Highs and lows of student life

GEZE products are giving students access to the highs and lows of student life in a development which incorporates a 21-storey tower block and three low-rise residences.

Chamberlain Hall – part of University of Birmingham’s Vale Village scheme – saw the replacement of the 50-year-old Eden Town, known as High Hall and its associated wings – with new purpose-built accommodation.

It provides a home-from-home for 725 students in either en-suite study bedrooms in clusters of five or six, which share a kitchen/lounge – or self-contained studios.

GEZE products were used throughout the development. Every bedroom and circulation door, more than 800 in total, is fitted with a TS 3000 EC. This surface mounted door closer has a low opening force, requiring less energy to open it, making it a great choice for an educational building.

It adheres to strictest safety standards, and not only features an adjustable hydraulic latching action, closing force and closing speed, but also incorporates a sleek guide rail rather than an obtrusive arm to make it safer choice for residents.

Kitchen Doors were fitted with the TS 4000 EFS – a pinion toothed door closer with free swing arm function which enables people to go through the door while applying little physical force once the door has been initially opened. It has an electro hold-open function which ensures safe closing of the door in an event of a fire.

TS 5000 E closers were fitted to lobby doors. They are fitted with electro-mechanical hold-open devices which are released in the event of a fire closing the door safely. The TS 5000 E is suitable for doors up to 1400mm in width and has adjustable closing force, size EN 2-6, adjustable closing speed, hydraulic latching action and hydraulic back check.

Fifteen GEZE Slimdrive EMD-F electro-mechanical swing door operators were fitted to entrance doors and rooms for disabled students.

They are almost silent in operation, with the capacity to move large and heavy, single leaf doors with ease. The Slimdrive EMD-F operators are extremely durable which mean that they are the ideal low-maintenance solution for areas of heavy footfall such as student accommodation.

Students living in the tower benefit from lake-side views across the Vale, a Grade 2 historic park and garden, and those on the upper floors enjoy vistas right across the city. The three low rise blocks have been designed to sit at an angle maximising views across the Vale.

Said Andy Howland, GEZE’s director of sales and marketing: “A range of GEZE products has been used throughout this development to provide the ideal solution to a selection of doors that all need to perform different uses, in different areas of the building. The end result provides University of Birmingham students with quality, purpose-built accommodation, which is surrounded by nature whilst being in the heart of the city.”

University of Birmingham project manager, Daniel Holmes, said “It is always important in such a critical University project that we work with suppliers we can rely on. The GEZE products fit the bill and we are pleased with how they have performed.”

For more information about GEZE UK’s comprehensive range of automatic operators, manual door closers and window technology products call 01543 443000 or visit www.geze.co.uk.
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Consort Claudgen launches SL single-zone controllers

Consort Claudgen have introduced three new wireless controllers which can be connected to one or multiple SL heaters to form an SL heating system. All controllers have comfort and setback temperatures settings.

The SLPB and SLVT controllers have a control button with status indicators and a 4-stage run-back timer where a heating period remains active until the run-back timer expires. There is a choice of three time periods available: 5, 15 or 30 minutes. When the button is pressed four times, this takes the run-back time period to 20, 60 or 120 minutes.

Additionally, the SLVT has temperature control buttons and a digital display to show the room temperature. The SLTI, however, features a 7-day timer with three heating periods per day and is designed with four large control buttons with an electronic lock to prevent tampering with controls.

For details, visit www.consortepl.com or call Sales at 01646 692172.
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‘Best Practice’ guidelines update accommodate disabled students

New ‘best practice’ guidelines have been published that, for the first time, specifically address disabled student accommodation.

Simultaneously, Britain’s leading provider of disabled toileting solutions, Closomat, is announcing new developments that enable providers to comply, stylishly, with a unique package from specification, through fitting to future service & maintenance.

The options help enable providers to meet the growing number of disabled students, which now represents almost 10% of the student population in the UK!

