What's New in Building articles from July 2008

What's New in Building archives from July 2008

COMMENT: July 2008.
July 9, 2008... With projects on hold across the country, and share prices in Barratt and others looking less than healthy, it could be argued that now is not the time to be in house building or brick making. But should we heed the economic doom-mongers, or is...

NEWS: Swift move to help wildlife.
July 9, 2008... DEMONSTRATING its commitment to sustainable construction and assisting developers to minimise the impact of housebuilding on wildlife habitats, Ibstock has designed a range of clay homes for bats and swifts that can be incorporated into new...

NEWS: Structural glazing helps to reflect pioneering spirit.
July 9, 2008... One of the first applications of the new MX SSG structural glazing system from Technal has been used in the construction of a striking new hub for innovation at the University of Leeds. The scheme was designed by Carey Jones Architects to...

NEWS: Feeling crushed at Flower Show.
July 9, 2008... Crushed Corian worktops WERE used as decorative stone for a project at the recent RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Red Rhino customer Rubble Monkey sent a crew to Mega Marble in Wembley, London, where the team were crushing the Corian worktops for...

NEWS: Modular curtain walling is high spot of maritime scheme.
July 9, 2008... Unitised or modular curtain walling from architectural aluminium systems supplier Kawneer will be used on two apartment towers that will become the high point of the groundbreaking Chatham Maritime development. The Quays is a spectacular...

SPEAKOUT: Simon Storer.
July 9, 2008... Simon Storer external affairs director, Construction Products Association They say that every cloud has a silver lining, although if you're in housing it must be very difficult indeed to see any brightness on the horizon. House builders in...

NEWS: Aluminium spec' guide available.
July 9, 2008... Comar Specifications Folder is now available. It contains all aluminium facade solutions from Comar Architectural Aluminium Systems, including curtain walling, windows, doors, ground floor treatment to Duco's window ventilation and solar...

NEWS: Ecowarehouse set for rollout.
July 9, 2008... SIG Roofing and Building Plastics has announced the rollout for ecowarehouse, a new initiative that will see dedicated areas for sustainable products and technologies within the company's existing nationwide branch network. ecowarehouse is...

NEWS: Insulated roofing system.
July 9, 2008... Ward Insulated Panels has supplied a total insulated roofing system for Anchor Point apartment development in Sheffield. The roof of each apartment was fitted by Advanced Roofing using 2000sq m of Topdek with a Trocal membrane. Topdek is a...

NEWS IN BRIEF: BMS correction.
July 9, 2008... Levolux has asked us to point out that the solar shading control system installled at Peugeot Coventry's new HQ, was not, as stated in our June building study, linked to the building management system (BMS). Levolux, the supplier of the...

NEWS: Makeover in Cardiff.
July 9, 2008... Satellite Architects has moderised the look of the tired facades of the Cardiff Holiday Inn to create a fresh presence in the city. The project is the first building in the UK to use the Italian product Piz panels by Zecca. The project...

NEWS: Giving a professional edge to the roof.
July 9, 2008... A new rainwater system from Marley Plumbing and Drainage promises long- lasting good looks with a high capacity. The Deepflow 150 builds on the success and reputation of Marley's established semi-elliptical Deepflow gutter to offer an even...

NEWS: History repeats itself.
July 9, 2008... Koramic's Tempest 44 clay roof tile has been selected for the refurbishment of 30 houses on the Downham Estate in South East London; a 1920's development of over 6,500 two-storey homes. Roofing contractor A&E Elkins recommended the Tempest...

WARNING: Critical questions.
July 9, 2008... Carbon dioxide is often seen as the only polluting gas. Not so, says Mark Northcott, national sales manager at Broag-Remeha At the heart of the environmental debate there is a misguided assumption that carbon dioxide (CO2) is the only...

NOKIA DESIGN: Designer HQ gives Nokia creative edge.
July 9, 2008... London office design specialist MoreySmith has successfully completed the interior design of the new Nokia Design premises at 10 Great Pulteney Street in Soho (originally designed by MoreySmith in 2000). Spread over three floors of this...

MODERN METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION: Join the block party.
July 9, 2008... Machine Lay technology, which is being pioneered by Marshalls, offers new levels of efficiency, particularly on large construction projects Marshalls, a leading hard landscape transformation company, is currently leading the way in...

MODERN METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION: Modern methods build on tradition.
July 9, 2008... Gilbert McCarthy, md of Kingspan Off-Site, explains how modern methods can provide an off-site alternative to traditional building and how contractors can limit their environmental impact As the largest provider of off-site construction...

