Senior’s class act

Leading fenestration manufacturer and designer Senior Architectural Systems has helped deliver a dramatic new design scheme for a new performing arts centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The new state of the art centre, which is part of Newcastle-under-Lyme College, features various glazing solutions from Senior that have been installed by Aire Valley Architectural Ltd for main contractor Bardsley Construction. The slim sightlines and aesthetic flexibility of Senior’s SMR800 curtain walling made it the ideal choice to create the modern entrance to the building and the system has been used throughout to maximise the flow of natural light into the dance studios and communal areas. The centre’s bright and spacious design has been further complemented by Senior’s SPW600e windows and the use of Senior’s SD automatic doors.

Designed by Ellis Williams Architects, the glazing elements of the new performing arts centre provide an attractive contrast to the building’s striking façade which comprises a mix of render, aluminium and terracotta rainscreen cladding. The exceptional thermal efficiency of Senior’s SMR800 curtain walling and SPW600/E windows also met with the scheme’s stringent sustainability targets which has led to the centre achieving a BREEAM rating of ‘excellent’.

The new £5.5m performing arts centre includes teaching rooms, dance studios, performing arts spaces, a 200 seat auditorium, music studios and a student café.

For more information about Senior, visit www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk.

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Hybrid hot water solution tops the green bill

Rinnai’s Chris Goggin explains why hybrid technology is an attractive option for reliable and cost effective hot water provision as it becomes abundantly clear that renewables, on their own, just aren’t delivering.

Energy efficient continuous flow condensing gas fired water heaters clearly have their part to play as we head into ‘greener’ country. This ‘tankless’ form of hot water delivery is growing in popularity and offers huge ongoing financial benefits to building owners and tenants even before the advanced energy saving technologies of the units themselves are taken into account.

This makes the argument for their inclusion as a component in a hybrid renewables/gas boosted hot water system even more compelling. It is becoming abundantly clear that there is not one single method to achieve energy efficiencies as renewables on their own just aren’t delivering. There is no point in waiting for the perfect renewable solution to come along we can utilise a very effective mix of existing renewables and traditional technologies.

In effect we need to find ways of using current renewables technology, be it solar thermal, solar PV or heat pump technology, in a practical manner maximised by traditional fuel sources – in this instance, gas, whether Natural or LPG.

Modern renewables-ready heavy-duty condensing water heater units guarantee the highest efficiencies and therefore the lowest running costs of any commercial water heater. In short, a HE unit used as a gas booster for solar or ASHP systems maximises solar gain, as it only consumes energy when more hot water than the panels can cope with is needed. The rest of the time the unit is inactive.

The use of evacuated tube or flat plate solar collectors can make a big difference when paired with condensing continuous flow water heaters as a boost. Doesn’t it make sense to store the free energy collected by an array of solar panels within in a solar thermal store which can be heated to the required temperature on demand by a gas fired water heater or the water to the outlet can be easily boosted, taking advantage of the expansive range of modulation associated with Rinnai technology.

A gas fired continuous flow water heater is also the only booster that ensures never-ending hot water – no matter how fierce the demand. Fossil fuel is only used when the renewable store is below its set-point, thus reducing the dependency on fossil fuel and reducing CO2 emissions.

Easily ‘retro-fitable’ with current renewable technology, these units are a better environmental option than an electric booster. By using gas, a direct energy source, you can significantly reduce greenhouse gases.

Renewables ready Rinnai Infinity condensing HDC1200 internal and external models show an impressive energy performance of 107 per cent net efficiency while the larger Rinnai HDC1500 models turn in 105 per cent net efficiency*.

For large commercial, operations Rinnai has just launched the Infinity HDC1600i, its premium condensing water heater which has been tested to below 20 ppm NOx, producing the lowest emissions on the market, with 107 per cent gross efficiencies*.

Infinity HDC 1600 renewables-ready, retro-fitable low NOx series is the first heater of its kind to utilise pre-mix burner technology. The newly developed down-firing burner allows increased efficiency and reduces NOx gases. The patented burner also reduces the possibility of flame lift, which has previously been a problem with premix down firing burners. It has a 13-1 turn down ratio – the largest on the market – of 58.4kw-4.5kw and is ultra quiet in operation – so quiet that you wouldn’t know it was on unless you glance at the number on the display.

The Infinity 1600i low NOx series is available with an output of 58.4 kW producing 16.2 litres of temperature controlled hot water per minute (or 9.73 per hour) raised at 50°C. That is .2 litres a minute more than the existing Rinnai Infinity 1500 HDC.

