Latest innovations and products in the interiors section of the construction industry.

Nuaire sponsors 2024 BESA Clean Air Day event

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Caerphilly based UK ventilation solutions provider Nuaire is proud to be sponsoring the Building Engineering Services Association’s (BESA) Clean Air Day event on the 20th June at The Wave in Bristol.  The event, which is being hosted by the BESA Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Group, will be based on ‘Shaping the Future of Healthy Environments.’

 

As part of the sponsorship deal, Nuaire will have the opportunity to present its ventilation solutions and engage with like-minded delegates who share a commitment to clean air.  As well as senior Nuaire personnel in attendance, Nuaire will also be inviting key customers to the event, where they can gain valuable industry insight.  This will include a presentation from the BESA IAQ Specialist Group which is driving change and shaping the future of air quality initiatives, plus an update on the BESA Schools Engagement Project on Ventilation and Air Quality.

 

Commenting on the decision to sponsor this year’s BESA Clean Air Day event, Nuaire Managing Director Meirion Richards said: “As the UK’s largest air pollution campaign, Clean Air Day provides an opportunity to focus attention on this very serious subject.  It’s important people from all walks of life understand the health risks of air pollution, but it’s also important that, as industry professionals, we look at the solutions.  BESA has been at the forefront of championing the cause of cleaner, healthier air for all and we are pleased to be supporting them on Clean Air Day”.

 

This year’s Clean Air Day focus is on transport.  With cars and vans being the biggest source of NOx pollutants, Clean Air Day is asking everyone to take action to help make travelling in cleaner and greener ways.  But when it comes to air quality within our buildings – where we spend the majority of our time – external pollutants are only one part of the problem.  Pollutant sources within our indoor environments vary hugely, from cleaning products and cooking through to furniture and even the fabric our homes are made from.  Little research has been done into indoor air pollution, compared to external pollutants, but what we do know is that good ventilation can disperse and expel indoor pollutants, as well as help prevent damp and mould from forming.  Established in 1966, Nuaire has developed a comprehensive range of ventilation solutions for the domestic, commercial, and industrial construction sectors, providing occupants with clean, healthy air.

  CLICK HERE for more information on the NUAIRE WEBSITE

 

 

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TRILUX Illuminates Just GYM Fitness Clubs

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TRILUX Illuminates Just GYM Fitness Clubs Across Poland with 24/7 Lighting Solutions

TRILUX, a leading provider of innovative lighting solutions, has been selected by Just GYM, a prominent Polish fitness club chain, for its unique state-of-the-art lighting. This partnership ensures optimal training conditions, energy efficiency, and a cohesive modern design, enhancing the overall ambience and functionality of the fitness clubs.

24/7 LIGHT FOR POLISH FITNESS CLUB CHAIN

Just GYM Fitness Clubs in Poland, known for their fully automated centres, have partnered with TRILUX to maintain high design, lighting quality, efficiency, and intelligence standards. This collaboration has transformed the fitness clubs into attractively designed, large-scale training environments with a futuristic, modern ambience.

“We aim to deliver maximum quality to our customers in all aspects, from the equipment to the infrastructure. That’s why TRILUX is solely responsible for the lighting in our clubs,” explains Tomasz Joachimiak, Chief Operating Officer and management team member at Just GYM.

One of the key challenges was ensuring that the lighting provided optimal visual conditions for various training areas, while also blending harmoniously with the dynamic and modern interior. TRILUX overcame this by designing the luminaires’ functionality to match each room’s specific characteristics perfectly. The E-Line Next LED with prismatic optics gives the practice rooms a unique character. Other areas were equipped with Siella, Ambiella, and Oleveon Fit luminaires. Overall, a cohesive and functional lighting concept has been developed, which harmonises perfectly with the character of each room and can be flexibly replicated across different branches.