TIMBER: Get hip to SIPs.
July 9, 2008... If you haven't heard of SIPs before, you're sure to hear a lot more about them in future. SIPs stands for Structural Insulated Panels, a type of modern building component which is rapidly increasing in popularity in the UK. A typical SIP...

TIMBER: Timber taking more of a share.
July 9, 2008... Hugh Mansfield-Williams, technical manager of the engineering & product services division of TRADA Technology on multi-storey timber frame and cross-laminated timber panels The market share for timber frame construction has risen again for...

TIMBER: Acoustic performer.
July 9, 2008... Warren Dudding of Finnforest looks at how engineered timber can create a cost effective and eco-credible acoustic solution Part E, which covers the resistance to the passage of airborne and impact sound states that new residential...

SUSTAINABILITY: Free design service.
July 9, 2008... NOW available from Glow-worm to support its `Clearly Solar' product package is a free Heating Design Service for use by installers, house builders and specifiers. It's a complete design service to suit each particular site, no matter what...

SUSTAINABILITY: Cost effective energy.
July 9, 2008... Redland is expanding its renewable energy offer with the launch of the Solar Water Heater, a flat plate solar thermal system. Aimed at both private and public new housing sectors, it offers a cost effective renewable energy solution. With a...

SUSTAINABILITY: Lifetime housing.
July 9, 2008... Housing provider Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd aims to create `lifetime' housing. Two of its new homes feature a Passivent `whole house' Passive Stack Ventilation system. The systems introduce planned air paths into the home to ensure that all the...

SUSTAINABILITY: H+H Aircrete products.
July 9, 2008... H+H Aircrete Products are making a major contribution to Barratt's successful Green House at the Building Research Establishment's Innovation Park near Watford, a showcase of innovative construction methods offering practical and affordable...

SUSTAINABILITY: Electricity on a roll.
July 9, 2008... described as `electricity on a roll', ICB's Evalon-Solar, a single ply membrane incorporating power generating photovoltaic cells encapsulated in one homogenous product, has proved it can produce up to 20% greater output than the common...

PITCHED ROOFING: Green alternative to built-up roof systems.
July 9, 2008... Milbank Roofs showcased its green credentials at the recent Grand Designs Live Exhibition As the Code for Sustainable Housing comes into force and Energy Performance Certificates wait in the wings, Milbank Roofs is pioneering a...

ROOFING: Smart attics.
July 9, 2008... Collaboration between a timber systems specialist and a timber engineering specialist has provided developers with the means to quickly create an unobstructed loft living space Every once in a while, a UK-based company comes up with an...

ROOFING: Tiles harvested for granary.
July 9, 2008... Two of Sandtoft's high-quality, clay tiles are helping to realise a new concept in luxury family living. Cassius and 20/20 have been specified by Harvest Country Homes for its landmark Old Granary development at Monikie in Scotland, which...

ROOFING: Support trays now included.
July 9, 2008... Klober's Roll-Fix Dry-Fix Hip kits now include support trays as standard, each five metre pack being supplied with 11 support tray sections and newly developed universal ridge seals. Available in Terracotta, Brown, Copper and Anthracite,...

ROOFING: A shed is a beautiful thing.
July 9, 2008... Architect Mary Arnold-Forster specified Marley Eternit's fibre cement profiled sheeting for her second self-build on the Isle of Skye for a multitude of reasons, not least to prove that a shed could be a beautiful thing. The result is a...

ROOFING: Handmade tiles in Surrey.
July 9, 2008... Developers Try Homes has specified nearly half a million hand-made Keymer tiles to give a natural, traditional finish for its dramatic redevelopment of the Grade II listed Banstead Wood in Surrey, which has been converted into luxury...

ROOFING: Three launches in one.
July 9, 2008... The latest new product to be launched by Ancon is the Staifix-Thor Helical Super-7 Warm Roof Nail. The nail secures counterbattens to rafters, without compressing insulation material. To complement the launch of this new fixing, the company...

ROOFING: Check out the roof panels.
July 9, 2008... Ward Insulated Panels has topped off the conversion of a traditional Victorian hotel into 16 luxury apartments beside the sea at Scarborough. Ashford Cladding used Topdek insulated roof deck panels incorporating a Flag single-ply membrane...

BATHROOMS: Inclusive by design.
July 9, 2008... David Osborne, managing director of shower manufacturer Roman, takes a look at what is currently available for the less able market In Britain, we live in an ageing population, with national statistics showing that 16% of all Britons are...

BATHROOMS & KITCHENS: Tap production moves in-house.
July 9, 2008... HAVING INVESTED IN its own specialist brassware manufacturing facility, Impulse Bathrooms is launching five ranges of high quality taps and mixers to offer bathroom suppliers additional choices in complete bathrooms suites. The new units...

