Stratford’s City Mill Lock Island transformed by new energy efficient Cross Laminated Timber homes

City Mill Lock Island – a small man-made structure housing a working lock on the Bow Back Waters at Stratford, has been transformed by a new residential development designed and delivered by Architect and Developer Roberts & Treguer. Known as Blaker Island, the development is formed of two new Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) buildings built either side of a Listed and refurbished 1930’s lock keepers house. The two new buildings, Howards House and The Warehouse – a five storey apartment block, have been designed to passivhaus standard and provide seven spacious, modern homes with views over the Olympic Park and surrounding waterways.

The new buildings are built from Stora Enso PEFC certified Cross Laminated Timber which has helped to meet the high level of airtightness required for Passivhaus. Other key considerations for the specification of CLT include its ability to resolve limitations presented by the island site in terms of weight and access, possible only via a small foot bridge. Specialist hybrid construction firm, G-frame Structures, who supplied and installed the CLT, devised an innovative installation strategy to overcome the complex site logistics which enabled them to safely and efficiently deliver both superstructures in just six weeks.

Roberts and Treguer’s design concept for the development was driven by a desire to provide high quality, low energy homes that would be completely different to anything else available in the area. “From the outset a key part of our design intent was to build highly sustainable and energy efficient homes that would meet passivhaus standards and CLT has helped us to achieve this due to its high airtightness qualities.” Explains Bachir Nebia, Contracts Manager at Roberts & Treguer.

Airtightness details for Howard’s House and the Warehouse are designed to 0.6 ACH (air change) which is the maximum allowed for achieving Passivhaus standard. Windows are triple glazed and junction detailing between window and CLT wall panels has been carefully considered. Energy efficiency is further improved by a compact unit in each dwelling which combines MVHR with an air source heat pump to provide ventilation, heating and hot water. It is estimated that over a 60 year period a typical dwelling will save 192 tonnes of CO2 compared with a typical UK home.

Weight was also a key consideration in the specification of CLT: “We were going to be adding a lot of weight to an existing structure and this was a key factor in the material specification. The island has river walls all around it which are owned by the Canal Trust and we carefully considered the potential impact on them of increased weight.” Says Bachir.

“CLT is a more lightweight structural material than traditional construction materials and this enabled the project team to reduce the weight of the superstructure while still creating spacious, sustainable and energy efficient homes. We worked closely with G-frame Structures and timber engineer Furness Partnership on the detail design and the G-frame team developed quick and efficient solutions for the crane and installation strategy.” He continues.

Lee Murphy, Managing Director of G-frame Structures expands on this: “The site is a man-made island surrounded by water on all sides and this made other, more traditional methods of construction less feasible. In terms of overcoming such complex site constraints, CLT provided the perfect solution because it is lightweight, fast and efficient. The installation strategy we developed involved the erection of a 100 tonne mobile crane adjacent to the site which we used to lift in a self-erecting IGO50 mini tower crane to the island. This enabled the G-frame team to safely, quickly and efficiently install Howard House and the Warehouse apartments in a very short timeframe.”

These factors were key considerations for the structural design and CLT panels were specified to be liftable by the IG050 mini crane. Brick slip cladding further contributed to achieving a lighter overall weight for the buildings as well as allowing for walls to be formed from the CLT wall panel, insulation and cladding without dramatically increasing thickness.

The site layout also required the development of a cantilevered section at the corner of the Warehouse building to avoid the foundations of the foot bridge which are located close by. This was resolved by the introduction of Glulam beams integrated to the open façade and incorporating step-in level access to the bridge for servicing the building.

Sound separation at the Warehouse was achieved by the use of double-layer CLT walls around the full height central core which houses the lift shaft and staircase. The two walls are separated by only a 90 mm space and to overcome the inaccessible nature of this element of construction, G-frame Structures used discreet connections which also contributed to the overall aesthetic of the building.

Externally the development presents a varied streetscape and Roberts & Treguer have taken care to reflect the history of the Island and surrounding waterways. Though having the external appearance of one single house, Howard’s House is comprised of two spacious three bedroom homes. The design is based on the original home of the 19th Century chemist and amateur meteorologist Luke Howard which was originally situated on the island but demolished in 1934. Howard is known as the ‘Namer of Clouds’ for having developed the nomenclature system for cloud classification which is still used today.

