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South Shields starts a new chapter

South Shields is benefitting from a £16 million cultural centre featuring an iconic circular façade created with the Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel.

Contractors Bowmer & Kirkland have overseen the project, named ‘The Word, National Centre for the Written Word’. The three-storey structure designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects, includes library and exhibition space, IT suite, 3D printers, and café. The development, completed in October 2016, is part of a £100 million regeneration masterplan which partners South Tyneside Council with Muse Developments.

Creating a curved structure can pose a challenge, but the Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel was successfully engineered to provide a smooth, highly insulated exterior envelope. To achieve this, the structural insulated panels (SIPs) were designed and factory cut into narrow widths. This allowed them to be quickly and easily fixed to the concrete frame.

Steve McIntyre, Partner at FaulknerBrowns, explained their vision for the project: “The form and design approach of this iconic building seeks to establish a new benchmark in terms of quality of design, use of materials, and integration of public realm within the wider urban fabric of South Shields. This circular form encourages pedestrian movement between the Town Centre and the Riverside as well as having a striking and contemporary presence. The circular construction achieved with the Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel helped us to accomplish the concept of the spreading pages of a book.”

The 142 mm Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel installed on ‘The Word’ can help to achieve U-values of 0.20 W/m2.K or better whilst its OSB/3 facing and unique jointing system helps to minimise unnecessary air loss. The manufacturing facility where the panels are produced carries both FSC® (FSC®-C109304) and PEFC Chain of Custody certification. Also, there are constructions available that correspond to BRE Global Green Guide generic elements which achieve a Summary Rating of A+.

Councillor John Anglin, Lead Member for Regeneration and Economy at South Tyneside Council, said: “The new building needed to reflect our Sustainable Development goals, which is why we opted for low environmental impact and sustainable materials with a Green Guide rating of A or A+ whenever we could. This is to help us with our target of receiving a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating. We were also keen to ensure all timber used on the library was FSC® certified or equivalent.”

Both the Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel and Kingspan TEK Building System panels are now available in a 172 mm thickness, achieving even lower U-values of 0.17 W/m2.K or better.

For further information, please email literature@kingspantek.co.uk or visit www.kingspantek.co.uk.
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Kalwall creates healthy shelter

Around 8 million people a year are expected to be sheltering under Kalwall at the beautifully-designed new bus station at West Croydon. Designed by Transport for London Architects, this is an unusual example of how translucent Kalwall can offer many different advantages above its normal use for translucent traditional building cladding and rooflighting.

The brief for this project was to create a user-friendly waiting and assembly shelter to service the thousands of passengers using this important and busy transport hub linking the 150 buses an hour with the adjacent tram stop and West Croydon railway station providing routes to Canada Water and east London, and via the tram network to Beckenham and Wimbledon.

The normal choice of construction for a translucent and weatherproof canopy would be to glaze the roof with glass, However in-house architect Martin Eriksson and the project team at TfL realised that Kalwall offered a better solution in this location which would not only solve the brief and contribute to a better design but would offer many other benefits over traditional glazing.

For example, since Kalwall is much lighter than glass it meant that the supporting structure needed to be less strong and far less chunky. In additional, not only would the shelter be less high but the vertical supports would be less obstructive and open up a better view of the environment including the very attractive church nearby which had previously been blocked from the view of waiting passengers.

Unlike conventional glazing, highly insulating Kalwall is far more attractive than glass while eliminating shadows and glare and the stark contrasts of light and shade; improving the experience for passengers below.

Also, due to the way it diffuses natural daylight downwards and at night reduces vertical illumination and reflection upwards, it controls light pollution on the surrounding high rise buildings. Soil and detritus are less obvious on Kalwall than on glass and maintenance and cleaning is much simpler because access scaffolding is not required and maintenance staff can safely walk across its surface.

One of the main attractions of specifying high performance Kalwall for conventional buildings is its unique effect on both the interior and exterior. Internally, rooms are flooded with diffused natural daylight which creates a stimulating and very attractive environment. Although translucent, it also offers the big advantage of privacy while the elevations appear crisp, simple and inviting. When illuminated at night they emit a very attractive ethereal glow.

