due to lack 

of adhesion in the wood 

surface layers, allowing 

water to penetrate the 

wood. Once this happens, 

the surface layers of 

the wood are subject 

to rapid dimensional 

changes which set up 

stresses in the coating, 

especially at the early-wood-latewood 

boundaries. Most wood coatings are made 

from organic (carbon-based) molecules 

which are themselves susceptible to UV 

degradation, although this can be slowed 

down by the use of inhibitors. 

A radically different approach is offered 

by the SiOO:X Wood Protection system, 

which has been available in Sweden 

for over a decade, but which has only 

recently been introduced to the UK 

market. Primarily intended for cladding 

and decking applications, SiOO:X allows 

the natural beauty of the wood to show 

through. SiOO:X comes in two parts – a 

wood protector and a surface protector. 

The wood protector is a water-soluble 

alkaline silicate that penetrates the wood 

substance and gradually cures by reaction 

with atmospheric carbon dioxide to form 

insoluble silica particles inside the wood. 

The surface protector is a water-based 

silane emulsion that polymerises to form a 

flexible water-repellent silica network inside 

the surface layers of the wood. SiOO:X 

is not a coating, but rather an envelope 

protection system. Polymerisation of the 

silane inside the surface layers of the 

wood confers two advantages. First of all, 

the polymer network is inside the wood, 

not on the surface and it is therefore not 

possible for the surface protector to fail 

by loss of adhesion to the wood surface. 

Secondly the silica network acts to glue 

the wood cells together so that even when 

the lignin has degraded the integrity of the 

surface wood layer is not compromised. 

The silica network also makes the surface 

harder and improves abrasion resistance 

for decking applications. The chemistry of 

the silica network is also completely stable 

to exposure by solar UV radiation. 

When SiOO:X is first applied, the 

wood takes on a darker honey-coloured 

appearance, but this soon begins to fade 

as the SiOO:X chemistry begins to work. 

As the curing process takes place the 

wood takes on a silvery grey appearance 

reminiscent of the driftwood appearance 

of exposed and unprotected wood. This 

leads to a very even silver-grey surface on 

exposed and unexposed surfaces and is 

one of the unique selling points of SiOO:X. 

The appearance of wood cladding is often 

marred by the differences between wood 

that is protected by overhanging eaves or 

not south-facing and wood that is exposed 

to direct sunlight. SiOO:X solves this 

problem by the exploitation of the unique 

chemistry of silicates and silanes. SiOO:X 

combines the inertness of stone with the 

beauty of wood and is often referred to as 

wood petrifaction. One other advantage 

of SiOO:X treated wood is that it is nontoxic 

and there are no environmental 

considerations when the wood is finally 

disposed of at the end of service life. 

For further details and information on the 

Sioo Wood Protection System please refer 

to the UK website (www.sioox.org.uk). 

Written by: Professor Callum Hill 

Sioo Wood Protection AB 

Von Utfallsgatan 20, 

415 05 Gothenburg, Sweden 

T: +46 31 42 42 62 

UK : +44(0)7768 922277 

E: info@sioox.org.uk 

W: www.sioox.org.uk

Working with nature 

Sioo:x are leaders in wood protection using silicate technology. 

We provide a highly effective proven system to protect wood of all 

types. It gives long life and a beautiful natural surface with even colouration 

and is friendly to people and the environment. 

An example of a Sioo:x project is The Water’s House in Ängelholm, 

Sweden. The wooden panels are made of spruce that has been treated 

with Sioo:x light grey pigment. Read more on www.sioox.org.uk.

W.HOWARD INTRODUCES COMMERCIAL 

FLEXIBILITY WITH NEW PRODUCTION LINE 

Leading supplier of MDF profiles, The W.Howard Group, has made a substantial investment 

into its Kildare site, with the introduction of a MAKOR production line. The replacement of a 

single pass line introduces significant commercial flexibility to its operation in Ireland with a 

potential increase of around 80% available to the group capacity. As the first investment at the 

site since 2012 and since the Group acquired the operation in 2016, Kildare forms a key part 

of its business strategy for 2018 and beyond. 

The W.Howard Group manufactures skirtings, architraves, window boards, door linings 

and bespoke products supplies quality products to builders merchants and specialist trade 

manufacturers. With one of the largest core ranges in Europe, it sells over 200 profiles and 

sizes. From its sites in Manchester, Powys and Kildare, the Group produces one of the largest 

ranges available to both the public and the builders’ merchants markets - including primed, 

veneered, foil wrapped and fully finished profiles as well as its exclusive KOTA finish. 

Similar to its Manchester operation, the Kildare plant specialises in primed product whilst KOTA 

offers a unique product with significant opportunity for growth. Speaking about the investment 

and renovation of existing equipment for this project, W.Howard’s managing director Graham 

Williams said: “This investment demonstrates our commitment to the development of the 

business and the expansion of our range for the market. Strategically, the Kildare operation 

allows us to explore opportunities in both ROI and NI, as well as providing a genuine platform 

for European trading which is ever more important given the fluidity surrounding Brexit 

negotiations.” 

With four sites across the UK and Ireland in Kildare, Manchester, London and Powys, the Group 

is recognised in the market for its professional, expert services and products. 

Please visit http://www.whoward.eu to find out more.

W. Howard is the leading manufacturer and 

distributor of MDF profiles – skirting, architrave, 

window board, door lining and door casing. 

Our range of over 200 items available from 

stock, delivered in no more than 5 working days 

is the largest in Europe with bespoke products 

available within 7 working days. W. Howard 

supplies exclusively to Builders’ Merchants 

and Specialist Trade Manufacturers. 

From our sites in Manchester, Powys and Kildare, 

our range of MDF profiles are available in Primed, 

Veneered, Wrapped and our exclusive KOTA finish. 

We can also provide a bespoke service whether it 

be a unique profile, a particular finish or custom 

machining enabling you to save time on site. 

Take a look at our website or 

get in touch for a brochure. 

whoward.eu 

+44 (0)1942 881 900 

sales@whoward.co.uk

The invisible force 

When building a Passivhaus, you need to be fully confident 

your design will deliver the performance you expect. 

That’s why leading designers choose Earthwool ® DriTherm 

for masonry cavity Passivhaus construction. They understand 

better than anyone the need for performance, and ensuring 

their delighted customers can feel the benefit. 

But even if you’re not designing or building a Passivhaus 

you should expect the best. So it’s reassuring to know a 

trusted brand like Earthwool DriTherm is at the core of your 

home, the invisible force delivering real performance. 

ü Thermally efficient 

ü Non-combustible 

ü Water repellent 

ü Environmentally friendly 

ü Rot proof and non-hygroscopic 

¨ 

¨ 

¨ 

¨ 

¨ 

Image of Golcar Passivhaus (www.golcarpassivhaus.co.uk). 

Designed by Green Building Store using Knauf Insulation. 

With full product support from specification to installation, 

including bespoke U-value and psi calculations, 

contact us today on 01744 766666 

or technical.uk@knaufinsulation.com 

www.knaufinsulation.co.uk/buildwithdritherm

YOUR AUTHORITY IN SELF-TESTING 

EMERGENCY LIGHTING 

Specialist self-testing emergency lighting company, P4 Limited, has 

been supplying Fully Automatic Self-Testing Emergency Lighting 

solutions for nearly 30 years. Major healthcare, education, local authority, commercial and 

industrial premises have relied on P4’s market leading systems to ensure building occupants 

are provided with the best escape lighting systems, to assist safe evacuation if an emergency 

situation should arise. 

The after sales service is second to 

none, giving customers the 

confidence they require and expect. 

P4 continues to work with customer’s 

year in and year out, supporting them 

in the maintenance and compliance of 

their P4 installation and often 

extending installations into additional 

areas of their premises. 

Following the recently announced 

new M-web central controller, P4 has 

introduced wireless communications between the components of its FASTEL systems and 

data transmission capabilities to enable M-web units to communicate with Building 

Management Systems using RS485 links and Modbus protocol. 

P4’s market leading escape lighting solutions are complemented by a range of high 

light output luminaires that provide high levels of illuminance where demanded on 

escape routes as well as specific locations. 

Extended duration luminaires and “Stay Put” 

emergency lighting systems, (as required by the most 

recent changes to BS5266 Part 1) are available to 

provide complete emergency lighting solutions for all 

situations. 

For further information or to discuss your emergency 

lighting requirements, please call P4 on 01328 850555. 

Alternatively, you can email us at: info@p4fastel.co.uk or visit our website www.p4fastel.co.uk 


37

Explains Emergency Lighting Obligations 

Emergency Lighting is of the utmost importance and a legal requirement in premises, excluding domestic premises, across the UK. 

In England and Wales the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, usually referred to as the Regulatory Reform Order (RRO), 

brings very significant fines for breaches of the order (with or without a fire) and offenders are actively prosecuted. It is therefore 

vital that businesses, organisations and individuals are aware of the regulations and the obligations they impose. 

Responsible Person 

The responsibility for emergency lighting 

rests with a 'Responsible Person', who 

has control, or a degree of control, over 

premises and fire-safety systems within 

premises. In English law a ‘person' can be 

either an individual or an entity such as a 

limited company. 

Therefore, the ‘Responsible Person’ 

could be the building owner, landlord, 

facilities manager, estates manager, 

building occupier or designated person. 

They may all individually or collectively 

be responsible for the safety of 

everybody who might be on the premises 

at any time. 

The ‘Responsible Person’ (or 

‘Responsible Persons’) must ensure 

everybody on the premises, or nearby, 

can escape safely if there is a fire or 

failure of the mains power supply, and 

must provide appropriate assistance to 

those who may need extra help or have a 

disability. 

Suitability and Compliance 

Documentation must be available to 

enable the ‘Responsible Person’ to 

demonstrate the suitability and 

compliance of their system to inspecting 

authorities, who have the responsibility 

to enforce the Regulatory Reform Order. 

Inspecting authorities may investigate on 

a random basis, as a result of 

information, or if there has been fire or 

false alarm. 

There is an emphasis on ‘consultation’, 

covered in Clause 4.1 of BS5266 Part 1: 

2016. This stipulates that it is important, 

if possible, to consult with all relevant 

persons, so that the ‘Responsible Person’ 

can consider all of the hazards and 

people at risk, together with the 

capabilities of maintenance and 

operating staff to enable the design and 

installation to match the emergency 

lighting to the application needs. 

To demonstrate compliance, regular risk 

assessments are required against which 

current legislation acts retrospectively. 

Therefore, premises engineered to 

previous versions of the standards need 

to be assessed to consider if they need to 

be upgraded. The ‘Responsible 

Person’/Risk Assessor might require 

guidance to assist them to decide if an 

upgrade to the latest standard is needed, 

and also to identify the degree of the 

urgency. 

Risk Assessment 

‘Your Authority in Self-Testing 

Emergency Lighting’ 

Employers and persons who have control 

of premises are required by legislation to 

carry out an assessment of the fire risks 

to occupants of premises and other 

people in the vicinity of the premises to 

ensure that they are protected from fire 

and its effects. The regulatory Reform 

(Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that the 

risk assessment, which is referred to as 

the “Fire Risk Assessment”, shows the 

means of escape is suitable and 

sufficient. 

The installed emergency lighting should 

be evaluated as part of the assessment of 

the means of escape within the “Fire Risk 

Assessment”. Persons carrying out this 

“Fire Risk Assessment” should be 

competent, having appropriate 

experience and/or qualification. The 

“Fire Risk Assessment” should be 

regularly reviewed (typically every 12 

months) against the latest issue of 

BS5266 Part 1 to consider whether 

emergency lighting installations are 

adequate. 

For further information or to discuss your emergency lighting requirements, please call P4 on 01328 850555. 

Alternatively, email us at: info@p4fastel.co.uk or visit our website at www.p4fastel.co.uk

Case Study: 

Northwick Park Hospital 

Northwick Park Hospital is part of the London North West Healthcare 

NHS Trust, which is one of the largest trusts in the country. It is one of 

eight London hyper acute stroke units (HASUs), based in the Borough of 

Harrow and is a teaching hospital for students of Imperial College School 

of Medicine. 

THE CHALLENGE 

The hospital was seeking to replace the existing outdated emergency 

lighting, with a requirement for a Self-Testing system that would reduce 

the burden on the maintenance team and minimise disruption to the 

patients and healthcare staff. The initial project was carried out in 2016 

to show the system benefits in a small area within a hospital ward. 

Following the success of the first project, a schedule was put in place to 

install further emergency lighting during 2017/18. 

WHAT WE DID 

• Installed P4’s state of the art M-web, a fully automatic addressable selftesting 

emergency lighting monitoring system, initially for a small area 

of the hospital. 

• Provided 160 emergency luminaires throughout the site over four 

Collector (Data Collection) Boxes with future projects to follow. 

• Provided support for the Trust’s pre and post solution implementation 

plan and the need to continue to provide a safe and disruption free 

environment for all of their staff and patients. 

BENEFITS 

For further information or to discuss your 

emergency lighting requirements, please call P4 

on 01328 850555. 

Alternatively, email us at: info@p4fastel.co.uk 

or visit our website at www.p4fastel.co.uk 

• To date, P4 has replaced the existing emergency lighting across a 

number of wards within the hospital site, substantially reducing 

maintenance costs thanks to the M-web’s self-testing capability. 

• The modular nature of P4’s systems, enabling a single M-web ‘head 

end’, with associated Collector Boxes sited in each building, means that 

Northwick Park Hospital are able to phase the roll out of the system. 

• Unnecessary ward access has been eliminated in the areas serviced by 

the M-web, as the system automatically tests and reports on correct 

emergency lighting operation. 

• The addressable monitoring and control solutions allow the Trust to set 

times when it is convenient to automatically and individually test the 

emergency luminaires connected to the system, thereby minimising 

disturbance during times when patients are sleeping or receiving 

treatment. 

• Market leading six-year warranty for P4 LED drivers and batteries.

Breathing 

Safely 

The UK Construction industry has improved 

substantially on its Safety record over the last 

few decades, but certain Health issues in the 

industry are under some scrutiny at the moment. 

Respiratory complaints such as COPD and 

occupational Asthma caused by exposure to 

harmful dusts, gases and vapours are 

often not immediately diagnosed, 

and are on the rise. Symptoms do 

not manifest themselves 

for a number of years or 

even decades, by which 

time it is often too late to 

reverse debilitating medical 

conditions. The health issues caused by 

Silica dust (Silicosis) are a top priority for the 

HSE who are looking to reduce the worrying 

increasing number of sufferers. With over 35000 

workers reporting they currently have breathing/ 

lung problems, caused or made worse by work, 

the cost to the construction industry in both 

lost time and expertise is enormous. Are you 

masking a problem? 

Sundström are a third generation family 

company with a passion for designing and 

manufacturing respiratory equipment. We 

have 90 years’ experience, and are proud of 

our reputation for quality and innovation. Our 

range includes a solution to most environments 

found in construction from half masks to airline, 

powered solutions to escape hoods. UK Sales 

Manager Tony Smith added; ‘It is not only about 

understanding the contaminant, but also the 

needs of the wearer, the employer and their 

legislative requirements. The equipment must be 

acceptable to all parties but above all it must be 

comfortable and compatible with all other PPE 

used by the wearer.’ 

Sundström’s extensive range provides a solution 

to all your respiratory problems. The SR 100 half 

mask is widely used as the product of choice in 

the asbestos industry due to its excellent face 

fit performance. Due to the popularity of facial 

hair and the legal requirement to undertake face 

fit testing, the use of negative pressure masks 

may not be acceptable. Our powered units offer 

a comfortable and highly effective solution to 

extended respiratory practices, the problems 

encountered with facial hair, and do not require 

a face fit. 

Our new SR 900 respiratory system gives 

the user the option to use a remote 

housing worn on a belt which takes 

the cumbersome heavy filter away 

from the face. This facilitates usage 

under visors, welding masks or 

just to improve on wearer 

acceptability. The 

same mask 

can be 

used 

on both 

powered 

and airline 

equipment 

offering a complete inter connective respiratory 

solution. 

With a team of technical experts UK wide 

Sundström are happy to visit your sites. Give us 

a call and ‘unmask’ your respiratory issues; let us 

help you to breathe more easily! 

For further information, please contact 

Tony Smith on 07508 417925

srsafety.com 

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR 

We design and manufacture 

world class respiratory protection 

Contact us 

Steve D’Arcy 

Technical Sales Representative UK & Ireland 

E-Mail steve.darcy@srsafety.com 

Mobile 07808 177512 

Tony Smith 

Sales Manager UK & Ireland 

E-Mail tony.smith@srsafety.com 

Mobile 07508 417925

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE TILE ASSOCIATION 

The TTA offers 

many services for 

the specification 

sector 

The Tile Association represents 

the entire UK tiling industry, 

including retailers and distributors, 

manufacturers and independent 

fixers, as well as contractors 

and specifiers. The aims of the 

Association include the promotion 

of the industry, encouraging best 

practice, developing standards and 

offering training for members. 

It is the leading UK authority on 

technical issues relating to tiling. Its 

Technical Committee is influential in 

the drafting of, and amendments to, 

British/EN/ISO standards concerned 

with ceramic tiles and adhesives. By 

working with TTA members such as 

tile suppliers, tiling contractors and 

independent tile fixers, architects 

can be assured of the quality of 

workmanship, service provided and 

the long term success of any tiling 

project. The TTA offers membership 

for UK architects, which comes 

with many benefits, including free 

registration, free access to technical 

documents and technical seminars. 

The TTA now offers RIBA-approved 

CPD literature on virtually every 

subject related to tiling. The whole 

body of TTA technical publications 

has now been approved by RIBA 

and is available for download freeof-charge 

from the TTA website by 

registered architects and specifiers. 

All the TTA’s Technical Publications 

and Technical Advisory Notes 

are produced by members of the 

TTA’s own Technical Working 

Groups, in partnership with relevant 

external bodies. They contain full 

bibliographies and references to 

British, European and International 

Standards. 

Architects and specifiers have to 

carry out CPD training to keep 

their professional qualifications 

up-to-date, and the TTA’s ability to 

offer CPD material is another great 

service from the Association. 

The TTA met with the EUF at last year’s Cersaie tiling exhibition in Italy. The TTA was represented by: 

director and chairman of the training committee Bob Howard MBE, who is also president of the EUF; 

technical director, Brian G Newell; and company secretary Kay Porter, who also assumes responsibility 

for running the secretariat of the EUF. 

The topics covered by the TTA’s 

technical documents cover a vast 

range of subjects and are grouped 

into five key categories within the 

architects’ area of the TTA website. 

The publication groupings are: 

Ceramic Tiling onto Boards and 

Sheets; Ceramic Tiling onto Screed 

Systems; Internal Ceramic Tiling; 

Slip Resistance of Ceramic Tiling; 

Tiling of Wet Rooms and Cleaning 

& Maintenance of Ceramic Tiling. 

Each of the documents is about 40 

pages in length. 

Together these 

now comprise 

a significant body 

of material which is RIBAapproved 

and provides architects 

and specifiers with the best 

available information and guidance 

on a range of general and specific 

subjects related to tiling. The full 

range of technical publications 

produced by the TTA’s Technical 

Committee amounts to a very 

significant resource for architects, 

building designers and specifiers, 

designed to assist them in their 

work and to make available the best 

tiling solutions for today’s building 

designers. 

The TTA is also involved on a 

regular basis with work, both in the 

UK and internationally, on creating 

and updating industry Standards 

applicable to the wall and floor tile 

industry. This includes Standards 

which define ceramic and natural 

stone tiles and which relate also to 

tile fixing, tile adhesives and grout. 

In all there are nearly 40 standards 

listed on the TTA website, linked 

to the BSI online shop, where 

specifiers can download them. 

The mission of the TTA is to 

promote professionalism and 

technical standards in the tiling 

industry. In order to further that aim, 

the Association is heavily involved 

in drafting technical standards for 

the industry, including the BSI. 

The TTA also takes a leadership role 

within the Federation of European 

Tile Fixers (EUF) to drive forward 

discussions with international 

partners on confronting technical 

issues affecting the global tile 

market. One of the TTA’s core roles 

is to represent the interests of the 

UK tile industry on an international 

stage, whether it is developing 

new Standards in ISO meetings 

or discussing best practice 

approaches on how to respond to 

the latest international tile trends 

and technological developments. 


Register with TTA for free 

access to technical documents 

on a range of subjects worth 

£50 each, including: 

Installation and Use of Uncoupling 

Membranes 

Tiling to Acoustic Systems 

Adhesives and Grouts In Internal Tiling 

Tiling to Calcium Sulfate Screeds 

Cleaning and Maintenance of Wall 

and Floor Tiles 

Tiling to Heated Floors 

Large Format Tiles in Internal Tiling 

Movement Joints 

Tiling with Resin Agglomerated Tiles 

Tiling to Raised Flooring Systems 

Slip Resistance of Hard Flooring 

Internal Ceramic Tiling to Sheet and 

Board Substrates 

Tiling in Wet Rooms 

Design and Construction for 

Swimming Pools 

To register, visit 

www.tiles.org.uk/specifier 

Images courtesy of ARDEX UK Ltd, TileStyle, Johnsons Tiles Ltd and Norcros Adhesives Ltd 


43

Prestigious London development provides 

successful test for Norcros Adhesives 

Sugar Quay is a new residential site, currently 

under development. It is situated in one of the most 

prestigious riverside locations still to be developed 

in London on the north bank of the River Thames 

near to the Tower of London. 

The core of the project is the replacement of a 1970s 

office block with a contemporary mixed-use Foster 

& Partners scheme. This will comprise apartments 

built at basement level, at ground floor level and also 

in blocks of nine to eleven storeys. There will be 165 

private residential apartments, as well as studios 

and one, two, and three-bedroom apartments. Sugar 

Quay is being jointly developed by Barratt London 

and CPC Group Limited. 

Because of the scale of the project, 

anhydrite screeds were used to offer 

the following benefits: 

• Easily pumpable – up to 

2,000sq m can be laid in a 

single day compared to 100 

– 150sq m achieved with 

conventional sand: cement 

screed. 

• More cost-effective than 

traditional screeds. For 

example on ground floor 

installations, anhydrite 

screeds are an average of £2 

to £5/sq m cheaper to lay. 

• Minimal shrinkage 

• Improved encapsulation of 

underfloor heating pipes 

• Significantly thinner than 

sand: cement screeds. 

• More environmentally friendly. 

Norcros Adhesives carried out a programme of onsite 

tests, using the new Norcros Pro Gyp-Base Fast 

Track Sealer, which greatly reduces the minimum 

drying times normally applicable for anhydrite 

screeds. Developed and tested in association with 

Gypsol, Norcros Pro Gyp Base offers a fast track 

solution for tiling on to both heated and unheated 

anhydrite screeds. 

Norcros conducted product trials in a 30sq m ground 

floor area of the building, on a newly laid 50mm thick 

anhydrite screed incorporating underfloor heating 

pipes. Full reports from the testing carried out by 

Norcros Adhesives were issued on 1 September 

2017. 

The advantage of the Norcros system is that it enables 

tiles to be fixed with a cement-based adhesive on to 

anhydrite screeds which have a relative humidity 

as high as 95 per cent instead of the standard 

requirement of 75%. The Pro Gyp-Base system 

negates the requirement to commission the heating 

prior to tiling. Therefore in the site trial carried 

out at Sugar Quay, the underfloor heating was not 

commissioned prior to application of the Norcros 

Pro Gyp Base system or before tiling. The heating 

was in fact commissioned in line with industry 

standards 14 days after the tiles had been fixed. 