Inspiration for the adjacent five storey block of flats, known as The Warehouse, is taken from the local vernacular of traditional warehouses to be found on the rivers and canals of Stratford.

The Warehouse is very generously proportioned with just one three bedroom apartment on each of the ground, first and second floors and a two bedroom penthouse on the third and fourth floors.

Bedrooms and large open plan kitchen/living spaces lead from a central hallway where the MVHR unit is located so that humid air can be extracted from the kitchen and bathroom and fresh air supplied to the bedrooms. The building features a recessed roof garden which has been achieved by an innovative solution developed by G-frame Structures and Furness Partnership whereby the beams effectively act as a cradle for the floor which hangs beneath.

Internally, all the new homes feature exposed CLT throughout with accent provided by a simple monochrome palette which contrasts well with the texture and colour of the wood. All homes on Blaker Island were sold on first viewing.

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Advanced Emergency Lighting Protects Exclusive Knightsbridge Hotel

One of London’s most prestigious hotels, The Berkeley in Knightsbridge, London, is now protected by a Lux Intelligent emergency lighting test system and MxPro fire panels from Advanced.

With a history dating back to the 1800s, the current 214-bedroom Berkeley Hotel was built in 1972, incorporating elements of the original building, and it has recently been subject to a major refurbishment covering all bedrooms, suites, terraces, the lobby, the restaurant, the iconic Blue Bar and the main entrance.

Lewis Bowden, spokesperson for Surrey-based Alarm Commuication Ltd, the company that specified and installed the system, explained: “Hotels require state of the art emergency lighting systems to safeguard their staff and residents in an emergency situation, helping to facilitate an orderly evacuation and also to guide firefighters coming into the building. As a long-time Advanced partner, we believed that Lux Intelligent, alongside Advanced MxPro fire panels, was the right choice for The Berkeley, offering the stand-out capabilities, features and reliability required of a system of this type.

More than 200 Advanced luminaires have been installed in the historic hotel, on Wilton Place, which is part of the same stable as Claridge’s. They are monitored and controlled by a Lux Intelligent panel, connected to the building’s fire system. Most of the luminaires are from the Advanced LED-Lite range, which can be recessed into ceilings, offering an aesthically pleasing solution in the public areas of the prestigious building.

Ken Bullock, regional sales manager for Advanced, said: “Our Lux Intelligent system offers many benefits including real peace of mind, the ability to work with almost any light, and cost and admin savings. Alsongside the MxPro multiprotocol fire panels, we’re proud to be providing market-leading protection to the staff and residents at the Berkeley.”

Lux Intelligent, ensures all emergency lighting is functioning and compliant to BS5266-1. The system can be retrofitted onto existing wiring and luminaires, keeping installation costs to a minimum. It is one of the most flexible systems available with panels supporting 1-4 loops, 249 devices per loop and up to 200 panels in a network. Lux Intelligent is also compatible with most third party lights and luminaires, including LEDs, giving installers and end users unprecedented purchasing freedom.

Lux Intelligent systems can be remotely managed and monitored using web and iOS apps via the Lux Intelligent Cloud. Users can add any site in their portfolio to the cloud service and get live system data from site, right down to device level. Fault, test and maintenance reports can be generated from a whole site right down to individual devices. These can be shared with colleagues or maintenance partners in a click.

The MxPro is the industry’s unbeatable multiprotocol fire panel. Built on almost two-decades of market leadership it offers greater freedom to specifiers, end users and installers and includes two panel ranges, the flagship EN54-2, 4 & 13 approved MxPro 5, and the benchmark MxPro 4. Both come in 1-8 loop formats, are compatible with Apollo, Argus, Hochiki and Nittan protocols and can be networked into 200-panel strong systems.

Advanced is a world leader in the development and manufacture of intelligent fire systems. Its legendary performance, quality and ease-of-use sees its products used in prestigious and challenging locations all over the world, from single panel installations to large multi-site networks. Advanced products include complete fire detection systems, multi-protocol fire panels, emergency light testing, extinguishing control and fire paging systems.

More details on Lux Intelligent can be found on the website www.luxintelligent.com.
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New Altro ensemble is the stylish choice for Radisson Blu

New Altro Ensemble modular flooring system is delivering on chic style and sound reduction at the four-star Radisson Blu Hotel in Mannheim, Germany. Designers of the contemporary 229 room hotel used Altro Ensemble luxury vinyl tiles to create the perfect ambience in the guest rooms, restaurant, corridors and state of the art conference area.