*Tested and certificated by Technigas to EN 26.

For more details on RINNAI products visit www.rinnaiuk.com.

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Prestigious golf club project brings Masterframe sashes to the FORE!

Halo fabricator Masterframe was delighted to provide the replacement windows for a challenging refurbishment contract at The Royal Troon Golf Club on the Ayrshire coast.

The Club has a rich history, having been founded in 1878, and will be proudly hosting the Open Championship again in 2016. In order to welcome the world’s top golfers for the event, refurbishment was needed to bring the building back to its best. Club members had been experiencing problems with heating and noisy air-conditioning and it was felt that new windows would make the Club more thermally efficient.

MD of Masterframe Windows Alan Burgess explains: “The decision was made to replace the majority of the windows throughout the building; a number were not even operational. New window systems were required in the restaurant, the club bar, smoking room, gentlemen’s changing rooms, and three impressive windows in the Captain’s locker room.

“It was somewhat of a tricky project as the windows were fitted behind the original stone mullions.

“One of the Club’s members actually recommended us to the architect and the contractor, thanks to our reputation as the UK’s leading provider of sash windows.

“As a company, sash windows is all we do and we are proud to produce the most authentic, true-to-original timber alternative sash windows in the UK. The Royal Troon Golf Club’s ethos mirrors our traditional values and dedication to excellence, so we were very pleased to work with the Club.

“From a personal perspective, being a passionate golfer, I was determined to ensure that this project was a massive success by providing windows worthy of this prestigious establishment. Our aim was to recommend the very best solution to match the architecture of the club building, with the most up-to-date features that we could manufacture.

“The architect initially specified the windows using information from the our website. We were able to develop the project further by working together to create the ideal, bespoke solution, incorporating parts of the original specification and some of our own recommendations such as butt jointing and dual foils.

“A high quality PVC-U window, created using Halo profile, was chosen to match the existing windows. These alternatives to timber offered the traditional aesthetics the Club wanted to maintain, along with a host of modern benefits. They were fitted behind rebates, without changing the visible sightlines, just like the originals.

“The final specification was a Vintage Traditional window with fully butt jointed frames and sashes, complete with laminated Glass.

“The windows would be complemented by Antique Brass claw cam catches and bar handles. Dual foiling was used in different combinations to suit the character of the various rooms, with white woodgrain externally. Interiors featured bright White Woodgrain, Irish Oak and rich Rosewood foils from The VEKA UK Group’s Variations collection.

“Upstairs, there are two unusual London style sash windows that are square on the inside with a full arch on the outside, which gave us the opportunity to demonstrate our technical skill.

“The new, high quality PVC-U windows are more serviceable than the original timber windows, improving ventilation – especially in the changing rooms – and not requiring annual maintenance, despite being within 200 yards of the sea.”

Chris Moran, House Governor of the club commented “The windows are universally acknowledged as being first class and a number of advocates of wood have stated they were wrong and have indicated that the quality of the windows and the fitting has been an outstanding success.”

For more information please visit www.masterframe.co.uk.

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COMPAC: the ice effect

Ice Concrete is part of the New York Collection of quartz worksurfaces from COMPAC, a stunning range inspired by this American city’s famous loft culture.

COMPAC’s designers have been able to create a fusion between architecture, design and functionality to offer a quartz worksurface range that explores an industrial and urban aesthetic which will revolutionise how we think about worksurfaces, either in the home or in a commercial environment.

Silky, soft and sensuous to the touch, Ice Concrete has a unique matt concrete finish which provides the opportunity to create a contemporary kitchen environment reflecting the style and excitement of loft living in the ‘Big Apple’.

The New York Collection is available in seven innovative colours with an exclusive matt concrete or glacé finish, all of which combine texture, depth of colour and definition of grain –all hardwearing, hygienic, easy to clean and maintain.

The New York Collection from COMPAC – transforming ordinary spaces into extraordinary ones.

For more information please visit www.compac.es.

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BIM objects for roof slates and ridges from Cembrit

Following on from a successful launch for natural slates, Cembrit has added BIM objects for its fibre cement slates and fibre cement ridges to its growing portfolio. The new objects have been designed with the same attention to detail as the first group which were recently nominated in the Developers’ Choice BIM Object Awards 2015. This initiative is part of an ongoing process that will see the whole Cembrit product portfolio available as BIM objects.