Apart from being specified for all types of new build, Kalwall is increasingly used for the refurbishment of cladding or rooflights on aged buildings. Case studies and technical information are available from Structura UK Ltd, Tel: 01233 501 504 or visit www.structura-uk.com/kalwall.
Structura UK is the exclusive distributor of the Kalwall translucent daylight building system for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and a leading supplier, fabricator and installer of glass curtain walling, rainscreens, glass atria, windows and other architectural glass building products.
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Getting a kick out of Kalwall®

Kalwall translucent cladding is a key feature in the recently renovated British National Taekwondo Centre in Manchester. The new facility was opened in time to service the needs of British athletes training for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Now for the first time, the entire national taekwondo programme, including 130 athletes, coaches and administrators, can be carried out under the same roof. This state of the art facility was designed by AEW Architects, with Balfour Beatty as the main contractor.

One of the main attractions of specifying high performance Kalwall is its unique influence on both the interior and its external appearance, particularly at night. Internally, rooms are flooded with diffused natural daylight which creates a stimulating and healthy exercising environment which, although translucent, also offers privacy. Unlike conventional glazing, highly insulating Kalwall eliminates shadows and glare and the stark contrasts of light and shade. The system also enhances simplicity by eliminating the need for blinds, curtains or solar control. In addition, the even distribution and deep penetration of light through Kalwall means less artificial lighting is needed thereby reducing energy costs.

Kalwall is a popular choice for sports and leisure environments and is commonly installed around swimming pools and sports halls. It is an ideal solution where an even distribution of light is important so that players can distinguish markings on the floor as well as not being distracted by glare and other interference.

Kalwall is distributed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by Structura UK, a leading supplier, fabricator and installer of glass curtain walling, rainscreens, glass atria, windows and other architectural glass building products.

The company has had all three of its ISO certifications successfully renewed for three years: OHSAS 18001 Health and Safety Management, ISO 14001 Environmental Management certification and ISO 9001 Quality Management certification.

Case studies and technical information are available from Structura UK Ltd, Tel: 01233 501 504 or visit www.structura-uk.com/kalwall.
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NVELOPE achieves top class finish for a student accomodation

Thanks to the installation of NVELOPE cladding support systems, a purpose built mixed use development in Liverpool features an attractive external envelope that adds a bold statement to the city centre.

Paramount is a ten storey mixed use development that has been built on the land where the Paramount Theatre was previously located. Following the regeneration of the area, the development comprises top quality student accommodation, a spa and gym, as well as commercial space. The accommodation offers 488 units, with a variety of en-suite student bedrooms and studio study rooms complete with a kitchen. Centrally located, the development provides accommodation to the students of Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool Hope University and the University of Liverpool.

North West Developer, PHD1 Construction’s aim was to regenerate the 3500sq m2plot to meet the needs of the community. The developer wanted the development to include a fresh, contemporary piece of architecture, and to achieve this, required a cladding support system that could achieve a contemporary look with a smooth finish. Bak Cladding Solutions, the sub-contractor on this project ordered NVELOPE’S NV3 systems through Vivalda in Manchester

“The orientation of the building panels presented some challenges for fixing the cladding support systems onto the building’s envelope,” says Alan Trueman, Contract Director at Bak Cladding Solutions. “We were impressed with the flexibility of the NVELOPE NV3 system, and this helped us overcome the challenge. The support system provides concealed fixing, which achieves a seamless effect that complements the appearance of the external envelope.”

Manufactured from aluminium alloys, NVELOPE’s NV3 system is ideally suited for concealed fix or mechanically fixed vertical cladding applications. The system is secured using hangers and undercut stud anchors or screws to provide a concealed fixing. Horizontal NVELOPE channel profiles are fixed to the vertical profiles. Rainscreen panels are secured on to these horizontal profiles using hangers and adjustable hangers.