At the conclusion of the tests there was no evidence 

of debonding of tiles or cracking of the grout joints 

in any of the bays and no evidence that the Pro Gyp 

Base had not worked effectively. 

The results from trials, combined with the available 

historic information provide very positive evidence 

to support the use of the Norcros Pro Gyp Base 

system as a fast track solution for rigid tiling on 

to anhydrite screeds, offering potential for both 

considerable time and cost savings. 

Norcros Adhesives were able to provide full on-site 

support and technical back-up. This includes on-site 

training, as well as a full programme of checking 

and monitoring throughout the installation process 

which will continue through to occupation of the 

building. These stages will be supported by Quality 

Control Inspection and Test Plans, Quality Control 

Check Sheets and full written procedures. 

Norcros Adhesives 

Harewood Street, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, 

Staffs., ST6 5JZ 

Tel: 01782 524140 

www.norcros-adhesives.com 


Kit contains 

all you need 

to prepare 

25m 2 

Approved 

installer 

training 

available 

Tested and approved by 

Norcros Adhesives, Harewood Street, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST6 5JZ Tel: +44 (0) 1782 524140 Web: www.norcros-adhesives.com 


45

Hopton Yard, Yoxford 

HAT Projects 

Hopton Yard is a ‘close’ of 4 houses 

in a former gravel pit site that was 

then used as a scaffold yard. The 

topography of the site heavily 

influenced the design, as the northerly 

aspect presents expansive rural views 

over the surrounding water meadows, 

while the site itself is partly dug into 

the hill as a result of its former use. 

The four houses each respond to 

this setting in individual ways – in 

particular, maximising the views over 

the top of the bank at the north of the 

site through first floor living spaces in 

each of the three dwellings on that 

side of the site. South-facing gardens 

sit between the houses and the shared 

driveway, creating a more layered 

and private relationship between the 

public and domestic spaces. A high 

quality of planting has been provided 

from the outset, with native hedging 

to soften the parking and garden 

edges, a fruit tree in each garden, and 

specifically chosen plants for the steep 

banks. Existing trees have, where 

possible, been retained. 

The external form and materiality 

is a contemporary interpretation 

of vernacular precedent – pitched 

roof volumes clad in a ‘wrap’ of 

hand-made hung tiles, enclosing 

gable ends in white-painted timber 

weatherboarding. 

Contemporary detailing brings a crisp 

finish, with concealed gutters and 

slender brick chimneys expressed on 

the side walls. 

Internally the houses are particularly 

generous in comparison with 


conventional market sale homes, 

both in terms of floorspace, and 

ceiling heights. All the dwellings use 

the pitch of the roof forms to create 

height internally, with unit 2 having 

all its living accommodation on the 

first floor under a dramatic barnlike 

roof with exposed rafters and 

rooflights. There is generous built-in 

storage throughout and the plans are 

designed to be flexible as to future use. 

For example the first floor living rooms 

in units 1 and 3 could also be used as 

extra bedrooms or home offices, as 

the ground floor also includes a sitting 

room area. 

The quality of specification and finish is 

exceptionally high despite the scheme 

being built on a limited budget. Oak 

and limestone floors are both hardwearing 

and warm, with underfloor 

heating in all the living spaces. Stairs 

are detailed with individuality and 

care. To ensure high insulation and 

airtightness values, all external walls 

have a battened service void between 

the timber frame and internal lining, 

to avoid service penetrations into 

the insulation zone now and in the 

future. Air source heat pumps are 

used throughout and all rainwater 

drainage is dealt with on site, through 

permeable surfaces and soakaways. 


The site was sold with lapsed planning 

consent for 4no houses, the scheme 

was reworked by Nest/HAT Projects to 

create 4no dwellings of higher quality, 

more embedded in the landscape 

setting. The project received planning 

consent unanimously. 


Architect: HAT Projects 

Developer: Nest Development 

Planning Authority: East Suffolk 





1x3 bed / 3x 4bed detached houses 

Tenure mix: 100% private 



Photography: Alex Sarginson. 

Living room interior photograph 

by The Modern House 


47

Oval Quarter, London SW9 

PRP 

Sitting at the heart of the Oval Quarter 

scheme is the new 2.88ha Public Park, 

which provides a range of facilities for 

all residents including sports pitches, 

play facilities and expansive lawns. 

The new wedge shaped Community 

Centre which sits within and forms 

part of the new park slopes up from 

the ground level, and provides a place 

for people to sit, play and view the 

rest of the park. The remaining 6.62ha 

of public open space is provided in 

the form of a formerly listed London 

Square has been reinstated as part of 

the masterplan, and a new community 

garden and linear park along Akerman 

Road. Every home has generous 

private amenity space in the form of a 

balcony, terrace, private garden or roof 

garden ranging from 5m2 to 48m 2 . 


PRP received full detailed planning 

consent for the first 485 dwellings, 

associated public realm and the 

reinstatement of Melbourne Square 

in August 2010 along with an outline 

approval for the remaining 323 

dwelling dwellings, proposed public 

park, and new community centre 

which would be delivered in phase 2. 

A separate planning application for 

the detail design of the new park and 

community centre received reserved 

matters approval in November 2011, 

as well as a further reserved matters 

application for the design of the phase 

2 dwellings and associated open space 

was also approved in November 2011. 

In total, the scheme provides 808 new 

build homes, with a total of 134 houses, 

160 maisonettes, 688 apartments, a 

new public park, landscaped areas, 

and a new landmark community 

centre. 



Architect: PRP 

Developer: 

Higgins 

Pinnacle Regeneration Group 

Regenter 


London Borough of Lambeth 





Mix of Flats, Duplexes and Houses: 

1b2p,1b2pw, 2b3p, 2b3pw, 2b4p, 3b5p, 

3b5pw, 4b6p, 5b7p 

Tenure mix: 

46% Affordable (PFI Social Rent), 

8% Shared Ownership, 44% Private Sale 




49

Market Place, Bolton 

Wren Architecture and Design 

At the time our clients purchased the 

Shopping Centre, it could be defined 

in two quite separate entities. To the 

north the original 1980’s ‘Market Place’ 

shopping centre and on the south was 

the former ‘Market Hall’ dating from 

1851. In terms of design and layout 

the north building was typical of the 

1980’s – the shop units and frontages 

were no longer suitable for modern 

retail formats and the interior design 

was tired and outdated. At the time 

of its construction, ‘Market Place’ was 

connected through a circular atrium 

structure to the Market Hall, then a 

functioning lively market. In the early 

2000’s the market was moved out of 

the Market Hall and the shopping 

centre extended into the Market Hall 

over two levels with the 1980’s atrium 

both linking and dividing the two. 

Our brief was to accommodate a 9 

screen cinema and to create a new 

food and beverage quarter – together 

these were to create an evening 

destination in the heart of Bolton. 

After a brief, intense analysis of the 

existing building it was decided that 

the best location for the cinema was 

within the body of the roof top multistorey 

car park adjacent to the central 

atrium. Here it would be most centrally 

placed for circulation, would have 

least impact on the existing structural 

frame and would sit most comfortably 

within the volume of the building. 

The design of the main illuminated 

polycarbonate box and the aluminium 

and glass clad structure over the west 

entrance helps resolve the junction 

between the two original buildings 

through the insertion of something 

new and forms a clean backdrop to 

the Victorian Market Hall. 

The 2006 extension of the shopping 

centre into the Grade 2 Listed Market 

Hall into a shopping centre was an 

unsatisfactory compromise between 

the concerns of English Heritage to 

retain the sense of space and dual 

north/south and east/west axes of the 

original Market Hall on the one hand 

and retail thinking to create a simple 


north/south link to the north building 

on the other. This compromise 

resulted in a mall 18m wide at ground 

floor level stepping back to 24m 

wide at first floor. Such a vast space 

created a sense of emptiness, too 

wide for shoppers to shop both sides 

at ground floor. Escalators were also 

placed to discourage circulation to the 

upper level and the galleries to either 

side were disconnected from each 

other. As a result several of the units 

on both levels had been unlet since 

construction. 

However, this design fault created the 

opportunity for the transformation of 

Market Place. Lying underneath the 

Market Hall, forgotten by many of the 

residents of Bolton and neglected in 

the conversion 10 years ago lay the 19 th 

century brick Vaults, built as storage 

for the market above. The width of the 

mall above allowed us to remove the 

central vault beneath whilst retaining 

6m wide galleries to either side at 

ground floor. This ‘Cut’ has made the 

whole of the Vaults accessible to the 

Market Hall for the first time, creating 

a destination restaurants and cafes 

whilst also intensifying the potential 

for creating engaging and authentic 

experiences for shoppers and visitors. 

Circulation to the upper level was 

improved by turning the escalators 


51

around to suit the direction of arrivals 

from the south and creating a new link 

bridge. This bridge also incorporates a 

stage for performances. 

Also in the basement, spare capacity 

within the Loading Bay beneath the 

1980’s building, adjacent the Vaults, 

was utilised to extend the restaurant 

and entertainment offer and to create 

a vertical link to the shopping centre 

and cinema above. 

Finally the obstruction of the 1980’s 

atrium has been replaced by a simple 

volume of glass and steel that unites 

all four components of the building – 

the 1980’s shopping centre north, the 

Market Hall to the south, the Vaults 

beneath and the cinema above – in 

plan and section. New escalators and 

lift link every level whilst views are 

opened up between the main entrance 

up to the cinema foyer, through to the 

north Mall and down to the Vaults. 

Throughout the process the design 

team has worked closely with the 

Planning Department, Conservation 

Officer and Historic England to ensure 

that the proposals were designed 

and developed in the best interests 

of the historic building whilst 

accommodating new commercial 

uses. breathing new life into the 

building, re-establishing Bolton Town 

Centre as a destination of choice and 

opening up an important piece of 

Bolton’s heritage to the citizens of the 

town for the first time. 


ECO builder 

THE SPECIFIER - SPRING 2018

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE PASSIVHAUS TRUST 

Why choose Passivhaus 

Efficient thinking on setting standards 

What is the Passivhaus Standard? 

Passivhaus is one of the fastest growing global energy & comfort standards for buildings. 

It offers a voluntary route for anyone that wants to go beyond the minimum efficiency 

standards stated in the UK building regulations. 

Passivhaus buildings provide a high level of occupant comfort while using very little energy for 

heating and cooling. They are built with meticulous attention to detail and undergo a rigorous 

certification process. The concept originated in Germany in 1996. Since then, over 65,000 

buildings have been certified worldwide, and it is a tried and tested methodology proven 

to work in many climates. Rather than a ‘bolt-on’ compliance test, Passivhaus is a low-tech 

simple solution focused on integrated environmental design considerations and a diligent build 

quality. In a UK climate, they are typically super insulated with minimal thermal bridges, draught 

free and use high performance openable windows along with a highly efficient mechanical 

ventilation & heat recovery unit, which keeps you warm in winter and cool in the summer. 

2 ECOBUILDER - THE SPECIFIER SPRING 2018


Building Performance criteria 

• The total energy consumption 

(‘primary’ energy for heating, lighting, 

hot water, power & appliances) must 

not exceed 120kWh/m2 per year. 

• Achieve an annual heating/ cooling 

demand no greater than 15kWh/ 

m2 per year, or a maximum peak load 

of 10W/m2. 

• Air leakage must not exceed 0.6 

air changes per hour at 50Pa test 

pressure. 

• Thermal comfort must be achieved in all living areas throughout the year, with 

temperatures not exceeding 25C for more than 10% of the hours in a given year. 

What does the Passivhaus standard offer? 

Comfort & Luxury 

Passivhaus buildings provide a high level of indoor comfort, maintaining stable temperatures 

all year round with minimum energy. There are no draughts, mould or condensation. 

The ventilation system provides constant clean fresh air that is filtered and helps combat 

air pollution & allergens from entering the building. The super insulated walls & highperformance 

windows create a peaceful and sound proof environment, providing protection 

from unwanted exterior noise pollution. These internal comfort factors all aid the health and 

wellbeing of occupants. 

Flexibility 

The Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP) doesn’t limit your choices in terms of architecture 

and materials; A Passivhaus can be built from any construction method, providing a flexibility 

to easily fit many building contexts. The Standard can be applied to any type of building, from 

residential to non-domestic, new-build to retrofit. The pictures illustrate the various scales and 

styles of Passivhaus buildings completed in the UK. For further examples visit the Passivhaus 

projects gallery or find a certified Passivhaus near you with the Trust’s project map. 

The first UK Passivhaus, Y Foel Passivhaus, was certified in August 2009 in Powys, Wales. 

ECOBUILDER - THE SPECIFIER SPRING 2018 

3


Tigh na Croit Passivhaus. 

Rural Scotland. 

HLM architects 

Leicester Centre for Medicine: 

University building 

Associated Architects 

Wilmcote House EnerPHit, 

Portsmouth 

Gardner Stewart Architects 

Keith Hunter Photographer 

Burry Port Primary school, Wales 

Architype 

Martine Hamilton-Knight Photographer 

Burnham Overy Staithe, Norfolk 

Parsons Whittley 

Hiley Road Passivhaus, London 

Eco Design Consultants 

Leigh Simpson Photographer 

Savings 

A Passivhaus can save its occupants energy & money. Heat losses are slashed (by up to 90%) so 

that the amount of energy required to run the building is minimal, which in turn protects the 

occupants from ever increasing fuel bills and can provide a solution to combating fuel poverty. 

As well as savings on energy bills over the life of the building, investing in a high-quality build 

should result in less building defects and require less maintenance. 

The drastic reduction in energy needed to operate the building makes us less reliant on 

unsustainable fuel sources. If you prioritise drastically reducing energy, and then couple this 

with efficient renewable energy generation, it can provide a robust solution to meeting zero 

carbon targets and sustainable developments. Passivhaus provides a tremendous opportunity 

to tackle climate change. 

Proven Performance 

Crucially, Passivhaus buildings perform exactly as intended. All certified Passivhaus buildings 

undergo a rigorous compliance process to verify that the building meets stringent criteria. 

The Passivhaus certified seal of approval guarantees that the rigorous quality control 

processes have been followed correctly, which helps eliminate the performance gap. Over 

twenty years of experience demonstrates that the high levels of comfort and energy savings 

associated with the Passivhaus Standard is achieved through independent quality testing. 



Certification is also available to individual building products and professionals. 

Building products are categorised into 3 core areas: 1 – Opaque building envelope, 

2 – Transparent building envelope, or 3 – Building services. Criteria requirements will vary for 

different climate regions for certification. As a guideline Passivhaus components are usually 

two to three times more efficient than the corresponding commonly used products. This high 

level of efficiency is critical to achieving the Passive House Standard. To find out more and how 

to apply please visit the Passivhaus components database. 

The Passivhaus Trust 

The Passivhaus Trust is an independent, non-profit organisation that provides leadership in the 

UK for the adoption of the Passivhaus standard and methodology. The Trust aims to promote 

the principles of Passivhaus as a highly effective way of reducing energy use and carbon 

emissions from buildings in the UK, as well as providing high standards of comfort and building 

health. The Passivhaus Trust is the official UK affiliate of the Passivhaus Institute. Our activities 

include educational & training events, developing research & guidance and lobbying policy 

campaigns. See how to get involved with your products and projects: 

www.passivhaustrust.org.uk 

Useful links 

Passivhaus goes personal explains the many benefits of building to Passivhaus: https://youtu.be/hsDVIt7T7nU 

How to build a Passivhaus: Rules of thumb 

Passivhaus projects gallery 


5

Envirograf ® 

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LEAVE YOUR TIMBER SUBSTRATES EXPOSED 

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Insulation Systems 

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Warmshell’s exceptional insulative 

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For historic buildings irrespective 

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walls to breathe while providing 

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BRINGING A 17TH CENTURY 

FARMHOUSE TO MODERN 

STANDARDS OF ENERGY 

EFFICIENCY AND COMFORT 

Houlston Manor is an unlisted 

mainly 17th century box-framed 

farmhouse, which has been 

substantially added to and altered 

over the years. In the early 19th 

century, the house was also 

‘gentrified’ according to the fashion 

of the day when the timber framed 

front wall was replaced with brick 

to create a unified exterior. 

The owner’s aims were threefold: 

to replace the rotten and draughty 

windows with new; to insulate 

the walls, and; to improve the 

appearance of the house by 

re-introducing the 19th Century 

symmetry. After choosing timber 

casement windows to replace 

the rotten sashes, a number of 

wall insulation solutions were 

considered. The owner decided 

that external insulation would 

help resolve the aesthetics issue 

and deal with both the threat of 

failing pointing and general poor 

weather-proofing. 

Houlston Manor is solid-walled and 

without a dampproof course and 

the risk of moisture condensation 

within the walls was considered 

to be of paramount importance. 

The use of breathable materials, 

which would allow vapour transfer 

through the insulating layer, was 

essential and the Lime Green 

Warmshell system, which uses 

wood fibre board as the wall 

insulation system and lime render 

as a weather-proofer, was judged 

to fit the bill. The sustainable 

Warmshell wall insulation system 

is flexible and perfect for bringing 

an old traditionally constructed 

building up to modern energy 

efficiency standards. 

To install the Warmshell wall 

insulation system at Houlston 

Manor, wood fibre insulation 

boards were fixed directly to the 

external brickwork after excavating 

down around the sides of the 

house at ground level –

a precaution taken as the house 

had different floor levels internally. 

The wood fibre insulation boards 

were then covered by two coats 

of lime render – a basecoat (with 

reinforcing fibreglass mesh) and 

decorative finishing coat. The eaves 

were also extended to ensure that 

the roof had significant overhang 

over the insulation and renders. 

Houlston Manor is now secure, 

warm and weather-proof for 

decades to come. In the first three 

months following the installation 

of Warmshell (in winter 2015), 

the property used 2800kWh for 

heating, compared to 6821 kWh in 

the exact same period the previous 

year. 

This represents an incredible 59% 

reduction in energy costs! As the 

original brick walls dry out and 

warm up over time, the owners 

expect to see even greater energy 

cost savings. Houlston Manor is 

now ‘fit for purpose’ for the 21st 

century and beyond, a warm, 

cosy and energy efficient family 

home that will last for many more 

generations to come. 

For further information on 

Warmshell wall insulation 

systems please visit 

www.warmshellinsulation.co.uk 

or call Lime Green Products on 

01952 728611

The invisible force 

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For advice and technical information, please call or 

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Email: technical@itpltd.com 

ECOBUILDER - THE SPECIFIER SPRING 2018 11

Fire Safety and Building Regulations 

Industrial Textiles & Plastics 

The tragic events of 2017 focused the attention of the nation on 

fire prevention and control in UK buildings. Fire safety testing and 

evaluation of building materials is ongoing, and UK Building 

Regulations are under review. With new, more stringent standards 

inevitable, what do today’s specifiers need know about flame 

retardant construction materials? 

Who, and what, is to blame for 

the fire tragedy that claimed the 

lives of seventy-one people? The 

Grenfell Tower Inquiry is ongoing, 

but it will be many months before 

conclusions are announced. In 

the meantime, the government 

published Building a Safer Future – 

Independent Review of Building 

Regulations and Fire Safety: 

Interim Report in December. In 

the report, Dame Judith Hackitt 

said, “It has become clear that 

the whole system of regulation, 

covering what is written down 

and the way in which it is enacted 

in practice, is not fit for purpose, 

leaving room for those who want 

to take shortcuts to do so.” 

Among the key findings of her 

interim report are that current 

regulations and guidance are too 

complex and unclear, and that 

the system of product testing, 

marketing and quality assurance is 

not clear. Those who commission, 

design and build a project must 

all take responsibility for ensuring 

that buildings are fit for purpose, 

and that “cutting corners” is not 

acceptable. 

As Grenfell has demonstrated, 

this is especially critical for flame 

retardant building materials. Dame 

Judith concluded that products 

must be properly tested and 

certified, and that the marketing 

of these materials must be clear 

and easy to interpret. Those who 

manufacture the materials used 

10 12 ECOBUILDER - THE SPECIFIER 2018 SPRING 2018 

in construction must also take responsibility 

for ensuring that what 

they provide to the industry is 

produced to the highest standards 

and that product specifications are 

confirmed by independent testing 

and accreditation. 

The challenge, for both manufacturers 

and specifiers, is 

understanding and interpreting 

flame retardant standards, as well 

as the testing procedures and 

protocols used to determine the 

flammability of a material. 

British and international building 

standards specify flame retardant 

materials for specific installations 

and structures. Flame retardant 

additives are incorporated in the 

materials or added as a coating 

to make them flame retardant; 

it is the formulation, quality and 

amount of these additives, and 

the equipment used to produce 

them that determine which flame 

retardant tests the material will 

pass and what standards to which 

they will comply. 

A flame retardant material is one 

that self-extinguishes; it does not 

mean that it is flame proof. Flame 

retardant materials are resistant to 

catching fire, reduce flammability, 

and inhibit, suppress or delay the 

production of flames. Flame proof 

materials are ones that are not 

liable to catch fire or be damaged 

by fire and are not readily ignited 

or burned by flames. 

Current building regulations in 

England regarding fire safety 

matters within and around buildings 

are specified in Approved 

Document B (Fire Safety) Volume 1 

(dwelling houses) and Volume 2 

(buildings other than dwelling 

houses). The documents specify the 

minimum standards for all materials 

used in the construction, with 

specific installation requirements. 

(The full document is available 

online at www.gov.uk.) 

The required standard in Britain 

is BS 476 (fire tests on building 

materials and structures) Parts 6 

and 7. Part 6 (method test for fire 

propagation for products) tests the 

amount of heat given off during 

a 20-minute test, with measurements 

being taken frequently to 

produce an Index result. Part 7 

(method of test to determine the 

classification of the spread of flame 

of products) measures how far and 

how fast the flame spreads from 

the point of ignition over the test 

time. Materials are rated Class 1 

(best) to Class 4 (worst), depending 

on the spread and speed of the 

flame. To achieve a Class 1 rating in 

BS 476 Part 7, the flame must not 

spread more than 165mm from 

the point of ignition over a test 

time of 10 minutes. 

EN ISO 13501-1 was introduced 

in 2002 to harmonize the classification 

of the reaction to fire for 

building materials. This is also an 

accepted standard in the UK for

Euro Fire Class System and 

National Fire Class Systems* 

Euro Class 

EN ISO 13501-1 

UK 

BS 476 Parts 6 & 7 

Class A1 NA A1 

Class A2 Class 0 A2 

Class B Class 0 B1 

Class C Class 1 B1 

Class D Class 1 B2 

Class E Class 2 B2 

Class F Class 3 B3 

EN ISO 13501-1 STANDARDS 

FIRE BEHAVIOUR 

Class A1 – highest level non-burnable 

Class A2 – non-burnable materials 

Class B – inflammable materials 

Class C – normal flammable 

Class D – normal flammable 

Class E – normal flammable 

Class F – not classified materials 

SMOKE DEVELOPMENT 

Germany 

DIN 4102 

*Indicative purposes only; test methods and standards vary 

Class S1 – very limited smoke 

Class S2 – limited smoke 

Class S3 – no demands on smoke 

BURNING DROPLETS 

Class d0 – no droplets or particles 

Class d1 – limited burning droplets 

Class d2 – no demands on droplets 

Highest level for flame retardancy 

B-s1, d0 

Building Regulations, along with 

BS 476 Parts 6 & 7. Two test standards 

make up EN ISO 13501-1: 

EN ISO 11925-2 (ignitability when 

subjected to direct impingement 

of flame) and EN ISO 13823 (SBI) 

(reaction to fire tests exposed to 

thermal attack by a single burning 

item). The European standard 

has a wider scope than BS 476, as 

it measures flame spread, heat 

release and toxicity of smoke. 