Cembrit’s BIM objects contain detailed dimensions, product specifications and other key details, along with high quality 3D images to add into virtual model and simulated building designs. “We’ve been delighted with the reception our BIM objects have received from the specification community so far,” says Ged Ferris, Marketing Manager of Cembrit. “This latest release adds our versatile and well regarded fibre cement slates and key accessories, and so broadens the scope of our BIM object offering to encompass many more roofing design scenarios.”

The Cembrit range of fibre cement slates includes Westerland, Moorland, Zeeland, Jutland and Diamond, all offering their own unique appearance. The slates are ideal for use on conventional pitched timber roofs with a rafter pitch of 20° and over, or hung vertically as cladding on external walls. The slates are complemented by matching fibre cement ridges, ventilation solutions and fixings.

Cembrit holds five BBA Certificates for its fibre cement slate range, ensuring that whichever system is chosen, architects can be confident in the specified product. To achieve this status, Cembrit fibre cement slates completed a comprehensive testing process and successfully met all the requirements set out by the BBA. Compatible with both, Revit and IFC software versions, Cembrit’s Building Information Modelling (BIM) objects for fibre cement slates are hosted on the NBS National BIM Library and are available to be downloaded and integrated into any BIM software programme.

For more information please visit www.cembrit.co.uk. 

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A sustainable approach puts Charcon top of the class at Manchester Metropolitan University

Charcon, the commercial hard landscaping product range of Aggregate Industries, has successfully completed delivery of over 2,000 tonnes of landscaping materials to Manchester Metropolitan University’s new £140 million sustainable campus in Hulme.

Materials including 7,501m² of EcoPave, 4,521lm of Eco Countryside Kerb, 896lm of wide top Eco Countryside Kerb units and 398 EcoPave step units have been supplied alongside 1,051m² of Charcon premium Andover Textured flag and block paving. The products, which were specified due to their sustainable qualities and unique range of shading, provided optimum design flexibility and strong visual appeal.

The use of Charcon’s Eco range helped Manchester Met to meet the project’s sustainability targets. With the new student accommodation being amongst the most sustainable buildings in the UK, Aggregate Industries’ Eco Countryside Kerb and EcoPave block paving were the perfect choice for the University.

EcoPave Textured contains up to 50 per cent recycled and reclaimed materials, while Eco Countryside Kerb is made with up to 82 per cent recycled and reclaimed material. Developed to maximise resource productivity, the products provide optimum use of finite resources by minimising waste and incorporating high proportions of non-primary materials.

The paving has been utilised to complement the external design of the teaching facilities and student accommodation, and blend in with campus surroundings.

In addition to providing materials, Aggregate Industries helped develop bespoke kerb angles and Eco units, providing on-site landscaping solutions. Contrasting Charcon step inserts were incorporated into the design to reduce the risk of slips and increase visibility.

Mike Davies, Specifications Manager at Aggregate Industries, said “The Birley Campus project has been an exciting one to work on and we are delighted our Charcon product range and expert advisory role on-site have been able to contribute to such a prestigious educational facility.

“The Eco range of paving and kerbing is highly sustainable and durable, meaning the University is environmentally friendly without having to compromise on quality or functionality.”
Manchester Met’s vision was to create “the most sustainable campus in the UK”. The new Birley Campus represents an exciting chapter in the ongoing regeneration of Hulme, and is breathing new life into a site earmarked for development since clearance in the 1990s.

The new campus opens up new paths of higher education to local people and is at the heart of the community for residents to benefit from the facilities, training and knowledge at hand. A brand new centre for teacher training and health facilities will educate up to 6,000 professionals for the region’s schools, hospitals, health and social services. Over 300 new jobs will be created and the local economy in Hulme and Moss Side will be boosted by £29 million.

To find out more about the Charcon range of products, visit www.aggregate.com.

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Marley Eternit’s Cedral sets the pace in rapid renovation

Marley Eternit’s Cedral Lap fibre cement weatherboard has been at the forefront of a fast paced transformation at South View Leisure Park.

The Skegness leisure park was completely renovated with the main building being rebuilt as part of a four-month project after it was burnt down in a major fire last December. A&M Architectural Partnership led the £3 million development, with Wasp Construction overseeing the installation of the cladding.

Marley Eternit’s Cedral external cladding material was specified to reconstruct the original 550m2 building due to its fast and simple installation properties. Wasp Construction’s three installers had just over two months to clad the entrance building, including all verticals, corner details and gable peaks, and all the windows and porches.

Featuring a nine-hole golf course and two fishing lakes, the leisure park is a popular destination for holidaymakers, making it a priority to ensure the work was carried out on time to get the park back up and running quickly.