Altro Ensemble modular flooring system is the next generation of luxury vinyl tiles. From colour blocking to geometric patterns, with a range of plank and tile sizes and textures, Altro Ensemble gives design freedom to create luxurious floors for commercial interior spaces. With 57 options to mix and match, the modular flooring system has natural wood and stone designs and bloc colours too. Altro Ensemble is 2.6mm thick with a 0.55mm wear layer, 15dB sound reduction qualities and added comfort underfoot, with minimal residual indentation and excellent durability. A truly exceptional material, it combines these features with unique flexibility and is lightweight, making it easy to transport, cut and handle for installation.

“We paid particular attention to sound reduction when choosing the flooring,” explains Raimund Förg, project manager at Diringer & Scheidel. Designers also considered comfort and sustainability when making their product choices. Altro Ensemble has the benefits of local sustainably sourced raw materials made to Altro’s exacting manufacturing standards, which ensure high quality, excellent durability and high-performance characteristics.

In developing the new Altro Ensemble collection, the design team has taken inspiration from the Bauhaus design school’s philosophy of bridging the gap between form and function to engineer products that meet the customers’ biggest challenges, such as the need for cleanability, sustainability and flexibility. The result is a premium modular flooring system that offers variety and design freedom to create sophisticated, contemporary and striking designs.

Altro Ensemble is the perfect partner to Altro Whiterock wall designs – a new vision in wall decoration with natural wood, stone and linen options plus stunning metallic designs to give elegance to interior walls.

Discover more at www.altro.co.uk
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Riverside School receives spotless reception

The personality, vision and culture of a school should be reflected in its reception area. As the first room that every visitor, student and parent sees, the front of house presents an opportunity to impress and for a school to characterise its beliefs in just one look. Reception rooms need to be well planned to take into account footfall and should also have a large desk that is both practical and enjoyable to work on.

To create the right first impression, it’s worth taking a bit more time on the design of the reception area. Research indicates that a good school reception should be well decorated, display student work and be comfortable, friendly and welcoming. Understanding this Formica Infiniti® was specified to add a special touch to Riverside School’s reception room.

Portakabin was chosen as the principle contractor for the entire £44.5m three-school campus, which is now the UK’s largest offsite free school. With over 50 years’ experience in delivering market-leading modular solutions for a range of buildings; including schools, offices and hospitals, Portakabin delivered over 24,000m² of teaching accommodation across six hectares.

Formica Infiniti was selected to create a stylish ambience in the reception area of Riverside School. For the project, a 16 meter long reception and library desk was designed to impress. The contrast between the matte texture of Formica Infiniti in Storm and the gloss of the desk’s base in White, taken from the Formica® laminate AR Plus Colour range, was selected to create an open and welcoming space.

One of the main issues in designing a school reception desk is how children love to put their hands on everything. A sense of touch is important to our surroundings, tactility is in our nature and for children it is important for both learning and understanding the world. The fingerprints on the desks, however, can be challenging to manage.

Its resistance to fingerprints, marks and accidental abrasions makes Formica Infiniti perfect for creating a warm welcome and a lasting impression. Elegant and sleek with a contemporary matte finish, it not only feels soft, but also works harder than any laminate surface made to date and stays looking better for longer. You could say the surface is childproof.

For further information, please visit www.formica.com
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Altro brings all things bright and beautiful to Children’s Hospice

The brightest and boldest Altro floor and wall products have been used to refurbish Haven House Children’s Hospice, in Woodford Green, Essex, with rainbow staircases and cleverly colour zoned areas making the facility strikingly beautiful inside and out.

Haven House Children’s Hospice provides the highest level of respite and palliative care to families and young people from birth to 19 years old who have life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.

In the hospice children benefit from a range of play activities, as well as day and overnight stays. They also have access to music therapy, aquatic physiotherapy, physiotherapy and therapeutic yoga. In the grounds there is a specialist play area and tranquil sensory garden surrounded by many acres of beautiful woodland.

Haven House Family and Community Support Manager Judi Porter says: “For the children at Haven House, colours, shapes, textures, light and other sensory stimuli make a very positive impact, and are so important for overall well-being. Our aim is to give babies, children and young people the best possible life and we knew that by bringing more colour to Haven House we could significantly improve their quality of life.