BS8300:2018 Design of an accessible and inclusive built environment extends the remit of compliance covered under its predecessor BS8300:2009. The latest version is not specific to new build projects, and applies to all building types that require permanent sleeping accommodation for disabled people.

It also, for the first time, incorporates a specific set of criteria for student accommodation bedrooms. Under the new guidelines, up to 4% of bedrooms should be wheelchair accessible, up to 1% of rooms should include a fixed track hoist system, and up to 5% should be easily adaptable for independent wheelchair use. If only one accessible bedroom is provided, it should include an accessible shower room, with the preferred solution being a level access shower with shower seat if required, and include a WC. The adaptable rooms should have the space and design features to allow for addition of grab rails, shower seats, with ceiling height to allow for a track hoist (2.4m).

Closomat offers a range of contemporary ceiling track hoist systems that can be tailored to individual needs, enabling movement and transfer within a room, through to an en-suite, or beyond.

In the bathroom, it can provide a stylish wall track system, that integrates with a range of fixtures such as grab rails, height-adjustable or fixed washbasins, shower seats, enabling quick and easy adaptation to individual occupant needs.

Its range of wash & dry toilets take accessibility into higher realms of inclusion and intimate hygiene, with contemporary styled floor- standing, wall-mounted and height adjustable variants. Wash and dry toilets have the added benefit of satisfying cultural and religious considerations, regardless of the enhanced hygiene they provide against conventional wiping.

“Accessibility is a growing consideration in building design,” explains Robin Tuffley, Closomat marketing manager. “Disabled student numbers have increased by 56% in less than a decade, so it’s a sector that accommodation providers need to consider, and address.

“As the new British Standard points out, because such accommodation is booked or reserved in advance, there is greater scope for it to be adapted correctly, as required, to suit an individual student. It goes so far as to advise that in effect a ‘show flat/ bedroom’ should be provided on build completion so people can asses how their requirement may be met!”

Closomat’s website www.clos-o-mat.com is the ‘go to’ resource to help take the first steps towards efficient accessibility provision, including design guidance, white papers, CAD blocks, NBS specification clauses and case studies.

The information represents the combined wealth of knowledge amassed from over 55 years’ helping disabled people optimise their dignity and independence in the bathroom, at home and away.

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Brio UK strengthen sales team

With increased growth in sales, Brio, the leading global brand name in sliding and folding gear for interior and exterior door hardware, has recently appointed two experienced sales personnel to manage and support the company’s sales activity. The two new appointments – Daryl Curtis and Nigel Walsh – bring with them a wealth of knowledge and product expertise.

Brio’s two new Business Development Managers, Nigel and Daryl, share more than 65 years of building industry experience, with particular emphasis on door, sliding door systems, fixings, sliding door gear and architectural hardware.

Both have spent time with leading industry manufacturers at management level with Daryl experiencing time overseas in Hong Kong and Malaysia.

The move to Brio for both of them was an easy decision as the company’s level of service and commitment to research and quality of product range would undoubtedly push forward the continued growth and success.

Brio’s General Manager, Dave Newton commented on the appointments: “Nigel and Daryl are a fantastic addition to the Brio team, with their practical experience and solid sales background, they will be an integral part of Brio UK’s future growth plans.”

For more information please visit http://briouk.com/
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SFS fasteners chosen for Curtis Moore’s Glasgow Quay refurb projects

Precision engineered stainless steel fasteners by SFS have enabled leading roofing and cladding contractor Curtis Moore to deliver new roofing in two refurbishment projects at Glasgow’s premier leisure and entertainment destination, Springfield Quay.

Bringing a fresh new look and delivering amongst the best quality entertainment facilities of their kind in Scotland, the renewal projects at the Hollywood Bowl and Odeon Cinema have helped the development maintain Springfield Quay’s position at the forefront of the market. In addition to these two key attractions, the Springfield Quay provides a wide range of restaurants, cafés, a gym, casino, hotel and more, located close to Glasgow City Centre.