Cedral, in beige and white, was specified to clad all public areas of the holiday park including the reception, restaurants and swimming pool building. The fibre cement material was used for its durability whilst simultaneously reflecting the traditional and picturesque costal style of Skegness.

Mike Atherton, managing director of Wasp Construction, said: “We had never previously used Marley Eternit’s Cedral cladding but it worked fantastically well. The fibre cement lap boards were extremely simple to install, allowing us to get the project and all of its finishing touches completed to deadline. The project turn around was remarkable and we were really surprised at how fast it was to install.”

Mike continued: “The architects wanted the building to represent the traditional timber cladding effect which had been installed on the previous building. However, after the fire, Cedral Lap had the added benefit of achieving fire classification A2-s1, d0 to EN13501-1 whilst also offering durability and low maintenance benefits.

“We trialled cutting the boards in three to four different styles, it was extremely adaptable and we were able to create a completely cohesive and polished design for all of the external profiles.”

The South View Leisure Park re-opened in sections during its rebuild and was completed earlier this year. The quick installation properties of the Cedral Lap helped the holiday park to re-open to holidaymakers within four months of the fire, bringing business back to the local community.

For more information on Marley Eternit’s Cedral cladding solutions visit: www.cedral.co.uk.

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Ecobuild conference puts spotlight on housing

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Some of the most influential and outspoken names in the UK housing industry will present their visionary and powerful opinions in the housing themed sessions on Day 1 at Ecobuild. Supported by BRE, the conference covers property issues ranging from the need for high quality volume housing and commercial viability of ultra-low cost and low energy homes, to the challenges of refurb and retrofit.

The programme, being hosted by broadcaster Cathy Newman, embodies state of the art design and construction, leaving no stone unturned to establish what our future housing needs are and what can be done to deliver it. Among speakers giving their forthright, expert – and at times – provocative views include Tony Pidgley, Chairman of Berkeley Group; David Sheridan, Chief Executive of Keepmoat, and Rowan Moore, Architecture Critic for the Observer. All three will provide a unique and inspiring look at what makes good housing.

Professor Phil Jones, Chairman of Architectural Science at Cardiff University, is another of the day’s dynamic speakers. Prof Jones led the team which developed SOLCER, the UK’s first purpose-built, low-cost energy smart house which is capable of exporting more energy to the national electricity grid than it uses. The property was built for a mere £100,000. Prof Jones’ teaching and research activities cover a range of subjects in the field of energy use, environmental design and sustainability in the built environment.

With each session designed to give a glimpse at the future of housebuilding and home creation, Colin Usher, director of John McCall Architects, provides a presentation on “Living for Tomorrow”, in which he offers common sense solutions to low-energy, cost-effective future living. In 2014, John developed a house which runs on a utilities bill of just £15 per year.

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Sika provides eye-catching and hard wearing flooring system

When The Royal College of Ophthalmologists decided to upgrade the existing floor of a lecture room, the new flooring system had to be hard wearing, easy to maintain and offer superior acoustics – Sika ComfortFloor was up for the challenge.

Located near Euston Station in London, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists was refurbishing and upgrading a lecture room and required a replacement floor that was noise absorbent, easy to clean and would offer long term durability. To meet these requirements, the specification of ComfortFloor Pro, a seamless, liquid applied flooring system from Sika fitted the bill perfectly.

Sika ComfortFloor has recently become the first resin flooring system to achieve a BRE Green Guide Rating – attaining an A+ the highest rating available. This will help design teams achieve the highest BREEAM score possible for all project types, minimising the environmental impact of any building.

The successful application of 250m2 of Sika ComfortFloor Pro in a dusty grey colour by Sika approved contractor Surtech was completed throughout the lecture room and an adjacent corridor in the college. The team’s surface preparation consisted of diamond grinding the uneven sub floor which was followed by the application of the fast-setting Sikafloor Level 30 mortar at various depths to provide a flat surface to install the ComfortFloor System.

This was following by a layer of Sikafloor 161 primer before the application of the Sikafloor 330 by pin rake. To complete and seal the system, Surtech applied a topcoat of Sikafloor 305W by roller to create a joint free and seamless floor.

Available in a range of colours to meet numerous aesthetic requirements, Sika ComfortFloor Pro offers longevity, minimal maintenance and is perfect for applications where exceptional hygiene standards are vital. It can provide a seamless solution for food preparation areas, commercial kitchens, hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

Combining innovation in product development, the highest standards of manufacturing and technical expertise, Sika’s comprehensive range of flooring solutions for domestic, commercial and industrial applications will meet and exceed client expectations, industry best practices, and building regulations and legislation.

