Building News is an information portal for all professional building specifiers. Here you can find all of the latest construction news from around the UK and the rest of the world.

Grenfell: The Far Reaching Ripples

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Nearly 4 years on, Buildingspecifier’s Joe Bradbury takes a look at the ongoing subject of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and raises concern about those still living at risk of death by fire in inadequately protected properties together with the wider  impact on individual homeowners, who find themselves financially trapped in properties they cannot sell.

 

The horrific fire that broke out in 24-storey Grenfell Tower in 2017 brought fire safety to the forefront of our attention, causing 72 deaths and injuring a further 70 others. It is considered the deadliest structural fire in the United Kingdom since the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster and the worst UK residential fire since the Second World War. To this day negligence is still being sniffed out throughout the construction industry and those responsible are being held to account.

The fire was ignited by a malfunctioning fridge-freezer located on the fourth floor. Once the fire had taken hold it spread rapidly up the building’s exterior to all the residential floors. For many, the image of the tower engulfed in flame will be painfully etched in memory for many years to come.

Whilst the ACM cladding itself was found to be largely responsible for how quickly the fire spread, police confirmed that the insulation used in the refurbishment was potentially more flammable and contributory to the inferno than the cladding tiles.

The impact of the Grenfell fire on its residents and community can only be described as devastating, and the protracted and tangled ongoing investigation does nothing to alleviate the suffering of those immediately involved.

The subsequent fallout spread like a virus throughout the UK, revealing concerns in buildings both new and old.

A shocking investigation undertaken by BBC Watchdog Live after the tragedy revealed that a number of new build homes built by two major housing developers are not adequately fire safe.

Fire in figures

 

In April 2018 a fire was started by a cigarette dropped at ground level in a new home in Exeter. It spread up to the roof of the house and then across to other properties nearby.

This fire sparked an investigation which found missing fire barriers at 37% of homes on the estate, where the fire had taken place. This initiated wider investigation of thousands of homes throughout the South West, where over 650 homes were found to have missing or incorrectly installed fire barriers.

The BBC investigation also uncovered potentially dangerous fire safety issues in developments in Kent and West Lothian.

BBC Watchdog Live sent their own expert surveyor to a new build development in West Lothian, to examine the fire protection at four houses, after concerns were raised by one resident whose house had previously been found to have inadequate fire barriers.

According to an article on the BBC website, surveyor and expert witness Greig Adams, who carried out the testing, found poorly fitted fire barriers at all four properties, with voids and gaps around them that would prevent them stopping fire from spreading. He said “What we’ve unfortunately found is that there are fire breach issues in every house we’ve looked at. It’s a legal requirement that the cavity barriers are to be there. It’s not optional – and with good reason: it saves lives.”

There were 573,221 incidents attended by the UK Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) last year. Of these incidents, around 182,491 were fires. These fires resulted in 268 fatalities and over 7,000 non-fatal casualties.

Unfortunately, despite our greatest effort in prevention, fires happen… and their impact can be devastating. With this in mind, it comes as a great shock to hear that many new-builds constructed by two of the largest house building firms were sold over the last couple of years with missing or incorrectly installed fire barriers, which functions to prohibit the spread of fire throughout a property.

 

Trapped in unsafe housing

 

Figures published by the National Housing Federation (who represent housing associations in England, social landlords to 5 million people) and Crisis (the national charity for homeless people) reveal the true scale of the housing crisis in England.

Their ground-breaking research, conducted by Heriot-Watt University, showed that England is short of four million homes. To both meet this backlog and provide for future demand, the country needs to build 340,000 homes per year until 2031. Needless to say, this isn’t happening at present.

The result of this is that those living in potentially unsafe buildings are constantly being overlooked. Whilst these residents have not so far suffered physical injury, there remains the underlying, quietly pervading threat that one day they too could be victims. More immediately imperative for them is the actual damage to their individual financial status and future. They find themselves financially trapped in un-saleable properties, as surely as the victims of Grenfell were physically trapped.

Whilst their situation is obviously nowhere near as dramatic, the impact of it causes ongoing damage for those affected and their concerns continue, seemingly without resolve.