Chosen to provide a reliable and secure fixing for Kalzip Standing Seam Roofing panels, SFS fasteners were used for both roof replacement projects at the leisure park’s Hollywood Bowl and Odeon cinema buildings.

Acting as the principal contractor on both projects, Curtis Moore was tasked with removing the existing profiled metal roof, insulation and VCL, before installing new insulation and the aluminium Kalzip panels. Both major refurbishment projects were completed whilst the facilities remained open for business, which required careful planning to keep access open and safe, without impacting on day-to-day operations or the overall customer experience.

Working closely with NBDA Architects on both projects, Curtis Moore was initially appointed on the Odeon Cinema scheme. The 5,500m2 roof of this building features curved roof sheets which are 53.5m in length. The sheets had to be site rolled within the active car park – this was undertaken in an area of the car park that would cause least disruption and was clearly cordoned off.

It was a roofing project that presented a number of challenges, not least the need to incorporate additional steelwork to suit the new Kalzip system, which was only apparent once the existing roof was removed. However, such was the success of the solution and service provided by Curtis Moore, that the company was awarded the adjacent project – Hollywood Bowl. This was a similar project, involving the removal of an existing skin, VCL, insulation and supporting grid, and installation of 2,808m2 of Kalzip panels.

Commenting on the project, Curtis Moore’s Ashleigh Thomson, Business Development Director, said: “Springfield Quay is a hugely popular leisure and entertainment destination and we are delighted to have been involved in these latest refurbishment projects which look set to keep it at the top of its game for years to come.

“Market-leading brands like Odeon and Hollywood Bowl set high standards for their customer experience, so our contribution to the building envelope must match these ambitions. That’s why the use of Kalzip systems secured by SFS fasteners was hugely important, providing the assurance of a long service life and giving the buildings excellent and lasting visual appeal.”

Find out more about SFS at www.sfsintec.co.uk.
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Armstrong Ceilings prove their metal for the Metropolitan Police Service

Custom metal ceiling systems from Armstrong World Industries have brought form and function to the award-winning transformation of that bastion of island security – New Scotland Yard.

Armstrong’s metal F-H 600 hook-on tiles and swing-down rectangular planks with concealed G-Profile grid and acoustic fleece, and metal T-Clip F tiles with Spring-T grid, were specified by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris architects for the £65 million remodelling, refurbishment and extension of the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police.

With a constrained floor to ceiling height the Armstrong systems met the demands for electrical servicing and lighting while mechanical services, data and small power outlets were installed in a raised access floor void.

As well as the circulation spaces, corridors and lift lobbies, Armstrong’s custom micro-perforated metal systems, which perform up to sound absorption Class A, were also used for the ground-floor multi-use and Press Rooms where acoustic absorption and integration of lighting were key design considerations.

Architect Steven McCloy said: “The existing building had compromised and varying ceiling heights with complex service requirements. Due to the constraints of the existing building, tile lengths were manufactured to suit.”

“The ceilings are generally acoustic plasterboard apart from the doughnut of service runs on each floor which are made from the Armstrong demountable metal ceiling planks. These have an aesthetic and practical application, allowing the integration of light fittings and so on, and can be demounted for access or change in the future.”

He added: “The Armstrong systems were detailed with minimal interfaces with other surfaces, thus avoiding trimming or cutting.”

The redevelopment of the former Curtis Green building (so named after its architect William Curtis Green) on Victoria Embankment involved demolition, a new structural steel frame, new cladding and interior remodelling to make a 21st Century smart workplace with an engaging public realm.

AHMM’s design is a radical remodelling and extension of the 1930s stone-fronted building. The core objectives of the brief were to create modern, flexible and efficient office environments, extend available floor space and facilitate agile working with more interaction between staff and visitors.