The clubs operate around the clock, so the lights are always on. Even at night, if no customers are training, the lighting remains switched on to indicate that the club is open, albeit at a reduced illuminance level. Maximum efficiency and intelligence were imperative. This presented no challenge for TRILUX luminaires, which are networked with the LiveLink light management system and combined with sensors for presence and daylight detection.

In summary, TRILUX lighting has significantly contributed to the attractiveness and future-proofing of Just GYM fitness studios in three main ways:

  1. Ensuring optimum training conditions throughout the studio with high-quality, tailored lighting solutions.
  2. Guaranteeing consistently low energy costs through maximum efficiency and smart energy management.
  3. Blending high-quality, minimalist luminaire design harmoniously into the modern architecture, creating uniquely attractive fitness and training environments with a high feel-good factor.

CLICK HERE to find out more about TRILUX

 

 

 

 

 

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TRILUX LAUNCH NEW OLISQ LUMINAIRE

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Hailing a new era for walls and ceilings, technical lighting expert TRILUX is pleased to unveil the latest addition to its energy-efficient lighting portfolio – the OLISQ luminaire.

In light of the ongoing energy crisis, there is an urgent need to reduce energy costs, decrease the carbon footprint, and search for future-proof solutions. There has never been a better time to upgrade to the latest lighting technology, as we are all aware lighting refurbishments save operating costs and ensures more sustainability, safety and efficiency.

The new TRILUX OLISQ luminaire enables every customer to perform an individual, sustainable, cost-effective refurbishment. OLISQ is suitable for almost every application thanks to its flexible design characteristics.

SUITED FOR ANY REFURBISHMENT OF ANY ROOM

Using archetypal design thinking, OLISQ creates geometric light appropriate for every architecture. With customisable materials and various choices regarding luminous flux, switches, and housing, OLISQ ensures optimal clarity and orientation. Thanks to its high light quality, long service life, and market-leading efficiency of up to 143 lm/W, OLISQ qualifies for BREEAM, WELL, and other certification standards.

TIME-SAVING, COST-FRIENDLY AND LOW-RISK REFURBISHMENTS

Refurbishments are often postponed because of the time involved, potentially high costs or unwanted design outcomes. Thanks to OLISQ, these concerns are a thing of the past. A wide selection of lighting variants offering distinct performance characteristics enables a seamless installation without impacting existing building infrastructure and without drilling or painting. A tailor-made 1:1 replacement of existing lighting will deliver uniform clarity, while the interchangeability of components will optimise the installation lifecycle and lead to immediate cost savings.

FUTURE-ORIENTED AND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

TRILUX offers customers several services, including tools to control their lighting infrastructure, such as remote scene activation, which turns off unnecessary lighting from any internet-connected device. In addition, real-time data on energy consumption, presence detection and potential daylight utilisation can be scheduled to optimise energy consumption. It is also possible for energy managers to create, analyse and save reports, which is helpful for companies with environmental, social and governance strategies and goals. Naturally, OLISQ is equipped with the latest technologies to offer all these options.

With its efficiency and sustainability, from waste-avoiding production to the individual interchangeability of components and efficient energy consumption, this luminaire offers customers the potential for effortless and cost-efficient refurbishments for any application.

 

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

 

 

 

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Building vibrant, world-leading educational facilities

Moving into the penthouse level at One Canada Square, Canary Wharf means the heavily oversubscribed University College London School of Management can enrol more students and attract world-leading business teachers. Specified by Buro Happold in conjunction with Nicholas Hare Architects, the Zumtobel Group lighting brands Zumtobel and Thorn have provided a customised lighting scheme to transform the redesigned office space into a vibrant education facility.

 

One Canada Square is an iconic skyscraper in Canary Wharf, London. At 770 ft and 50 storeys, it is the third tallest building in the United Kingdom. On a clear day, if you look out from Level 50, you will be treated to unparalleled views across London, taking in sporting landmarks such as Wembley Stadium, The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, The Den, and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Focussing on innovation, technology, analytics, and entrepreneurship, the University College London School of Management (UCL SoM) established itself on Level 38 of the building back in 2016, right in the heart of London and the epicentre of finance and business in the UK. However, with growing student numbers, it required more space. Hence the decision to expand to Level 50.