 

Unable to sell

 

In response to the Grenfell disaster, lenders initially brought in stricter requirements for fire safety, demanding an EWS1 certificate to prove that the external walls of a building are free from material that is combustible, which led to the restrictions of buying and selling affecting 450,000 more homeowners.

Campaigners voice concern that approximately 700,000 people still live in buildings that have flammable panels fitted to their exterior and that millions are finding it tough to remortgage or sell their properties.

To combat this, the government decided that owners of flats in buildings without cladding will no longer require an EWS1 form to sell or remortgage their property, but there is still a ways to go if we are to free people from bureaucratic bondage.

In an official statement given on the matter, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick MP said “Through no fault of their own, some flat-owners have been unable to sell or remortgage their homes – and this cannot be allowed to continue.

“That’s why the government has secured agreement that the EWS1 form will not be needed on buildings where there is no cladding; providing certainty for the almost 450,000 homeowners who may have felt stuck in limbo.

“However, this is only part of a wider solution and we continue to support those homeowners who do have cladding on their buildings and where there is still more to do.”

Cladding, the Witch-hunt

 

Cladding companies have had it rough in the past few years post-Grenfell, even the ones who pull out all the stops to ensure their product is safe and secure.  To this end, the mindless witch-hunt must stop in order for the true lessons to be learned from the tragedy.

 

It should be stressed that it was the incorrect specification of the components within the assembly that resulted in the tragedy.
As Carlton Jones Director of the MCRMA (Metal Cladding and Roofing Manufacturers Association) pointed out the word ‘cladding’ is a generic term which covers a vast array of products and assemblies. Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) is a component within a rainscreen cladding system but it must be recognised that it is available in various formulae to suit the application for which it is intended. Correctly specified, using a non-combustible grade it is a perfectly safe product, but the specification for the application on the Grenfell Tower was completely inappropriate.  The lack of technical expertise through the design, specification and installation phase contributed to the failure and allowed this to happen, and this should not be viewed as the general practices of all companies involved in the design and manufacture of metal based cladding systems”.

 

In summary

As an industry, it is our duty to stamp out negligence. Law dictates that new build homes must implement adequate fire protection measures which meet current Building Regulations to delay the spread of fire for as long as possible to maximise chances of escape for occupants.

Fire barriers are an integral part of a fire protection strategy and in many new builds (particularly timber-framed buildings) the barriers form a seal between different areas of a house. Without them, experts suggest that fire and smoke can spread five to ten times faster.

It is therefore of the utmost importance that housebuilders uphold their responsibility, ensuring that all new buildings are fully compliant with current Building Regulations. It’s a matter of life and death.

Failure to learn from the mistakes of Grenfell can only lead to more suffering and tragedy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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40 NEW HOSPITALS BY 2030 COMMITMENT GETS A BOOST

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The government’s commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 has been boosted today by the appointment of Natalie Forrest to oversee the building programme.

Forrest has worked in the NHS for over 30 years and is a registered nurse. She most recently led the construction and operationalisation of NHS Nightingale London in response to the pandemic. Alongside this role, she was also Chase Farm Hospital’s Chief Executive in North London, where she successfully led operational and clinical teams to design an innovative and groundbreaking new hospital, delivered to time, on budget and without interrupting services.

In total, 48 hospitals will be built by 2030, with £3.7 billion committed so far. In the North East, one of these schemes has just received final approval to upgrade mental health facilities in the region. Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust’s new £72.6 million facilities – which will be finalised by 2023 – will improve the quality of mental health and learning disability services in the regions by combining innovative design with a holistic approach to patient care and safety.

Final approval has also been secured on Salford Royal’s £67.4 million new hospital building, and construction work will begin soon. This will be home to a major trauma centre treating patients who have experienced life-changing or life-threatening injuries – for example, after a serious road traffic accident or fall.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

I’m delighted to appoint Natalie into this role. She not only brings unrivalled experience in health management and nursing, but also the construction and project management knowledge that helped turn the Excel conference centre into a Nightingale Hospital in just 9 days, as well as overseeing the rebuild of Chase Farm Hospital at pace.

The New Hospital Programme – as part of our Health Infrastructure Plan – will transform the delivery of NHS healthcare infrastructure to build back better and will ensure our country has world-class healthcare facilities right across the country for decades to come.