The design has transformed the building with the addition of an elegant curved glass entrance pavilion, a new rooftop pavilion, extension of the floor plates to the west and the reworking of the existing accommodation which has expanded the building’s floor area from 8,691m2 to around 12,000m2.

The contemporary design of the new extensions sensitively complement and enhance the architectural features of the original Neo Classical building and respond in materials, colours and proportions to neighbouring Whitehall buildings.

Inside, AHMM has created a flexible office environment to facilitate collaboration and interaction. The rooftop extension provides multi-use conference space and terraces and is illuminated to give presence at night, symbolising the 24/7 nature of policing the nation’s capital along with creating a civic presence.

New Scotland Yard has won numerous awards including an AJ Retrofit award for Best office over 10,000m2 2017, Building Magazine’s Project of the Year 2017, and the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award 2017, along with a RIBA London Region Award 2017 and RIBA National Award 2017.

More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/.
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SFS hinge technology raises the bar at 2018 Fensterbau Frontale

Leading door hinge manufacturer SFS has reported a successful four days at the Fensterbau 2018 exhibition, with the show providing the ideal platform for door manufacturers to explore why its latest range offers unparalleled adjustability, aesthetics and performance across every type of doorset.

Star of the show was the W-Tec 3D hinge range which SFS offers in any RAL colour to deliver a visually stunning result in contrast or to colour match. This highly engineered concealed hinge, available in two versions for standard and slim doors, provides a perfect solution for aesthetically-led heavyweight timber doors used in high-end residential, commercial and hospitality applications. The quality of W-Tec 3D’s design and manufacture leads the market with its excellent stability and mechanical adjustability enabling precise installation and delivering long term reliability.

Another popular hinge technology option for timber doorsets that attracted strong interest from visitors was the Easy 3D hinge. This well-established, stainless steel hinge range is well-liked by manufacturers and installers across Europe because of that fact it can be mechanically adjusted in three dimensions whilst fitted in situ. This makes it much easier to achieve a textbook timber door installation, every time.

In the UK, SFS is renowned for its Dynamic hinge ranges for PVC-U, aluminium and composite doors, and Fensterbau provided the latest insights into how this range continues to evolve.

Alongside the market-leading Dynamic 2D, which is designed to create high performance rebated doorsets thanks to its profile-specific sash plates, was Dynamic 3D. This offers the same highly engineered quality and aesthetic appeal, but with an additional level of adjustability. SFS also took the opportunity to showcase a concept version of Dynamic 3D which could present a future solution for flush-fit doors, subject to market feedback.

Nigel Wood, Director of Sales – Hinge and Fastening Technology at SFS said “It was fantastic to see such a high level of interest in our hinge technology range across all four days of Fensterbau.

“Our European designed and manufactured products truly have raised the bar in terms of a hinge’s build quality, adjustability and visual appeal and we look forward to expanding our relationships with UK architects, joinery manufacturers and door fabricators to help the market benefit further.”

Architects can learn more about why the hinge choice is crucial to a secure, safe and durable doorset specification in SFS’s new RIBA-approved CPD seminar. This seminar is delivered at architects’ offices in a ‘lunch and learn’ format and can be booked online at www.sfsintec.co.uk in the Architects & Specifiers tab.

More information on the SFS hinge technology range, including brochures and technical data is available at www.sfsintec.co.uk.
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Armstrong Ceilings feature in university’s striking new library

A mix of metal and mineral ceiling and wall systems from Armstrong were specified for a new development at Royal Holloway, University of London, one of the top 30 universities in the UK.

The new BREEAM “Excellent” rated library and student services centre, named the Emily Wilding Davison Building after one of the university’s most famous alumni, is set in a new landscaped events square at the heart of the university’s campus in Egham, Surrey.

The 10,500m2 state-of-the-art building delivers inspirational library and study spaces, together with student facing services under one roof, putting enhanced student experience at the forefront.