NVELOPE ‘T’ and ‘L’ profiles are fixed using NVELOPE support brackets through a series of flexible points. Flexible point brackets absorb wind loading and allow for expansion and contraction, whilst fixed point brackets absorb both vertical dead loads. NVELOPE brackets allow for adjustment between the face of the primary support to the outer face of the vertical profile, providing important flexibility in the cladding. When under strain from various weather conditions, including strong winds, the cladding is thus able to expand and contract.

The NVELOPE materials used were manufactured from extruded aluminium alloys conforming to BS EN 573-3 and production BS EN 755.

For further information on NVELOPE Rainscreen Systems, visit www.nvelope.com or call the company direct on +44 (0)1707 333 396.
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Decorative casing – in a class of their own

If it wasn’t for column casings and interior wall lining solutions, building interiors would be considerably less attractive environments, which is as true for academies, schools and universities, as it is for the commercial or retail sectors.

Yet, as they are usually designed to integrate as part of the fabric of an educational building, their importance can often be overlooked or taken for granted by the building’s occupants.

Very few people stand back to admire a laminated plywood column casing at a school or brushed stainless steel wall cladding in a new university, yet they are key elements in interior design and integral to the aesthetics of the learning environment.

For column casings, at least, their role has been transformed from being a purely functional device for concealing structural steelwork to one of visual and decorative importance. While initially used by a relatively small number of architects in the mid 1980s, column casings are now commonplace, with their aesthetic values and appeal being a key consideration alongside size and material during the specification process.

The demand for wider choice and increased aesthetics from architects, educational design teams and specifiers have been key influences on Peterborough based casing and interior cladding company, Encasement, whose range has continually expanded and diversified during the past ten years to become the most comprehensive available in the UK.

Alongside the company’s six individual ranges of column casings, its ‘Vecta’ system provides a high quality solution for interior wall linings, bulkheads and reveals. Launched just a few years ago, the system has been used in a diverse range of key retail and commercial projects with Tesco and Prêt a Manger, as well as its extensive use for a new extension at South Bank University, London.

While Vecta has already gathered significant momentum, it is for column casings that Encasement is perhaps best known. The company’s extensive range not only includes pre-formed plywood and glass reinforced gypsum (GRG), as well as a specialised fire resistant solution for use with mezzanine floors, but also aluminium, stainless steel and glass reinforced polymer (GRP) casings for use on exterior applications due to their inherent weather resistance.

Interestingly, Encasement’s ‘Forma’ metal casings and ‘Polyma’ GRP range are also widely used in educational building interiors, where the wide selection of finishes coupled with their durability, make them an ideal solution. In particular, the Forma range provides specifiers with an even greater scope of options and can be specified with diameters from 250mm up to 1000mm or as square, rectangular or even hexagonal forms.

Recent projects, such as Winchester College, Birmingham University Dental School, University College London, Farnborough Sixth Form College, Shenley School and Liverpool University’s Donnan Laboratories have all exploited the practical and decorative properties of Encasement’s ‘Forma’ metal casings, as well as its ‘Circa’ and ‘Quadra’ products manufacturer from pre-formed plywood.

Alongside Forma, the Circa’ and Quadra ranges were the first to be launched by the company and are still arguably the most popular, as they provide specifiers and contractors with an unrivalled selection of finishes, which includes plain, laminated or real wood veneers.

In addition, as Encasement is the UK’s only supplier and manufacturer of pre-formed plywood pipe boxing and decorative casing products that holds an FSC® ‘Chain of Custody Certification’ from the Forest Stewardship Council, both Circa and Quadra are manufactured from FSC® certified plywood. This makes them compliant with sustainability codes and environmental procurement policies, which is key consideration on educational building projects.

Designed solely for interior decorative applications, Circa and Quadra casings are used in an extremely diverse range of projects beyond the education sector, which underlines their versatility, ease of specification and the immense range of decorative finishes available to complement or contrast with a building’s interior design scheme.