The new facility positions the UCL School of Management as an international business school whose world-leading research, faculty, and teaching facilities rival those of other top-ranked international business schools. of the likes of the London Business School, Oxbridge, Harvard, Stanford, and MIT.

The new space was designed by architects Nicholas Hare in collaboration with the School’s former Director, Bert De Reyck. The design was inspired by start-up workspaces and academic and corporate environments, designed to encourage active collaboration and communication between students and faculty.

Level 50 had an existing office fit-out which included a mixture of open-plan and cellular offices. Designers implemented an innovative re-use of existing components to significantly reduce the project’s embodied carbon.

The refurbished space provides a range of teaching and collaborative spaces, doubling the size of the facilities available. The includes a traditional ‘Harvard-style’ lecture theatre with a 108-student capacity, a Student Hub, multiple group and individual study spaces and a flexible executive style suite with panoramic views across the city. It gives students and faculty choices about how they work and adaptive facilities to suit their needs.

A product for all locations

Impressed with the breath of the Zumtobel Group portfolio, integrated consulting engineers Buro Happold London and Nicholas Hare Architects specified a combination of Zumtobel and Thorn lighting products to support the design vision for Level 50. Tony Dendy, Key Account Manager (London Specification) at Zumtobel Group says, “Our SLOTLIGHT infinity is a flexible and suitable system which covered all the various areas, ceiling types, and shapes required to meet the client brief to a high-quality finish. We worked with Buro Happold to help design and configure the products required and, importantly, achieve the lighting requirements.”

 

Light lines flush with the ceiling

Central to the lighting design was the Zumtobel SLOTLIGHT infinity, which achieved perfect uniform lines of light without a cover frame. SLOTLIGHT infinity has been designed from scratch as a continuous light line for flush mounting with the ceiling. The luminaire’s linear construction is continued in a precisely defined shadow gap. Problems with the formation of cracks are now a thing of the past, as the luminaire is technically and thermally separated from the ceiling by a mounting frame. The result is a high-grade lighting solution meticulously integrated into the interior design, which appears as a fully consistent light line.

The SLOTLIGHT infinity family, including recessed, suspended, and direct/indirect versions, have been used throughout the circulation areas, seminar rooms, communal Street, reception, and Social Hub.

Based on performance, style, and efficiency, luminaires from Thorn lighting support the scheme, including Omega Pro in the offices and meeting rooms, Voyager Star emergency lights in the street and circulation areas, and Aquaforce Pro in the plant rooms.

 

The light line can be perfectly adjusted to the room

The project wasn’t without its challenges Tony explains, “Some challenges we had to overcome were that we needed some precise non-standard angles of the SLOTLIGHT infinity. Due to the long runs, if they had been just a fraction out, it would have been accentuated along the run and therefore ruin the installation. Furthermore, there were some special Slotlight Infinity square sizes, adapted to fit around the columns in the communal street for a precise finish and to work with the wooden ceiling slats. Another special was in the metal ceiling tiles where lengths were non-standard, our Slotlight Infinity Technical product was specified but because there was a limited ceiling void depth that included other services above, we could not use the standard wire suspensions for the installation and therefore another solution was found using rear mounted brackets (subject to weight) normally designed for other ceiling types.”

The Zumtobel project team worked hard to overcome these challenges with custom and modified solutions to meet all the requirements. They also provided detailed installation lists to help the onsite team.

The lighting scheme meets the desired aesthetical design while providing excellent light to facilitate good communication and learning. All the lighting is DALI and is connected to the school’s lighting control system; dimming control was vital due to the glass building facade.

The project has transformed the tired former corporate office space into a vibrant education facility for post-graduates and enabled UCL School of Management to continue to foster relationships with leading business and financial organisations.