Senior Responsible Officer of the New Hospital Programme Natalie Forrest said:

I am determined to build trust in our national capability in planning and delivering hospitals, not just with health and construction stakeholders but with the staff and patients who will benefit from them on a daily basis.

My goal will be to deliver these new hospitals cost-effectively and at speed, and to foster an ecosystem that owns, learns from and improves healthcare design.

With over 12 years spent in NHS senior leadership roles, Forrest has extensive experience working with key clinical, board-level and other NHS stakeholders.

Starting this month, she will oversee a delivery board across the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England and Improvement, which will work closely with a network of NHS trusts.

Overall, the New Hospital Programme within the government’s long-term health infrastructure plan will help develop new sustainability standards, planning capabilities and care and workforce models. It will also implement cutting-edge digital technologies across the NHS, and will support an integrated approach to building new healthcare infrastructure using modern methods of construction.

Source: Gov.uk

 

 

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THE TRADE DEAL – IT’S IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION

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The historic Trade and Cooperation Agreement (Trade Deal) was reached between the European Union and the UK on 24 December 2020, just a week before the transition period came to an end. The key parts of the Agreement relating to the construction industry are highlighted here.

Goods and Standards

As members of the EU Single Market, UK businesses were able to move goods and materials between EU countries without charges, taxes, quotas or tariffs. The Trade Deal means no tariffs or quotas on goods exported to or imported from the EU as long as the goods meet the relevant rules of origin which set limits on the percentage of goods that can be made outside of the country of origin. However, the free movement of goods ended on 1 January 2021 and there will therefore be custom checks and controls at borders going forward.

When the UK was part of the EU, the quality of construction goods, materials and products was controlled by EU regulations, specifically the CE mark. CE marked products will still be allowed in the UK market until 1 January 2022 but the intention is to end recognition of the CE mark by then. A UK marking system will be introduced for products to be used in the UK market requiring conformity assessment by a UK-recognised approved body. It is hoped UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking will align closely to the CE marking system so as to ensure goods pass the equivalent CE standard without the need to carry out further testing. However, without mutual recognition of standards, the industry will need to repeatedly seek certification for products for use in EU states.

The additional cost and delays involved in restrictions on product origin, double-certification and border checks will need to be factored into the pricing and programming of projects. This is also likely to have significant impact on ‘just-in-time’ procurement, which could slow down progression on construction projects and add to costs.

Labour

Freedom of movement between the UK and the EU ended on 1 January 2021. After this date anyone wishing to come to work in the UK will be subject to a points based application system. This is designed to attract ‘skilled workers’ with skill level thresholds of RQF 3-5 (A-level or equivalent). This will include architects, engineers and quantity surveyors, and also trades such as bricklayers or carpenters, but excludes several roles such as general labourers and some plant operators.

An applicant will need to produce evidence of a job offer at the required skill level that meets a new minimum salary threshold. There are obvious implications for the construction industry, as the majority of the labour force do not attract salaries at the required threshold. Even if the criteria is met, the ongoing sponsorship costs to bring workers to the UK will likely be prohibitive for some employers.

Importantly, there is no mutual recognition of professional qualifications under the Trade Deal. The Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (MRPQ) Directive will no longer apply from 1 January 2021. Architects, engineers and others holding UK professional qualifications will not be able to use that qualification to work in an EU member state and likewise there is no automatic recognition of professional qualifications achieved outside the UK.

Architects with EEA or Swiss qualifications wanting to work in the UK who have not already had their qualification recognised by the ARB will be required to make an application for recognition under the third country route to recognition which will involve taking prescribed exams. Individuals with UK qualifications seeking recognition to offer services in the EEA or Switzerland will need to check the host state national policies.

Whilst not achieved by 1 January 2021 the intention is for the UK and the EU to agree mutual recognition arrangements for the recognition of professional qualifications covering the UK and all 27 EU Member States – much like what we had in place pre-Brexit.

Whilst visas will not be required for most business travel across the EU for short stays of up to 90 days in a 180-day period, work visas will be required for those intending to work for a longer period of time. Rules will differ by state so the entry requirements should be checked prior to entry to any EU country for business reasons

Public Procurement

The UK will maintain a separate and independent procurement regime. After 1 January 2021 contracting authorities will no longer be obliged to publish notices in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). A new UK e-notification system, ‘Find a Tender’ will be used.