“Above all, Haven House interiors need to be hardwearing and functional, because a lot of areas are clinical spaces. Altro was recommended to us by Great Ormond Street Hospital, as they have the most wonderful colourful Altro floors and walls.”

A visit to Altro’s offices at Letchworth proved to be inspiration for the design scheme at Haven House, as Judi explains: “The moment we walked through the door there was an instant ‘wow’ factor. We were blown away by the incredible colour everywhere and the innovative and creative way they showcase their products.

“The most impressive part of the tour was Altro’s rainbow staircase, made out of different types of flooring, which is a stunning and beautiful thing. We were so uplifted and inspired by it that we knew we had to have something similar at Haven House.

“Altro helped us to see that we could use colour everywhere, in both a practical and aesthetic way, create a bright and beautiful interior and still fulfil our functional brief.

“We worked very closely with Altro to select the products that would help us achieve what we wanted. Many products are designed for clinical use, so we had huge flexibility with different shades, textures and finishes throughout the building. We actually have two rainbow staircases at Haven House, they really are our pride and joy, and you can’t walk up or down them without smiling!”

The Haven House rainbow staircase has been created from different colours of Altro SupremaTM and Altro WalkwayTM 20 safety flooring.

“Our aim was to create colour zoning in specific spaces, and Altro products played a significant role in this,” adds Judi. “Walking through the corridors at Altro’s HQ we were struck by how the floors and walls flow together beautifully, and we wanted to achieve that effect.

“Of course, we couldn’t use bright colour everywhere, because some of our children are sensitive to powerful shades, so we had to strike a good balance.

“We decided to focus on the five brand colours within our logo; orange, green, yellow, purple and blue, using matching shades of flooring and walling in key areas within the building to provide pockets of colour. It’s very effective and really pops!”

The entrance at Haven House has a green theme, provided by new Altro OrchestraTM smooth flooring in the shade Jungle, and Altro Whiterock ChameleonTM walling in Hawaiian Palm. Altro Orchestra has also been fitted in the shade Trumpet in the Family Room at Haven House, which transforms into a Sensory Room via a removable partition; and in the Activity Room in the shade Jungle. This ties in with the principles of biophilia – bringing the outside in and harnessing the healing powers of nature.

Continuing this theme, Altro WoodTM Safety flooring in Bleached Oak has been fitted throughout Haven House, in meeting rooms, cafe area, all corridors and bedrooms, creating a homely, non-clinical feel. On the entire first floor, the product has been fitted with Altro acoustic underlay to reduce sound levels.

“There is a real warmth about this wood-effect flooring, it looks lovely — something you would want in your own home and it’s not clinical at all,” says Judi. “The acoustic underlay on the first floor has really helped to bring the noise levels down, and this significantly improves the wellbeing of both staff and children.”

The orange-themed Changing Room at Haven House has been fitted with Altro Whiterock SatinsTM hygienic wall sheet in the shade Bergamot, with Altro SupremaTM safety flooring in Tangerine. “This is such a striking room, the colours are superb and the juicy orange combination of flooring and walling is beautiful,” says Judi.

To create the yellow theme in Haven House’s Waiting Area, the design team chose Altro Whiterock Chameleon in the shade Bee, and Altro Suprema flooring in the shade Taxi Cab. “The installers fitted a very clever overlap between the walling and flooring too minimise the joint and make it flush,” says Judi. “This is also great for infection prevention and control, because the dirt has nowhere to hide.”

The disabled toiletat Haven House has a purple theme, with Altro Whiterock Satins on the walls in the shade Viola, and Altro Walkway 20 safety flooring in the shade Silk. The blue areas have Altro Whiterock Chameleon wall sheet in Ocean Blue and Altro Walkway 20 safety flooring in Lupin.

“Visual stimulation is very important for the children at Haven House, and we used Altro Whiterock DigicladTM walling to create some wonderful water-themed artwork in both the Hydrotherapy Bathroom and teenagers’ en-suite” says Judi.

“The aim was to make these rooms look colourful and less clinical, but the artwork also needed to be permanent, hygienic and hard wearing. Altro Whiterock Digiclad is perfect because it’s so simple, yet very effective. You can create any design you want, it’s wipe-clean, hygienic and it won’t peel off.