 

Sarah Knox, Senior Facilities and Operations Administrator, UCL School of Management comments, “Across our new floor we installed a variety of stylish light lines to meet our brief and focus on smart design and sustainable materials, ensuring we created the right experience in each space to manifest sustainable, welcoming premises. The quality lighting supports the collaborative learning and working environment we have developed and enhances the wellbeing of staff and students while at work or taking a break. Our state of the art, well-designed space helps us attract truly talented individuals to establish ourselves as a global business school whose world-leading post-graduate teaching and research facilities allow us to continue to be one of the top-ranked business schools in the UK.”

 

 

The project was verified SKA Gold, the highest qualification in the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors building sustainability evaluation scheme.

 

For further information on the featured products

CLICK HERE

please CLICK HERE to visit Thorn Lighting

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DEANESTOR WINS SECOND MODA BUILD-TO-RENT FITOUT PROJECT

DEANESTOR WINS SECOND MODA BUILD-TO-RENT FITOUT PROJECT – A £4M CONTRACT FOR MIDGARD

 

Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading furniture and fitout specialists, has been awarded a £4m fitout contract for main contractor Midgard for a £260m build-to-rent community in Hove, East Sussex. This is Deanestor’s second project for a Moda Living neighbourhood.

Designed by Whittam Cox Architects, Sackville Road is an intergenerational urban village on a 9-acre site which will provide 564 apartments for rent to suit all ages, lifestyles, and requirements. Residents in the six apartment buildings will benefit from communal lounges, roof spaces and open terraces, private dining areas, cafes, shops, 24/7 gyms, and 50,000sqft of office and co-working space.

Deanestor will manufacture and install 572 bespoke kitchens for the studios and one, two and three-bed apartments and offices, and 916 fitted wardrobes, all to Moda’s high specification interior design.

Commenting on this latest contract award, William Tonkinson, Managing Director of Deanestor, said, “We are delighted to have secured our second and largest contract for Moda to date. Our sister company Offsite Solutions is providing the bathroom pods for this development – which means that between both businesses, we have been awarded more than £8m of contracts for Sackville Road.”

Manufactured in the UK, the bespoke modern kitchens will be L- or U-shaped with some linear configurations. The base cabinets and 3-drawer units will have a dark grey horizontal woodgrain finish with wall cabinets in a lighter matt colour and contrasting white marbled quartz worktops and splashbacks. The units have a handle-less design for a sleek and contemporary appearance, and there will be LED lighting under the wall cabinets. Some of the kitchens will have breakfast bars.

High quality integrated appliances include combi or dual fan oven, microwave, dishwasher, tall fridge freezer, extractor, four-ring induction hob, dishwasher, and washer/dryer fitted in a specially designed utility cabinet.

The built-in floor-to-ceiling wardrobes will be manufactured in three sizes and two or three-door configurations with double hanging rails, full-height internal mirror, storage spaces, deep red back panel, and shelving. The doors will have a contemporary integrated handle design.

Construction on the site of a disused industrial park is now underway and scheduled for completion in 2024. The masterplan also includes 260 community care homes, as well as a public square, landscaped pathways, and extensive public realm and gardens.

Also now underway is a £3m furniture and fitout contract for a new build-to rent neighbourhood for Moda in Glasgow. On this project, Deanestor is working with Robertson Group to provide the kitchens and fitted wardrobes for Moda Holland Park. This will bring the total number of kitchens being manufactured by Deanestor for Moda to over 1,000 and wardrobes to more than 1,500.

Deanestor provides high quality contract furniture solutions to construction clients and contractors for healthcare, education, student accommodation, build-to-rent and laboratory projects – both new build and refurbishment. It offers bespoke design services to meet specific project requirements and is responsible for installation to provide a seamless approach for its customers and a single point of contact.

For further information

visit www.deanestor.co.uk

call 01623 420041 or

email enquiries@deanestor.com 

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THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Education is returning to its rightful place on the national agenda now steps are being taken to improve access, outcomes and opportunities for children across the UK as they return to school in the post Covid era.