Some 1,000m2 of RAL 9010 Armstrong custom Metal B-H 300 ceiling planks, Metal R-H 200 ceiling tiles and custom Metal W-H 1100 wall panels, as well as Armstrong’s Cradle to Cradle certified Perla OP mineral tiles on a Prelude 15 TL grid were specified by Associated Architects for the £57 million new Davison Building at Royal Holloway.

The Metal B-H 300 perforated linear planks with acoustic fleece on a 300mm C-profile were used for the soffit of the triple-height atrium at the core of a series of wings and for three link bridges at first and second floor levels, while the Metal R-H 200 Hook-On tiles and Perla OP mineral tiles (which perform to sound absorption class A and are 85% light reflectant) on a Prelude 15 TL grid feature in offices.

Project architect Joe Belcher said: “We were looking for a product that, in conjunction with the perforated timber veneer panelling, would help provide absorption to soften the acoustic of the atrium. As well as providing a neat and crisp aesthetic, we chose a self-finished material to avoid an unnecessary maintenance burden, especially relevant for tall spaces where maintenance access requires special equipment.

“We were especially pleased with the way the Armstrong product has been coordinated to align with other features such as the large feature rooflights. The 300mm plank module and edge trims enabled us to ensure the crisp junctions envisaged were achieved. For all these reasons, and the fact that Armstrong is a known and trusted name for our clients, it made sense to specify Armstrong.”

Throughout the building, a careful, consistent approach was taken to the internal character. Associated Architects developed a mature and sophisticated interior scheme to fit in with the university’s campus. This included visual concrete columns and soffits, extensive timber finishes and feature lighting.

Extensive areas of exposed visual quality light grey concrete to soffits, columns and stair core walls form part of the passive thermal strategy for the building, allowing generous floor-to-ceiling heights which give a sense of permanence and solidity.

Joe Belcher added: “As a practice we regularly specify Armstrong products. As well as the more common modular suspended ceiling format which regularly appears in education, higher education and commercial office projects, we have used Armstrong products in previous laboratory and library projects.”

The Armstrong ceiling and wall systems were installed by specialist sub-contractor Rosguill Developments for main contractor Osborne. The Davison Building officially opened in October 2017.

For more information please visit www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/
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Healing daylight at Benenden

Kalwall® translucent cladding is the architectural focus of the new £55million development of Benenden Hospital in Cranbrook, Kent.

The scheme, designed by architects C A Vaughan Blundell with assistance from SR Architects Ltd, has created a wonderfully light and airy entrance atrium designed to welcome and create an enhanced patient and visitor experience with maximised natural daylight. The extensive breakout and catering facilities support theatres, en-suite rooms, outpatient department and ophthalmic suite along with diagnostic imaging, rest and recovery areas. The main contractor was Willmott Dixon Construction.

The Kalwall skylights provide additional light in the large atrium projecting it deep into the interior. They were specified complete with highly insulating Nanogel which achieves an impress U value of 0.28W/m2K, helping the project attain a Breeam status of ‘Good’. This is particularly impressive given the amount of curtain walling and clerestory glazing involved in the scheme.

The skylights have a unique ability to bathe interior spaces with diffused and glare-free daylight, which creates a stimulating and healthy environment. In addition, their heavily insulated composition eliminates glare and hotspots, thereby reducing the load on temperature control systems and the need for artificial lighting.

Geoff Holden, Senior Technician at C A Vaughan Blundell comments, “The use of Kalwall represented the best value balance of energy saving and cost and provided us with the ideal way to achieve spatial daylighting within the requirements of Part L”.

Kalwall is a popular choice for projects where performance, long life cycle and low maintenance are required, coupled with an aesthetic finish. The aluminium or thermally-broken grid core with interlocking I-beams gives Kalwall incredible strength. The lightweight system reduces the need for supporting structures while offering the highest protection in terms of wind-borne debris and resistance to impact, abrasion and point loads. The exterior face is colour stable and includes a UV resistant, self-cleaning surface. This means that normal rainfall helps to keep the surface free of dust and dirt while at the same time retaining its original colour during the weathering process. Furthermore, the inclusion of an erosion-prevention barrier protects the interior from weather exposure and the risk of fibre-bloom, cracking and crazing.