While Circa and Quadra are available from Encasement as a plain casings for on site painting and decoration, by far the most popular casings are those finished with decorative laminates, which not only resist damage, scuffs and scratches, but also provides the specifier with a diverse palette of finishes from plain colours, wood grain and metallic, as well as textured and real wood veneers, to name but a few.

The choice of sizes available is also wide, allowing specifiers to choose not only circular and square shapes, but also extended circles and rectangular profiles, which use additional infill panels to give greater design flexibility while ensuring they are still easy to install.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, commented: “Column casing provide a perfect mix of practicality and aesthetics, which are essential considerations for all educational buildings, whether they’re schools, colleges or universities. We’ve taken a lot of care to ensure our range meets both of these key criteria while ensuring that we always remain competitive and deliver high quality products, which are probably key factors behind why we have undertaken so many projects in this sector.”

“The Vecta interior cladding system enhances our educational building interiors offer and allows specifiers to source a range of specialised interior finish products from a single company with high levels of expertise and experience in this sector. We also have our own contracting arm, which enables us to offer a full supply and install service to support contractors.”

Encasement’s latest ‘column casing solutions’ e-brochure is available for download from the company’s website and covers every product in the range as well as providing details on materials, sizes and finishes available alongside an extensive technical information section. Further information is also available from their website at www.encasement.co.uk or by calling 01733 266889.
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Rodeca helps Severnside recover its energy

Cladding by Rodeca is being used on an Energy Recovery Centre in South Gloucestershire.

A massive 4,000m2 of translucent polycarbonate cladding panels by Rodeca are currently being installed on the £760million cutting-edge Severnside Energy Recovery Centre (ERC) project as part of a sub-contract package.

The 34 megawatt facility will produce enough electricity to power the equivalent of 50,000 homes and could also provide heat to local businesses in a solution which will enable the West London Waste Authority to divert 96% of its waste from landfill, saving two million tonnes of CO2 over the duration of the 25-year contract.

Rodeca’s tongue and groove Opal panels in up to 13m lengths are being installed around the ground-floor process areas and north-east gable end of this significant building adjacent to Seabank Power Station and the former Terra Nitrogen plant in South Gloucestershire by specialist sub-contractor Massey Cladding Solutions for main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine.

Being developed under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with a capital investment of around £250million in total by a consortium comprising SITA UK (the operators, now known as SUEZ), Aberdeen Asset Management and i-Investments, the centre will also include an on-site facility for the recycling of bottom ash. The majority of household residual waste will be delivered to the facility by rail from West London.

The design developed by AECOM architects is due for completion in summer 2016 when it is expected to create more than 50 permanent jobs. It is currently employing around 700 people on site during construction.

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

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Midland Lead launches new cladding solution at RCI 2016

Midland Lead, leading British manufacturer of machine cast lead, launched a new range of metal cladding solutions at this year’s RCI Show; the UK’s annual roofing, cladding and insulation event.

Industry professionals visiting Midland Lead’s stand were given the opportunity to see the firm’s new customised cladding range for individual facades, available in zinc, copper, aluminium and lead.

With the company’s machine cast lead having been successfully used to weatherproof a number of prestigious projects across the UK construction sector over the past 30 years, Managing Director Boudewijn Tuinenburg explains that diversifying into metal cladding was a natural progression for Midland Lead and a response to customer demand.

“Having established our reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality lead sheet, we’ve built up extensive expertise in the metals arena. Keen to expand our offering, metal cladding was a natural bolt-on to our current product range and a great way to offer our customer base a new range of architectural design solutions,” says Boudewijn.

As well as opening up new possibilities for a building’s aesthetics and working to preserve the structure, the new metal cladding solution is an environmentally-friendly, lightweight, weatherproof product that offers a full suite of practical features, including fast installation, low maintenance, large panel size opportunities and pre-fabrication options.

Launched under Midland Lead’s Construction arm, the introduction marks part of a longer-term strategy that will see the firm diversify into differing markets and products, alongside its core business of manufacturing and suppling machine cast lead.