The Trade Deal provides for a framework of rules for trade in public procurement based on the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). The GPA commits members to open up their public procurement markets to contractors from other member countries. As a result, UK businesses will still be able to compete for public contracts across the EU although on a more limited basis than before. UK businesses will also still be able to tender for public contracts in other GPA member countries, such as the USA, Canada, Japan and South Korea, in accordance with GPA rules.

The UK and EU have also agreed an extension of market access coverage beyond the GPA, which includes: the gas and heat distribution sector; private utilities that act as a monopoly; and a range of additional services in the hospitality, telecoms, real estate, education and other business sectors. This will provide UK businesses with additional opportunities and will equally mean more competition for UK public sector contracts.

Data Protection

The EU and UK have agreed a six-month transitional agreement to allow the continued free flow of personal data from the EU and EEA EFTA States. Consultants and contractors will be reassured that until 1 July 2021 transfers of personal data from the EU to the UK will be permitted and not treated as transfers of data from the EU to a third country. This bridging solution effectively extends the transition period, subject to the UK not making material changes to its existing data protection laws. In addition, the UK has, on a transitional basis, deemed EU member states to be adequate for data flows from the UK.

The EU and UK are working on making findings of adequacy in relation to each other’s data protection regimes. This should be straightforward from the UK’s perspective in relation to the EU, but the EU has said that the Trade and Cooperation Agreement does not guarantee a finding of adequacy. It remains a unilateral decision of the EU and is not subject to negotiation.

An adequacy decision is a finding of the European Commission under Article 45 of the GDPR that a third country has an adequate level of data protection. The effect of an adequacy decision is that personal data can be sent from a member state to a third country without any further safeguards being necessary.

Dispute resolution

The UK had planned to accede to the Lugano Convention 2007, the preferred regime for government questions of jurisdiction and the enforcement of judgments with EU countries after the end on the transition period. Jurisdiction and enforcement will now be determined by common law and The Hague Convention 2005. The Hague Convention requires the court designated in an exclusive jurisdiction clause to hear the case and prevents courts of other contracting states hearing parallel proceedings. It will also provide some level of protection as regards enforcement, as it generally requires any judgment granted by the court specified in an exclusive jurisdiction clause to be recognised and enforced in other member states. As a result, parties may wish to consider the inclusion of exclusive jurisdiction clauses in their contracts.

Legal advice should be obtained as regards dispute resolution clauses in new contracts with EU entities or concerning projects in the EU. Local law advice may be needed on issues such as ease of enforcing UK judgments in another country where the other party’s assets are located. This is also the case with regard to yet to be enforced judgments that contractors may have against parties in EU member states.

Those with concerns about enforcement post-1 January 2021 may wish to consider contractual arbitration clauses. Enforceability of arbitral awards under the New York Convention is unaffected by Brexit and this may therefore represent a relatively low-risk option.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly there is change ahead for the industry as it grapples with a whole host of new rules and regulations affecting almost every aspect of the procurement and delivery of projects in the UK and across the EU.

 

Source: Lexology

 

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Automatic wall divides stepped lecture theatre

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As part of a £1.7m investment, Loughborough University recently remodelled Quorn Hall into an impressive 560-seat lecture theatre. Adding functionality to the new facility, Style was contracted to install a 57dB Dorma Hüppe Variflex ComfortDrive moveable wall system with fully automatic operation, allowing the vast space to be divided into two separate areas.

A complex project, Style was specified by Core Architects to design a system that not only accommodated the exceptionally high ceiling but that also incorporated the stepped-rise of the seating.

The final installation allows University staff to divide the space at the press of a button, with the operable wall gliding effortlessly along a dedicated central channel between the seating. Creating an unparalleled acoustic barrier, substantial rubber seals expand to just the right pressure, allowing concurrent lectures to run completely undisturbed.

An integrated pass door provides access between the divided rooms whilst an oak laminate finish adds to the stunning interior design.

Loughborough University is one of the country’s leading universities with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research, strong links with business and industry and unrivalled sporting achievement.

Quorn Hall originally housed a sports hall, changing rooms, offices and a small lecture theatre. The re-development project to create the new, much larger lecture theatre had to be carried out whilst the main building and café facilities were in constant use.