 

While the emphasis has traditionally been on resources and teaching quality, the role of the immediate environment is becoming even more important in helping students learn in spaces where the focus is now more than ever on wellbeing, with acoustics, light reflectance, low VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and cleanability at the forefront.

Here Zentia looks at how the specification of appropriate ceiling systems have helped two very different schools with their requirements.

 

Morley Meadows

 

A new school for a new community in Plymouth has relied on Zentia’s ceiling solutions for delivering both form and function.

Some 1,200m2 of Zentia’s Perla OP 0.95 Tegular 600mm x 600mm tiles, which were the first mineral tile in the world to win Cradle to Cradle status, feature in the classrooms, offices, stores and communal areas at state-of-the-art Morley Meadows primary school.

Part of Persimmon Homes’ Saltram Meadows development in Plymstock, the £5.8 million primary school also features Zentia’s 100% humidity resistant Hydroboard 600mm x 600mm tiles with Prelude 24 non-corrosive grid in the kitchen, showers, toilets and changing areas.

Designed by Stride Treglown architects, and delivered by main contractor Halsall Construction, the two-form entry school accommodates 420 pupils, with part of it able to be cordoned off so it can be used by other community groups out of hours.

Specialist sub-contractor Vizion Interiors had a team of up to 10 on site for eight months, installing a total of 1,650m2 of the Zentia products on ceilings, that in the main part, unusually, sloped to degrees of 35° to mimic the sloping roof.

For form, the Perla OP 0.95 tile features a smooth, low-gloss monolithic visual with best-in-class fully painted edges for additional aesthetics as well as durability. The tile also features high light reflectance (up to 86%) to reduce reliance on artificial light and Class A acoustic performance to sound absorption 0.95αw.

For function, as well as its Cradle to Cradle certification, Perla OP 0.95 also provides optimum indoor air quality (due to ultra-low A+ VOC emissions) and is manufactured from up to 64% recycled content and fully recyclable.

Hydroboard also features Class A acoustic performance to sound absorption 0.95αw and light reflectance of 82%.

Vizion Interiors’ contracts manager Andy West said: “The Zentia products were already specified but we would have put them forward regardless because they are superior products which are more readily available, and we have a fantastic working relationship with the area sales manager.

“They had to perform both aesthetically and acoustically and we also promoted the Cradle to Cradle factor as well as the long-term potential recycling benefits. They look fantastic. The grid coped with the design magnificently and the client and local authority have all commented very positively.”

He added: “This project was challenging due to the design and numerous clashes on site with other trades. Setting out was laborious as all the classrooms had to follow the raking roof pitch but in the end it was effective.”

 

Adam Church, director in charge at Persimmon Homes Cornwall, said: “Saltram Meadow is a major development which has already rejuvenated the area. As well as delivering much-needed homes, we are committed to providing the infrastructure essential for building a community for new residents and a key part of that is the school. The building offers an exceptional learning environment for the children living on the development.”

The distributor for Morley Meadows primary school was SIG Plymouth.

 

Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg

 

A plethora of Zentia products met a multitude of challenges at a redeveloped Welsh school.

Five square-edged mineral products from Zentia were used on the £20 million regeneration of Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg school in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, that included additional BB93 accommodation for 300 pupils.

The modernisation and upgrade of facilities at the school saw the construction of five new extensions, including a design and technology teaching block, a new sports hall, and a reception area and dining hall.

Zentia’s Perla tiles, which feature light reflectance of 86%, were used in the corridors and circulation spaces while sister Perla dB tiles, which perform to sound absorption Class C, featured in the classrooms.

Antimicrobial Bioguard Acoustic tiles, which also perform to sound absorption Class C, were used in the food technology classrooms, and Bioguard tiles, which can be used in clean rooms with ISO 5 classification in accordance with ISO 14644-1:1999, in the kitchens. Finally, Hydroboard tiles, which are 100% humidity resistant and perform to sound absorption Class A, were used with a Prelude non-corrosive suspension grid in the changing rooms and toilets.