Tests are conducted by, and products 

accredited by, third-party 

certification bodies. Because a 

material has passed a national 

test, it cannot be assumed that it 

would have the equivalent Euro 

Class rating unless the material has 

been specifically tested to these 

standards. Understanding that not 

all “flame retardant” products are 

equal necessitates understanding 

the different standards, different 

testing procedures and varying 

“pass” results for different countries. 

For example, to pass EN ISO 

13501-1, the flame spread must not 

exceed 150mm within 60 seconds 

(when exposed to flame for 30 

seconds), which is more stringent 

than for BS 76 Part 7. 

UK Building Regulations also consider 

building height, occupancy 

and fire severity as determining 

factors. The highest ratings for 

flame retardancy are Class 1 (UK) 

and Euro Class B-s1,d0, both 

accepted testing standards in 

Approved Document B. But what 

is Class 0, listed in Building Regulations 

as the highest standard 

required? This is not a UK fire test 

rating, rather it is a classification 

specified in the Building Regulations. 

It means that the material 

is either non-burnable or achieved 

a Class 1 (BS 476 Part 7) result and 

a Class 1 (BS 476 Part 6) Index not 

more than 6 (after 90 seconds 

and not more than 12 (after 20 

minutes). Euro Class A1 and A2 

are given to materials that are 

non-burnable products. See the 

table for an approximate guide to 

the different standards. 

In her interim report, a “shocked” 

Dame Judith stated, “I am 

convinced of the need for a new 

intelligent system of regulation 

and enforcement for high-rise and 

complex buildings which will encourage 

everyone to do the right 

thing and will hold to account 

those who try to cut corners.” Until 

that brave new world arrives, every 

manufacturer of flame retardant 

building products has a duty 

and a responsibility to have their 

products independently tested 

and accredited by third-party 

accreditation bodies, and to 

present the results to consumers, 

be they specifiers, contractors 

or installers, clearly and unambiguously. 

Equally, specifiers and 

contractors have the responsibility 

to understand precisely 

what “flame retardant” means for 

the building products they are 

employing in any construction, 

large or small. 

MARC VAN DER VOORT 

Managing Director, 

Industrial Textiles & Plastics Ltd 

ITP produce engineered materials 

for the construction industry, 

with specialist expertise in flame 

retardant technology, supplying 

POWERLON® FR membranes and 

FlameOut TM house wraps. 

ECOBUILDER ECOBUILDER - THE SPECIFIER - THE SPECIFIER SPRING 2018 

11 13

EcoRight products are suitable for most applications for brick and stonework and are available in over twenty 

earth tone colours. 

EcoRight is pleased to announce the launch of the new London Heritage range of lime mortars 

The EcoRight range has been developed to allow users to prepare highly durable lime mortars, plasters and 

renders without specialist knowledge, “just add water, mix and serve”. 

Lunch and learn with the EcoRight RIBA approved range of CPD’s for architects throughout the UK. Call, 

email or visit our website to book or to find out more information. 

www.ecoright.co.uk 

0845 8733888 


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EcoRight manufactures a comprehensive range of ecologically sound lime based building 

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15

Arthurlie Family Centre, Barrhead 

East Renfrewshire Council 

In East Renfrewshire, Heron Bros 

delivered the £4.5M Arthurlie Family 

Centre located within the grounds 

of the former Auchenback Primary 

School. The contract involved 

the construction of new single 

storey building to create a family 

centre, providing early education for 

age 0-5 year olds with a total capacity 

for 170 child spaces. Heron Bros also 

provided secure outdoor play areas 

and sufficient car parking and drop 

off areas for parents. The project was 

delivered over 43 weeks with work 

beginning on-site in January 2017 

and practical completion achieved in 

November 2017. 

The centre is designed to be an 

innovative community hub that 

brings together early years services 

under one roof at the heart of the 

Auchenback community. The centre 

will increase the number of early years 

places available in the area, which will 

enhance the first-class integrated work 

the council is doing to support young 

children, parents and families. It has 

been developed as part of the council’s 

early years work in a partnership 

between Education, Health and 

Social Care and Environment. The 

new Arthurlie Family Centre offers 

120 morning and 120 afternoon 

places for three to five-year-olds. In 

addition it offers 50 part-time places 

for children aged from birth to three 

and provides a community space for 

families. Working with children and 

families from a very early age, in the 

one centre, has a host of benefits to 

children’s development. The building 

also brings together front-line staff 

from other council services and 

partner organisations, such as health 

visitors and social workers. There is 

accommodation to enable staff to 

work with parents while their child is 

learning and cared for. 

Arthurlie Family Centre in constructed 

of a traditional timber frame with a 

combination of masonry panels and 

Siberian larch rainscreen cladding. The 

material and colour schemes have 


een designed to create a calm, 

nurturing environment. Inside, the 

single storey family centre has seven 

playrooms, bright modern learning 

spaces and underfloor heating with 

level access throughout. There is a 

canopy outside each playroom and 

a door to give youngsters access to a 

secure garden all-year-round. 

The floor slab is reinforced concrete 

with underfloor heating and screed 

throughout. Energy saving fittings 

are used for the lighting and there are 

photovoltaic solar panels mounted 

on the insulated standing seam roof. 

Externally the playground comprises 

of macadam surfacing and rubberised 

play surfaces whilst the appearance is 

complemented by a sympathetic soft 

landscaping scheme. As a Considerate 

Constructor, Heron Bros dealt with 

the contract complexities which arise 

from working in a highly residential 

area with high pedestrian footfall, by 

promoting best practice on site and 

providing community benefits for the 

local area. 


Architect: East Renfrewshire Council 

Client: East Renfrewshire Council 

Main Contractors: Heron Brothers 

Services Engineer: 

Charles Scott & Partners 

Structural Engineer: Harley Haddow 

Value: £4.5 million 

Completion: November 2017 


17

Cane House Phase 1, Coulsdon CR5 

HTA Design LLP 

Cane Hill Phase 1 celebrates the natural 

and historic character of this Green belt 

site and improves access to countryside 

for the existing community to create an 

exemplar sustainable development for 

the 21st century, delivered by a volume 

housebuilder in close collaboration 

with the GLA, Croydon council and 

the local community. This phase of 

187 homes provides a statement of 

intent for the quality that the whole 

83ha 677-home development seeks 

to deliver integrating this currently 

18 ECOBUILDER - THE SPECIFIER SPRING 2018 

derelict site with the surrounding area 

and strengthen links to Coulsdon town 

centre. 

Cane Hill sits to the south of Coulsdon 

Town Centre and is characterised by 

its dramatic topography and a rich 

establish landscape of mature woods, 

stand alone trees, hedgerows, fields 

and footpaths. The masterplan works 

with these features so that the site is 

always the star, delivering new houses 

that respect and enhance their setting, 

while having strong connections 

to Coulsdon town centre to bring 

economic activity to the high street 

and historic town. Retained hospital 

buildings, the Chapel and Water tower, 

are incorporated into the design to 

provide heritage focal points which 

aid navigation and provide a memory 

of the site’s previous use. 

A new networks of streets is laid 

out based on existing routes where 

possible. Tree groups provide a focus 

to terminate views, and avenues 

are created using banks of mature 

trees. Green pedestrian links provide 

off-road walking routes through 

mature woodland that connect the 

village green at the centre of the new 

neighbourhood with Coulsdon Town 

Centre and the railway station. 

The development is organised into 

distinct character areas which use a 

different design approach tailored to 

the specific qualities of each part of 

the site. The central ridge of mature 

trees forms a linear park bordered by 

the formal terrace of gable fronted 

houses, forming the Ridgeway 

character area, while to the east of the 

site on the open hillside which looks 

over the valley to Farthing Downs.

Detached houses are arranged in 

gentle sweeps to follow the contours 

of the hillside and reduce the impact 

on views. At all points the character of 

the existing topography, long views 

onto the site, and the existing trees 

have driven the design, and result in 

housing that is strongly related to its 

natural context. 

Phase 1 is made up of houses from 

2 to 3 storeys in height providing 

accommodation ranging from 2 to 

5 bedrooms, for a diverse range of 

housing need. The architecture and 

materials are designed to respect the 

character of the local area. Against 

the rural backdrop the homes have a 

contemporary feel with clean simple 

lines, generous windows, and brick 

corbelling to provide a detail at a 

human scale to entrances. Garages 

and car parks will be generally placed 

on plots behind the building line 

to minimise the impact of cars on 

public spaces. All homes are carefully 

positioned to ensure clear views out 

of windows and a positive relationship 

with the topography and with the 

retained mature trees on the site. 

This development presents an 

exemplar of how high quality public 

sector land can be brought to the 

market, creating a model for similar 

green belt sites in or near town centre 

locations. It provides much-needed 

affordable family housing in response 

to local need and is designed to very 

high standards. 


Cane Hill Phase 1 is the first part of 

the Cane Hill redevelopment to be 

delivered, and culminates a planning 

process which started nearly 20 

years ago when the site was formally 

identified for redevelopment as part 

of Croydon’s UDP. The site is owned by 

the Greater London Authority (GLA). 

The Green Belt land went through 

extensive consultation leading to the 

hybrid application in 2014 developed 

by Barratt with HTA. This gained 

approval for an outline application 

proposing 677 homes for the whole 

site, and a detailed application for the 

first 187 homes which is the subject of 

this submission. 


Architect: HTA Design LLP 

Developer: 

Barratt / David Wilson Homes 


London Borough of Croydon 





2 bed houses x 11, 3 bed houses x 86 

4 bed houses x 63, 5 bed houses x 27 




19

Garden Halls, London WC1H 

tp bennett and Maccreanor Lavington 

Sitting within a historic residential 

pocket within the Bloomsbury 

conservation area, a key aim stemming 

from residents consultations was 

to ensure good quality amenity 

outdoor amenity space within the 

development. Amenity space was 

provided in two forms: 

• External courtyards within the 

development, providing private 

landscaped areas adjacent the 

dining halls allowing students to 

eat, socialise and study; and 

• Cartwright Gardens, which is 

an existing private gardens 

managed by the University. The 

project completely regenerated 

the gardens with new gates 

and pathways improving the 

permeability; new seating 

throughout improving social 

interaction; new planting to 

improve the biodiversity; and four 

refurbished tennis courts designed 

to Sport England standards. 

As part of its commitment to 

community engagement the 

University have now opened the 

gardens and tennis courts to the 

public, enlivening a previously 

underutilised urban amenity. 



In March 2013 planning was 

submitted to the London 

Borough of Camden. Planning 

consent was granted on 

the 28th November 2013 

following a unanimous 

members decision. 

The site is located within the 

Bloomsbury Conservation 

Area and consultees include 

the following: Marchmont 

Association, Bloomsbury 

CAAC, Sandwich Street 

Residents Associations, as 

well as English Heritage. 

Following consent, TP 

Bennett and Macreannor 

Lavington worked closely 

with the Camden Design 

Officers to agree all aspects 

of the façade design, detail, 

material and colour selection. 


Architect: 

tp bennett 

Maccreanor Lavington 

Developer: UPP Projects Ltd 


London Borough of Camden 





Student accommodation with 446 self 

catered & 754 catered bedrooms 

Tenure mix: 

100% student accommodation 


Parking spaces: 

0 but over 600 cycle spaces 


21

The Cube Building, London N1 

Hawkins\Brown 

The ground floor of the Cube Building 

fills the majority of the site; sitting 

between the Wenlock Basin to the 

West and Shepherdess Walk Park to 

the East. At ground level, an ecological 

buffer zone separates a communal 

shard terrace from the canal while 

the residential accommodation 

stories have been lifted up off the 

ground floor workspace; resulting in 

generous first floor private residential 

terraces overlooking the park and 

canal. The upper residential stories of 

the building twists every two floors 

towards the sun creating generous, 

staggered terraces maximising views 

and outdoor space going above and 

beyond typical London standards. 


After a stalled planning application in 

2011, our original client challenged 

us to maximise the site’s saleable 

value. Our brief: to maximise value 

by creating something a little bit 

different; a unique building with good 

daylight, great views and generous 

terraces. Original planning consent for 

the design; based on a novel cruciform 

plan, was granted in 2012 and in 

2013 revised further maximising 

the number of units on the site. The 

final consented scheme, supported 

LB Hackney’s proposed ‘Wood First’ 

policy and provides 50 new homes 

for Hackney over 10 storeys; a 20% 

increase on the original stalled 

planning application. 


Architect: HawkinsBrown 

Developer: Regal Homes 


London Borough of Hackney 





14 x 1bed flats, 24 x 2 bed flats, 

5 x 3 bed flats 

Tenure mix: 65% Private Sale/ 35% 

Shared Ownership/Housing Association 

Rented 

Size of typical home: 

2 bed flats – ranging from 65 – 73 

Parking spaces: 11 within basement 



23

Comfort 600 

and CT150 Install 

into 600 m/2 

Sussex Home 

NILAN UK were appointed by a builder of large scale country homes 

(Edenbriar Ltd) to provide MVHR to this 600m/2 Low Energy Family home in Sussex. 

Due to the layout it was agreed that the easier option would be to provide two 

correctly sized units to service each end of the home. 

The ductwork is a hybrid system of rigid metal 

spiral and 75mm semi rigid radial ducting. 

Some of the ductwork is installed into the 

insulation prior to the Underfloor Heating and 

Screed being installed, in this case to avoid the 

many steels spanning the somewhat immense 

Lounge/Kitchen/Entertaining Area. The supply 

air then terminates in floor boxes with a 

brushed aluminium grille to finish. 

Our smallest Passive House Approved unit 

(CT150 185m3/hr duty) was employed to the 

Annexe part of the house servicing a bedroom 

and en-suite area and also the large office above 

the 3 vehicle garage. 

In the larger portion of the house the unit chosen 

was the Comfort 600 (600m3/hr) simply due to 

the high duty rate required by the large open 

plan spaces. 


All units have integral control for humidity and 

Co2. Should the house be full of people at a 

party for instance the unit will adjust its fan 

speed automatically to bring down the Co2 

levels. This is in addition to our standard 7 day 

programmer.

VENTILATION SOLUTIONS TO SUIT ALL LOW ENERGY HOMES 

Nilan UK - SL Services (Southern) LTD 

Tel: 01403 563045 - 07919 444452 

Email: info@nilanuk.com 

The ductwork was a hybrid system of Rigid and Semi Rigid housed in both the floor screed 

and ceiling voids. 


25

British-made quality 

Established in 2004, 

Multipanel UK brought ACP 

manufacturing home to Britain 

in 2014 to become the only 

UK manufacturer of Aluminium 

Composite Panels. Our UK 

factory uses the most advanced 

manufacturing and logistics 

technology in the industry to 

produce our Alupanel products. 

Our Aluminium coils are 

coated in a continuous, highly 

automated process according 

to ECCA and NEN-EN 

standards. The cleaning, pretreatment 

and paint application 

of our coils combine to provide 

unquestionable standards in 

durability and sustainability. 

At our site in Dover we have 

capacity to produce 6,500,000 

m 2 per year of rigid sheet 

materials and our British 

engineering approach allows us 

to achieve the best price versus 

quality ratio in the market. 

Product Development 

Thanks to our continuous 

research and development – 

and listening to our customers’ 

needs – we have grown the 

Multipanel UK product range 

considerably since 2014. 

To complement our renowned 

brands such as Alupanel®, 

we added three new products 

to our portfolio in 2016, and 

a further four in 2017 which 

means we now offer thirteen 

products to the Sign, Display 

and Architectural industries, with 

more innovations in the pipeline. 

Growth & Investment 

In 2016, a £2.2m investment 

increased the performance 

of our UK factory & the 

stockholding capacity of our 

distribution centre by 50%. 

We are dedicating further capital 

to launch a second production 

line in Dover, increasing our 

annual production capacity by 

2,500,000 m 2 . 

Global Distribution 

Located just 10 minutes from 

the Port of Dover, and 45 

minutes from mainland Europe 

– we use a global network of 

well-established road, sea and 

air freight services to deliver 

our Multipanel UK products to 

distributors in over 60 countries 

on 5 continents. 

We speak 15 languages here 

in our UK offices, helping us to 

offer the best service possible 

to our international clients. Our 

production line is paired with a 

highly efficient mobile racking 

system and logistics process, 

allowing us to dispatch orders 

quickly and accurately for all of 

our customers. 

Architectural Panels 

The Alupanel XT Series is the 

modern option for creating 

beautiful, cost effective 

architectural cladding solutions 

with aluminium composite 

panels. Made using the 

very best raw materials 

from European suppliers, 

AlupanelXT is available in three 

variants; Alupanel XT with a 

standard PE core, Alupanel 

XTFR with a fire retardant part 

mineral core and, to satisfy the 

most stringent requirements 

regarding fire safety 

regulations, Alupanel XTA2 has 

a non-combustible core. 

The choice of core materials 

together with an unrivalled 

combination of quality and 

value, Alupanel XT panels 

provide an immense range of 

fixing options and a variety 

of processing and folding 

possibilities. In addition to 

their excellent fabrication 

characteristics, Alupanel XT 

panels are available in an 

impressive range of standard 

colours and finishes and 

we also have the flexibility 

to match almost any colour 

reference, ideal for corporate 

branding and other projects 

where a bespoke finish is 

required. 

Alupanel XTFR is made to 

the same high standards 

as Alupanel XT but with the 

addition of a fire-resistant core 

that enables these panels to 

achieve higher classification 

when tested for reaction to fire. 

Alupanel XTA2 is made 

using a mineral core 

that produces a panel to 

satisfy the most stringent 

requirements regarding fire 

safety regulations. However, 

these superb safety qualities 

don’t mean you need to 

compromise on design, 

creativity and style. Combined 

with great fabrication 

capabilities and a vast range 

of colours and finishes, 

Alupanel XTA2 provides the 

perfect solution for areas 

where fire protection is a major 

consideration. 

To complement the Alupanel 

XT range we can also offer 

Alupanel A-Core which 

shares the high quality visual 

characteristics of Alupanel XT 

and it can be fabricated in the 

same way. The big difference 

is the sheet manufacturing 

technology, giving these 

panels a non-flammable core 

made from aluminium. These 

panels are remarkably strong 

and rigid whilst still being half 

the weight of aluminium sheet 

or composite panels that have 

a conventional mineral core. 

James Meylan, Sales Director 

– Architectural, said “The 

comprehensive range of raw 

materials and almost infinite 

choice of colours and finishes 

from Euramax together with 

MultipanelUK’s commitment to 

product innovation ensure that 

Alupanel XT has a long-term 

position at the forefront of ACP 

cladding solutions. With the 

continuous review of global 

certification requirements, 

we are confident that we can 

provide a competitive, high 

quality solution for projects in 

almost any location.”

Architectural Solutions 

Fully BBA 

certified with 

3 different core 

options including 

non-combustible 

A2. 

The Alupanel XT collection provides near unlimited 

design and colour options for architectural 

applications. Alupanel XT is easily fabricated 

and available with a PE or fire-resistant core. 

Offering an unrivalled combination of quality and value, 

Alupanel XT panels offer an immense range of fixing options, 

together with a variety of processing and folding possibilities 

and are available in a large range of colours and finishes. 

Alupanel XTFR and Alupanel XTA2 are made to the same exacting 

standards as Alupanel XT but have fire-resistant and non-combustible 

cores to satisfy the requirements of improved fire classification. 

RAL/NCS/BS colour references to 

suit specific project requirements 

Non-standard lengths 

can be produced 

Covered by a warranty 

of up to 20 years 

Multipanel UK have been globally successful in the Aluminium Composite Panel market for more than 13 years. 

In 2013, we made a multi-million pound investment to build our factory in Dover, becoming the first and only ACP production facility 

in the UK. Utilizing the latest technology in the industry, our purpose-built, high-speed line has the capacity to produce more than 

five million square metres of ACP per annum using the finest raw materials from European suppliers. 

For more information visit: 

www.multipaneluk.co.uk/products/architectural/alupanel-xt 

UK Head Office +44 (0)1392 823015 • XT Enquiry Line +44 (0)1392 826960 • USA Office +1 718 841 9940 


27

Building Better Thermal 

Performance into Public 

Sector Projects 

Andy Mitchell from NBT, UK distributor of Pavatex woodfibre insulation, 

discusses the reasons why so many buildings fail to meet their designed 

thermal performance. 

Pressure on public sector budgets 

has prompted a more creative and 

strategic approach to planning and 

designing public sector property 

assets. Local authorities have not only 

reviewed their property portfolio and 

how it can deliver best value; many 

have also embarked on rationalisation 

programmes, often involving the 

construction of new buildings fit for 

the 21 st century, where services can 

be combined to reduce operational 

costs. 

Critical to that cost management 

goal is the sustainability of public 

sector buildings, in terms of 

thermal performance, maintenance 

requirements and service life. The 

insulation used and the way in which 

this is specified and installed as part of 

the building fabric is critical to all three 

sustainability parameters because it 

will determine heat loss, solar gain 

and the risk of issues associated with 

moisture build up, such as damp, 

mould and condensation. 

The same principles apply to 

social housing properties, where 

longevity of the asset, minimising 

maintenance, reducing heating bills 

and ensuring tenant comfort are all 

important specification and design 

considerations. 

All of this may seem fairly 

fundamental and integral to Part 

L compliance. However, there’s a 

hitch. Many buildings fail to meet 

their designed thermal performance 

due to issues with air tightness and 

thermal bridging and there is no legal 

requirement to check if the energy 

performance of the building, once 

built, meets its designed energy 

performance. Meeting Part L is 

essentially a paper exercise and this is 

a missed opportunity to work with the 

supply chain to simplify design details 

and ensure thermal coherence of the 

finished build, which would often 

result in a faster build programme and 

less waste too. 

The U-Value Issue 

The most commonly quoted thermal 

performance criteria is the U value, 

which is calculated based on the heat 

loss of a building’s principal areas 

– such as walls, roof, windows etc. – 

and considers every component of 


each. However, to achieve genuine 

thermal performance this should 

not be considered in isolation but in 

combination with, psi values (thermal 

bridging) and air tightness. 

To achieve the required U-values, the 

specifier selects an insulation material 

with low thermal conductivity – 

the Lambda value. The lower the 

conductivity of the material, the higher 

performance it gives as an insulator. 

In theory, therefore, materials with 

very low conductivity, such as PIR 

insulation, can be specified in smaller 

quantities to achieve high levels of 

thermal performance in the finished 

structure. But there are a couple of 

problems with this assumption. 

Firstly, we don’t construct buildings 

using a single material in isolation, so 

the Lambda value of one element of the 

wall or roof build up, i.e. the insulation, 

can be seriously compromised by the 

additional materials that surround 

it, often required for structural or 

weatherproofing purposes. Instead, 

the thermal conductivity of the 

insulation material needs to be 

considered in the context of the entire 

building envelope and floor structure. 