Case studies and technical information are available from Structura UK Ltd on tel: 01233 501 504 or by visiting www.structura-uk.com/kalwall
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Appleby calls for a change in Fire Safety Regulations

Installing mains-operated smoke & heat alarms is mandatory for new build properties, but there’s no legal requirement for rewiring jobs. Harry Milligan of Appleby questions a loophole that leaves millions of householders without adequate fire safety protection and asks if it’s time for the law to be changed.

Are our wires crossed when it comes to smoke & heat alarms?

Fire alarms are one of the few undisputed good things in the world. It’s doubtful you’ll ever find someone who argues against them, as the statistics prove their value rests in saving lives and protecting properties.

You can’t never have enough smoke alarms. Although 89% of UK homes are believed to have at least one working smoke alarm, it is known that in half of all house fires, householders weren’t alerted by their smoke alarm. This is typically because the alarm wasn’t within range.

The advice is to have at least one smoke alarm on every level of the home. Ideally, these should be located in circulation areas, exit routes and anywhere that fires are particularly likely to start, such as a kitchen. Is this enough?

What type of smoke alarm is best

The most commonly used form of smoke alarm is battery powered. These are simple and inexpensive for the homeowner to install, yet they do require a high degree of diligence to test and maintain.

The risks of not keeping on top of this are clear. A public health report found that in 20% of homes with a smoke alarm, none were working – usually due to missing, disconnected or dead batteries.

The answer is to use mains-operated smoke alarms, which offer several benefits over purely battery powered versions. The most obvious advantage is service continuity because they are permanently connected to the mains power and, in the event of power failure, they have battery back-up.

Another key benefit is that they can be interlinked. This resolves one of the main challenges with battery powered smoke alarms, namely that, if the occupants are far away from the alarm that is closest to the fire, they may not hear it. In an interlinked system, all alarms are activated at the same time, for a clear warning throughout the entire home.
What the Building Regulations say

Since 1991, all new build properties must have mains-operated smoke alarms/heat alarms fitted as standard. The Building Regulations require that this must be, at the minimum, a grade D system. This means that there must be more than one alarm, mains powered with battery back-up, and all interlinked.

The same applies should any substantial alteration take place to a building, such as an extension or a change of usage – a common example of the latter is converting a commercial building into domestic household apartments. These are sensible solutions that are proven to be effective – but there’s a catch!

The loophole

The Government is committed to building 300,000 new homes a year, but three times as many existing homes are rewired each year, and this is where a safety mismatch becomes glaringly obvious, because, unlike new-build and substantial alteration cases, there is no requirement, at all, to install interlinked, mains-operated smoke alarms as part of the house rewiring process.

Admittedly, there is a requirement for the work to be carried out to the Wiring Regulations, but local building control approvals are not necessary with approved domestic installers who can sign off their own work. In these circumstances, the installer is under no obligation, regulatory or otherwise, to fit mains powered smoke or heat alarms

Conscientious electrical contractors may well include a Grade D system as part of their rewire services, but if they don’t this creates the curiously “compliant” situation where two houses, across the road from each other, are subject to different safety standards. On one side, we see a new build and we know that it will have Grade D system fitted as standard. On the other side, we have a newly rewired home… possibly without any smoke / heat alarms at all.

Time for change

The current situation presents an opportunity for everybody to win. The Government can deliver a simple, smart popular safety policy. The electrical contractor can add another level of service to their rewiring contracts and the homeowner has greater peace of mind, for the long-term protection of their family and property.

Updating the regulations to make mains-operated smoke and heat alarms mandatory in all domestic rewires is such a simple thing to do. At Appleby we think it’s time for a change, and make sure that fire safety is consistent wherever we live.

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