BATHROOMS & KITCHENS: Versatile member of the board.
July 9, 2008... New from Lafarge is GTEC Aqua Board, a high performance Gypsum board, which has been developed as an alternative to cement boards. GTEC Aqua Board is suited to wet and high humidity applications, and offers superior water, mould and fire...

BATHROOMS & KITCHENS: New colour for the kitchen.
July 9, 2008... Beauty, sophistication and innovation are promised in the kitchen with the launch of a range of new quartz worksurface colours and finishes from Compac - choose from Fucsia, Passion, Chocolat,Lila. Wine or Cement. All COMPAC worksurfaces...

BATHROOMS & KITCHENS: Heat stays firmly on the rails.
July 9, 2008... Available in cool white or sparkling chrome, the Daytona towel rail range is now available from Dimplex. Featuring patented DryTech dry element technology, the Daytona reaches 60 degrees Celsius in only 15 minutes and allows the heat to be...

BATHROOMS & KITCHENS: Love me, love my toilet seat.
July 9, 2008... THE RANGE of wooden toilet seats from Danish manufacturer Pressalit includes the Love toilet seat, crafted in the shape of a heart, with the romantic option of initials, in a heart pierced by Cupid's arrow, on the underside of the seat cover....

BATHROOMS & KITCHENS: Epitome of European cool.
July 9, 2008... Moods, the PJH Group's own-brand bathroom range, has launched the new Calma bathroom suite as part of its new 2008 collection. As its name suggests, Calma is a cool and relaxed style offering the latest looks in European design. The...

BATHROOMS & KITCHENS: Black looks for striking bathroom.
July 9, 2008... THE Hey Joe range from Crosswater is now available in a new matt black finish for an ultra-contemporary and striking bathroom centrepiece. Featuring a sharp angular design with up-to-the-minute joystick controls, Hey Joe Black is claimed to...

BATHROOMS & KITCHENS: Cubism gets a modern touch.
July 9, 2008... Pegler Yorkshire has been inspired by the Analytic branch of Cubism for the new Maverick range of designer taps and mixers. This latest range is a twist on what has gone before, re-inventing cubism for a more modern feel, with angular...

BATHROOMS & KITCHENS: Everything in a kitchen sink.
July 9, 2008... LAUNCHED BY CARRON PHOENIX, the new Java 100 in Polar White features unfussy linear shape and crisp white granite material. The spacious bowl measures 454 x 425 x 210mm, making it ideal for everyday chores, especially with the addition of...

LEISURE & RETAIL: Concrete contract raises the bar.
July 9, 2008... Contract furniture specialist Tsunami Axis now has a bar to shout about at its Central London offices. Over 6.5m long, in two tone black and white, it has been created in pure hi-tech concrete by MASS. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

LEISURE & RETAIL: T5 success story.
July 9, 2008... Capital Marble Design has been specified for the flooring at the World Duty Free store at Heathrow Terminal 5. It supplied 4500sq m of its Capitalstone for the retail areas and walkways. Capital recommended its composite flooring...

LEISURE & RETAIL: Handrail systems.
July 9, 2008... Until now, the design options in stainless steel handrail systems have been somewhat limited. However, the extensive range now available from AXSS 2000 overcomes these limitations, giving architects the freedom to create highly individual...

LEISURE & RETAIL: Audi's air quality transformed.
July 9, 2008... The environment inside Poole's Audi Centre and the aesthetics outside, have both been transformed now Monodraught natural ventilation and specially designed Windcatcher units have been fitted. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

LEISURE & RETAIL: Tempo up in Essex.
July 9, 2008... With a track record of work in the leisure sector, Washroom Washroom has put in another winning performance at a community sports centre in Essex. Durable, low-maintenance Tempo lockers in green-speckled laminate finish were specified...

FLOORING: Floors fit for purpose.
July 9, 2008... By Stephen Boulton, technical services manager at underlayment specialists F Ball Flooring products that are `fit for purpose' help contractors achieve the required speed and ease of use, and give them the reassurance that the product has...

FLOORING: Activity floors.
July 9, 2008... Kahrs has introduced a range of FSC-mix `all-in-one' Activity floors. Featuring integral shock-absorption and reinforcement, the Activity Range can be laid directly onto a subfloor, eliminating the need for additional battens and fittings. ...

FLOORING: Keep up the momentum.
July 9, 2008... Fibre bonded carpet and carpet tiles from Heckmondwicke now include Momentum. It has a random cross design to compliment any environment where durable, yet aesthetically pleasing flooring is in high demand. Momentum is offered in a range of 12...