A good illustration of this is woodfibre 

insulation, like Pavatex. Woodfibre 

has a higher Lambda value than PIR 

but it is high density and can be 

applied to the external envelope of a 

building as a complete thermal wrap 

requiring much smaller section fixings 

for external weathering surfaces such 

as cladding. Its thermal performance 

in practice is better, therefore, 

despite the fact that its Lambda 

value would suggest otherwise on 

paper. Consequently, it is vital that 

the specifier considers the verified 

Lambda value within the context 

of all the repeating components of 

the principal areas of the building 

envelope when designing a project. 

Secondly, the effectiveness of the 

building envelope also depends on 

the psi values (thermal bridging 

detailing), collectively known as the 

Y-value. Proportionately, thermal 

bridging has little impact on poorly 

insulated older buildings as there is so 

much heat loss through the principal 

areas. For a Part L compliant building, 

however, as much as one third of a 

building’s heat can be lost through 

thermal bridging. 

Once again, the solution to this is 

delivering a thermal wrap around the 

principal building fabric, which can 

perform even better when solutions 

are incorporated to address high heat 

loss thermal bridge details, such as 

overlapping insulation onto window 

frames, for example. 

Achieving Improved Airtightness 

The other major cause of heat loss is 

air escaping from the building and we 

measure this as air tightness at m 2 / 

m 3 @50pa. The Part L requirement of 

5m 2 /m 3 @50pa is the equivalent of a 

hole the size of a 20p in every square 

metre of the building envelope: 

not quite the hermetically sealed 

boxes that people fear air tightness 

will deliver! Insulation can only trap 

the heat within the building if the 

envelope provides good levels of 

air tightness because warm air will 

naturally escape through any gaps, 

increasing heat loss. 

While designers and specifiers cannot 

always control construction integrity, 

good airtightness can be aided at 

the design stage with simple details 

that are more easily executed on 

site. In most cases, airtightness is 

better delivered from the inside of 

the building envelope, enabling a 

pressure test at first fix to show up 

any issues so that the contractor 

can make good. Additionally, careful 

consideration should be given to the 

sequencing of the construction. 

We must be mindful also that 

incorporating elements to improve the 

thermal performance of our building 

changes the physics of the structure. 

We must, therefore, avoid creating new 

problems, such as trapped moisture or 

summer overheating as a byproduct of 

the focus on preventing heat loss. 

Ultimately, we must stop focusing on 

U-values alone; the most costly of 

the three ways of reducing heat loss. 

By delivering thermal performance 

through a combination of U-values, 

Y-values and air tightness, we are 

more likely to deliver the low energy 

public sector built environment we 

need to drive performance, whilst 

reducing cost.

The Next generation of 

insulation solutions used 

on 1000’s of projects 

throughout the UK 

delivering cost effective 

thermal performance 

Contact NBT 

T 01844 338338 

E info@natural-building.co.uk 

www.natural-building.co.uk

APA Façade Systems are a leading 

manufacturer of high quality 

aluminium profiles for window, door 

and façade systems including curtain 

walling, louvre and solar shading. 

Hotel Development, Colliers Wood, London 

With offices in the UK and Ireland, APA Façade Systems are focussed on delivering a high level 

of service and products. Through our network of carefully selected partners and approved 

fabricators / installers, we are confident that we can provide you everything you will need to 

ensure your development runs as smoothly as possible. 

Our high performance energy saving and thermally 

enhanced profiles are used within the UK, European, 

and North American markets and within many sectors 

including educational, residential, healthcare, public 

authority, retail and commercial construction. 

APA Façade Systems success is testament to our 

professional approach, technical assistance and 

innovative product design which has helped us 

to form strong continual relationships with many 

specifiers, fabricators, installation contractors and 

architects. 

Our values and commitment towards a greener, more 

sustainable environment are very important to us. 

They help guide everything we do and are clearly 

reflected in our range of aluminium glazing profiles 

which are designed and manufactured to conform 

to industry environmental standards and can help 

you achieve certification and a credible sustainability 

rating with BREEAM and LEED. 

Residential/Hotel Accommodation Development, Olympic Way, London 

Their innovative interchangeable-part design and 

complementary inter-system features, the result of 

extensive R&D and rigorous testing, makes them quick 

and simple to fabricate whilst providing maximum 

flexibility, reducing the need for large stock holdings, 

helping reduce wastage, resulting in a proven cost 

effective solution. 

Student Accommodation, Strawberry Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne 

All of our façade systems are subjected to rigorous 

testing and certified by a UKAS registered testing 

facility. This is undertaken in strict accordance with 

recognised CWCT and ASTN guidelines for British, 

European and North American codes of practice. 

Commercial Office Development, Wellington Place, Leeds 

For further information relating to our extensive 

range of products and services please visit our 

website www.apafacadesystems.com 



31

Go ‘Green’ with Gyvlon Excelio 

Consideration of health and safety during 

all phases of a project is vitally important. 

Reducing or eliminating the risk of harm to 

those who have to build, use and maintain 

structures is influenced by the method 

of construction and choice of materials. 

To control and regulate these issues the 

Construction Design and Management 

Regulations (CDM) were introduced in 

1994 and revised in 2007. A further 

revision came into force in April 2015. 

One of the key changes introduced by 

CDM 2015 replaces of the role of CDM Coordinator 

(CDMC) with that of a Principal 

Designer (PD). The Principal Designer 

has responsibility for the co-ordination 

of health and safety during the preconstruction 

phase. 

The Principle Designers Responsibility 

Includes: 

• Preparing the health and safety 

file and then reviewing, updating 

and revising it as the project 

progresses, managing and 

monitoring health and safety 

in the pre-construction phase, 

including; identifying, eliminating 

or controlling foreseeable risks. 

One important element of risk in 

the construction process that can be 

eliminated is the use of bags on site, 

particularly when levelling concrete slabs. 

Currently, most high performance, thin 

levelling compounds are delivered to site 

in bags. 

CDM Friendly Solution 

Excelio is a new and innovative product 

developed by Anhydritec, which 

eliminates and controls health and safety 

concerns on site. 

• Innovation - Excelio is the first 

UK pumpable flowing substrate 

leveller, which can achieve SR1 

surface regularity. It is mixed off 

site, in an approved ready mix 

plant and delivered in a standard 

truck mixer. 

• Cost – This ready mix solution 

offers huge material cost savings, 

as a sub base leveller that can be 

applied as thinly as 12mm. 

• Time – Pumping from a single 

ready mix truck, 500m 2 can be 

delivered in less than 1 hour, 

compared with several days for 

bagged products. 

• Quality – By achieving SR1 surface 

regularity time and money can 

be saved by not having to use 

additional levelling compounds. 

• Handling – There is no manual 

handling required: 1 truck 

mixer eliminates the storage, 

movement and handling of 400 

bags (or 10pallets) of 25kg bags 

on site. 

• Dust Emissions – No dust is 

generated breaking bags. Properly 

installed Excelio achieves SR1 

surface regularity. This can also 

eliminate the need for grinding - 

which may be required with other 

pump applied products. 

• Waste – No waste is generated 

during Excelio installation. 

1 ready mix truck delivery 

eliminates the disposal to landfill 

of 400 used bags. If Amount 

of waste generated per 100m 2 

(gross internal floor area)waste 

generated per 100m 2 . 

In a nutshell, Excelio significantly 

contributes toward achieving efficiencies 

on site. Importantly, Excelio allows the 

Principal Designer to be confident that 

as much risk is eliminated and controlled 

at design stage - resulting in a cleaner, 

safer, working environment. 


Unit 221, Europa Boulevard, 

Warrington, WA5 7TN 

T. +44 (0)1925 428 780 

Mail : sales@anhydritec.com 

www.anhydritec.com


33

HOW DREXUS PAVE DRAIN IS SET TO 

CHANGE THE FACE OF DRAINAGE 

For centuries drainage has been considered a purely functional 

element of any design. So much so that it’s often something 

landscape architects try to squirrel away and hide – anything 

to ensure it doesn’t detract from the overall look and feel of the 

space that’s being created. 

Essentially drainage is viewed as a necessary evil, with metal 

grated systems a particular eyesore. All too often expensive slot 

drainage is the only solution left standing – purely due to the 

relative subtlety of the product, at least when compared to the 

alternatives. 

But that’s all now set to change. In a huge leap forward for the 

industry, landscape architects no longer need worry about how 

to incorporate drainage or conceal it from view. In fact, there’s 

now a reason to actively embrace it. 

demarcation, creating the sort of zoning that allows great public 

areas to do all that’s increasingly being asked of them. 

Blending 

Where a landscape architect still wants to hide the drainage, it can 

now be created in the same material and colour as the surrounding 

paving – allowing it to be subtly integrated into the paving design. 

It means there is no longer any need to resort to ugly grates or 

expensive slot drains, marking a huge step forward for the industry. 

Thistle Street lies at the heart of Scotland’s capital city in Edinburgh’s 

New Town. Built in stages between 1767 and 1850, retaining much 

of its original neo classical and Georgian period architecture, the 

New Town is considered a masterpiece of city planning. Together 

with the Old Town, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site 

in 1995. 

Marshalls is the UK’s leading hard landscaping provider – and now 

we can supply drainage that blends with our concrete paving and 

natural stone ranges. 

With Drexus Pave Drain, Marshalls can provide a discreet natural 

stone topped drainage solution in the exact same material 

as the paving that surrounds it. This means the drainage can 

either blend into the landscape to effectively hide it, or be 

contrasted to offer some form of delineation to frame a public 

space and create a design feature. 

In short, drainage no longer needs to be a barrier to great 

design. With Drexus Pave Drain it can actually contribute 

to the aesthetic appeal and the functionality of an outdoor 

space. 

Engineers at Edinburgh City Council were looking to improve 

drainage around the walkways in this essentially flat area. With 

pedestrian safety and comfort in mind, they wanted to minimise 

the issues of ponding 

and standing water, 

creating effective 

channels and falls 

while retaining the 

character of these 

charming city streets. 

Marshalls’ Drexus 

Pave Drain provided 

the perfect solution, 

offering a unique 

aesthetic for linear 

drainage. Utilising 

Marshalls’ expertise 

in both concrete 

and natural stone, 

Pave Drain offers an 

effective combined 

paving and drainage 

solution which 

perfectly complements 

natural stone paving 

products, including 

the Scoutmoor Yorkstone installed on Thistle Street. 

Drexus XL Natural 

Stone Pave Drain 

Drexus XL Natural Stone Pave Drain 

Delineation 

Pave Drain can be used as an effective delineator between 

pedestrian and vehicular areas instead of a line of paving – 

essentially killing two birds with one stone. 

Available in a variety of designs and finishes, suitable for any 

public realm development, the Pave Drain concept combines a 

natural stone upper section complete with drainage slots and 

a concrete channel block which sits below the upper section, 

allowing surface water to drain away below the surface of the 

walkway. 

Heavy traffic isn’t an issue either. Pave Drain achieves a loading 

classification of D400, making it suitable for areas subject to 

vehicular overrun as well as pedestrian traffic, helping to create 

better landscapes for some of Britain’s most iconic sites. 

It was recently installed at a hospital bus interchange where 

the drainage is being used as a delineator between the road 

and pavement. As emergency vehicles need access a kerb was 

inappropriate, but Pave Drain was still able to make the layout 

clear to both pedestrians and vehicles. 

A line of drainage can also be supplied in a contrasting colour to 

be used as a border around a public space. As the product can now 

be rendered in the same texture and material, it no longer looks 

unsightly but instead functions as a design feature in its own right. 

At a time when living space is at a premium and keeps having to 

work harder, Drexus Pave Drain can provide subtle but effective 

Dovetailing perfectly with existing hard landscaping products 

along Thistle Street, Marshalls Pave Drain is now playing an 

important role in maintaining safe and well-drained pedestrian 

walkways serving the shops and restaurants in this bustling and 

beautiful area of Scotland’s capital. 

The unique ability of Marshalls’ Drexus Pave Drain to sympathetically 

blend drainage into a scheme, or use it to provide subtle but 

effective demarcation, means it has the potential to play a gamechanging 

role in the world of landscape architecture – and find a 

place at the heart of every kind of project imaginable. 

For more information, please visit the Pave Drain product page 


Drains 

water, 

not 

creativity 

You no longer have to choose between form and function in linear drainage. 

Because with beautiful natural stone finishes and extensive technical support, 

Pave Drain looks just as good as it works. Plus, our expertise and scale mean we 

can offer it at a surprisingly low cost. So there are no compromises for anybody. 

Discover the full range at marshalls.co.uk/pavedrain today. 


35

WATER SOLUTIONS (GB) LTD 

WATERFREE URINAL SYSTEM 

Savings On Savings On Savings On 

Water consumption Water costs expenditure 

Usage 

Environmental 

impact 

Welcome to Water Solutions (GB) Ltd, our Companies objective with our unique patented waterfree system 

and service support is to provide our customers a way to save MONEY, improve washroom HYGIENE whilst 

protecting the ENVIRONMENTS natural resources by saving WATER. 

Water Solutions (GB) Ltd has been established since 1998, in that time the Company has gone from strength 

to strength with the Installation and scheduled Service plans of our Award Winning Product. Our system lends 

itself to all areas of business sectors. 

Water and sewage charges have consistently increased over the years, added to additional expenditure on 

hidden costs due to blockages, flooding, leaks and unplanned maintenance which can all have a severe 

impact on companies projected budgets and costs each year. 

Water Solutions (GB) Ltd are able to deliver even greater savings to organisations by saving money and water 

through the installation of our unique WATERFREE URINAL SYSTEM. 

Our installation and service programmes are tailor-made to each companies individual requirements, allowing 

Water Solutions (GB) Ltd to provide a bespoke service to every individual site. 

OUR SERVICES 

Water Solutions (GB) Ltd supply a complete service that incorporates all aspects of the project, starting from 

plans or site survey of the project, followed by the installation of our unique one way valve system to existing 

urinal bowl (we can retro fit to 90% of bowls used in the UK), this is then followed up with an agreed scheduled 

service plan that is bespoke to the customers individual requirements. 

Water Solutions (GB) Ltd has been acknowledged as working with many Blue Chip organisations and 

establishments over the past 20 years. 

Our customer portfolio includes business from various sectors throughout the UK some of which include: 

Large Retail Shopping Centres 

Service Station (Nationwide) 

Facilities Management Companies 

Education Establishments (Nationwide) 

National Exhibition Centre 

Theme Parks 

Local Authorities 

Airports 

WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE FOR YOU 

Reduction in Water Consumption - saves water 

Reduction in Water Costs – saves money 

A more Hygienic Washroom – due to no bacteria build up in pipework 

Retro Fitted in 90% of urinal bowls on the market – no additional expenditure required 

Reduces expenditure for Hidden Costs – eg blockages, leaks, flush control systems 

Personalised planned service schedule – meets individual customer requirements 

Helping the Environment 

WE FIT YOU FORGET

20th 

ANNIVERSARY 

Water Solutions celebrating 20 years of our 

Award Winning Waterfree Urinal System and Service 

SAVING WATER 

SAVING COSTS 

SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT 

Water Solutions have continued to assist our clients over the past 20 years with our 

Award Winning unique Waterfree Urinal System and Service Support. 

Our customers have benefitted from: 

Saving Water in the Washroom 

Saving Water with reduced Water Charges 

Saving/Reducing Blockages and hidden costs 

Improving their Sustainability Targets 

FRAGRANCE 

DOME 

WE FIT, YOU FORGET 

Unlike many waterless cartridge systems, Water Solutions unit works using our 

unique One Way Valve and incorporates a fragrance dome to enhance a more 

pleasant washroom environment. We at Water Solutions provide a Service 

Support Programme for the convenience of our Clients. 

Water Solutions System can be retro fitted to more than 90% of the urinal bowls 

available in the UK, therefore, keeping initial installation costs to a minimum. 

We provide a Nationwide coverage with specific engineers dedicated to 

individual clients which provides them with a bespoke service to meet their 

individual requirements. 

Our Client portfolio consists of 

customers from a wide range of 

Business Sectors that include: 

• Exhibition Centres 

• Major Tourist Attractions 

• Cinemas 

• Fast Food Chains 

• Motorway Service Stations UK wide 

• Large multi occupant Office Blocks 

• Universities throughout London 

and the UK 

Unique One Way 

Valve Assembly 

All the above enjoy: 

SAVINGS ON 

Water 

Maintenance 

Energy 

Flush Control System 

BENEFITS OF 

No Limescale Blockages 

No Maintenance 

No Water Costs 

No Costly Rodding 

More Fragrant Washrooms 

Our system lends itself 

to assisting your 

Company in achieving 

BREEAM Credits for all 

future projects which 

may include washroom 

refurbishments, new 

builds and planned 

maintenance. 

For further information please contact: 

Water Solutions (GB) Ltd Howbury Technology Centre, Parkside Works, Thames Road, Crayford DA1 4RQ 

info@watersolution.com | Main Tel No: 01322 553030 | Sales: 01322 318827 

Please quote reference number AH 20 


37

PRECAST 

FLOORING 

SOLUTIONS 

01335 361269 | 01698 803300 

SALES@FPMCCANN.CO.UK 

FPMCCANN.CO.UK/FLOORING 

FP McCann offers an extensive range 

of flooring solutions to the industrial, 

commercial and domestic markets. 

Our range of flooring solutions include: 

BEAM & BLOCK / POLY FLOORING 

HOLLOWCORE FLOORING 

STAIRS & LANDINGS

Fresh-r only 

works when 

necessary. 

Demand controlled 

ventilation with 

heat recovery 

Just like me. 

www.fresh-r.eu 


39

Decentral ventilation with heat recovery 

Fresh-r fits behind the wallpaper 

The Fresh-r consists of a box construction with two fans blowing in the 

opposite direction. In between there is the world’s most efficient air-to-air 

heat exchanger ever developed. It keeps exchanging heat at its maximum 

efficiency at sub zero temperatures. 

The Fresh-r In-the-Wall, shown below, is 45 inch high and 15 inch wide and fits 

in the wall. There is also an On-the-Wall, and Window-Frame version. For more 

details, please visit www.fresh-r.eu. 

Demand controlled 

The Fresh-r only ventilates when 

necessary, because it has a 

CO 2 

sensor. This costs a lot less 

energy than continuous ventilation. 

On average Fresh-r only uses 

6 Watt. 

Wi-Fi connected 

For real time insight into air quality 

and the unit’s performance, Fresh-r 

is Wi-Fi connected. 

Copper core heat exchanger 

The heat exchanger is made of 

copper, that conducts heat 

1000 times better than plastic, 

resulting in a thermal efficiency 

of 87% at 80 m 3 / hour. Even 

when it is freezing 

Filter 

The optional filter stops pollen 

and fine dust, like diesel 

particulates, form entering 

your home. The filter is very 

easy to replace. 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 

Award winning technology 

Fresh-r is Passive House Certified 

and Component Award winner. 

According to international 

Passive House jury the least cost 

per cubic meter fresh air for 

refurbishments. 

We love to hear 

your thoughts, so don’t 

hesitate to call 

Daniel Holmes 

+31 6 12 08 94 49 



Fresh-r is like a breathing window 

Exactly what you need 

for airtight building 

Healthy and comfortable 

Fresh-r continuously measures air humidity, 

particulate matter and CO2 and only ventilates 

when necessary. This way, mould does not 

stand a chance and the air stays clean, healthy 

and comfortable. 

Good for the environment 

The Fresh-r is NZEB-ready. Because of 

it’s thermal efficiency, even when it is 

freezing, there is almost no need for 

central heating. This saves 1.5 tons of 

CO2 per year for an average home. 

Saves a lot of money 

Because almost all the energy needed for 

heating is saved, and the usage and 

maintenance costs are very low, a Fresh-r 

is earned back within six years. 

Essential for cognitive performance 

Research shows that at 2000 CO2 

particles per million (ppm), the ability 

to make good decisions decreases to 6%. 

Fresh-r ensures that the CO2 remains 

below 1200 ppm. 


Easy installation and maintenance 

Fresh-r is easy to install because no air 

supply ducts are needed and few exhaust 

ducts. Due to the modular design, 

maintenance is easy to carry out by 

anybody. 

Award winning technology 

Fresh-r is Passive House certified and 

ECOBUILDER Component - THE Award SPECIFIER winner. SPRING 2018 41

NEW 

CHILLER 

RANGE 

FROM DUNHAM-BUSH 

EXCELLENT PART LOAD EFFICIENCIES 

Reflecting over 100 years experience 

of manufacturing innovative, highly 

efficient and reliable products 

for the HVAC industry, the 

range includes scroll, screw and 

centrifugal compressor equipped 

products with cooling capacities 

ranging from 35–14,000kW. 

• Air and water-cooled, scroll, 

screw and centrifugal compressor 

models 

• Air-cooled chillers with cooling 

capacities from 35–1,650kW 

• Water-cooled chillers with cooling 

capacities from 450–14,000kW 

• High efficiencies maintained 

whatever the load 

• Low noise in operation 

• Full microprocessor control with 

touch screen displays 

CHILLERS 

To learn more about Dunham-Bush 

chillers and heat emitters contact us today 

E-mail: info@dunham-bush.co.uk 

www.dunham-bush.co.uk 

ECOBUILDER - THE SPECIFIER SPRING 2018 43 

WELCOME TO THE COMFORT ZONE

THE SIMPLE BENEFITS OF TRENCH HEATING 

By David Taylor, 

Dunham-Bush 

Regional Sales Manager 

specialising in trench and 

perimeter heater 

Selecting appropriate heating 

and cooling emitters for specific 

application to a building makes a vital 

contribution to both efficiency and the 

environmental comfort of the occupier. 

Good air quality, comfortable ambient 

temperatures, low noise levels and 

appropriate lighting have proven 

to enhance the performance of the 

people working within the building. 

to prevent unsightly condensation 

on large glazed areas and outside 

walls. Perfect for a wide variety 

of commercial and institutional 

buildings, for example, high-rise 

offices, car showrooms, airports, 

universities and exhibition centres, 

where extensive glazed areas are a 

common feature. 

Natural convection heating trench 

systems have no moving parts and are 

effectively silent, making them ideal 

for acoustically reverberant spaces. 

Low temperature hot water is the most 

commonly used heating medium, 

Trench heating systems using low 

temperature hot water have inherent 

low water content, making them 

extremely efficient and responsive to 

the solar heating gain experienced in 

large glazed facades. Fan-assisted 

trench units with cooling coils can be 

used to offset these solar gains still 

further during the summer months, 

again with no additional grilles or 

systems, other than making chilled 

water available. These systems can 

integrate with building management 

systems to meet both comfort and time 

schedule requirements, and on forced 

convection units the warm up times 

can be further reduced by increasing 

the fan speed, further reducing waste. 

Trench heaters can be modified to 

integrate with a ventilation system, 

thus allowing primary or fresh air 

to be distributed with no additional 

floor grilles being required and local 

tempering of the air if required. 

Not requiring any wall space yet 

providing an even distribution of heat 

along the entire length of the emitter, 

trench systems provide an effective, 

aesthetically attractive, non-intrusive 

heat emitter solution for the architect, 

engineer and client, delivering comfort 

in hard to serve areas. 

A major consideration when selecting 

heat emitters for a building must 

be the variable occupancy, building 

usage, buildings orientation and the 

possibility of having four seasons’ 

weather in one day, which is common 

in the UK climate. 

These considerations are of particular 

importance in buildings with large 

glazed areas, where solar gains and 

losses are common. 

Heat emitters that respond quickly 

to these changes can increase the 

seasonal efficiency of a building 

substantially, reduce CO 2 

and NOx 

emissions and at the same time 

increase the well-being of occupants 

and enhance their performance. 