They were selected by Austin Smith Lord architects, who have specified Zentia many times before for school projects, as they met the aesthetic and acoustic requirements of this particular 11,000m2 steel-framed scheme.

Architect Matthew Wray said: “Our valued client, Vale of Glamorgan County Council, was extremely happy with the project overall and it’s something we’re really proud of.”

Specialist sub-contractor Richard Kemble Contracts, who are a member of Zentia’s Pinnacle partnership scheme, had a team of up to 10 working on site, installing a total of 7,168m2 of Zentia products, for 28 months.

 

Richard Kemble said: “This project was challenging as we were just starting when the pandemic hit which caused materials and labour shortages. It was also part phased refurbishment and that meant working around the school children and teachers during term time.”

He added: “Zentia provided technical backup as some classrooms needed to have additional acoustic rating so further calculations were carried out and the Perla dB tile was specified and used in the majority of classrooms to maintain the optimum levels of acoustic performance.”

 

Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg brings to life the school’s vision to create an exemplar environment on a single campus, where pupils start primary school and finish sixth form all within one site. IT and the remodelled sixth-form area are now at the heart of the school, promoting Welsh language learning post-16.

Main contractor ISG won the contract on the influential SEWSCAP capital works framework as part of the Welsh government’s 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme, designed to transform and upgrade the country’s education estate.

Externally, ISG delivered six new multi-use games areas and a floodlit 3G all-weather rugby sports pitch, which is available for community use out of school hours.

Zoe Price, group director for public sector frameworks at ISG, explained: “Important capital frameworks like SEWSCAP provide the space and early involvement that enables contractors to problem solve creatively and develop innovative solutions that prove transformative to programmes, budgets and social value outcomes for our local communities.”

Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg won a ‘Highly Commended’ across the Value and Sustainability categories in the 2021 Constructing Excellence Wales awards. It was also a finalist in the Digital Construction and Innovation awards. The Vale of Glamorgan were also a finalist in the ‘Client of the Year’ award category and the council’s 21st Century Schools programme was also a finalist in the Integration and Collaborative Working and Value’ categories.

The distributor for Ysgol bro Morganwgg was SIG Cardiff.

 

www.zentia.com

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ALTRO PACKAGE FOR HOLIDAY PARK REVAMP

ALTRO PACKAGE FOR HOLIDAY PARK REVAMP, AHEAD OF BUSIEST EVER SEASON

A comprehensive package of Altro floors and walls has been used throughout the new restaurant, bar and reception area as part of an ambitious revamp at a thriving Cornish holiday park.

Beachside Holiday Park celebrated its 60th anniversary this year with its busiest season ever. The family business may have a long history but it is not standing still, as general manager Ben Trenchard, grandson of the founders, explains. “We have invested heavily during the last 18 months in response to changing customer needs. We’ve always had a bar on-site, but over time what people want has changed, so we embarked on a large improvement project to totally transform the main building.”

The holiday park worked with Classic Builders (South West) Ltd to remodel the building, adding a series of extensions with internal alternations too, creating a spacious, cohesive reception, restaurant, bar and soft play space to meet the needs of all their customers.

In the kitchens, a tried and tested combination of Altro Crete™ resin floor and Altro Whiterock™ wall sheet delivers a robust, resilient and hygienic HACCP approved solution that meets HSE standards. In the toilets and throughout the back of house, Altro XpressLay™ adhesive free safety floor was quick to install, with no compromise on durability or slip resistance.

For front of house in the large reception, restaurant and bar area, flooring choice was vitally important to achieving the overall vision. Beachside wanted to manage the fit out of this area themselves, and turned to Ian Williams of Ace Flooring & Carpets on the recommendation of their main contractor.

