Protect Membranes delivers U-value benefits for new modular innovation

A variety of wall construction membranes, roofing underlays and accessories from Protect has been installed into an innovative new modular concept manufactured by Tingdene Homes, holiday and park home specialists.

Offered under the THL Modular branding, The Loft is a contemporary two-storey holiday home designed and manufactured completely offsite in Tingdene Homes’ factory, using cutting edge design and high end specification to meet the needs of the growing “staycation” market. Fully LABC product approved and constructed to UK Building Regulations, The Loft can be built to suit varied client needs ranging from a two or three bedroom luxury lodge to a two or four room hotel pod, club house or café. A number of Protect products were supplied and installed on THL Modular’s first show home, including Protect BarriAir, an internal airtightness membrane, Protect VC Foil Ultra used as the insulating low emissivity vapour control layer, Protect TF200 Thermo insulating low emissivity breather membrane for external walls and Protect VP400 Plus LR, a roofing underlay offering unrestricted wind uplift resistance, and exceptional vapour permeability.

Phil Harold, Quality Assurance Manager at Tingdene Homes commented, “The use of numerous Protect products for this development helped us meet specification and achieve our target U-values of 0.18 W/m2K for external walls and 0.14W.m2K for the roof element. With the numerous benefits of offsite manufacture over traditional construction including build speed, quality precision and reliability, we wanted a supplier who understood these principles to ensure our delivery demands were met. Protect supplied products quickly which enabled our process to run without interruption and facilitated swift turnaround at the factory.”

Protect’s range of wall, ceiling and floor construction membranes together with its roofing underlays and accessories provides a comprehensive solution to the modular build sector. In particular, Protect construction membrane products with reflective technology help deliver thermal efficiency benefits to meet low target U-values and ensure compliance with relevant Building Regulations.

For details of how Protect products can be incorporated into residential and commercial builds, please visit www.protectmembranes.com, email info@protectmembranes.com or call 0161 905 5700, quoting ‘The Loft.’
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Raising the Bar for Offsite Construction

As one of the largest specialist off-site manufacturing businesses in the UK, Caledonian Modular offers much more than your everyday construction company. Founded over 50 years ago, they supply around the UK from a 40-acre advanced manufacturing site in Newark, Nottinghamshire.

Over the last few years’ Caledonian has achieved significant growth and now has a turnover of over £50m. A series of new contract wins look set to continue this success with a target of nearly doubling turnover by 2019, an objective they are will on the way to achieving.

Mind you, this kind of performance hasn’t come about on its own, but from a clear vision for the company, backed by a strong management team, and a focus on projects that are aligned with its key strengths and sectors that it understands; education, housing and healthcare. These include an ability to achieve up to 94 per cent completion of building modules off-site, meaning buildings can be handed over in up to half the time it takes for a traditional build, and with less disruption to roads and nearby buildings. Underlying this ability to consistently deliver projects on time and within budget is a commitment to excellence through the use of BIM, design for manufacture and assembly (DMFA) and lean manufacturing techniques.

A case in point is the £55m contract awarded to Caledonian by Laing O’Rourke to build the accommodation modules for Hinkley Point C (HPC) nuclear power station in Somerset. The contract comprises 1,496 en-suite bedrooms across 44 individual buildings at two locations. The first accommodation units rolled off the factory production line in March last year and were delivered 96% finished, ready for rapid completion. Each 34 bedroom block will be completed on site within just eight weeks from delivery. The entire HPC project is worth £18 billion across the board for the Nuclear Build programme, the largest modular government project across the entire country.

Another recent success, in partnership with their partner architects HLM, involved securing first place on the modular framework to provide permanent, component-based buildings and facilities for the ESFA’s new secondary schools block replacement programme. They won this procurement competition with others from the off-site construction sector, securing top spot against 64 other bidders. Being awarded first place immediately secured two projects with a combined value of £12 million, with the potential to realise further schemes within the £250 million funding allocated to the lot.

A track record of delivering these projects on time and within budgets means the management team can replicate their approach on each successive new contract – a great confidence builder with clients and main contractors. A case in point is the £25m contract awarded to Caledonian by Bowmer & Kirkland, announced in the last few weeks, for the 680 bedroom First Way Campus student development in Wembley.