Trench heating systems provide 

a highly effective, tried and tested 

solution for countering down 

draughts on cold surfaces, helping 

however electric trench emitters are 

available for certain applications. Fan 

assisted trench or forced convection 

systems are a compact alternative 

when higher outputs are required 

and space is restricted. In addition, 

fan assisted trench emitters can 

incorporate a cooling coil and drip 

tray, typically available as either a 

2-pipe or 4-pipe application, similar to 

fan coil units. 

Natural convection units require little if 

any maintenance, whilst fan assisted 

units are, by their very nature, readily 

accessible for routine maintenance 

with no need to consider the dangers 

of working at heights. All electrically 

powered heated trench emitters must 

comply fully with EN 60335-2-30: 

(heaters intended to be built into floor 

areas and having a grille or opening at 

or near floor level shall be constructed 

so that any water spillage does not 

present a hazard). 

Dunham-Bush manufacture standard 

and bespoke systems to the client’s 

dimensions and outputs, to suit all 

applications. Floor grille bars can be 

finished in stainless steel, anodised 

aluminium, bespoke cast iron and 

wood from sustainable sources 

and can be selected to meet any 

architectural brief. 


BIG CATS PERFECT FOR TRANQUIL SPACE 

AT NEW LOUVRE ABU DHABI 

The New Louvre, Abu Dhabi 

Dunham-Bush has supplied United 

Arab Emirates based Intercool Central 

Air Conditioning Ltd with 247 of its 

Panther and 207 Puma Fan coil units 

to provide heating and cooling at the 

magnificent new Abu Dhabi Louvre 

Museum. 

Designed by the Paris based 

architect Jean Nouvel, the museum is 

organised like a traditional Arab city 

with separate galleries connected 

by walkways. A large 590ft radius 

dome shades the main structure 

underneath, while allowing shafts 

of light to rain down through the 

unusual woven roof. Water surrounds 

the museum and flows inside, 

allowing visitors to walk or sit near 

the interior pools between visits to 

the museum’s galleries. 

The selection of fan coil units was 

governed not only by thermal or air 

volume flow rate requirements, but 

also by constraints on the level of 

noise permitted in the room space. 

The powerful yet quiet Panther and 

Puma fan coil units fully satisfied the 

design brief to create the tranquil 

environment required in this 

prestigious building. 

The climatic conditions experienced 

in the UAE demand that only the 

highest quality materials be used in 

the museum’s construction and the 

comfort levels of their visitors were a 

major consideration for the designers. 

Dunham-Bush fan coil units 

combine the very latest design and 

manufacturing technology to provide 

the ideal solution to meet precise 

thermal and noise criteria. 

For further information contact Dunham-Bush Ltd 

Tel: 023 9247 7700 

Email: info@dunham-bush.co.uk 

www.dunham-bush.co.uk 


45

For use on: Conference Hall 

Fire & Surface Contamination Protection for Wood & Painted Walls 

Safety & Environmental 

Protection made Reality 

Fire Safety Order 2005 

Since 2005 it has been mandatory to meet 

current fire and other safety standards 

in existing buildings as well as new 

construction. 

Priority areas for protection were corridors, 

stairs, landings and common areas. 

The Risks 

Flammable Surfaces 

Wood is universally recognised as a 

contributor to flamespread, smoke and 

fire intensity. 

UKAS Fire Tests have demonstrated that 

non-combustible surfaces can create 

flamespread, smoke & flaming droplet 

risks if coated with multiple layers of 

various paints. 

Other Risk Surfaces 

Board and Artex containing Asbestos 

fibres were regrettably common in the 

20 th Century. Flame Retardant paint 

based upon Antimony - a heavy metal 

which emitted a toxic gas to suppress 

flamespread - was widely applied before 

Antimony was omitted a few years ago. 

Painted woodchip and textured wallpaper 

have both been widely used, while 

anti-graffiti paints resistant to future 

paints adhering are applied to surfaces 

impossible to abrade. 

Fire Standards 

Required Fire Standards 

Current minimum compliant standards for 

corridors, stairways, landings & common 

areas are BS 476 Class O and the new BS 

EN Class B. 

Old & New British Standard Explained 

Old BS 476 Class O combines control of 

flamespread with fire intensity. 

BS EN Class B combines control of 

flamespread & fire intensity. The BS EN 

standard add protection from smoke - safe 

standards s1 & s2, plus flaming droplets - 

safe standard dO. 

Impediments to Safety with Fire 

Protection Products 

Compatibility of Finish to Fire 

Treatment 

All too often fire protection is compromised 

by overlaying with unprotected wood 

veneers or untested paints, varnish, 

woodstain or - even worse - oils. 

EITHER - finished surface veneers or 

coatings should have passed fire tests to 

Class O or B - ideally to s1 or s2, dO in 

conjunction with any pre-treatment - OR - 

a fire protective coating be applied from a 

manufacturer prepared to Certify the final 

specification to these standards. 

Complicated, Confusing or Demanding 

Fire Protection Products 

Many systems depend upon specifiers or 

contractors to know a surface’s coating 

history or otherwise assess surfaces’ 

flamespread risk. 

Other systems commonly depend on 

application of 4+ coats. Seldom are all 

coats applied. 

30, 60, 90, 120 mins Fire Resistance 

Increasing Fire Resistance on wood, wood-based boards, plasterboard, cement board or concrete is notably less straightforward 

than flamespread protection. Each affected project’s relevant surfaces and construction need to be assessed individually. 

In consequence, in addition to information sheets, Thermoguard stress the need for expert advice from Thermoguard’s Technical 

dept., available free of charge to property owners and managers, Architects, Surveyors and Contractors. 

Designers have wanted to combine different visual effects with 

fire protection. To meet this need, Thermoguard developed 

a range of colour strengths, ranging from a “mist” through 

various degrees of translucence, through to opaque, based 

upon any BS, RAL or Woodstain colour. 

The photo shows an award-winning chapel project protected to 

Class B s2 dO by Thermoguard clear fire protection with Mist 

white overcoat seal. 

Protection made simple by Thermoguard 

To enable fire protection to be achieved in the real-world, 

22 years ago Thermoguard concluded the following were needed. 

UKAS - tested finishes to apply over any basecoat or penetrating 

fluid requiring a finish. 

Products to provide Class O - and when BS EN arrived Class 

B s1/s2 dO on wood, wood-based or building boards, whether 

bare, wallpapered, coated with decorative paints & varnishes or 

contaminated with asbestos. 

Simple and economical 2 coat systems 

comprising 1 coat basecoat & 1 coat finish 

readily distinguished from one another to 

avoid coat omission. 

Certificate of Supply 

No. 

Thermoguard Fire Protection Coatings 

Kirkby Street, Hull, HU2 0HE 

This is to certify that: Responsible Decorators 

Of Unit 20 , Industrial Estate , 

Anytown, AT6 4ZZ 

Has purchased sufficient: Thermoguard Timbercoat & SFR 

To treat: 200 sq m Internal Softwood Partitions 

To achieve compliance with: Class B s1 dO 

The owners of historic Feering Bury 

barn required Class O protection for 

Grand Designs. The owners wanted 

and English Heritage required the 

wood to retain it’s natural look, so 

Thermoguard Fire Varnish Matt was 

used in an award-winning project. 

Packaging in 20 or 25 sq m and 80 or 100 sq 

m cans to avoid errors ordering or applying. 

A robust Fire Certification process for 

individual projects to give confidence to 

clients, specifiers and Authorities. 

Entirely water-based, ultra-low or zero VoC 

environmentally - friendly products. 

Point House 

York 

Date: 13 Feb 2018 Signed: 

Contractor’s Statement 

I / We certify that I / We have applied the products listed above in accordance 

with the manufacturer’s written specification and technical data sheet. 

Date: Signed: 

For and on behalf of: 

Maintenance 

1. Maintenance should only be carried out using an overcoat approved by 

Thermoguard UK Ltd in accordance with Thermoguard UK instructions. 

2. Small areas of damage are self-sealing in the event of a fire but should be 

repaired as soon as possible. 

Thermoguard Fire Protection Paints, Varnish & Penetrating Fluid are available from Decorators’ Merchants 

throughout the British Isles. 

www.thermoguard.co.uk technical@thermoguard.co.uk 01142 768008 


Security & Fire Protection 

Fire Paints, varnish, woodstain & fluid 

Individual Building Fire Certificates Free of Charge 

Class O & new Class B s1 dO - flamespread & smoke control 

Walls, Ceilings 

Standard or Multi-layer painted 

Antimony or Asbestos contaminated 

Wallpapered 

1 coat insulating basecoat +1 coat 

durable decorative matt or eggshell 

finish 

No Limit to number of coats, any 

type of combination of typical wall 

paints 

Wood 

Paint, Varnish, Fluid, Clear & 

Woodstain Finishes 

Softwood or Hardwood 

Ply, MDF, Veneered MDF & Wood 

Particle Boards 

Bare, Painted or Varnished 

Internal or External (2nd coat finish 

needed external) 

1 coat insulating basecoat +1 coat 

decorative matt or satin finish 

30, 60, 90, 120 mins - 

fire penetration 

prevention *** 

Plasterboard 

Cement Board 

Concrete 

Wood 

Wood-Based Boards 

3 or 4 coats insulating basecoat +1 

coat decorative matt, satin or eggshell 

Kirkby Street, Hull, HU2 0HE technical@thermoguard.co.uk 01142 768008 

THERMOGUARD TEL: 01142 768008 WWW.THERMOGUARD.CO.UK EMAIL: TECHNICAL@THERMOGUARD.CO.UK 

41

Roof Profiles 

Movement Joints (UK) Ltd 

Structural Movement Joints and Seals 

Wall & Ceiling Profiles 

Floor Profiles 

Car Park Profiles 


Unit 3, 57 Thorby Avenue, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 0AR 

Tel: 01354 607960 Fax: 01354 607833 

Web: http://www.mjuk.co.uk email: info@mjuk.co.uk

Okatech® with expanded copper by OKALUX 

Variable light transmission and TSET dependant on 

sun angle to maximise energy efficiency, combined 

with integral shading and a unique 

appearance 

Represented in the UK by 

VENA Ltd 

T – 01992 677 656 

e – okalux@vena-ltd.co.uk 

web - www.okalux.com 

©Tim Meier Photography 

For cancer support 

JUst 

comE in 

Maggie’s Barts is open to everyone 

with cancer across the City of London. 

Thanks to everyone who has 

supported our campaign. 

www.maggiescentres.org/barts 

Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Caring Centres Trust 

(Maggie’s) is a registered charity, No. SC024414 


49

Considering alternative glazing options 

for dynamic performance and user comfort 

The choice of glass that is used in a façade not only affects the visual appearance of the building but will also have 

a great influence on the overall building’s performance as well as the comfort of the occupiers. Each building’s 

requirements will be different, and influenced by numerous factors such as the intended use, material, finish, planning 

constraints, energy performance, daylighting needs, and, of course, budget. 

Cost, while important for the project, should be considered in the round where the selection of the glass for the 

façade is concerned. Using a basic clear glass with a solar coating may meet the basic project requirements but may 

not address associated issues which may then require additional devices to add shading or glare control, and which 

may have a further impact on energy usage for the building’s owners. 

As we move towards producing buildings that are intelligent both passively and digitally thorough their management 

systems, the correct selection of glazing to a façade becomes even more critical. 

If we take a typical glazing proposal where clear glass is used, we know that there will be glare problems at the 

extremes of the year when the sun is high or low. The typical solution to the problem is to use internal or external 

blinds to block the sunlight, with the consequence that, in some cases, artificial lighting is turned on to compensate 

for the loss of light. 

Separate shading devices will require additional work, as well as extra expense: the obvious basic costs of purchase 

and installation are inflated by the unseen cost of making sure that any loads inferred on the building by the device, 

are accommodated for in the structure. 

Perhaps most easily forgotten, are the maintenance costs for the client over the lifespan of the building. 

The solution, is to incorporate passive systems WITHIN the glazing of the façade, that are maintenance free, require 

no additional work during installation, and enhance the visual, as well as the building user’s comfort. 

Taking these into consideration, it is easy to see how comparing the basic cost of two different glazing proposals is an 

unrealistic comparison: potentially one is steered away from the most practical long term solution, to the ostensibly 

simpler and cheaper base option, where the costs of shading and maintenance are left to someone else. 

Having worked with specialist glazing solutions for over 10 years, I have noticed that the projects where unique 

solutions are selected, are where the end user is involved in the design and sees the long-term benefit of selecting 

a glass which offers more function. The ideal is a solution which will have the least cost to them over the life of the 

building but which adds to the overall architectural appearance of their building to make it a stand out project, 

promoting both the building itself as well the organisation’s brand. 

There can be little cost benefit in 

designing buildings where much of the 

glass is shaped or twisted over the façade, 

however we all know that buildings that 

use these techniques are some of the 

most memorable we encounter. 

They can create a landmark both 

architecturally and commercially - 

promoting the brand of the occupier in 

an easily memorable way. 

©OKALUX GmbH 

An alternative to using shaped glass to distinguish a building, would be to look at the materiality of the façade. A 

building can be simple in form yet distinctive in its appearance through the use of bold frits, colours, panelling, or 

materials within the glass to add form and material contrast to the façade. 

Using natural materials such as wood, copper and aluminium can create facades that take on an altered appearance 

at different times of the day and in diverse lighting conditions, while at the same time providing good solar shading 

and glare control. 


Whether it be an art gallery, where natural well balanced daylighting is 

crucial to best show the exhibits, a factory, university building, or office 

, excellent solar shading and daylighting without glare are vital with the 

common theme being user comfort and ease of maintenance as well 

as the appearance of the building: these issues are therefore critical to 

consider when selecting the glass solution. 

©VENA Ltd 

©Tim Meier 

Where views out from a building are not essential, but natural daylighting of the space with minimal glare is critical, 

then utilising a structure within the glass itself could be the solution: such structures diffuse sunlight thereby 

optimising it and minimising the need for artificial lighting. One of the more effective means of doing so is to use a 

3 dimensional structure of capillaries that bounce light in all directions within the glass system, resulting in daylight 

that is effective in all directions. 

This effect can be clearly be seen here where a capillary 

glass (Okalux +) has been used alongside clear solar control 

glass. 

The direct sunlight through the clear glass creates intense 

areas of light which are distracting, whereas the light through 

the capillary glass is diffused, creating a comfortable light in 

which to sit and work 

©Andrew Lee 

This type of glazing can be combined with clear glass areas, 

to maximise the benefits of both systems: the diffused light 

though the capillary glass compensates for the loss of light 

when blinds are drawn over the clear glass, whilst users can 

still see out. 

Glazing can not only be used for areas where light or views are required, but also to the solid spandrel areas: this 

enables the facade design to be simplified, by using the same framework throughout, but with glazing modules of 

different types and performing distinctive functions within the same system . 

Traditional insulating of spandrels - combined dry lining or aluminium back trays - can now be replaced using the 

latest vacuum panel technology incorporated within a sealed glass unit. This construction offers protection of the 

vacuum panel from damage during installation, and results in a thin unit dimension with very good Ug values. 

Utilising a 20mm cavity, an Ug of 0.23W/m2K is achieved which can be improved down to 0.11W/m2K with a 40mm 

cavity. The benefits of this solution are: simplified installation, reduced transport and storage costs, and ultimately, 

where insulation beyond the line of mullions is no longer required, increased floor area for the client to sell or rent. 

The message is simple – costs of the glazing alone should never be the driving factor in specifying glass. The 

effectiveness of how it performs across a whole range of criteria, coupled with the ability to simplify construction 

and minimise building life costs, should be the key influencers for selection. Moreover, its ability to improve occupier 

comfort thereby improving productivity and sales, may ultimately make the building more attractive to prospective 

buyers in the future. 

It’s the material that keeps the rain out, offers views to the world and lets the light in… and its correct selection is 

vital to a project’s overall success. 

John Godwin is the Director of VENA Ltd, the UK agent for OKALUX GmbH 

who have produced specialist glazing solutions for over 50 years. 


51

Maggie’s Centre, St. Bart’s Hospital, London 

Steven Holl Architects 

The site in the centre of London is 

adjacent to the large courtyard of St. 

Bartholomew’s Hospital. Founded in 

Smithfield in the 12th century, the 

hospital is the oldest in London and 

was founded at the same time as the 

St. Bartholomew the Great Church in 

1123. Rahere founded the church and 

hospital “for the restoration of poor 

men.” Layers of history characterise 

this unique site, connecting deeply to 

the Medieval culture of London. 

While most all of the realised Maggie’s 

Centres have been horizontal 

buildings, the centre at St. Barts will be 

more vertical, sitting on the historically 

charged site. It will replace a pragmatic 

1960s brick structure adjacent to a 

17th century stone structure by James 

Gibbs, holding the “Great Hall” and the 

famous Hogarth staircase. 

The building is envisioned as a “vessel 

within a vessel within a vessel.” The 

structure is a branching concrete 

frame, the inner layer is perforated 

bamboo and the outer layer is matte 

white glass with coloured glass 

fragments recalling “neume notation” 

of Medieval music of the 13th century. 

The word neume originates from the 

Greek pnevma, which means ‘vital 

force.’ It suggests a ‘breath of life’ that 

fills oneself with inspiration like a 

stream of air, the blowing of the wind. 

The outer glass layer is organised in 

horizontal bands like a musical staff 

while the concrete structure branches 

like the hand. 

The three story centre has an open 

curved staircase integral to the 

concrete frame with open spaces 

vertically lined in perforated bamboo. 

The glass façade geometry, like 

a musical “staff” is in horizontal 

strips 90cm wide, which follow the 

geometry of the main stair along the 

north façade, while lifting up with 

clear glass facing the main square, 

marking the main front entry. There is 

a second entry on the west opening to 

the extended garden of the adjacent 

church. 

The building tops out in a public roof 

garden with flowering trees open 

to a large room for yoga, Tai Chi, 

meetings etc. The interior character 

of this building will be shaped by 

coloured light washing the floors 

and walls, changing by the time of 

day and season. Interior lighting will 

be organised to allow the coloured 

lenses together with the translucent 

white glass of the façade to present a 

new, joyful, glowing presence on this 

corner of the great square of St. Barts 

Hospital. 


About Maggie’s 

Maggie’s provides free practical, 

emotional and social support for 

people with cancer and their families 

and friends. Built in the grounds of NHS 

hospitals, their Centres are warm and 

encouraging places, with professional 

staff on hand to offer the support you 

need to find your way through cancer. 


Architect: 

Steven Holl Architects, New York, USA 

Client: Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer 

Caring Centres Trust (Maggie’s) 

Completed: 2017 

Size: 6,534 sq ft 

Landscape architect: 

Bradley Hole-Schoenaich 

Associate architects: JM Architects 

Engineer: Arup 

Historic building advisor: 

Donald Insall Associates 

Lighting consultant: 

L’Observatoire International 

Construction manager: 

Sir Robert McAlpine 

Archeology: MOLA 


53

Dalston Lane, Hackney 

Waugh Thistleton Architects 

Dalston Lane is the world’s largest CLT 

building, and a landmark project in 

the architects ambition to roll out the 

use of timber construction in highdensity 

urban housing, across London 

and beyond. 

The ten storey, 121 unit development 

is made entirely of CLT, from the 

external, party and core walls, through 

to the floors and stairs, weighing a 

fifth of a concrete building of this size, 

and reducing the number of deliveries 

during construction by 80 per cent. 

Attempting to tackle London’s 

demand for high quality, highdensity 

housing that provide a natural 

and healthy living environment, 

this groundbreaking use of timber 

technology has significantly reduced 

the carbon footprint of the building in 

terms of both material production and 

on-site time and energy consumption. 



55

Due to its vastly reduced weight, 

the building is taller than was ever 

thought feasible on the neglected 

brownfield site. 

The distinctly modern residential 

community makes up a large part of 

the new streetscape, and responds 

in scale with varied roof heights, 

undulating between five and ten 

storeys, each orientated to maximise 

daylight to the apartments’ balconies 

and communal open spaces. 

The project has been the subject of 

exciting partnerships with the London 

Borough of Hackney and timberengineering 

specialists Ramboll, 

and is fast becoming the subject 

of international interest, attracting 

hundreds of site visitors, and putting 

Hackney firmly on the map as a world 

leader for timber construction. 


Client: Regal Homes 

Cost: undisclosed 

Awards 

AJ Sustainability (Shortlisted) 

Structural Timber 2017 Solid Wood/ 

Housing/Overall (Winner) 

NLA 2017 Housing (Commended) 

NLA Ashden 2017 (Highly commended) 

Offsite 2017 (Highly commended) 


Faith Schools’ Joint Campus, Newton Mearns 

BDP 

In what is considered to be a worldfirst, 

work has completed on the 

design and build of the state-of-theart 

Faith Schools’ Joint Campus which 

serves both the Catholic and Jewish 

faiths. 

The £13.8m campus in Newton Mearns, 

East Renfrewshire brings together 

two purpose-built denominational 

primary schools with provision for 

a nursery. The project serves as a 

replacement for the existing Jewish 

school, Calderwood Lodge, and an 

additional primary school for the 

Catholic community. Both schools 

have separate entrances, teaching 

wings and head teachers, however, a 

shared central space revolves around 

an amphitheatre, which is designed to 

be a flexible meeting place for children 

from both primaries that’s neither an 

assembly hall or a classroom. 

The school includes an innovative 

interactive space at the centre of the 

building with first-class ICT facilities, 

full Wi-Fi coverage and a range of small 

and larger group learning zones. The 

nursery class and the playground is 

shared, as well other facilities, such as 

sport, art, science and music/drama. 

Kosher catering and dining facilities 

are provided for Calderwood Lodge. 

This new build primary and nursery 

school, constructed on a green field site 

is founded on trench filled foundations, 

overlain by traditional reinforced 

concrete pad foundations. The main 

frame is structural steelwork with an 

external envelope consisting of SFS 


57

and cement board overclad with a 

mixture of Zinc Vieo and Alucobond 

cladding to the walls, and a structural 

metal deck overlain with insulation 

and a single ply membrane to the 

roof. The nursery has a structural 

steel frame with SFS/ Cement board 

walls overclad with Cedar and a zinc 

standing seam roof. 

The ground floor is a suspended 

reinforced concrete structure which 

incorporates a reinforced concrete 

ground beam at the perimeter, while 

the upper floors are composite metal/ 

concrete decking. Internal walls 

are metal studwork with drylined 

plasterboard and ceilings are a mixture 

of suspended demountable grid & tile 

and metal frame with plasterboard. 

A high level of natural light is 

maintained throughout the building 

through use of large timber/ 

aluminium composite windows 

around the perimeter, particularly in 


the classrooms, and clerestory glazing 

above the atrium. Rooflights provide 

additional natural light to a large are 

of internal space. Floor finishes are a 

mixture of vinyl and carpet tiles, which 

have acoustic properties in critical 

areas, throughout the majority of 

the school, with a timber floor in the 

Sports Hall and Atrium feature terrace. 

Additional features include a multi 

purpose assembly/sports hall with 

retractable seating, an open atrium 

which is designed to serve multiple 

functions including drama, dining and 

break out learning spaces, outdoor 

terraces which provide alternative 

teaching accommodation. 

Externally, the finishes consist of a 

combination of high specification 

modular paving to pedestrian areas, 

porous paving to car parking and 

asphalt access roads. Play areas include 

a 3G pitch, a grass pitch, an all weather 

multipurpose pitch and a soft play 

area at the nursery. Extensive planting 

and landscaping has been provided 

throughout the site. 