 

 

“We worked closely with Ben and the team at Beachside to make sure we got the look and feel they were after,” explains Ian. “We looked at a lot of options from different manufacturers then together selected Altro Ensemble.”

Altro Ensemble™ is a modular flooring system of luxury vinyl tiles that gives complete design freedom to create stunning floors for interior spaces. With a vast range of colours and four modular sizes, it can be mixed and matched to create unique designs from colour blocking to geometric patterns. Altro Ensemble has 15dB sound reduction with added comfort underfoot, making it perfect for front of house areas where design is key.

For Ben Trenchard of Beachside, his first experiences with Altro have been resoundingly positive. “Classic Builders had recommended the package of Altro products for the kitchen and back of house areas and we were delighted with those, then we were working with Ace Flooring and Altro again came out on top,” he explains.

“We used to have carpet in the main bar, but that was no longer a good choice. It’s not good for family dining and is old fashioned. We wanted a hard floor, with longevity and durability, that looked good and was easy to maintain. We’re a seasonal business, we have to make sound choices that we know will last.

“We used Altro Ensemble throughout the large reception, restaurant and bar space, which brings all the elements together cohesively. The Altro brochures and website were great for inspiration for the different patterns and designs that could be created,” explains Ben.

Ace Flooring had used many Altro products over the years, but this was the first time they have used Altro Ensemble. However, it has rapidly become a firm favourite, as Ian Williams explains: “If we could use this product on every job we would! It is so good to use, we describe it as ‘fitter friendly’ – you can really tell when something is designed with a proper understanding of how it will be installed, and this certainly is.

“We chose Altro Ensemble for the rustic, traditional wood effect but it delivered so much more than good looks. Ben and I could lay out different patterns to make a feature of the bar, we could do everything freehand and had so many options. We had such good support from Altro, who really care about contractors, which gives confidence when working with a product for the first time.”

The project was completed in time to be put through its paces with the busiest summer season ever. “We are delighted,” says Ben. “Everything has performed exactly as we hoped it would. The floors and walls look great and are easy to clean and maintain.”

Ian has been back to visit a few times since the project was completed. “The feedback we’ve had is extremely positive – from customers and staff alike, it’s very impressive.

“Altro was always our first choice manufacturer for safety floors, but working on a project like this you can see they are now truly a ‘one stop shop’ with a great

 

www.altro.co.uk

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Passivhaus Component Certification Award for SAV

SAV Systems is proud to announce that the AirMaster AM 1000 has been awarded Passivhaus Component certification in conjunction with their Danish partner, Airmaster A/S. The flagship AM 1000 is the first decentralised, duct free, mechanical ventilation unit with heat recovery (MVHR) on the market to be awarded the certification. This enables the AirMaster AM 1000 to be used in Passivhaus school buildings.

Our time working with the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) inspired SAV Systems to undertake Passivhaus certification. CEC has set ambitious targets to achieve Net Zero by 2035, leading the council to apply passive house design principles to all their new schools. The core philosophy of passive house design is to create a comfortable and energy efficient building with minimal energy wastage. Alongside the need for improved energy efficiency, Passivhaus also offers the opportunity to create more comfortable learning environments for students, combatting the Scottish climate.

Ventilation plays a crucial part in two requirements of passive house standards: air tightness and space heating demand. Openings in buildings, such as windows and porous building materials can allow heat to escape, wasting the energy generated by the building. Consequently, Passivhaus buildings have high airtightness and low heat loss. However, in increasing the airtightness of a building to conserve energy, indoor air quality can suffer. Therefore, a mechanical ventilation solution is required to manage indoor air quality without wasting energy.

Adopting AirMaster as a school’s ventilation strategy is an effective choice for designing comfortable classrooms. Due to the decentralised design of AirMasters, the units can be installed easily in a range of different classrooms, making use of duct free air distribution. A typical classroom installation requires one AirMaster AM 1000 per room with intake and exhaust connection to outside. The AM 1000 can recover up to 90% of the room’s heat using an aluminium heat exchanger, reducing the building’s heat load and heat loss.