The ability of Caledonian’s modular building system to help meet the strict deadline dates on this project, which required handover in time for Euro 2020, helped secure this contract. As did their pre-engineered fire compliant modular solution suitable for a high rise development, which rises from 7 to 11 floors.

Other recent contracts wins include the MOD Single Living Accommodation (SLA) for MoD Lyneham in Wiltshire as part of a £35m Kier development. Part of the Army Basing Programme, the project will create 296 rooms over 5 blocks, providing accommodation for troops returning from overseas and relocating within the UK. The latest contract continues a long partnership with the MOD, with the team successfully completing 1,145 rooms over 12 blocks on the same base for Kier in 2012/13.

Caledonian Modular prides themselves on the fact that their projects look as authentic as a traditional-build, indeed they are indistinguishable, while remaining as efficient and cost-effective as they do. By sticking to what they know – modular and off-site construction systems – underpinned by BIM, DFMA and lean manufacturing, this Nottingham based company is raising industry standards and demonstrating how modular buildings have the ability to resolve the UK’s building shortages quickly and efficiently.

To find out more about Caledonian’s modular building system, visit www.caledonianmodular.com. Alternatively, call 01636 821645.
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Offsite reaches new heights in Birmingham

A two-block 22 storey residential building topped out last month on the site of an old subterranean car park in Birmingham. Joe Bradbury was in attendance at the event, which proved to be a milestone for Creagh Concrete and a testament to the true power of offsite manufacture.

Standing on top of a 22 storey building in the middle of a city I hold dear was something I am unlikely to forget. As Editor of Building Specifier and regular contributor to trade publications within the construction industry, offsite construction is something I get to write about on a regular basis. But to actually stand on top of a tower block that was built using such practices brought with it a profound sense of what we are capable of as an industry when we set ourselves ambitious targets and knuckle down to achieve them.

Project overview

The two blocks house 323 apartments and have been built in a major contract by housing giant Galliford Try. The £40m project is part of a build-to-rent scheme for client Dandara Living, one that is expected to significantly boost the number of homes available in close proximity to Birmingham’s city centre once completed. Comprising two blocks of 17 and 22 storeys linked by bridges at each level, the development will feature studio, one-bed and two-bed apartments with balconies across all elevations.

The towers are the tallest structure completed by Creagh across their entire 43-year history; and as a proud Midlander and lover of Brum, I would pose the question: where better for such a feat to proudly stand than beside the existing Alpha Tower, a Grade II-listed office built in the 1970s, considered one of Birmingham’s most well-known architectural landmarks?

Offsite manufacture

The decision to use precast concrete systems for the bulk of the building’s structural frame, cladding and balcony units was taken at an early stage on the project. The brief demanded a robust finish on the building, which would limit the amount of ongoing maintenance required.

Precast concrete is the ideal material of choice for frame construction and cladding. With this in mind, the project team looked at various different options for the structure and its subcontractors, before settling on the team at Creagh Concrete to deliver and install the frame panels, cladding sections, balconies and floor slab.

Galliford Try Project Director Aidan Smith said “We knew we wanted the robustness that precast concrete offers and spent a lot of time researching our subcontractors. Creagh has the capability and experience to deliver both the hollowcore floor slab and the architectural precast concrete that we wanted. The screed that we place on top of the floor slab is there just to iron out any changes in level. It gives us a little wriggle room.”

The placing of each level is based on a turnaround time of just 10 days. Prefabricated bathroom pods, manufactured in Hull, are lifted directly into position at each level as part of the cycle time therefore it was important that these were delivered between days five to seven – any later runs the risk of disrupting the project programme.

With a turnaround time of just 10 days to place each level, the Galliford Try team is running the internal following trades just three floors behind.

In conclusion

The speed and efficiency of construction displayed with this project creates a real sense of momentum that I personally could feel when walking up the tower and standing on the top. Things are getting done fast and they’re getting done right. If works continue at such rapid pace, it would come as no surprise if the team hit their handover date of May 2019 with room to spare. (Remove)

Creagh Director and Co-Founder Seamus McKeague concluded “We are seeing strong interest in our rapid build concrete systems because developers now understand the true value of slashing programme times.

“Investors not only benefit from revenue gained by the early occupation of units but, also, from the mobility of their capital resource. Quite simply, shorter build times mean developers can complete more projects with the same pot of finance.”

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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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