The careful and considered choice of products at the Royal College of Ophthalmologists perfectly demonstrates how the Sika ComfortFloor system can meet the needs of the client with an efficient installation process suitable for the most challenging and innovative new build residential and refurbishment projects.

For further information on Sika’s range of flooring products visit www.sika.com/sika-flooring or for general inquiries including technical, on or off site support, please call 0800 1123863.

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Rinnai + Renewables = boosted DHW efficiency and legionella compliance

According to Chris Goggin – associate director of Rinnai UK – renewables technology paired with a continuous flow hot water heating unit can affect major efficiencies in domestic hot water provision.

We need to find ways of using current renewables technology, be it solar thermal, solar PV or heat pump technology, in a practical manner maximised by traditional fuel sources. One of the most ecological and economical methods is to design a system with primary renewable sources and supported by secondary sources such as continuous flow hot water heating.

There has been pioneering products in this category – this includes solar thermal store of hot water and both flat plate and evacuated tube collectors, each with specific benefits to suit the differing design aspects and building envelope needs. Either option will provide years of low-maintenance, low-cost energy for heating water during the summer months – and beyond.

Water heated by the solar panels is stored and technologically this is unlikely to come up to a workable temperature all year round, so the boosting of the pre-heated water to the required temperature by a secondary heat source will be a requirement. With this system it will guarantee maximum solar gain whilst optimizing gas input.

In this scenario a continuous flow water heater can be utilised as the secondary heat source to give the solar heated water the required boost.

These are hot water heating products which are intelligent, fully modulating units, giving an output range from 56kW down to 2.27kW, and only use as much gas as is needed to bring the required volume of water to temperature. For example, if the solar panel array can only achieve a temperature of 40°C within the stored water instead of the required 60°C, and there is a demand on the system of 15 litres a minute, the fully modulating intelligent Rinnai unit will increase the temperature by the required 20°C (±1°C) whilst only using the required 21kW. If the demand drops to say 5l/min the heater will modulate down accordingly to an output 7kW.

As can be seen a Rinnai unit used as a gas booster for solar systems will not only maximize solar gain, it will only use the correct amount of energy for the particular demand at the time. The rest of the time the unit is inactive. It is this, the booster, that ensures never-ending hot water – no matter the demand so people can shower or bath any time of the day or night or whatever the weather conditions. Fossil fuel is only used when the renewable thermal energy store is below its set-point, thus reducing the dependency on fossil fuel and reducing CO2 emissions.

This system is a blueprint for maximizing renewables gain. If you want to make it even more so, opt for one of Rinnai’s condensing water heaters and push the efficiencies envelope even further.

Another technological advantage in using a continuous flow water heat as a booster is that you can wipe out any worries about legionella being a problem with stored water.

If the store is below 60°C the Rinnai Continuous Flow Water heater always ensures that the 60°C minimum is always met, so the system will always comply with Building Regulation L8. If a secondary return system is used again there is a guarantee that the return will always be at 50° again in compliance of L8.

For all-year round domestic hot water, Rinnai Infinity HE gas fired condensing continuous flow water heaters are supplied renewables-ready and are also easily retrofitable with current renewable technology.

Both flat plate and evacuated tubes collectors work best when facing due south. However, evacuated tube collectors will outperform their flat plate counterparts in situations where only east/west facing options are available.

Evacuated tube collectors have multiple glass tubes that heat up by absorbing the sun’s energy. The vacuum insulated tube retains most of this heat and the constant profile of the round tube means that the collector is always perpendicular to the sun’s rays. The energy absorbed is therefore approximately constant over the course of the day.

In the summer months, the flat plate option will be close to that of an evacuated tube unit when facing south. However, evacuated tube collectors have better overall results in both the early and late seasons and are not affected by adverse weather conditions, producing impressive temperatures even on cloudy days. However, flat plate collectors are perhaps more suited to vulnerable locations because of their exceptionally sturdy and durable build.

Rinnai’s award-winning renewable water heating solutions are designed to offer a perfect blend of eco-friendly technologies, guaranteed to provide a constant flow of hot water 365 days of the year. The pairing of a Rinnai Infinity unit with renewables technology really is the perfect fit for a never ending DHW supply.

Rinnai’s expert team is available to help with the design, specification and installation of a renewables heating system.

For more information on the RINNAI product range visit www.rinnaiuk.com.

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