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

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Architects deliver ‘civic qualities’ with Shackerley’s ceramic granite cladding

Shackerley has supplied over 900m2 of SureClad® ceramic granite ventilated façade cladding in different styles for Consett Academy and Consett Leisure Centre, adding premium quality external finishes for both parts of this £44 million regeneration project in the North East.

From the outset, the new academy and leisure centre were to be constructed as a single building with many shared facilities, but each part of the development was to have its own clear identity and sense of purpose. The specification of ceramic granite façade panels in different colourways and surface textures has helped to achieve this.

Seymour Harris, architects for the main contractor Carillion, had previous experience of using SureClad® in the education sector and had no hesitation in specifying Shackerley’s patented façade system when developing the detailed design for this scheme.

Multi-format polished and unpolished black façade panels from one of Shackerley’s most popular ceramic granite ranges have been installed ‘broken bonded’ to form a key design element of the main frontage of the Academy.

“Using premium black materials normally associated with the high end commercial sector underlines the message that the Academy is a place of work and that learning leads towards a bigger world,“ commented Seymour Harris Director, Tim Johnson. “The Academy also has a technology specialism and the use of an advanced technical cladding system seems appropriate as it serves to emphasise the focus of the school.”

The adjoining Leisure Centre has been clad with SureClad® ceramic granite façades in a lighter stone colourway, contrasting starkly with black detailing at the main entrance. “The cladding material has given the Leisure Centre the civic quality required, and maintained design continuity with the Academy, whilst the less imposing, brighter colour has given the facility its own fresh identity,” said Tim.

“The SureClad® system gave us the design flexibility we needed,” he added,” It allowed us to manipulate the coursing on the façade to employ both matt and polished layers of different heights and to interface effectively with entrance features and glazing elements. The ease of forming the junctions with other materials was an added bonus.”

He concluded: “The SureClad® ceramic granite just gave us everything we were looking for… excellent clean lines, stunning appearance of quality, robustness with long term low maintenance. The choice available also meant that we were able to reflect very effectively the natural local materials of stone buildings, slate roofs, and strata and outcrops of the surrounding landscape in our designs, whilst maintaining the civic quality demanded and continuity of detailing”.

For further details please contact Shackerley on 0800 783 0391 or visit www.shackerley.com.

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Shackerley’s engineered stone façades shape up beautifully at Kew Bridge West

Shackerley has demonstrated the extraordinary design potential and versatility of its Sureclad® ventilated cladding systems by supplying innovative engineered stone façades for a challenging installation at Kew Bridge West, an exclusive development of 336 luxury apartments in North London.

2400m² of fully prefabricated Sureclad® engineered stone cladding in a natural limestone colourway and honed finish has provided a premium quality aesthetic for the lower storeys of the nine apartment buildings in this stunning complex, designed by Stockwool and developed by St James, part of the Berkeley Group.

Two circular towers called for smooth rounded façades and Shackerley’s Sureclad® Hang On system had to be customised to cater for large format curved panels, cut to a radius from solid blocks of engineered stone. Additional challenges included the design of elegantly faceted façades to clad curved elevations of adjacent buildings, designed to reflect the development’s ‘horseshoe’ design.

Shackerley and specialist façade installation contractor Stanmore worked very closely together, developing bespoke solutions at every stage, from the design of the Sureclad® façades to the palletisation of the prefabricated system. Stanmore’s installers also visited Shackerley to receive expert training in the use of the Sureclad® system.

As this was the first time that curved engineered stone panels had been used in conjunction with Sureclad®, the companies arranged for the bespoke facade system to be tested to NHBC criteria at VINCI Technology Centre UK.

Stanmore Commercial Director Peter Baker said: “We were responsible for delivering all the external façades, curtain walling, doors, windows and other external finishes on this project but the engineered stone cladding was by far the most highly valued element of the job. Close collaboration with our supplier was absolutely crucial. By planning and modelling the installation in detail and working hand in hand with Shackerley’s technical team, we achieved superb results for our client. The overall experience was very positive and we’re looking forward to working on other Sureclad® projects in the future.”