Because of the complexity of the project, Style had to work particularly closely with Wildgoose Construction, who was responsible for lifting 2 x 26 metre steel supports into place by crane, lowering them via chains through pockets cut into the roof.

“Dividing such a cavernous lecture theatre with a fully automated moveable wall takes careful planning and the very best on-site project management,” said Steve Williams, sales director for Style Midlands.

“We therefore developed a close working partnership with both the architect and contractor to install a product which is utterly breath-taking.

 

www.style-partitions.co.uk

 

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The New Approach, download the Construction Playbook here

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The Construction Leadership Council was created with a remit to drive improvement within the construction sector. Since its creation, it has worked to encourage collaboration to build a better industry, and to act as a bridge between the public and private sectors in pursuit of this objective. The challenge of responding to the Covid19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of this, and the necessity of creating a more robust and sustainable industry which can build back better as the UK enters the period of recovery. This is why the CLC, through its own members and also through its wider links with the industry, has collaborated and supported the combined efforts of the Cabinet Office and Infrastructure & Projects Authority, with input from across the public sector, to develop and publish the Construction Playbook, and to endorse its aim of creating a more strategic relationship between Government and the construction sector.

Government Departments, other public bodies and the wider public sector represent key construction clients, investing in nationally significant infrastructure projects, capital programmes such as those in education and healthcare, projects that improve our cities and towns, and supporting the delivery of new homes. This spectrum of activity across the sector means the public sector has the potential to drive industry transformation, and how it approaches the development and delivery of construction can provide a powerful impetus for changes in industry practice and culture that extends beyond the projects it funds directly.

That is why the publication of the Construction Playbook is significant. It aims to embed a new approach to the procurement and delivery of construction projects and programmes, which is more collaborative, engages the whole supply chain, encourages investment in innovation and skills, and supports a more sustainable, resilient and profitable industry, capable of delivering higher-quality, safer and better performing built assets for its clients. It will create the foundation for a new approach to construction, where we can utilise digital and offsite manufacturing technologies to increase the capability of the industry, and accelerate the delivery of built assets.

It will also aim to deliver a better and fairer industry, with stronger and more open relationships between the industry and its clients, fewer disputes, and more equitable contractual terms, that ensure prompt and fair payment and a balanced allocation of risk, where these are managed by the organisation best placed to do so. Finally, it will help ensure that investment in construction projects creates the greatest economic, social and environmental value possible, and contributes to the delivery of strategic policy objectives such as our legal obligation to achieve net zero carbon by 2050 and levelling up across the UK.

These goals are our goals at the CLC. We share the Government’s desire to improve performance through new ways of working. But publishing the Playbook is just the first step in the process. For real change to happen, it is important that both Government and the industry embed the principles of the new approach, and invest in their capability to deliver this. The Government will be working to implement this across all central government Departments and public bodies, and mandating the adoption of this approach whilst recognising there is no-one-size-fits all approach to delivery. The CLC will work with organisations across the industry to ensure that this effort is matched, and that the public and private sectors can support each other in this shared endeavour.

Andy Mitchell, Co-Chair of the Construction Leadership Council

 

The Construction Playbook captures commercial best practices and specific sector reforms outlining the government’s expectations of how contracting authorities and suppliers, including the supply chain, should engage with each other.

These are set out in 14 key policies for how the government should assess, procure and deliver public works projects and programmes which all central government departments and their arms length bodies are expected to follow on a ‘comply or explain’ basis.

Download the CONSTRUCTION PLAYBOOK here

 

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Innovative cladding fire detection system undergoes testing

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A cladding fire detection system that could offer a lifeline to thousands affected by the UK’s cladding crisis is undergoing a critical period of testing with one of the UK’s leading testing bodies, the Fire Protection Association.

Intelliclad, created by Darron Brough and Mohammed Zulfiquar, believe that their sensor, which would be retrofitted to integrate into the cladding system of high-risk buildings, can provide a smarter, faster and more cost efficient method of monitoring fire safety when compared to the controversial Waking Watch.

Darron and son Ryan Brough bring decades of experience in the façade industry with a focus on safe aluminium cladding to the project, while Mohammed Zulfiquar, owner and founder of Datatecnics Corporation, has 30 years experience in computer science and nanotechnology.