The project once again places Heron 

Bros at the forefront of providing 

innovative, high quality education 

services in Scotland. 


Architect: BDP 

Client: East Renfrewshire Council 


Services Engineer: TUV-SUD 

Structural Engineer: Blyth & Blyth 

Value: £13.8 million 

Completion: July 2017 


59


Catford Green, London SE6 

Witherford Watson Mann 

The guiding design principle for the 

architects’ vision at Catford Green was 

for the architecture to respect and 

calmly blend with its surrounding 

landscape. This was achieved in 

a number of ways: by supporting 

existing mature planting with new 

indigenous species and letting the 

landscape lead the design of the 

spaces between the buildings. We see 

these choices as sympathetic to this 

extraordinary landscape. 

The landscaping and public realm 

approach set out to enhance the 

provision of public amenity space with 

additional trees and planting, enhance 

connectivity with Ladywell Fields and 

improve the public realm experience. 


Architect: Witherford Watson Mann 

Developer: Barratt London 


London Borough of Lewisham 



Date of completion: January 2018 


239x 1-bed, 325x 2-bed, 47x 3-bed, 

24x 4-bed 

Tenure mix: 

71% private, 29% affordable 




53

Rafter House, Clapham, S. London 

Grey Griffiths Architects 

The extension and reconfiguration of a 

garden flat within a Conservation Area 

that is internally defined by a dramatic 

vaulted oak roof. 

The owner’s period, one-bedroom 

garden flat was tired, outdated and 

suffered from a compromised layout. 

The uninsulated bathroom, located 

to the rear of the house, could only 

be accessed by walking through the 

kitchen. The brief was to enlarge and 

reconfigure the property to achieve a 

second bedroom, create a bright open 

living area, and to add architectural 

interest to the space. 

The property is located within a long 

Victorian terrace in a Conservation 

area. Planning was achieved at appeal. 

The Inspector praised the design, 

agreeing that the proposal would 

enhance the rear of the terrace. 

An asymmetric design picks up on 

the existing form of the rear of the 

building, reflecting the location of the 

closet return. The pitched roof also 

allows for impact on the neighbours 

to be reduced by lowering the eaves 

height. 


It was important to the Client that 

the north facing flat achieved a sense 

of light and airiness. This has been 

achieved by inserting a long east 

facing rooflight within an exposed 

oak roof structure. The internal roof 

structure has been left open to 

increase the volume of the internal 

space. The visible oak rafters add a 

warm, repetitive interest to the space 

and draw the eye up to the internal 

ridgeline, enhancing the feeling of 

space. 

The oak roof structure continues into 

the bathroom which is located off a 

central transitional area. This space is 

designed for reading and overlooks an 

enclosed internal courtyard. 


Architect: Grey Griffiths Architects 

Client: Private 

Contractors: 

Pender Brothers Construction 

Photography: Adam Scott 


55

Bristol Business School (University of West England) 

Stride Treglown 

The £50m Bristol Business School for 

the University of the West of England 

(UWE Bristol), located in the proposed 

‘Heart Zone’ of the Frenchay Campus 

masterplan, provides a new home for 

the Faculty of Business and Law. 

The 17,000m 2 building forms the most 

significant building and external space 

at the campus and sets the scene for 

future developments. The aim was 

to create a facility that students and 

staff want to stay in before and after 

formal teaching sessions, encouraging 

greater interaction between the 

building users; students, staff and 

visitors. 

There are a wide range of teaching 

and learning spaces, with small private 

study rooms, large social learning zones, 

large café, lecture theatres, Harvard 

theatres, technology enhanced active 

learning environments and generous 

general teaching rooms furnished with 

collaborative group working furniture. 

Café seating extends through the 

atrium area and users are encouraged 

to take their food or drink anywhere in 

the building that they feel comfortable 

inhabiting. The new south facing plaza, 

design by our landscape architecture 

team, is directly connected to the café 

facility allowing students to study 

outside the building under cover. 

A 300-seat raked lecture theatre 

is accessed from the ground floor. 

Routes around the theatre have been 

carefully developed to provide an 

entrance at the front of the theatre 

and an exit at the rear of the facility to 

help mitigate the impact of the hourly 

movement of students. 

Circulation around the Bristol Business 

School is obvious and highly visible 

from the main atrium, with a grand 

stair case linking the various levels of 

the building with the main lift zone 

located adjacent the stair. 


Bridges at every level cross the atrium 

to provide connections between staff 

and student zones with breakout 

meeting and study spaces at every 

circulation interface on every floor. 

On the ground floor the space opens 

up to the ‘Heartzone’ plaza to the 

south. Key active spaces such as the 

building reception and café (with 

social learning areas) provide vibrancy 

to enliven the space. 

The two wings of accommodation 

contrast to reflect the accommodation 

uses within and the orientation of the 

building on the site for environmental 

purposes. 

A key concept for the building was 

to promote collaboration and this 

developed into a building that 

encompasses two distinctive wings 

of accommodation which enclose a 

central atrium space that forms the 

heart of the building and incorporates 

a variety of social learning and flexible 

meeting spaces. 

The development involved 300 

members of staff across 5 departments 

with student representatives involved 

throughout the project. The fulltime 

project champion ensured all 


57

stakeholders were able to express their 

views and the University community 

was able to access a blog that recorded 

progress and decisions. 

Landscape Architecture 

Primarily a hard-landscape scheme, 

Frenchay Square is a flexible-use space 

that caters for events, pedestrian 

circulation and cycle lanes, with 

seating areas and a grove of semimature 

trees. 

The key concept for Frenchay Square 

was to unify the existing campus with 

the Students’ Union building and the 

Faculty of Business and Law building 

(Bristol Business School), enhancing 

the cycle and pedestrian access, 

whilst creating a new character for the 

external spaces. 

Natural stone and high-quality 

concrete setts instil a sense of arrival 

and inspire civic pride, with the 

character unified by a consistent 

design that is reinforced through 

repeat detailing. 

A unique pattern has been arranged 

to reflect the campus identity, with 

the campus bar code used as a design 

feature, with the ‘black & white’ 

banding providing the inspiration 

behind the striped paving pattern that 

has become a defining feature of the 

works. 


To provide maximum impact 

throughout the whole academic 

year, planting design required an 

emphasis on drought tolerant species 

and sensitive combinations which 

complement. With good planting 

design, maintenance can be reduced, 

leaving plants to grow to their full 

size. Substantial tree planting was 

proposed relating to the scale and size 

of the development, particularly in 

areas with sunnier aspect. 

Ninety semi-mature trees were hand 

selected at Lorenz von Ehren tree 

nursey in Germany. They were tagged 

in September, before being lifted and 

transported to UWE in December and 

January. 

The visit to the nursery allowed 

for the specific requirements and 

characteristics of the tree species to 

be assessed on the functions and 

uniformity that they were expected to 

perform in such an important location 

for the campus. 


Architect: Stride Treglown 

Client: University of the West of England 

Completed: 2017 

Value: £50m 

Size: 17,000m 2 


59

Ambar Systems Ltd are specialists in electronic 

access control solutions and Northern Ireland 

partners for Salto products. Ambar is a company 

that can deliver a complete solution for all your 

access control needs. We have experience in 

designing and implementing systems that integrate 

our Salto access control products with software 

specifically designed to automate the collation of 

data (user information) within various sector. 

Being based in the middle of Northern Ireland 

means we are ideally positioned to provide the 

best level of service possible to all our customers. 

In the world of intelligent locking solutions 

few products can match the highly advanced 

SALTO range which provides security, flexibility 

and control. Their investment in Research, 

Development and Innovation has enabled them 

to stay at the cutting edge of modern mechanical, 

electronic and software design. 

New legislation, improvements in working 

practices, ever increasing awareness of staff and 

public safety means secure and convenient access 

has never been so important - so it too has to 

continually change and evolve to keep pace. As a 

result buildings and workspaces need to be more 

flexible and adaptable, ready to incorporate new 

technologies using standalone door units with 

real time on-line systems that are inspiring to use, 

simple to install and able to work with existing IT 

infrastructure. 

The Company is currently implementing an 

integrated quality system (ISO 9001 and ISO 

14001) to ensure precise management of all 

our processes and achieve the highest possible 

standards of quality for our customers. 

Our Products 

At Ambar we recognise the need for improved 

access control systems which are more adaptable 

and scalable. We supply a wide range of 

innovative Salto products such as the Salto Virtual 

Network and XS4 access control platform. The 

electronic escutcheons, wall readers, on-line and 

off-line control units now manage security access 

for a growing range of end users from Airports 

to Hospitals, Banks to Government Buildings and 

Universities to Hotels. 

Our Locks can be retro fitted, using virtual or 

wireless networks, to existing buildings which 

keeps installation timeframes and costs to a 

minimum. This is an excellent feature if you want 

to introduce access control to older buildings, or 

considering upgrading an older system already 

in place, by avoiding expensive disruptions and 

potentially damaging construction work. 

Salto are the fastest growing electronic access 

control Company in the world and due to its focus 

innovation is rapidly becoming the benchmark 

for all such installations. With a presence in five 

different continents and over 700,000 doors 

equipped with Salto to date. 

Salto KS cloud based system 

Every door deserves to be smarter. SALTO defines 

how your business access control should work. 

Making it easy for everyone. Making it simple for 

any door. 

• Control with convenience - The SALTO KS 

account allows you to define who goes 

where and when in a building. Create 

profiles for users, assign or block tags, 

define which doors they may enter on 

which days, at which times. 

• Communicate with all doors, at once - The 

IQ is the hub of the system. Finds the best 

connectivity to communicate with SALTO KS 

locks and the SALTO KS apps. 

• Give doors an upgrade - Doors access 

points are equipped with wireless SALTO 

lock, which takes commands from the IQ 

inside the property. Use any combination of 

locks to manage access throughout a whole 

property or even across different properties 

in different locations. 

• Say goodbye to copying keys - Tags replace 

that ring of keys, and grants designated 

access to visitors, employees, 

or even delivery services 

whenever it’s appropriate 

for them to enter. Simply 

assign a tag, and define 

when and where that tag 

can go.

NEXT GENERATION 

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mean more convenience and more security. 

Using SALTO’s developed JustIN 

apps, SALTO’s two mobile 

solutions make it easy and secure 

to use smartphones as a part 

of your access control solution 

that brings real-life usability and 

flexibility to access control. 

SALTO’S JustIN Mobile Key app 

allows users to use their BLE-enabled 

smartphone to securely receive their keys 

online, anytime and anywhere, and then 

access doors directly with their phone. 

An alternative solution is JustIN mSVN 

(mobile SALTO Virtual Network) that 

permits extending or changing access 

rights instantly and remotely Over The Air 

(OTA) using SALTO’s mSVN app for NFCenabled 

phones. 

Working with SALTO’s new ProAccess 

SPACE software, both of these mobile 

solutions easily and flexibly bring better 

security and usability to end-users as well 

as system managers. 

• End-users gain convenience and 

productivity without sacrificing security. 

• Facility managers distinguish their 

property with costeffective solutions that 

clients truly value. 

Email: info.aus@saltosystems.com - www.saltosystems.com

FEATURE ARTICLE: ICOM ENERGY ASSOCIATION 

Better networking 

for carbon reduction 

In 2017 the Department for 

Business, Energy and Industrial 

Strategy (BEIS) noted: “Heat 

networks form an important part 

of our plan to reduce carbon and 

cut heating bills for customers 

(domestic and commercial). 

They are one of the most costeffective 

ways of reducing 

carbon emissions from heating, 

and their efficiency and carbonsaving 

potential increases as 

they grow and connect to each 

other.” 

In its Clean Growth Strategy, BEIS 

has also stated an intention to 

build and extend heat networks 

across the country. So, clearly, 

heat networks have a key role to 

play in reducing the UK’s carbon 

emissions. 

Indeed, the Committee on 

Climate Change estimates that 

heat networks will need to 

supply approximately 18% of 

the UK’s heat by 2050 if we are 

to meet our carbon reduction 

targets. The UK government is 

also making funding available 

to help local authorities through 

the Heat Networks Investment 

Project – to the tune of £320m 

– to explore the feasibility of 

district heating systems in their 

areas. 

Unfortunately, heat networks 

(aka district heating) have had 

something of a chequered 

past in the UK. However, when 

heat networks don’t perform 

as hoped, the cause is usually 

down to the failure to design the 

system correctly. 


End-to-end approach 

Achieving optimum performance 

for a heat network requires a 

whole system approach, from 

the efficiency of the central heatgenerating 

plant and associated 

thermal storage through to the 

heat interface units (HIUs) in the 

heated spaces. 

There are also calls to design 

systems for operation with 

lower flow and return water 

temperatures than are traditional 

in the UK. For example, the 

Chartered Institution of Building 

Services Engineers (CIBSE) AM12 

‘Combined Heat and Power 

for Buildings’ recommends 

operating temperatures for 

radiator circuits to be no 

more than 70°C flow and 40°C 

return for new district heating 

systems/heat networks. The 

recommended maximum return 

temperature from instantaneous 

domestic hot water heat 

exchangers is 25°C. 

Lower operating temperatures 

are also recommended in the 

Heat Networks Code of Practice, 

jointly developed by CIBSE and 

the Association for Decentralised 

Energy (ADE). 

System overview 

Most heat networks being 

installed in the UK use a central 

plant room serving multioccupancy 

buildings or small 

groups of buildings. Many of 

these are using combined heat 

and power (CHP) to generate 

heat and electricity – the latter 

either being used in the building, 

Heat networks have 

the potential to make a 

significant contribution to 

the UK’s carbon reduction 

strategy. *Ross Anderson 

of ICOM explains 

Ross Anderson, Director, 

ICOM 

sold back to the grid, or both. Very 

often, the CHP will be combined 

with other heat sources including 

gas, oil or biomass boilers, heat 

pumps and solar thermal. 

Where a mix of heat sources is 

in use the design should account 

for the differing performance 

characteristics of each type of 

plant and seek to optimise each. 

Care must also be taken to ensure 

that none of the plant is oversized 

– a common problem in the past 

– as this introduces inherent 

inefficiencies to the system. 

A typical example would be sizing 

the CHP to meet base heat loads 

throughout the year. Ideally, 

if the CHP is used to generate 

electrical power through the 

summer, then any surplus heat 

produced by the CHP could 

be stored in a thermal storage 

vessel to supply domestic hot 

water, or to drive an absorption 

chiller for comfort cooling.

FEATURE ARTICLE: ICOM ENERGY ASSOCIATION 

compared to accessing individual 

boilers in each space/apartment. 

In the winter, when the base 

load is higher, a biomass boiler 

might be used to back the CHP 

up, with responsive heat sources 

such as modulating gas boilers 

‘kicking in’ to meet peak loads 

whilst maintaining constant flow 

temperatures. 

Where the energy centre is 

providing domestic hot water as 

well as space heating, there may 

also be benefits to including 

calorifiers or heat exchangers 

feeding into buffer vessels. Such 

an arrangement allows solar 

heating or heat pumps to be 

used to pre-heat the cold mains 

water, with one of the other 

heat sources bringing it up the 

required temperature. 

A key benefit of using central 

energy centres in this way is that 

new, low carbon heat sources can 

be introduced relatively easily in 

the future without disruption to 

the spaces being heated. It is likely 

that with the growth of renewable 

energy in the UK, particularly from 

wind (the UK now has the largest 

installed offshore wind capacity in 

the world), future energy centres 

will need to include ways to make 

use of surplus electricity, such as 

heat pumps. 

In some locations, energy 

centres may also be able to 

take advantage of nearby waste 

energy sources from industry or 

waste incineration. All of which 

means that energy centres will 

require a high level flexibility and 

this needs to be addressed in the 

initial design. 

Centralisation of heat sources also 

simplifies routine maintenance, 

HIUs and sub-stations 

Hot water from the central 

plant room, to be used for 

space heating and hot water, 

will usually be controlled and 

metered through an HIU in 

each space. HIUs can vary 

considerably in performance so 

its important to ensure the HIU 

design will maintain consistent 

temperatures and pressures 

throughout the building and can 

adjust to variable demand. 

Where several buildings are 

involved there may also be 

variation between the heating 

systems in each building, 

especially if they were 

constructed at different times. 

In such cases, there may also be 

a need for a sub-station (heat 

transfer station) in each building 

that’s connected to the network. 

These provide an interface 

between the heat network and 

the building’s heating system 

and can be adjusted to suit the 

requirements of each building. 

Summary 

Given all of the factors considered 

above it is clear that every aspect 

of heat networks, from central 

plant through to HIUs in each 

space, must be considered and 

optimised in the design. Provision 

should also be made for future 

technical developments by 

ensuring the central energy 

centre has the inherent flexibility 

to enable cost-effective upgrades 

in the future. 


63

DOOR HANDLES & ACCESSORIES 

WWW.ITESORI.CO.UK

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE STONE FEDERATION GREAT BRITAIN 

Natural Stone - An Ethical Choice 

As the trade association for the natural stone 

industry, we are passionate about promoting the 

use of natural stone as the ideal building material, 

and alongside this, the use of Stone Federation 

members as the leading companies within the 

industry. 

One of our key messages is how to select the 

correct stone for the project in hand. Within the 

recommended steps there has always been a strong 

element of ensuring that materials are ethically and 

sustainably sourced. 

In 2015, The Modern Slavery Act was created 

to tackle slavery in the UK and also ensure that 

businesses responsibly and ethically managed their 

global supply chains. 

Stone Federation believed that, as the trade 

association for the natural stone industry, we had a 

responsibility to the client base, the industry and our 

members to make a real and long-lasting impact on 

this issue. 

As a result, development began on a unique resource 

created specifically for the natural stone industry, in 

response to The Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the 

issues of sourcing materials responsibly. 

In February of this year The Ethical Stone Register 

was launched at an event in London attended by 

major contractors, leading architects and designers, 

industry bodies and natural stone industry firms. 

This project will allow natural stone firms, whatever 

their size, to offer a responsible and manageable 

ethical sourcing solution to their clients. There 

are three tiers of membership of the Register, 

Declaration, Verification and Accreditation, each 

requiring an increasing level of external auditing 

and certification of the natural stone company. 

Declaration - At this tier, companies will have to 

complete a questionnaire looking at the responsible 

and ethical sourcing practices of their business. To 

achieve this level, a company will need to meet 

100% of the criteria. The claims and assertions 

made by a firm at this level will be by means of selfdeclaration. 

Verification - At this tier, the claims made by a 

company at the Declaration level will be externally 

verified. The initial verification will be for the 

company rather than each material they supply, 

however, they may choose to have some or all 

of their stones included at Verification level. This 

will involve an independent auditor assessing 

the journey of the material and ensuring that the 

responsible and ethical sourcing criteria are met 

the whole way along the supply chain. Only verified 

stones will appear on the Register itself. 

Accreditation - At this tier, members will have met 

the requirements of the Declaration and Verification 

tiers, and will be further audited for this level. The 

aim is to have the scheme recognised and to gain 

credits within schemes such as BREEAM and LEED 

at this tier. 

There has already been an incredibly positive 

response to the scheme from all areas of the 

industry, with a number of leading major contractors 

and architects working towards incorporating 

membership of the Register into their tender 

requirements. 

Since the launch, the Federation have interviewed 

the three Pilot Scheme members to find out about 

their journey on the scheme. These interview 

provide contractors, architects, designers, clients 

and natural stone firms with an insight into the 

workings and systems of the Ethical Stone Register. 

The full interviews can be read at www.bit.ly/ 

SFGBBlog. 

One of the recurring themes in all the interviews 

was the increased demand that natural stone 

suppliers are seeing from their clients for ethically 

and responsibly sourced materials. 


FEATURE ARTICLE: THE STONE FEDERATION GREAT BRITAIN 

Steve Turner, Managing Director of stone supplier 

Amarestone commented that: 

“It has become an issue that must not be ignored 

and will trigger an even greater demand for ethically 

and responsibly sourced stone. Major players in the 

construction industry will want to avoid the potential 

embarrassment of unsavoury practices in their supply 

chain. The Ethical Stone Register will be the safe 

source for natural stone and I can foresee that it will 

become a key resource for the specifier.” 

Since the launch we have begun to work with 

another group of natural stone firms who are 

committed to engaging with the ethical and 

responsible sourcing requirements of the Ethical 

Stone Register. 

We are also regularly meeting with major 

contractors, client bodies and architects to help 

them engage fully with the scheme and look at 

ways of incorporating its requirements across the 

full spectrum of their business operations. 

The Ethical Stone Register website is live 

(www.ethicalstoneregister.co.uk) and you can 

also follow the scheme on Twitter 

(@EthicalStoneReg) to stay up to date with the latest 

developments. For more information, contact us at 

info@ethicalstoneregister.co.uk. 


69

Happy Residents means Happy Customer 

“We are all delighted with the 

overall finish of the Redi-Rock wall” 

is the call from the local residents 

at King Edwards Court in Hyde, 

after discovering the aesthetically 

pleasing look of Redi-Rock 

modular walling. 

Bardsley Construction with 

Tameside Council have developed 

the site, which was once occupied 

by a joinery business, for housing 

and after hearing there was need 

for a 7.5m tall retaining wall, Craig 

Evans, CPM’s Trading Manager and John 

O’Gara, CPM’s Specification Manager 

began discussions to see if a Redi-Rock 

modular wall would be suitable. 

The contractor soon found he had 

more land to work with by using CPM’s 

Redi-Rock walling as it requires less 

land footprint and offered a look that 

would benefit the prestigious housing 

development and keep local residents 

happy as well as being quick and easy to 

install. 

-Rock modular retaining wall system 

h the look of natural stone! 

With the project now nearing 

completion, feedback has been very 

positive with local Tameside resident, Mr 

Daniel Nelson commenting: “we are all 

delighted with the overall finish of the Redi- 

Rock wall, the housing estate now benefits 

from this with an overall visually pleasing 

finish compared to the previous ageing/ 

Victorian look it had before”. 

Retaining Walls 

uild Faster 

uild Leaner 

uild Greener 

uild Quality 

uild Smarter 

uild to Last 

6kg

Redi-Rock modular retaining wall system 

.....with the look of natural stone! 

Retaining Walls 

Build Faster 

Build Leaner 

Build Greener 

Build Quality 

Build Smarter 

Build to Last 

1066kg 

Dry laid one tonne large interlocking concrete blocks 

Extremely fast and easy to install 

Can be built in any weather 

Standard blocks.... no waste 

Produced from 40% recycled materials 

100 year design life 

Gravity and reinforced earth walls available 

Designed in accordance with BS EN 1997-1:2004 

Installation support or full installation service available 

Full design service supported by professional indemnity insurance 

Now available in three natural finishes... 

Ledgestone Cobblestone Limestone 

To find out more see our 

website or call our sales team. 

T: 01179 814500 

F: 01179 814511 

E: sales@cpm-group.com 

www.redi-rock.com 

www.cpm-group.com 

Concrete for Life

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE NATIONAL INSULATION ASSOCIATION 

NIA Members…the preferred choice 

for your insulation projects 

The National Insulation Association 

(NIA) is advising why its members 

should be the preferred choice 

for specifiers looking for support 

in the design and delivery of their 

upcoming refurbishment and 

new build insulation projects on 

domestic, commercial and public 

sector buildings. 