Construction Director at St James, Brian Paterson, commented: “It was only when we came to value engineer the Kew Bridge West project that Shackerley’s system was brought to our attention. As a result of switching the engineered stone specification to Sureclad®, we’ve undoubtedly benefitted from a more flexible and lighter façade solution than originally planned and from very substantial cost savings, whilst still achieving our architects’ original design intention. We’re delighted with the results”

For further details on the Sureclad® system please contact Shackerley on 0800 783 0391 or visit www.shackerley.com.

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New unitised curtain walling launched by Kawneer

Glazing systems specialist Kawneer expands its curtain wall portfolio.

Today’s safety-conscious and fast-paced construction schedules demand high performance, fast installation, simplified fabrication, superior performance and design flexibility.

The DTI document “Manufacturing for the future” has long pressured the industry to increase awareness of off-site construction and build on the knowledge available across Europe and America.

It clearly highlights that off-site construction should be considered for hotels, hospitals, schools and supermarkets. But in reality, because systems such as unitised curtain walling do not require scaffolding, they are suitable for any site where access is difficult or restricted – in itself a growing phenomenon, with 70% of new-build now on brownfield sites.

With curtain walling being one of the most eye-catching elements of a façade, its evolution from the traditional stick system to a unitised one is perhaps one of the most obvious signs that the Government’s drive off-site is being embraced.

The factory production of unitised curtain walling from leading UK architectural aluminium systems supplier Kawneer gives predictability of time and cost, guarantees quality that reduces problems, delays and snagging on site, and avoids delays caused by adverse weather conditions.

On-site time can also be reduced substantially, saving labour costs and minimising local affects such as noise, dust and traffic congestion. Where there is a shortage of skilled site labour, off-site manufacture ensures high build quality is maintained.

Now Kawneer, which has 50 years of unitised curtain walling expertise, has enhanced its extensive curtain wall portfolio with the launch of a new fast-track dry-glazed unitised system.

The AA®265 incorporates a three-chamber system and overlapping gasket design for optimum weather tightness. Its dry-glazed assembly combined with the use of the same extrusion to all four sides provides both ease of fabrication and the opportunity for effective bar optimisation.

In addition, if access during installation is limited, the AA®265 system can be installed under restrictive working conditions, with the building remaining occupied.

The optimum weathering is achieved by zone-drained pressure equalisation, with the glazing providing a positive weather seal for high performance. The system also features an exclusive high-performance thermal break.

Its slim 65mm sightlines, picture-frame style capping, integral vent option and dual-finish gives specifiers a wide choice of options to create individual and exciting building facades as the AA®265 can accommodate spandrel infill panels of glass, stone and metal up to 50mm.

Adaptable to any new construction project from two storeys upwards, the AA®265 system has been exclusively designed and developed by Kawneer, with installation contracts undertaken in collaboration with its network of authorised dealers.

Kawneer’s unitised range of curtain walling also includes the AA®201 unitised system which suites with the company’s AA®130 Brise Soleil, has 63.5mm sightlines and can accommodate infill panels up to 32mm.

As well as many of the features of its sister AA®265 system, the AA®201 is available with fully-capped and SSG (Structurally Silicone Glazed) options in addition to a horizontal cap with vertical silicone joint, vertical cap with horizontal silicone joint and a range of mullion, transoms and face cap options with 63.5mm sightlines.

Both the AA®265 and AA®201 systems have been tested and certified to the stringent CWCT (Centre for Window and Cladding Technology) Curtain Wall testing standards.

A more detailed guide to the benefits of unitised curtain walling for off-site construction are contained within Kawneer’s RIBA-approved CPD which advises architects and specifiers about the manufacturing process and testing regimes for such systems, how they are different to traditional, “stick” curtain walling and how they are installed.

Kawneer is also able to offer a range of stick curtain walling systems including the AA®100 and AA®110 systems with 50mm and 65mm sightlines respectively. The AA®100 system is also available in a fire-rated version.

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