Each sensor is connected to a control system that, in the event of a fire, can uniquely send an alert to all residents via a smartphone app.

This gives residents and the fire service valuable information on the location and relative spread of fire across the building throughout the incident in real time.

The system is currently undergoing final testing at the Fire Protection Association’s headquarters in Moreton-in-Marsh after three years and around £500,000 of research and development investment.

Intelliclad Managing Director, Darron Brough, said: “We started this intelliclad journey because we wanted to put our expertise to good use to try and help those who are suffering with mental health issues, crippling bills and concerns for their safety as a result of living in an unsafe building.

“Our system offers a smarter and faster alternative to the Waking Watch – we want to give residents a greater peace of mind and greatly reduce the cost of safety which they should be entitled to.

“From our perspective, testing with the Fire Protection Association has been a huge success and we await confirmation of these results over the coming weeks as data is analysed, which we believe will allow us to move forward and start to really help people.”

There is much controversy surrounding Waking Watch, which has recently been labelled a ‘national scandal’ by Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick, who criticised the cost for the service, averaging up to £499 per dwelling per month often passed on directly to residents, as a ‘rip-off’.

A number of stories have also appeared in recent months highlighting a lack of fire safety training for Waking Watch staff, as well as instances where they have fallen asleep or been caught watching tv, putting residents lives at risk.

Mr Brough said: “We have put our heart and soul into this project for the last three years and we are well aware of just how important an issue this is right now.

“From the impact on residents’ mental health, to the very real threat of loss of life as a result of dangerous cladding, we want to do our part to end this scandal and help those affected move forward.”

 

For more information, contact info@intelliclad.co.uk

 

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ROCKWOOL® supports contractors in managing flat roofs fire risk

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New whitepaper explores how to improve fire performance in the fifth façade

With roofs maintaining their prominent role in contemporary building design, ROCKWOOL has released a new whitepaper exploring how roofing contractors and specifiers can manage fire risk when planning and installing flat roofs.

The ‘Flat Roofs: Managing fire risk in the fifth façade’ report addresses misconceptions around testing protocols and material fire classification ratings, plus examines the worrying rise in roof fires and the resulting social and economic impact. The whitepaper, which is available to download at www.rockwool.co.uk/fifthfacade then outlines specification best practice for flat roof insulation and how to futureproof the complete building envelope in line with expected changes to Building Regulations.

 

“The role of the roof is an expanding one,” explains Paul Barrett, Head of Product Management at ROCKWOOL. “While previously their primary function was practical, now we’re seeing roof spaces used as an additional communal or leisure space, as well as to house solar PV, plant equipment and rainwater management systems. Yet as the function of the roof has expanded, the focus on fire protection measures hasn’t increased at the same pace.

“This report explores the risks of exposed flat roofs, delves into the effects of recent prominent fires, and then advises roofing contractors and specifiers on how to select materials that will help protect lives and the remaining building structure in case of fire. It’s an essential read for anyone involved in roofing specification.”

To complement its new whitepaper, ROCKWOOL has also developed an accompanying CPD module that expands subjects detailed in the report and delivers a greater depth of education. The module also outlines its range of non-combustible stone wool insulation products that are compatible with a variety of modern flat roof systems.

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A trusted history. A digital future

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It has been a story almost three years in the making, from 2017, with the initial sale by Armstrong World Industries, through to completion of its acquisition by Aurelius Equity Opportunities earlier this year. Now Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, the leading UK manufacturer of mineral fibre ceiling systems, has unveiled its new identity which will take it into 2021 and far beyond. Graham Taylor, director of sales and marketing at the newly renamed Zentia, reintroduces the business behind the brand.

Moving to a new brand identity has been something of a personal journey for me. The Armstrong brand has been a constant through my working life. I have lived and breathed it for more than three decades. Which is why I was truly honoured and excited to be presented with the opportunity to lead the rebranding project for our new business.

We found ourselves in a unique position: with a strong and established past – and a future that’s ours to reimagine. To make the most of this, we needed a brand that builds on our heritage, but also gives us a fresh start, opening up new opportunities for us to explore together with our partners, staff and customers alike.

But the reality of it is, we are still the same people you’ve always done business with; we bring you the same products you’ve always trusted and specified; we will still manufacture in Britain, as we have since 1966; and we will provide the same support you depend on, and that you can continue to rely on with Zentia – a very positive base on which to build.