NIA registered members have 

significant experience of working 

with energy suppliers, private 

and social housing managers, 

funders, builders, architects and 

other specifiers in delivering high 

quality energy efficiency schemes. 

The NIA’s membership includes 

the leading manufacturers/system 

suppliers and installers of cavity 

wall insulation, solid wall insulation 

(both external and internal), loft/ 

roof insulation, floor insulation and 

draught-proofing so we are able 

offer a one stop shop. 

The NIA and its members offer 

a range of support services to 

specifiers including: 

and customer care policies and 

procedures and financial viability. 

This provides specifiers and project 

managers with assurance and 

peace of mind when choosing an 

NIA member. 

“Along with our established Code 

of Professional Practice (CoPP) for 

domestic consumers, we also have 

a CoPP for our members operating 

in the new build and commercial 

markets designed to provide clients 

and specifiers in these sectors with 

additional reassurance by setting 

out the quality, standards and 

professionalism they can expect 

from an NIA registered member. 

The Solutions: 

With around a third of a 

buildings heat escaping through 

uninsulated walls, one of the most 

effective ways of reducing energy 

consumption is through wall 

insulation. Cavity Wall Insulation 

(CWI) involves the mechanical 

injection of a suitable insulant into 

the cavity, using a specified system 

designed to ensure a complete fill. 

The main materials used by NIA 

installers are Mineral Wool (Glass or 

Rock Wool), EPS Bead (Polystyrene 

bead) and PU Foam (Polyurethane 

Foam). CWI usually takes less than a 

day to install and, with all the work 

• Information, advice and 

guidance on funding 

opportunities. 

• Assistance with the design, 

specification and delivery of 

multi property, multi measure 

upgrades including bespoke 

solutions. 

• Access to a national network of 

qualified installers. 

• Issue expressions of interest and 

requests to tender for installation 

work to NIA members. 

• An online member directory via 

its website www.nia-uk.org 

Neil Marshall, Chief Executive of the 

NIA commented: “Companies have 

to meet our strict membership 

criteria to join the NIA which 

includes appropriate levels of 

insurance, relevant accreditations 

and approvals, Health and Safety 


“We also get specifiers contacting 

us asking for help in finding 

insulation companies to carry 

out work on their behalf. To help 

with this we have an ‘expressions 

of interest and tender request’ 

service. Through this free service 

we will issue expressions of 

interest and tender requests to our 

members on behalf of specifiers 

and project managers which 

provide them with the benefit 

of avoiding the need to contact 

lots of different companies and 

therefore immediate, saving time 

and money.” 

done from outside the building, 

the disruption is minimal. 

For those buildings that do not 

have cavity walls - solid stone, 

pre-1944 timber frame and 

non-traditional, i.e. concrete 

construction - which lose more heat 

and energy than any other type of 

construction, other solutions are 

readily available. Solid Walls can 

be insulated with either Internal 

Wall Insulation (IWI), External Wall 

Insulation (EWI), or a combination 

of the two known as Hybrid Wall 

Insulation (HWI) and any option

will greatly increase comfort, while 

also reducing energy bills and the 

associated environmental impact. 

IWI typically consists of either 

dry lining in the form of flexible 

thermal linings available in 1 metre 

by 12.5 metre rolls, laminated 

insulating plasterboard (known 

as thermal board), or built-up 

systems with the insulation fitted 

into a studwork frame. 

EWI is a tried and tested method 

of upgrading the thermal 

performance and external 

appearance of properties which 

are literally transformed into 

warm, energy efficient and 

attractive homes and buildings. 

Improving appearance is of 

particular significance to many 

local authorities targeting 

housing projects in areas where 

they are looking to transform 

the street or block of flats raising 

residents’ morale and pride in their 

community. 

There are many benefits of EWI 

including the fact that no interior 

living space is lost, there is minimal 

disruption for the residents as 

the work can be carried out while 

they are in their homes, there are 

a wide range of decorative finishes 

and there is minimal maintenance 

required once installed. 

As much as a third of the heat 

could also be escaping through 

the roof of a property. Most loft 

insulation materials 

work by preventing 

the movement of 

heated air through 

the material. The 

recommended depth 

for loft insulation 

is 270 millimetres 

for glass wool, 

250 millimetres 

for rock wool or 

220 millimetres for 

cellulose. 

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE NATIONAL INSULATION ASSOCIATION 

days when they could be losing 

valuable heat, as the warm air builds 

up inside the property is leaking 

through gaps all of the time. This 

can have a profound effect, with a 

typical property losing up to 20% 

of its heat through air leakage. 

The Energy Saving Trust reports 

that by simply installing Cavity 

Wall Insulation (CWI) savings up 

to £225* per year can be made on 

energy bills. If the loft is currently 

uninsulated, insulation could save 

up to a further £225* a year – even 

if there is some loft insulation 

topping it up to 270mm could 

save money. The savings are even 

greater for insulating solid walls, 

up to £425* per year in a detached 

home! Draught-proofing windows 

and doors can also save up to 

£25* per year and when installed 

with other measures will greatly 

increase the comfort in a home. 

Draught-proofing 

properties should 

also be considered 

as uncontrolled 

leakage of air through 

gaps will result in 

unnecessary heat loss 

and discomfort to 

the occupants from 

draughts. One of these 

routes is through gaps 

around windows and 

doors, and draughtproofing 

can greatly 

reduce this leakage. 

It’s not just cold windy 

For more details on the help 

available please contact Bev 

Hodson on 01525383313 or email 

Bev.hodson@nia-uk.org 


73

The importance of passive 

The contribution to building protection by 

installed fire stopping products are often 

underestimated by businesses. The media very 

rarely report on the reduction in the effects 

of fires in compartmentalised buildings, even 

though thousands of lives and the buildings 

themselves are saved each year. The fact 

is there is nothing to write about when the 

destructive impact of a fire is prevented. 

Compartmentalisation works by preventing fire 

spreading and causing horrific injury or death 

to human beings or animals and indescribable 

damage to buildings. There are numerous 

reports about the heroics of firefighters risking 

their lives to put out fires (and hats off to them 

for their amazing efforts) or that a fire was 

stopped by the sprinkler system, but rarely is it 

attributed to compartmentalisation. Why is that? 

Is it that it is too complicated to be considered? 

Of course not, compartmentalisation is an easy 

and cost effective way to protect a building 

against the spread of smoke and fire. 

fire protection 

Polyseam’s CEO Kjetil Bogstad 

explains the vital role of 

passive fire protection and 

compartmentalisation in 

buildings. 

performed on the premises; the fire evacuation 

route; the fire alarm system and other systems 

linked to the fire alarm. This is evident in the 

designs the architect has incorporated into our 

new factory that was built in Huddersfield city 

centre earlier this year. 

Polyseam has for the last 24 years developed 

products to simplify the installation of fire 

stopping of service penetrations. Solutions 

to problems do not have to be complicated, 

expensive and time-consuming. Polyseam offer 

simple solutions through our brands Protecta 

and GRAFT designed and tested in apertures 

and services as installed in real situations and 

solved through complicated chemistry. We are 

not here to tell construction businesses how to 

insulate a pipe, or cut a hole in a gypsum wall. 

We are here to provide these businesses with 

effective solutions that can be adapted to meet 

their requirements for products, installation 

and performance. 

Time is the reason compartmentalisation is 

the most effective method to use against the 

spread of fire today. A fire can spread so quickly 

that it is almost impossible for firefighters 

to extinguish it without causing large-scale 

damage to the building. Fire can spread so 

rapidly in residential homes that an entire 

house can be engulfed in flames before the 

fire department arrives. Isolating rooms where 

fires are more likely, reduces the effects of fire 

on the rest of the building and increases the 

time the fire fighters have to put it out before it 

spreads. A fire compartment can be designed 

to restrain a fire for up to 60 minutes, which 

could be sufficient time to safely evacuate the 

building and for the fire department to arrive 

and extinguish the fire. That is if the fire does 

not burn out on its own due to lack of oxygen, 

material, or both. 

I have written a 

comprehensive 

technical handbook 

to fire stopping and 

service penetrations, 

which is available 

for download via 

our website www. 

polyseam.com/ 

protecta/downloads. The handbook provides 

details on which products should be used and 

where and general rules to fire classification. 

For further information on Polyseam or the 

products in the Protecta and GRAFT brands 

visit W: www.polyseam.com or call T: 01484 

421036 

Compartmentalisation is not the only 

consideration. Compartmentalisation of rooms 

where fires are likely should also take into 

account where the occupants are located, and 

their numbers, the types of activities being

The best choice to protect against the spread of fire 

Protecta® FR Acrylic is a 4 hour fire rated intumescent, which is widely used in markets 

across Europe. It is designed to resist not just the passage of fire but also an ever more 

prevalent issue of sound insulation and attenuation. Reductions of up to 62dB can be 

achieved with only a 12mm depth single sided seal, higher than most acoustic sealants in 

the market today. 

It seals pipes and cable penetrations with market-leading fire ratings to 

reinstate the fire integrity of masonry, dry lining walls, concrete floors, 

pipes and ducts. 

01484 421036 l www.protecta.co.uk l /ProtectaFire l @ProtectaFire 

Developed & manufactured in the UK by POLYSEAM LTD.

Roof Profiles 


Structural Movement Joints and Seals 

Wall & Ceiling Profiles 

Floor Profiles 

Car Park Profiles 


Unit 3, 57 Thorby Avenue, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 0AR 

Tel: 01354 607960 Fax: 01354 607833 

Web: http://www.mjuk.co.uk email: info@mjuk.co.uk

PRECAST 

FLOORING 

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01335 361269 | 01698 803300 

SALES@FPMCCANN.CO.UK 

FPMCCANN.CO.UK/FLOORING 

FP McCann offers an extensive range 

of flooring solutions to the industrial, 

commercial and domestic markets. 

Our range of flooring solutions include: 

BEAM & BLOCK / POLY FLOORING 

HOLLOWCORE FLOORING 

STAIRS & LANDINGS

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE ASSOCIATION FOR SPECIALIST FIRE PROTECTION 

Demonstrating Competency 

The Interim report from the Independent Review 

of Building Regulations and Fire Safety led by 

Dame Judith Hackitt, released in mid-December 

2017, recommended a change in culture within 

the UK construction industry and significant 

reform of the UK fire safety regulatory system. 

It came as no surprise to the Association for 

Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) that the report 

identified a lack of clarity in the roles and 

responsibilities throughout a building’s lifecycle, 

from design and construction to maintenance 

during occupation; and inadequate means 

of assessing and ensuring adequate levels of 

competency throughout the process. The report 

also recognised the vital role of installers, noting 

that ‘the integrity and efficacy of products 

and systems is highly dependent on correct 

installation by competent and knowledgeable 

persons’. 

Along with many others in the sector, the 

ASFP has long been campaigning for formal 

competency requirements for fire professionals; 

mandatory third party certification of products 

and installers; and a system that more clearly sets 

out the requirements and responsibilities at each 

stage of construction. 

We have often questioned why there are no 

mandatory requirements for individuals who 

are responsible for the design, installation and 

assessment of life safety systems to be trained 

and licensed or have their competency evaluated 

in any way. This is certainly not the case for 

other professionals such as lawyers and doctors; 

and even plumbers, electricians and gas fitters 

are required to pass exams and have their 

competency evaluated. 


ASFP COO Niall Rowan 

investigates the 

issue of competence 

with regards to 

the specification, 

installation and 

maintenance of fire 

protection products 

Some time ago the ASFP recognised that while 

we called for people to employ competent 

professionals there was, in reality, no way of 

proving an individual’s competence and while 

short courses and CPD hours were in abundance 

there were few routes to gaining a formal 

qualification in passive fire protection. 

The ASFP, in collaboration with the Institution of 

Fire Engineers (IFE), has been developing a passive 

fire protection training programme which will 

allow trainees to demonstrate competency, while 

also offering a route for progression and academic 

recognition in this key fire protection specialism. 

The Foundation Course in Passive Fire Protection 

has been developed in response to demand 

from employers and contractors operating in the 

passive fire protection sector. The content of the 

training embeds current best practice and draws 

on the technical expertise provided by the ASFP. 

The courses will be the first in the UK and 

Ireland to enable candidates to study to obtain a 

recognised qualification in passive fire protection. 

Individuals who undertake the training will 

also have the opportunity to progress to new 

Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in Passive Fire 

Protection provided by the Institution of Fire 

Engineers (IFE) awarding organisation. 

The new qualifications have been developed 

in partnership between the ASFP and the 

IFE specifically to align to the new training 

programme and to provide recognition of 

individuals who have attained the essential 

knowledge and understanding to work efficiently 

and safely in passive fire protection roles. 

Course structure 

The training is suitable for all involved in the 

construction industry from designers and 

specifiers to contractors and specialist installers. 

Courses are also suitable for building owner 

occupiers and enforcement agencies. 

The courses offer a foundation in fire safety and 

fire science as well as units on different forms 

of passive fire protection, with the courses 

structured in four modules:

• Module 1: Essential underpinning 

knowledge including fire science 

• Module 2: Installation of Passive Fire 

Protection: 

o Unit 1: Fire protection to the 

structural frame of the building, 

Fire retardant coatings 

o Unit 2: Fire resisting walls, floors 

and ceiling and fire resistant 

glazing 

o Unit 3: Fire stopping, penetration 

seals, cavity barriers, ductwork 

and dampers and the building 

envelope 

o Unit 4: Fire resisting doors, 

industrial shutters and hardware 

• Module 3: Understanding active fire 

protection 

• Module 4: Understanding building 

regulations, approved documentation, 

regulatory guidance, CDM, CE marking, 

codes of practice, and BIM 

The new IFE Level 3 Certificate in Passive Fire 

Protection qualification will be available from 

April 2018. It is aimed at individuals either 

directly engaged in passive fire protection or 

those who need to develop an understanding of 

the passive fire safety systems such as managers 

and technical supervisors working in passive 

fire protection roles such as technical sales staff, 

designers and fire risk assessors. 

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE ASSOCIATION FOR SPECIALIST FIRE PROTECTION 

successful in achieving the IFE Level 3 Certificate 

in Passive Fire Protection will be able to build 

on their learning and progress to qualifications 

at Level 4 or to broaden their knowledge and 

understanding at Level 3 by working towards 

other fire-specific qualifications. They will also be 

eligible to apply for membership of the IFE. 

The ASFP and IFE plan to introduce a further 

qualification later in 2018 – the IFE Level 2 

Certificate in Passive Fire Protection. The Level 

2 Certificate is aimed at individuals such as 

team leaders or supervising installers working in 

passive fire protection roles and technical sales 

staff. Level 2 candidates will still undertake all 

four modules of study, although the syllabus will 

be less comprehensive, and they will select only 

two passive fire protection units from Module 2. 

The Level 2 Certificate will be supported by 4 days 

of lectures, with candidates again expected to 

undertake extensive additional study to prepare 

for a single 1.5-hour written examination. 

A system of training, competency evaluation 

and qualification for all the major players in fire 

protection is long overdue and the ASFP hopes 

that its efforts will be the first step in raising the 

bar and improving standards across the board 

and ensuring the quality and safety of our built 

environment for future generations to come. 

For further information visit www.asfp.org.uk 

Individuals who wish to achieve this qualification 

will be able to prepare for formal assessment 

by attending all four training modules delivered 

via 7 days of lectures spread over several weeks. 

They will also be expected to undertake extensive 

additional study using ASFP technical publications 

as learning material. Assessment will take the 

form of a single 3-hour written examination. 

The new Level 3 Certificate will be provided 

by the IFE, a nationally and internationally 

recognised awarding organisation regulated by 

the qualification regulators Ofqual and CCEA. 

The new Level 3 Certificate will be comparable 

to other level 3 qualifications in the nationally 

regulated framework such as A levels and Level 

3 NVQs and Diplomas. Candidates who are 


79

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Our Fire Coatings will last for a lifetime 

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Call: 01304 842 555 Email: sales@envirograf.com www.envirograf.com

The UK’s largest 

manufacturer of 

performance doors 

and doorsets 

FIRE, ACOUSTIC, SECURITY, PVC AND LEAD LINED, DOORS & DOORSETS 

www.firedoors.co.uk 

Supporting RIBA

FIRE, ACOUSTIC, SECURITY, PVC AND LEAD LINED, DOORS & DOORSETS 

The 2016 acquisition of the former Leaderflush 

Shapland factory at Langley Mill, Nottingham, 

firmly established UK Fire Doors as the market 

leader in the design and manufacture of 

bespoke performance fire doors and doorsets. 

Building on their success, UK Fire Doors recently rebranded 

and now trade under the simplified brand of ‘Firedoors’. 

Specialising in high quality bespoke doors and doorsets, 

Firedoors deliver at all levels, from small commercial 

projects to high end luxury homes, hotels, healthcare 

facilities, student accommodation and educational 

establishments. 

PERFORMANCE DOORSETS 

QUALITY AS STANDARD 

MANUFACTURED 

IN THE UK 

PERFORMANCE DOORSETS 

QUALITY AS STANDARD 

MANUFACTURED 

IN THE UK 

Tim Askew - Managing Director 

enables Firedoors to lead the market into a new era of 

reliably sourced, environmentally friendly, fully certified 

lifesaving products. 

Our long standing relationships with customers over 

many years is a testament to our excellent service levels 

and ensured quality standards. This is why we remain the 

number one choice for fire, acoustic, security and durability 

performance doors and doorsets. In addition to this we also 

offer paint grade, fully painted, veneered, laminated and 

plastic clad finish options.” 

The ability to do exclusive in-house testing has proved a 

massive advantage to the company, “This is invaluable to 

us” stated Wayne. “It allows us to undertake enhanced 

testing on all our new door and door set prototypes before 

we submit to third party certifiers for final approval and 

certification. It’s critical in our development process and 

we are now producing fire doors well in excess of their FD 

ratings, providing added peace of mind to any potential 

customer.” 

Firedoors have an extensive workforce of experienced 

craftsmen that are adept at selecting veneer finishes 

and stitching beautiful intricate inlays. They can produce 

precision surface detailing, staining and high-relief surface 

mouldings which all emphasise the sheer quality and beauty 

of their bespoke performance doors. 

Operating from sites in North Wales, Barnstaple and 

Nottingham, Firedoors currently boast the largest capacity 

of all the UK manufacturers, enabling consistent and reliable 

distribution throughout the United Kingdom. 

With the implementation of the rebrand completed, the 

company are now poised to commence work on their new 

state of the art production facility on the former Langley Mill 

site, expanding their overall volume to 200,000 sq.ft. 

Development Director Wayne Humphreys commented; 

“Our extensive production and in-house testing facility 

www.firedoors.co.uk 

Groundbreaking Innovation… 

2018 will see Firedoors launch their much anticipated E0 

rated fire door. This groundbreaking new product will be 

available under the ‘Endurodoor’ brand and will be the 

first ever fire door to be manufactured utilising this method 

of construction. This product will clearly enhance projects 

under the BREEAM scheme. 

Zero added formaldehyde is the next big change within the 

door industry and firmly places Firedoors at the forefront 

of environmentally friendly door manufacture. E0 focuses 

on the lifetime usage of a product and the effects exposure

to formaldehyde can have on the internal air quality of 

a building. With the potential health issues surrounding 

exposure to formaldehyde, Firedoors are anticipating a wide 

interest in this innovative new product as it offers significant 

benefits to any project. 

Endurodoor will be available in two variants, an E1 

compliant fire rated door or the enviable E0 rated. 

Grand designs require unique solutions… 

When Oxford surveyor Henry Chopping decided to build his 

dream home he and his team turned to Firedoors for their 

expertise in the design and supply of internal doors and 

doorsets. 

The unique project, which featured on Channel 4’s Grand 

Designs, demanded beautifully created doors that blended 

perfectly with the unrivalled architecture. The house, which 

was based on a decagon - a polygon with 10 sides- was a 

huge architectural achievement and was inspired by the 

Radcliffe Observatory at Green College Oxford. “We were 

so proud to have been associated with this project,” said 

Managing Director Tim Askew, “it’s just one of the many 

bespoke schemes we have been commissioned to work on.” 

The Decagon House - Oxford, Grand Designs 

Other bespoke projects Firedoors have been commissioned 

for include; The famous Hard Day’s Night Hotel, Liverpool 

- The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Liverpool and the City Tower in 

Manchester. 

Working extensively with architects, Firedoors are able 

to provide fully certified bespoke fire and acoustic door 

sets to any project. 

If you would like more information on their products or 

services you can contact the Firedoors technical team on 

01244 551360 or simply visit www.firedoors.co.uk 

YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR PERFORMANCE DOORS & DOORSETS 

Bryn Mawr Industrial Estate 

Pinfold Lane • Alltami • Flintshire CH7 6NZ 

t. 01244 551 360 

f. 01244 551 361 

e. sales@firedoors.co.uk 

YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR PERFORMANCE DOORS & DOORSETS 

Firedoors is the trading name of UK Fire Doors Limited. 

FIRE, ACOUSTIC, SECURITY, PVC AND LEAD LINED, DOORS & DOORSETS

FD30 and FD60 Fire and Security door set solutions. 

Winkhaus helps door set suppliers to comply with BOTH 

Fire & Security regulations. 

Hardware specialist Winkhaus illustrate how their Fire and Security door set - test evidence 

solution achieved using a combination of their AV2 or AV3 auto locking system with industry 

leading composite or timber veneered door leaf, will help fabricators meet both the changes 

introduced by the Approved Document Q (Security), and the EN1634 – 30 or 60 minute fire 

and smoke resistance performance requirements. 

Winkhaus have invested extensively in fire and security test evidence to achieve “Q Mark Fire” 

and “Q Mark Security” certification scheme compliance. This evidence in line with latest SBD 

and DCLG guidelines can be made available to the door set supplier. 

The Part Q Security requirements of the UK building regulations add considerable pressure on 

a manufacturing business. The changes will require all doors supplied to projects that require 

planning permission to have achieved the PAS24 security standard, or comply with a number 

of other requirements aimed at improving security levels. 

CE marking regulations for fire door sets have also been introduced, (co-existence period until 

September 2019). The regulation stipulates that all fire doors should comply with the EN 1634 

fire and smoke test requirement, as opposed to the original BS compliance. CE marking also 

requires that doors are manufactured within an independently audited factory production control 

or “certification scheme”. As CE marking falls into the responsibility of those placing the product 

on the market, fabricators could be faced with a long period of costly testing. 

The Winkhaus Fire and Security door set - test evidence solution will considerably reduce both 

the fabricator’s costs and time spent to achieve compliance. 

To satisfy different market demands Winkhaus have test evidence with two different outer frame 

materials. 

Winkhaus have introduced FireFrame ®, a low maintenance, fully finished frame system 

(No painting required) or traditional timber frame solutions both of which have been designed 

for FD30 and FD60 fire compliance and PAS 024 compliance. 

Both FireFrame® and timber frame options have been tested with the Winkhaus range of AV2 

and AV3 auto locking systems. Further options include FD30 and FD60 composite door leafs 

and 44mm or 54mm internal or external grade timber veneered door leafs. Single leaf door 

assemblies with side or fan light glazing, and double door assemblies with door leafs up to 

2800mm high. 

Winkhaus’ Fire and Security door set solution using the Winkhaus AV2 or AV3 range 

of multi-point auto-locks are available as an off the shelf fully tested solution. 


FD 30 

FD 60 

Thinking of specifying FD30 or FD60 Fire Doors? 