“We created an underwater theme in the Hydrotherapy Bathroom using Altro Digiclad — with exotic fish and coral — and various water and beach designs for each of the teenagers’ en-suites. We are thrilled with these images; the quality is superb, sharp and clean, and the children love them too.

Both these areas were also fitted with Altro PiscesTM safety flooring in the shade Jellyfish. “Safety underfoot in wet areas is vital, for both staff and children, and Altro Pisces has been specifically created for this need,” Judi says. “We can have total confidence that everyone is secure, whether they are wearing shoes or have bare feet, and the flooring looks great too.”

A few months after the refurbishment, the feedback from children, staff and visitors to their new colourful environment at Haven House has been overwhelming. Haven House Director of Care, Eileen White, says: “The new bright and colourful interior has had such a profound effect in so many ways, which is thrilling for us all because it’s exactly what we wanted to achieve.

“We have had very positive feedback from staff, children and visitors; the mother of one teenager cried when she saw the teenage wet room with the Altro Digiclad image.

“The wonderful colours have helped us to create an uplifting environment for staff and young people alike. The colour zones have enabled us to make positive experiences and happy memories, and the calming, bleached wood effect flooring reminds me of driftwood. Coupled with the Altro Digiclad tropical underwater wildlife and beach scenes, the imagination takes you to a warm, relaxing shoreline.”

Eileen continues: “So many people have exclaimed when they’ve seen the rainbow staircases for the first time. We’ve had comments such as: “They look amazing and entice you to go up and down – wow”. This was from someone who was visiting for the first time, something which a family, or individual, might not be looking forward to, but it’s so wonderful to start their experience with an invigorating rainbow of colours.

“On a more practical note, the floors and walls look as fresh and vibrant as when they were first fitted and are very easy to clean and take care of. We are using a steam cleaning system which is keeping the floors looking bright and fresh.”

The products used:

Altro Orchestra 2.85mm flooring has been designed for areas where comfort and sound reduction are important. Low residual indentation enables the flexible use of equipment and furniture. At the same time, the integrated impact sound insulation system cuts impact sound by up to 15dB.

It offers superb comfort underfoot, making life easier on the feet, and with a palette of 40 colours and designs varying from calming neutrals reflecting tones of nature, to vibrant shades, Altro Orchestra allows you to create the right atmosphere every time.

Altro Whiterock Chameleon is ideal for making a bold statement. The glossy, vibrant and vividly colourful hygienic wall sheet is available in 16 high impact, high-design shades to add a little bit of affordable luxury to a range of environments. It has all the benefits of Altro WhiterockTM, offering a very durable, smooth, watertight, wipe-clean surface.

Altro Wood Safety is an attractive, general purpose 2mm wood-look flooring available in a range of designs with different plank sizes and shades, including a bamboo-look fine-line design and wide plank classic and rustic designs, helping to create the right look for areas where people live and work. The flooring is designed to cope with medium to heavy traffic and has sustained slip resistance for the lifetime of the floor.

Altro Whiterock Satins is ideal for creating a subtle mood using colour. This versatile and sophisticated wall sheet is available in a range of solid, decorative, satin shades – from soothing and healing through to bright and energetic. The product provides the impact resistance and hygiene you would expect from Altro Whiterock, with a stain-resistant, wipe-clean surface.

Altro Suprema is a stunning, non-sparkle flooring that gives complete design freedom. With 12 new colours including three ‘flake’ designs, one of its 40 shades will match the mood you want.

Altro Walkway 20 is a hugely popular, hard-wearing flooring with a range 42 colours. It gives sustained slip resistance throughout the lifetime of the product, and also includes abrasion resistance, PUR cleanability, and superior chemical and stain resistance.

Altro Whiterock Digiclad is created by reproducing a photographic image or vector art onto Altro Whiterock wall sheet, with consistent, photographic quality. It makes it easy to create a bespoke design on your wall. From a calming coastal landscape in a hospital ward, to a bold company logo in a reception area, the only limit is the imagination. Hard-coat technology provides scratch-resistant properties for added surface protection, making Altro Whiterock Digiclad ideal for areas where durability is important.

Altro Pisces provides superb performance whether wet or dry, in shoes or barefoot in wet environments where the likelihood of a slip is very high. With 16 soft-look shades, the result is the consistent, stylish appearance of domestic interiors, with the lifetime sustained slip resistance you expect from Altro.