The certification of the AM 1000 makes available an innovative ventilation strategy that can improve indoor air quality without sacrificing thermal comfort. Not only is this certification exciting for SAV Systems, but it is also exciting for decentralised mechanical MVHR as a ventilation strategy. With growing pressure on buildings to become energy efficient and comfortable, decentralised MVHR like AirMaster should play a vital role in the solution.

 

CLICK HERE FOR THE SAV WEBSITE

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ALTRO DELIVERS ON STYLE AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR ECO HOLIDAY HOMES

Altro Ensemble™ modular flooring has been used throughout a new development of 21 modern, sustainable holiday homes; part of a new ‘eco’ hotel complex in Thuringia, Germany. The chalet-style, solid wood accommodation has been built with high-quality natural materials, and sustainably equipped as part of an ecological construction project.

The build, including the interior design, required sustainable materials, sourced from local companies, helping to reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint by keeping delivery miles low. This local supply chain also helped to contribute to the environmental balance of the hotel’s construction.

Flooring company, Alexander Oertel, recommended Altro Ensemble modular flooring for the interior floors due to Altro’s membership of the German Sustainable Building Council (DNGB). Other contributing factors included Altro’s policy of sourcing raw materials locally and these products being manufactured at the company’s nearby German site in Dessau.

“It was important to us that we found a floor that fits our sustainability concept and at the same time looks stylish and modern,” explains Katrin Schlottke of Bio-Seehotels.

Altro Ensemble has up to 15dB impact sound reduction with added comfort underfoot, making it perfect for front of house areas in hotels including foyers and reception areas, restaurant and café dining areas, retail, offices, and student accommodation – any environment where design is key. With four modular sizes, you can mix and match to create unique patterns utilising colour and design. It combines with Altro Whiterock wall designs for a unique interior statement.

Visit https://www.altro.co.uk/Floors/LVTs/Altro-Ensemble/Gallery for inspiration and ideas using Altro Ensemble modular flooring.

 

 

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Hygienically Clean Paint from Crown Paints

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Crown Trade’s Clean Extreme Anti Bacterial paint range offers the best of both worlds – a paint with added anti bacterial protection which will not diminish over time, no matter how many times it is scrubbed clean.

 Healthcare settings, workplaces, schools and hospitality venues all demand exceptional levels of cleanliness and need to be able to withstand more intensive cleaning regimes than ever. Crown Trade’s Clean Extreme Anti Bacterial paint, which is formulated to help create hygienically clean walls and ceilings, offers the solution.

It is enhanced through the use of the independently tested SteriTouch® silver ion technology which not only inhibits the growth of any bacteria that comes into contact with the surface, but also prevents bacteria from multiplying. And, unlike other anti-bacterial paints available, its ‘built-in’ silver ion anti bacterial protection can’t be washed off no matter how many times the surface is scrubbed clean. It also offers exceptional stain resistance for ease of maintenance.

Offering protection, durability and design flexibility, Crown Trade’s Clean Extreme Anti Bacterial paint also boasts an upgraded Ultimate Opacity formulation and can be specified in either scrubbable matt or washable acrylic eggshell finish. Both options are available in a wide range of tinted colours and, with Crown’s colour experts to advise on the latest seasonal colours and trends, it means there’s no need to compromise on aesthetics when choosing a high performance product from the Clean Extreme range.

The popular Clean Extreme range also includes Clean Extreme Stain Resistant Scrubbable Matt and Clean Extreme Mould Inhibiting Scrubbable Matt – all of which are water-based bringing the additional benefits of a quick-drying and low-odour solution.

 

For more information on Crown Paints’ specification services, please call 0330 024 0310, email info@crownpaintspec.co.uk or visit www.crownpaintspec.co.uk. You can also follow @CrownTradePaint on Twitter and Crown Paints on LinkedIn.

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