The Winkhaus solution combines the use of our industry leading autoLocks and frame 

systems with leading composite or timber door leaf producers to ensure: 

• Low maintenance fully finished frames and door leafs for FD30 and FD60. 

• Door sets are EN1634-3:2004 fire, smoke and PAS 24 compliant. 

• Third Party quality assurance through an audited scheme. 

We have invested to create solutions which make it easier for door manufacturers to make future compliant fire doors. 

A solution which is also designed to give you the specifier a product range you can trust! 

For information call: 01536 316091, email: marketing@winkhaus.co.uk 


85

LEADING THE WAY IN 

FIRE GLASS SOLUTIONS 

Fire Glass UK Limited is a market leader for fire rated and other specialist glass, 

offering a supply only service or a specialist glazing service tailored to your needs. 

With our head office in the heart 

of the Midlands and five branches 

nationwide, we believe Fire Glass 

is the UK’s only choice when it 

comes to fire rated or speciality 

glass. Why? Our wide coverage, 

product range and well stocked 

branches allow us to deliver glass 

when you need it. 

We are committed to customer 

service and supplying a quality 

product. 

We know that every project has 

commercial pressure, but, at Fire 

Glass UK we believe that this 

shouldn’t adversely impact on the 

design or compromise safety. 

We are fully accredited and have a 

bespoke Integrated Management 

System that is continuously 

audited to improve processes 

and procedures, ensuring all 

standards, accreditations and 

certifications that we hold are met 

or exceeded. 

We are Certifire accredited for 

product certification (including 

for our own products such as our 

modified toughened glass) and 

are also Firas accredited for the 

installation of fire certified glass. 

Therefore, fully meeting building 

regulation standards. But, at Fire 

Glass we go that ‘extra mile’ to 

work with our clients, providing 

solutions to their project. 

As well as working in collaboration 

with architects and our key 

suppliers, we work with thirdparty 

certification firms and 

provide technical data and advice 

to support non-standard projects. 

Through our direct action, hard 

work and dedication, our brand 

has become one customers know 

they can trust. We are customerfocused 

and provide a one-stop 

shop providing a service that 

responds to their fire rated and 

specialist glass needs. 

Whatever stage you are at with 

your project, from feasibility, 

estimating or already on site 

– we are here to help. 

WE ARE 

COMMITTED TO 

CUSTOMER SERVICE 

AND SUPPLYING A 

QUALITY PRODUCT. 

We have a clear, focused and 

defined strategy for moving 

our business forward and an 

innovative improvement and 

development programme which 

demonstrates our commitment to 

continuous improvement in our 

own production, the wellbeing 

of our staff and the health of the 

sector as a whole. 

So why not let us help you on 

your next project? 

0121 521 2180 

info@fireglassuk.com 

www.fireglassuk.com

SPECIALISTS IN FIRE RATED GLASS AND GLAZING 

tel 0121 521 2180 email info@fireglassuk.com 

www.fireglassuk.com 

THE UK’S 

ONLY 

CHOICE 

FOR FIRE RATED GLASS AND GLAZING 

> FIRE DOORS 

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Firestopping for External Cavities 

Firestopping for Lighting 

Firestopping for Ventilation and Pipes. 

Firestopping for Electrical Services 

WWW.TENMAT.COM | +44 161 872 2181 | info@tenmat.com

PM-Mendes 

Quality Door Distribution 

PM-Mendes (International) Limited 

is a long-established, family owned 

business, originally trading in panel 

products, before moving into timber 

components and doors. Our products 

are now imported from the Far East 

and distributed to a wide range of users 

throughout the country. 

For over 20 years PM-Mendes have 

dealt with a carefully selected range 

of manufacturers with proper financial 

backgrounds and managements who are 

prepared to work to our high standards 

of quality. Our core belief is to do what is 

right and fair rather than what is expedient 

at the time, which also extends into our 

environmental beliefs. The factories that 

we use have always sourced their core 

products from managed forests, although 

we have since gained accreditation in 

PEFC, FSC and Chain of Custody, adding 

to our range of FSC products all the time. 

Both our Head Office and warehouse 

facilities are based in Corsham, 

Wiltshire, conveniently close to the M4. 

A combination of good location, our 

own fleet of vans and 7.5 tonne trucks, 

transport backup from selected hauliers 

and well-stocked warehouses means we 

can quickly satisfy customer demands 

throughout the country. As of January 

2011, we opened our Northern Office, 

which is run by a highly experienced 

and competent team based in Liverpool. 

These two strategic geographical 

locations ensure that we fully understand 

the local economy and therefore the 

needs of our customers, tailoring 

products and prices accordingly. 

Our range of doors, both internal 

and external, are manufactured to an 

extremely high standard, by factories 

that are considered to be market leaders 

in providing value for money without 

compromising on product quality. 

All of our timber products are made using 

the preferred engineered construction. 

This system reduces waste, making it 

both environmentally sound and costefficient. 

The doors are built up using a 

cross-laminated procedure and then real 

wood veneers are applied as the top 

layer. This ensures maximum stability, 

reducing the risk of warping and bowing, 

whilst still allowing the beauty and warmth 

of a natural product to shine through. 

Because of this added strength, we are 

able to offer a 10 year guarantee from 

the date of delivery on the majority of our 

products. 

For further information 

T: 01225 811411 

E: doorsales@pm-mendes.co.uk 

or visit www.pm-mendes.co.uk 


photo: Pennyfarthing Homes 

photo: Bewley Homes PLC 

With almost 50 years of trading in the industry 

we have built up an unrivaled experience, 

(technical and commercial) in both flush and 

panel doors, made from the many varieties of 

timber products available. 

Having over 20,000 doors in stock we can 

justifiably claim to be one of the largest 

stockists of timber doors in the South West. If 

you don’t see what you want 

give us a ring – we will try to source it, 

or offer a suitable alternative. 

If you wish to visit our Corsham showroom 

the opening hours are 

09.00 to 17.00pm Monday to Friday 

09.30am to 13.30pm on Saturday 

Alternatively, if you contact our sales team we 

will direct you to our nearest stockist. 

Environmental Pledge 

FSC® and PEFC Certified chain of custody timber door supplier. 

PM-Mendes has successfully gained accreditation by the 

Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and the Program for the 

Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). This certification 

provides assurances that all the timber sourced for the manufacturing 

process of our forever growing range of FSC® and PEFC certified 

products, is from sustainable, legal and traceable sources. 

Product Guarantee 

We offer a 10 year guarantee from the date of delivery on all timber doors. 

Some doors have been excluded from the guarantee; any exclusion is detailed on our literature and website. 

PM-Mendes (International) Limited undertakes to repair or replace, at the option of the Company, products 

which are shown to be defective in materials or manufacturing workmanship within the warranty period. 

PM Mendes Head Office 

30 Leafield Way 

Leafield Industrial Estate 

Corsham 

Wiltshire 

SN13 9SW 

T: 01225 811411 

F: 01225 812112 

E: doorsales@pm-mendes.co.uk 

PM Mendes Northern Sales 

Maghull Business Centre 

1 Liverpool Rd North 

Maghull 

Liverpool 

L31 2HB 

T: 0151 5311052 

F: 0151 5200867 

E: northern@pm-mendes.co.uk

The Benefits of Maximising Natural 

Daylight and Ventilation in Buildings 

Building design can have a 

huge impact on our health. 

Throughout our lives we all 

spend a large amount of time 

indoors, away from natural 

sunlight and a natural air supply. 

Studio Designer neo rooflights specified for 

Steven Myhill’s ‘Summerhouse’. 

Health and Wellbeing is defined 

by the World Health Organisation 

(WHO) as a “state of complete 

physical, mental and social 

wellbeing”. The UK Green 

Building Council (UKGBC) also 

includes social, psychological 

and physical factors into their 

definition. 

A recent research study 

carried out by research agency 

Cadvantage surveyed 150 

architects and found that of their 

sample only 11% (17 architects) 

could correctly define what 

Health and Wellbeing means in 

building design. 

The research has identified that 

Health and Wellbeing is taken 

into account in all sectors of 

building design, however not 

by all architects, with only 59% 

of the architects working on 

designing education buildings, 

57% in healthcare, 48% in office 

spaces, 44% in retail and most 


worrying of all 35% in residential. 

In construction it is widely 

accepted that natural light and 

ventilation can vastly improve 

health, concentration levels and 

performance so these findings 

will not be well received 

by the UKGBC or other 

organisations such as 

NARM (the National 

Association of Rooflight 

Manufacturers), who 

regularly promote the 

health and wellbeing 

benefits of light from 

above in building 

design. 

The UKGBC believe 

that generous access 

to daylight as well as 

a supply of natural 

ventilation should be 

part of the design 

considerations for 

Health and Wellbeing. 

However, Cadvantage 

have further revealed 

that 43% of the 

architects surveyed 

felt that the support 

they receive from 

manufacturers is 

inadequate when 

they are specifying 

products that meet 

Health and Wellbeing 

needs. 

According to NARM, daylight is 

an essential natural asset. There 

is a growing body of evidence to 

suggest that buildings enjoying 

high levels of natural light are 

literally more successful than 

those more reliant on artificial 

light. In all environments the 

eye and brain functions respond 

better to natural light, so people 

perform better, while passive 

solar gain can reduce energy 

costs. 

It’s clear from the UKGBC, WHO 

and NARM that introducing 

maximum natural daylight and 

ventilation to buildings is key 

to improving the Health and 

Wellbeing of the UK population. 

One solution to this is to specify 

rooflights on a design scheme. 

Rooflights can flood up to three 

times more natural light into a 

space than a vertical window of 

an equivalent size, and rooflights 

such as the Studio Designer 

Range from the Rooflight 

Company provide almost 

unlimited arrays of glazing to 

truly maximise natural light from 

above. 

Studio Designer Conservation Rooflights Mews, 

London. 

To find out more about Health and 

Wellbeing in rooflighting and how 

the Rooflight Company can help 

you integrate light and natural 

ventilation into your projects 

call us on 01993 833108 or visit 


With thanks to Cadvantage and 

NARM for their statistics in this 

article.

Award- 

Winning 

Partnerships 

We specified the Rooflight Company 

because we were impressed by the 

attention to detail and quality of 

construction of their rooflights. 

We worked closely with their 

design department to develop 

a rooflight that would dovetail 

with the rest of our design. 

Buddy Haward, 

Burd Haward Architects 

Working closely with architectural 

practices across the UK, our rooflights are regularly 

specified on award-winning buildings. 

The Rooflight Company. 

Helping to create 

award-winning environments 

for over twenty years. 

Call us today on 01993 833108 or visit 


SPECIFIERS JOURNAL - SPRING 2018 93 

Bespoke openable Trapezoidal Rooflights at the 

RIBA award-winning Mottisfont Visitors Centre.

The Lewis Building, Birmingham 

EPR Architects 

Built in the 1920s by renowned 

philanthropist, David Lewis, this 

building has been an integral part 

of Birmingham for almost 100 years. 

Originally home to Lewis’s department 

store before becoming an office. 

Situated in the popular Colmore 

Business District the building has 

now been renovated to deliver some 

of the best new Grade A offices in 

Birmingham. It also sees the return of 

the original Lewis name 25 years after 

the original shop closed. 

This regeneration started when LGIM 

Real Assets (Legal General) and Ediston 

Real Estate decided they could bring 

the building back to its former glory. 

The makeover across seven floors – 

includes a new 12,400 square foot top 

floor extension – to provide 114,000 

square foot of offices. Alongside the 

office accommodation, also created 

was parking for 74 cars and a 60-space 

cycle hub with showers and changing 

facilities. Another feature was adding 

a seventh storey with external terraces 

and views across the city. 

A new double height entrance will 

create an arrival experience worthy of 

one of the best headquarters buildings 

in the city, featuring a library, meeting 

area, visitors lounge and an open 

exhibition space that can be used for 

bespoke events. 

All floors have received high quality 

finishes throughout and the building 

benefits from new mechanical and 

electrical systems. This modern and 

sustainable office space is set behind a 

beautiful classic Portland Stone façade 

giving it a real eye-catching appeal. 


EPR Architects designed the building 

with sustainability at the forefront, 

both during the construction where 

95% of waste was diverted from 

landfill, and to achieve sustainability 

rating BREEAM Very Good. 


Architect: EPR Architects 

Client: Legal & General Group Plc 

Contractors: Willmott Dixon 

Facilities: 114,000 sq/ft of new Grade A 

office accommodation 

Value: £18 million 

Completion: October 2017 

Environmental Rating: 

BREEAM ‘Very Good’ 


95

Rathbone Square, London 

Make Architects 

35-50 Rathbone Square has been 

transformed into a vast new 

development of residential, office, 

retail and public space. The design 

brief was to harmonise the area’s 

eclectic architecture and 18th-century 

streetscapes while opening up new 

public realm. 

Two multi-use L-shaped blocks of six 

to eight floors were designed and 

arranged at right angles around a 

large, beautifully landscaped garden. 

Offices are close to vibrant Oxford 

Street, homes by tranquil Fitzrovia. 

Changes in scale, material and detail 

identify different uses, and each 

block is defined by its own distinctive 

façade. But they all come together in 

a unifying framework integrated with 

the surrounding streets and squares. 

Throughout the development 

arched tunnels, cross-site paths and 

characterful street frontages invite the 

public in. 

Rathbone Square offers a collection 

of studios, one, two, three and four 

bedroom apartments, penthouses 

and the stunning Rathbone Collection 

of apartments. 

A three minute walk to Tottenham 

Court Road station which will offer 

Crossrail services from 2018 and six 

minutes from Oxford Circus tube 

station the development couldn’t be 

more centrally located. 


GC House, Fulham 

Your Architect London 

Natural light was at the heart of 

this project. Born out of the need 

to expand a Victorian property for 

a growing family, the core ambition 

was to create a flexible living space 

that reflected a new approach to 

contemporary design, characterised 

by light and simplicity. 

Minimal sightlines and subtle textures 

generate a sense of relaxation and 

harmony, whilst glass and douglas fir 

run throughout the home to create a 

series of interconnected spaces that 

inspire social and flexible living. A 

glass staircase links all floors, allowing 

light to flow effortlessly through the 

property, with views up through the 

home to create a sense of space and 

continuity. 


97

The project involved a complete 

renovation of a Victorian terraced 

house in West London, and included a 

kitchen extension, loft and basement 

conversion. The design built within 

the façade of a Victorian home, 

and sought to modernize it whilst 

remaining respectful to the existing 

exterior and setting, creating a flexible 

living space filled with light within the 

surrounds of a period property. 


Client: Private 

Architect: Your Architect London 

Collaborators: 

Star Design Associates 

Builder: nuspace 

Year: 2017 

Value: £750 000 

Photography: Adrián Vázquez 


National Indoor Arena, Dublin 

KSS Group 

The Sport Ireland National Indoor 

Arena is the new flagship facility at 

the National Sports Campus. This 

fully accessible multi-sport and multipurpose 

arena is the newest of its kind 

in Europe. Built to the highest world 

class standards and specifications, it 

will ensure that Ireland has the best 

facility for indoor sports and events 

which can be used by everyone, 

from Irish sporting bodies, to high 

performance athletes and the general 

public. 

The Sport Ireland National Indoor 

Arena magnificently houses three 

indoor arenas, each one as impressive 

and as multi-functional as the next, 

facilitating both the high-performance 

and recreational ends of Irish sport, 

and everything else in between. 

The Arena has a signature structure 

(ranging in height from 12 to 17 

metres with circa 18,000m 2 gross floor 

area) over three levels. 

The centrepiece of construction is the 

200-metre indoor running track, partly 

laid on hydraulics, which means the 

bends can be raised for competition 

purposes, or else levelled, allowing 

the floor space to be used for a variety 

of purposes from concerts to show 

jumping events. 


99

Off to one side is the indoor sports 

hall, which can be used for 20 different 

sports from badminton to basketball; 

off to the other side is the indoor 

gymnastics arena, the first of its kind 

in Ireland. 

The interior space – some 18,000m 2 

– is larger than the entire stadium 

dimensions of Croke Park: it also comes 

with a variety of seating arrangements 

and is capable of staging national 

and major championship events. The 

building is designed to hold a range 

of events from junior and club level, 

though to regional and international 

events, whilst also catering for 

concerts, equestrian, exhibitions and 

conferences. 


Site works include car parking for 

approximately 300 cars, access roads 

and traffic signal-controlled junction 

on Snugborough Road, surface water 

drainage, foul water system and 

utilities. 

NIA has been described by Minister 

Shane Ross as the missing link to 

the “important gap in our national 

sporting infrastructure”. The project 

has been shortlisted under the Cultural 

Project category for Irish Building & 

Design Awards 2017. 

National Indoor Arena was awarded 

‘Sustainable Building Project of 

the Year’ at the Sustainable Ireland 

Awards 2017. This was the second 

year in a row that a Heron Bros project 

picked up the prestigious award 

which demonstrates the company’s 

commitment to sustainability across 

all projects. 


Architect: KSS London 

Client: Sport Ireland 


Services Engineer: JV Tierney 

Structural Engineer: Mott MacDonald 

Value: €55 million 

Completion: 2017 

Key Features: 

43,000m 2 gross floor area 

Running track/training hub for athletics. 

Gymnastics centre. 

12 court sports hall. 

3G synthetic pitches. 

Sports science and education facilities. 


101

CLASSIFIED INDEXES 

Featured editorials contacts list 

Association for Specialist 

Fire Protection 

Kingsley House, Ganders Business Park, 

Kingsley, Bordon, Hampshire GU35 9LU 

www.asfp.org.uk 

See our editorial feature on p.78-79 

Heating and Hotwater Industry Council 

Camden House, Warwick Road, 

Kenilworth CV8 1TH 

www.centralheating.co.uk 


Hot Water Association 

Camden House, Warwick Road, Kenilworth, 

Warwickshire CV8 1TH 

http://hotwater.org.uk 


ICOM Energy Association 

Camden House, Warwick Road, Kenilworth, 

Warwickshire CV8 1TH 

www.icom.org.uk 


The Modular and Portable Building 

Association 

PO Box 99, Caersws SY17 5WR 

https://mpba.biz/ 


National Insulation Association 

2 Vimy Court, Vimy Road, 

Leighton Buzzard LU7 1FG 

Email: info@nia-uk.org 

www.nia-uk.org 


Stone Federation Great Britain 

Channel Business Centre, Ingles Manor, 

Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone CT20 2RD 

www.stonefed.org.uk 


The Tile Association 

The Mount, Stafford Close, Stone, 

Staffordshire ST15 0HG 

www.tiles.org.uk 


UK Rainwater Management Association 

Millennium Green Business Centre, 

Rio Drive, Collingham, Newark, 

Nottinghamshire NG23 7NB 

www.ukrma.org 


ECOBuilder 

Passivhaus Trust 

The Foundry, 5 Baldwin Terrace, 

London N1 7RU 

www.passivhaustrust.org.uk 


We would like to thank all of our editorial 

contributors for the kind submission of their 

features. 

Specifiers Journal list of featured architects 

E 

F 

EPR Architects 

www.epr.co.uk 

The Lewis Building, Birmingham p.94-95 

Foster+Partners 

www.fosterandpartners.com 


& The Temple of Mithras restoration 

p.20-25 

K 

Karakusevic Carson Architects & 

Maccreanor Lavington Architects 

http://karakusevic-carson.com 

www.maccreanorlavington.com 

Dujardin Mews, London p.27 

KSS Group 

www.kssgroup.com 

National Indoor Arena, Dublin p.99-101 

S 

Stride Treglown 

https://stridetreglown.com 

Bristol Business School 

(University of West England) 

p.56-59 

W Witherford Watson Mann 

www.wwmarchitects.co.uk 

Catford Green, London p.53 

G 

Grey Griffiths Architects 

www.greygriffiths.com 

Rafter House, Clapham p.54-55 

L 

Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands 

www.lds-uk.com 

Paradise Gardens, London p.26 

Wren Architecture and Design 

http://wrenarchitecture.com 

Market Place, Bolton p.50-52 

H 

HAT Projects 

www.hatprojects.com 

Hopton Yard, Yoxford p.46-47 

M Make Architects 

www.makearchitects.com 

Rathbone Square, London p.96 

Y 

Your Architect London 

https://yourarchitect.london 

GC House, Fulham p.97-98 

P 

PRP 

www.prp-co.uk 

Oval Quarter, London p.48-49 

ECOBuild list of featured architects 

B 

E 

H 

BDP 

www.bdp.com 

Faith Schools’ Joint Campus, 

Newton Mearns p.57-59 

East Renfrewshire Council 

Arthurlie Family Centre, Barrhead p.14-15 

Hawkins\Brown 

www.hawkinsbrown.com 

The Cube Building, London p.20-21 

T 

HTA Design LLP 

www.hta.co.uk 

Cane House Phase 1, Coulsdon p.16-17 

tp bennett & Maccreanor Lavington 

www.tpbennett.com 

www.maccreanorlavington.com 

Garden Halls, London p.18-19 

S 

Steven Holl Architects 

www.stevenholl.com 

Maggie’s Centre, St. Bart’s Hospital 

p.50-51 

W Waugh Thistleton Architects 

http://waughthistleton.com 

Dalston Lane, Hackney p.52-54 


ALPHABETICAL INDEXES TO ADVERTISERS 

Specifiers Journal - alphabetical list of advertisers 

A Ambar Systems Ltd p.60-61 

B Betternest Ltd p.6-7 

C CPM Group p.70-71 

F Fire Glass UK Ltd p.86-87 

FP McCann p.77 

H H.D. Services Ltd p.14-15 

I I TESORI (Carlisle Brass Ltd) p.8, 64 

Intumescent Systems Ltd p.80 

K Knauf Insulation Ltd p.36 

L LaurenKo Ltd p.89-90 

M Modular Building Blocks 

p.9-11 

Movement Joints (UK) Ltd p.76 

P P4 Limited p.37-39 

PM-Mendes (International) Ltd p.90-91 

Polyseam Ltd 

p.74-75 

R Robot Underfloor Heating p.65-67 

S Scotframe Timber Engineering Ltd p.2-3 

Sioo Wood Protection AB 

p.32-33 

Steve Leigh and Associates Ltd p.28-29 

Sundström Safety Services (UK) Ltd p.40-41 

T Tenmat Limited p.88 

The Rooflight Company p.4, 92-93 

The Tile Association p.44 

U UK Fire Doors Ltd p.81-83 

W W. Howard Ltd 

Winkhaus UK Ltd 

p.34-35 

p.84-85 

N Norcros Adhesives p.44-45 

ECOBuilder - alphabetical list of advertisers 

A Anhydritec Ltd p.32-33 

APA Systems Ltd 

p.30-31 

D Dunham-Bush Ltd p.43-45 

E EcoRight Ltd p.14-15 

F FP McCann p.38 

Fresh-r 

p.39-41 

I Industrial Textiles and Plastics Ltd p.11-13 

Intumescent Systems Ltd p.6 

K Knauf Insulation Ltd p.10 

M Marshalls Limited p.34-35 

Movement Joints (UK) Ltd p.48 

Multipanel UK Ltd 

p.26-27 

N Natural Building Technologies Ltd p.28-29 

Nilan UK 

p.24-25 

T Tenmat Ltd p.42 

Thermoguard UK Ltd 

p.46-47 

V Vena Ltd p.49-51 

W Water Solutions Ltd 

p.36-37 

L Lime Green Products Ltd p.7-9 


IBC

ECOBuilder-Specifiers Journal spring2018

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