For further information, please visit www.altro.co.uk
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Offsite construction is here to stay

Recent press coverage has focused heavily on Offsite Construction providing the answer in a number of key sectors, due to the speed and efficiency of modular construction.

Premier Modular has been delivering award winning offsite and volumetric solutions for more than 60 years and prides itself on its ability to provide the highest quality buildings, offering a skilled and knowledgeable design and build service. Part of a large multi-national industrial group, Waco International, Premier has the strong financial backing provided by the Group, which has enabled it to build a substantial modular hire fleet. This coupled with the manufacturing capacity offered by a 22 acre site means that Premier is ideally suited to deliver quality buildings for both hire and sale throughout the UK, no matter how large or small.

Premier’s ability to deliver a modular solution on a massive scale is evidenced by the series of modular complexes they have provided at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. The buildings deliver 38,000 sqm of offices and welfare facilities to house all the management and technical personnel required for the construction phase of the new nuclear power station. The HPC requirement for the best temporary welfare and office facilities in the UK, delivered within a strict timescale, was a challenge Premier met and achieved and resulted in their being appointed to deliver an additional modular complex for the critically important infrastructure project.

Developing such strong client relationships is at the core of Premier’s approach and their recent partnership with ISG Construction has delivered 8 school facilities in 12 months as part of Manchester City Council’s Education Basic Needs framework. The first school, St Margaret’s CofE Primary School, was chosen by Manchester City Council to be their first pilot for delivering a project to BIM Level 2, including their first Asset Information Model. The 775m2 2-storey building provided new nursery facilities and 3 reception classrooms, enabling the school to expand and accommodate an additional form of entry. This scheme was named as the winner of the Digital Construction category in the North West Regional Construction Awards for 2018, as well as receiving Highly Commended in the Integration and Collaborative Working category.

Standardisation in construction delivery produces better end product quality, reduction in manufacturing costs, reduced design costs with less waste and can be achieved through the use of standardised components, prefabricated panels and modular construction.

This volumetric approach to construction was used in the award winning construction of a 5 storey student accommodation block, The Foundry, in Newcastle City Centre, delivered in partnership with Sir Robert McAlpine. This block consisted of a mixture of 54 studio flats, 105 ensuite bedrooms and 2 accessible rooms, associated living spaces, kitchens and study areas.

The speed of delivery for this project gave the investors a whole year of additional return and was a deciding factor in the project being named as the Project of the Year (up to £10m) at the Construction News Awards.

This approach has also been used to great effect in other residential projects and following their appointment to the CHIC BuildSmart framework, Premier have worked closely with their framework partners to develop standardised housing products, delivered within an EU-compliant framework – the perfect solution to the critically important delivery of housing stock highlighted frequently in the news.
The standard designs, coupled with CHIC’s existing proven materials supply chain, has resulted in a more cost efficient, quality product, with speed of delivery. Whilst the cost benefits of this scheme have been delivered by the development of a standardised product, flexibility is still available to procure bespoke designs and solutions where required.

Premier’s forward thinking attitude means that they are always looking for product improvements and innovation; Premier believes that the fire resistance of buildings is very important, whether for a temporary or permanent building. At Premier we feel it is not good enough to provide our clients with an assumption that our buildings are ‘fire proof’ based on various codes and data sheets. When developing our latest product, as part of our quality control during development, we ensured the product went through real life fire tests and received certification for this.

In a market where shortages exist, building standards are extremely high and sustainability is of growing importance, standardisation and offsite construction as delivered by Premier has to be a big part of the solution.

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First fix 11 windows offsite in just 23 minutes

Timber frame and SIPs panel manufacturers can speed up the installation of windows and doors by using the Sidey Kitfix system. Pressure is on for builders and developers to get on and off-site faster. This means looking at ways to reduce the time spent installing windows and doors.

“With the Sidey Kitfix System, windows and doors can be accurately fitted at the factory stage,” says Steve Hardy, Managing Director of fenestration and offsite construction specialists Sidey Solutions. “It’s quick too – 11 windows can be first fixed in 23 minutes. They are installed when the walls are horizontal in the factory and the innovative Kitfix brackets are twist fitted to the window or door frame. Air tightness, thermal and acoustic seals can also be included at this stage.

“This system makes transportation simple and once on site, the panels are erected as normal. This means homes are wind, watertight and secure much sooner, and makes the build much faster. It also eliminates the need for separate deliveries of windows and doors, with no site storage required either.