 

 

Our vision is to take those positive traits you have clearly valued and add more agility and boldness to our approach. We will take bold decisions and act swiftly where required. We will respond to the changing environment and market, whilst fully embracing the digital world.

We were Armstrong; now we are Zentia. We’ve gone from A to Z, introduced a bright and dynamic colour palette and centred our business around our new brand AXIS – four key elements which underpin our new direction. In the process, we’ve created a new brand that marks a pivotal evolution for our business.

Our AXIS is what drives us. It differentiates us and makes us strong. The four components of the Zentia AXIS are Value, Solutions Provider, Responsibility and Continuous Improvement, and they’re the four things that we promise to live, breathe and promote in everything we do and for every customer.

Value

We see that Value is about more than just price. We are driven to create environments that set higher standards for wellbeing, productivity and happiness. At the heart of this is our commitment to deliver quality products and solutions that will inevitably drive excellence through our supply chain and to exceed the expectations of all those involved, as well as the end user.

Solutions Provider

Being a Solutions Provider is about more than having a broad range of products and systems. Range is important, but so is agility and expertise; the ability to not only provide a product but provide a solution. As a complete ceiling solutions provider, this is what every partner can expect from us. We apply our heritage, pride and passion to deliver unrivalled problem-solving support.

Responsibility

We take responsibility for our actions and we aim to do more with less. We look at everything we do with an ethical mindset and scrutinise our activity so that we can continually improve our social, economic and environmental values for ourselves, our partners and our stakeholders.

Continuous Improvement

We focus on relentless progress and performance enhancement across our business, our solutions and the environments we help create. One key aspect that helps us do this is our digital-first mindset. As we pioneer digital services and supply chain support, we want to continually improve and make it easier than ever to do business with us.

This is such an exciting time for us as a company – creating a new identity for the business, a new ethos and new mindset. It’s not something that you experience a lot in your professional life, you might even say it’s a once in a lifetime change. It brings more strength, more power and more enthusiasm to our team, and I expect also to the market.

As Zentia, we draw from decades of leadership in the ceiling space, where we’ve become a trusted partner to specifiers, contractors, architects and interior designers who appreciate the exceptional quality of our products and the expertise of our people.

Now, we’re taking what we do well and harnessing technology to ease and add value to what you do. With digital collaboration, specification and support, we’re leading the way into a smarter future – that starts today.

To find out more about Zentia visit: www.zentia.com or follow #AtoZentia on social media.

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Cogent Technology Unveil Rapidbloc Cleanrooms in New Facility

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Cogent Technology has moved into a new 80,000ft² facility in Felixstowe, to serve its clients with world class manufacturing. The new facility features state of the art production lines, including two ISO 14644-1 Class 7 Rapidbloc cleanrooms for its innovative medical and healthcare products.

Rapidbloc Cleanrooms have been developed by Connect 2 Cleanrooms (C2C) to meet the urgent critical demands of some of the world’s fastest moving industries, such as healthcare and advanced manufacturing. Clean production will enable Cogent to grow its product offering and expand services to clients with consumables and accessories that complement existing PCB assembly product ranges.

The two Rapidbloc cleanrooms were designed and built in just 8 weeks, including validation to ISO 14644-1 class 7. This expedited time-scale was important to Cogent as the cleanrooms were able to be coordinated within its wider facility fit-out programme and so production was not interrupted.

A monobloc cleanroom project of this scale would usually have a lead time of up to 4 months, whereas Rapidbloc Cleanrooms generate significant productivity gains to enable a faster return on investment. Rapidbloc cleanroom layouts are fully configurable and as parts are shipped from stock from C2C’s warehouse and distribution hub, on-site assembly is fast and efficient.

Robert Stainer, Commercial Director at Cogent says, “As part of our relocation to a new 80,000ft² facility we are proud to be enhancing our Medical Device manufacturing capabilities with the commissioning of two class 7 cleanrooms validated to ISO 14644-1.

“This investment will not only enable Cogent to meet our current clients’ needs, but also position the team to facilitate the provision of associated device consumables capacity as med tech businesses rethink their supply chain strategies in light of changing attitudes to sourcing.