“The latest changes to planning laws announced on 5 March mean there is even more pressure to get the job done quicker,” adds Steve. “Choosing Kitfix to install windows and doors will help builders and developers build fast.”

For more information go to www.sidey.co.uk.
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This is MMC… but not as we know it

Advances in construction techniques over the past decade have given rise to some genuine commercial, sustainable and health and safety benefits – all while improving efficiency and performance. However, as building regulations are updated over time and standards become increasingly stringent, these modern methods of construction risk failing to keep pace, particularly where thermal insulation is concerned. Chris Lea, Technical Sales Manager, SIG Performance Technology, explores why the construction sector needs to rethink its approach to reducing heat loss in a building and why the aerospace industry appears to hold the answer. 

Some of the major specification drivers for building design in modern times are the need to keep building footprint to a minimum, maximise internal rentable space and achieve the highest energy efficiency performance possible. Working within the confines of these design objectives, developers must also achieve accelerated build programmes in a bid to complete within budget and realise the return on investment as promptly as possible.

Fast track construction which uses steel or timber frame has become a tried and tested build method in the UK, particularly in high rise developments. As the exterior of these buildings is commonly a cladding finish, the challenge of reducing heat loss while maximising internal floor space and minimising building footprint comes to the fore. Crucially, the insulation has to be installed within the through-wall build up, but this construction suffers from cold bridging as soon as the rainscreen carrier system is installed. This is where innovative new insulation techniques are helping modern construction techniques to stay at the forefront.

Helping hands

The availability of 3D thermal modelling has proven a valuable technology in assisting the development of new solutions which address current construction challenges. After reviewing thermal models of buildings using rainscreen systems, the innovation team at SIG Performance Technology identified high levels of heat loss being caused by the helping hand bracketry in the support systems. Realising that a reduction in the cold bridging through the bracketry would significantly improve the overall performance of the building envelope, research began into developing an insulated clip-on solution.

After a programme of development, aerogel – most commonly used in aerospace and industrial applications – emerged as the most suitable insulant owing to its exceptional thermal performance and proven flexible properties. This led to the launch of CHI-GASKET, a patented insulated component which is simply clipped on to standard helping hand bracketry on-site. In doing so, the cold bridging is significantly reduced and means the insulation within the through-wall build-up does not have to compensate for this and consequently does not have to achieve such low U-Values. It is because of this that the CHI-GASKET is now considered from initial design stage.

Aerogel in action

The use of Aerogel as an insulant in helping hand bracketry is a unique application but one where a change in design process has enabled major developments to achieve core design objectives. This principle is also now being applied in modular buildings and offsite construction, where linear areas of heat loss at construction junctions prove a common challenge.

As the modular buildings typically have much tighter junctions than those constructed on-site, these developments present several challenges. Firstly, lower density insulation is more flexible and easier to install into tight frames, but these materials are generally lower performing from a thermal perspective. Secondly, rigid materials offer good thermal insulation, but require cutting to size, either on or off-site, which adds a layer of complexity to the construction process. Finally, both of these methods leave room for installation error, as the materials are being cut to size or pushed into place manually.

Offering a solution to this challenge is Aerogel. The material can be precision cut to size and fabricated to any bespoke shape to meet the exact needs of modular building specifications. Thermally excellent yet flexible, precision manufactured aerogel linings would deliver a much greater level of quality control and reduce labour time in construction – all of which align with modern methods of construction.

While the name Aerogel is probably more synonymous with NASA than with MMC, as the construction market continues to innovate with insulation, this could be set to change in the not so distant future.

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High specification for a higher education building

Architecturally designed and built completely to spec, the new three-storey building on the University of Birmingham’s Edgbaston Campus is full of unique features.

New office space was required to accommodate University academics: overall growth and construction work elsewhere on campus meant that staff were temporarily displaced. Planning permission was granted for a new office block, but only for 3 and a half years.

Not Just a Temporary Solution

The brief: the building needed to be temporary but not feel temporary, and it needed to be spacious, contemporary and light. Time was of the essence, but without compromise on finish.
Of the three companies asked to tender by the University, Wernick Buildings were selecting as the preferred tenderer based on a combination of cost, quality and programme A Wernick Buildings’ modular system allowed the architects to customise the internal and external finishes while maintaining the budget and schedule.