“The term ‘short supply chain’ is resonating throughout the business world after recent events in 2020. A more robust supply chain is needed for resilience against future events.”

Michael Wright, Managing Director at Connect 2 Cleanrooms says, “Whilst there are now a number of quick build cleanroom solutions on the market, including our own Rapid Room range, none offer the same level flexibility around configuration and specification as Rapidbloc. The choice of size, classification and optional extras is yours, in just 4 to 6 weeks.”

The ultra-clean environments are created using HEPA filtration that is 99.99% efficient at 0.3 micron, whilst the envelope uses UltraTech Versatile panels with QuadCore insulated cores to provide a level of airtightness that controls running costs through enhanced energy performance.

Michael continues, “This modular approach delivers a precision-engineered cleanroom with ISO-compliant performance, within an expedited time frame. Thanks to the use of standard parts and pre-determined design calculations, even the quotation and design stages are expedited, so clients benefit from a rapid response through the entire project.”

Connect 2 Cleanrooms also provided consumables, furniture, monitoring equipment and cleanroom training services.

To find out more about Rapidbloc Cleanrooms, visit www.connect2cleanrooms.com/rapidbloc.

 

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GeoCeramica paving tops off Greenford Quay development

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Brett Landscaping has supplied its GeoCeramica porcelain paving for the roof terraces and public spaces of a major new mixed-use development in London, overlooking the Grand Union Canal.

More than 1400 m2 of GeoCeramica has been installed across the communal areas of the £151 million Greenford Quay development, with 150 m2 used to provide a highly aesthetic finish to the communal roof terrace on the tallest tower in the scheme.

Greenford Quay is one of the UK’s largest ‘Build to Rent’ schemes with 1,965 new homes being built across seven main buildings within wide public realm spaces. The aim of the development is to create a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood at the side of the historic Grand Union canal.

 

 

Project architect HTA Design required a high-quality paving system that would complement the curated gardens across the podium courtyards and upper terraces of the development, and a system that could meet the strict specification requirements for use on tall buildings.

The architect worked with the technical team at Brett Landscaping and chose to use the GeoCeramica range of porcelain paving. The range provides the look and finish of natural stone, while containing modern paving technology suited to the demands of the project.

Brett Landscaping were able to demonstrate that not only would the Fiordi GeoCeramica system provide a finish that met the aesthetic requirements of the upper terraces of the project, but that it could meet the loading requirements and ensure its suitability for the building’s design.

GeoCeramica is a hybrid porcelain and concrete paving flag tile with a pre-bonded cementitious water permeable drainage layer.

For the roof-top areas GeoCeramica has been installed on a pedestal system. This is made possible due to the inherent dead weight of each hybrid flag tile and its individual strength characteristics. The product could meet the technical brief without compromising on the aesthetics offered.

The specification of GeoCeramica provided HTA Design with assurance that the paving would prove durable in all weathers and conditions, at the top of the 14 storey Tillerman’s Court (Block 5) on the scheme.

A further 1200m2 of the GeoCeramica Impasto and Fiordi paving was supplied to provide footpaths and private terraces on the podium landscapes. These provide a high-end finish to the communal amenity gardens at first floor level.

Ajay Vohra, Specification Sales Manager – London and South East, Brett Landscaping said:

“The Greenford Quay project allowed the opportunity for Brett’s GeoCeramica to meet the needs of HTA’s brief and vision for the development for its roof and podium terraces. The elegant range of aesthetics available of this high-quality product, is the future choice and the latest progression in paving and roofing materials.

“At Brett Landscaping we offer high specification paving systems that add value to large public spaces and boost those complex intricate detailed areas. The Brett team provides the expertise, and offer the complete service from conceptual or technical design, right through to sale, supply and installation.”

Ian Hainsworth Senior Landscape Architect at HTA Design:

“Working with Brett allowed us to choose a paving system that met the high aesthetic requirements of this landmark luxury development, without compromising on the structural durability, reliability and quality of the installed system.”

“As former industrial estates are reclaimed and converted to modern living developments, there is a need for architects to design public realms that can offer residents a real sense of wide-open space. Greenford Quay is a landmark example of how new community neighbourhoods can be created through careful use of design and high-quality building materials.”

www.brettpaving.co.uk

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