A wide range of features were specified from the outset: from architectural features such as the large sections of glazing, feature banding and projecting window surrounds, down to the finishing touches of skirtings, window frames and doors. The resulting space is befitting to its prestigious surroundings and listed neighbouring buildings.

Modular Installation and Feedback

After just six weeks in the factory, the 36 modules were loaded and ready for the trip from South Wales to Birmingham. The February installation was on schedule: even after allowing for some of the worst snow this country has seen for some time! Crane trucks manoeuvred the modules through mature trees on the site – giving the final impression that the building had always been there.

Kevin O’Flaherty, Senior Project Manager at University of Birmingham is responsible for a portion of the University’s ambitious capital programme, from the inception to getting the keys. Kevin, alongside the architects, worked very closely with the team at Wernick Buildings saying that he was in touch almost every day as decisions had to be made so quickly. Kevin found the Wernick team to be “highly professional and always wanting to do the best job”.

Kevin remarked: “I often hear “it doesn’t feel like a modular building” – the extra touches have really made the space and feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive from both staff and planning.”

Due to the nature of the modular system used, the University can choose to move the building: either keeping the current configuration or changing it completely. The modules are built to be stacked up to four-storeys high or reduced down to one-storey. Kevin, however, feels the building sits very comfortably in its existing setting.

Architectural Touches

Glancy Nicholls Architects Ltd, based in Birmingham and London, is a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Chartered Practice and was started in 2004. Wernick worked with the firm previously, also at the University of Birmingham. Wernick helped GNA to deliver a low impact building for researchers studying the surrounding woodlands. Read more about the BIFoR scheme here.

GNA architectural assistant Aiden Astle, who worked on the new office building, is excited about both projects’ potential to “challenge the misconception of modular buildings”. The office building, he added, is further proof of modular’s capabilities: “This project demonstrates that a limited time-frame doesn’t need to infringe on quality. This project has proven the flexibility of this method of construction and the results speak for themselves.”

For more information on modular buildings, click here, call 0800 112 4640 or email us here.
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Pegler introduces thick wall steel pipe press fitting range

As the momentum for using an integrated piping system for HVAC applications gathers pace, leading manufacturer Pegler is thrilled to launch a press thick wall solution to its ever increasing portfolio.

VSH PowerPress is a range of fittings and valves for use on thick wall steel pipes particularly in the HVAC market. “We are delighted to be adding another range to our portfolio. This really does mean that Pegler has become the only manufacturer to offer a truly integrated piping system. With our breadth of experience and knowledge we can offer solutions and products from plant room to bathroom and beyond,” said Phill Jackson Business Development and Marketing Director.

The VSH PowerPress range is set to rival competitors by its innovative design and engineered credentials. Suitable for a range of applications including heating, cooling, sprinkler, air and oil the range will connect steel systems including black steel, epoxy coated and galvanized. This system also combines the best press technology, for which Pegler is renowned, and negates the need for heat which provides all the associated benefits such as; clean joints, no flux requirement, faster install times and a safer working environment ensuring an easier installation overall. In addition, VSH PowerPress also incorporates a fail-safe leak before press indicator and advanced ‘O’ ring protection.

Furthermore, a comprehensive range of adapted valves have been specifically designed to complement the system including, Gate, FODRV, Venturi DRV, PICV, Swing Check, Double Check, PRV and Strainer. In order to fully appreciate the requirements of such integrated piping systems Pegler has also developed a new ball valve range with lever and extended levers.

Phill continued: “We understand the demands on specifiers when sourcing a highly efficient system and by providing a comprehensive range of valves to support the building’s needs is something we are equipped to do whether that is via our existing products or developing new.

“By listening to both specifiers and installers we have developed a ball valve range for VSH PowerPress with specifiable features which greatly assist during the installation and maintenance phases.”

The innovations behind the new VSH PowerPress ball valve range include; colour switch inserts for recognition of hot or cold water service improved ergonomic handle supporting ease of use and a lockable latch enabling permanent or temporary fixing of valve in open or close position. This is all compounded by a strong and consistent identity found within all Pegler engineered valves.

The entire VSH PowerPress range has a working pressure of 16 bar, its temperature range EPDM is -40°C to 135°C and is Zinc-nickel plating surface protected which is suitable for outdoor usage. Sizes available from ½” to 2”.

For further information please contact: Tel: 01302 560 560 Website: www.pegleryorkshire.co.uk
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