What's New in Building articles from May 2007

What's New in Building archives from May 2007

Comment: May 2007.
May 15, 2007... This month we feature roofing, with a particular focus on green roofing. While on holiday recently in Austria, I took a cable car ride and was pleasantly surprised to note how many buildings in that part of Europe do indeed have well...

NEWS: Lighting up at Scottish parliament.
May 15, 2007... Exterior luminaires by Bega are proving to be a success at the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh. Located at the foot of the Royal Mile, the innovative design of the building is enhanced with creative lighting. Designed by...

SPEAKOUT: Tilting at Windmills.
May 15, 2007... SIMON STORER EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION The government says we should have zero carbon homes for all new build by 2016, which is a mere nine years away. Now that's a tall order. Can it be done, and if so,...

NEWS: Schuco launch design service.
May 15, 2007... Building envelope specialist Schuco has launched Schuco Engineering Services. The aim is to provide a cost-effective technical design and drawing service for architects, main contractors and fabricators involved in the facade market. As...

SPEAKOUT: Divide and conquer.
May 15, 2007... PAUL EVERALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF LOCAL AUTHORITY BUILDING CONTROL The revised Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations in England and Wales came into force on 6 April. The most obvious change is the separation of the guidance into...

NEWS: A view to a kiln.
May 15, 2007... The design principle of the traditional brick kiln has been taken as the inspiration for the form of Hanson House 2, which will be officially opened at the Building Research Establishment's Offsite 2007 exhibition and conference on 11 June. ...

NEWS: Goodbye to Goosewing grey?
May 15, 2007... The prevalence of goosewing grey as a cladding colour could be under threat from more vibrant Euro tones if the findings of a recent international colour workshop are anything to go by. Held by Belgium-based Etex Group, parent company of...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Tightness FAQs.
May 15, 2007... Chiltern Dynamics' Energy Services Department has launched a Frequently Asked Questions section on air tightness testing on its website at chilternfire.co.uk/faqairtight. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Drain by design.
May 15, 2007... British Standard Design Guide BS8490:2007 is a guide to correct specification of siphonic drainage systems. Contact the Siphonic Roof Drainage Association at siphonic.org. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Roofing team.
May 15, 2007... German single-ply roofing membrane manufacturer FDT has joined forces with UK company SIG Roofing Supplies (SIG) in an exclusive distribution agreement. SIG will take on distribution rights of FDT's products under a dedicated division. ...

NEWS: Removable seating for redeveloped O2 Arena.
May 15, 2007... Anschutz Entertainment Group, developer and operator of London's O2 Arena, has selected a removable seating solution for the floor of the new venue. Matrix from Audience Systems will allow The O2's customers to enjoy theatre-style comfort...

NEWS: Brunswick centre regenerated.
May 15, 2007... London's Brunswick Centre has been regenerated by Levitt Bernstein Associates with original architect Patrick Hodgkinson. The concrete exterior has been painted to give a clean, cream finish with the original design. The Keim Concretal...

NEWS: All aboard for 2012.
May 15, 2007... Plasterboard producer Knauf Drywall has completed a test run on the Thames to prove that building materials can be sailed successfully to the London Olympics site. With a potentially significant reduction of CO2 emissions, Knauf Drywall...

NEWS: Weathered metallics add to cladding range.
May 15, 2007... Shackerley's Sureclad ceramic granite cladding range now includes a collection of metallic finishes. The ceramic granite slabs, used to create ventilated rainscreen facades, deliver the appearance of weathered metals but offer all the...

NEWS: Surface Architects complex designs.
May 15, 2007... Surface Architects' complex designs for the new Centre for Research in Film and Visual Media at Birkbeck College, University of London, were a challenge that few fit out companies would even aspire to. In what has been described as one of...

Ask the architects.
May 15, 2007... CHRISTIAN LAWRENCE NIGHTINGALE ASSOCIATES ARCHITECT WNIB finds out how and why architects choose certain products. This month WNIB spoke to architect Christian Lawrence from Nightingale Associates. Where do you get your inspiration...

Saniflo reverses gravity.
May 15, 2007... Many things to do with plumbing are tricky, but rarely impossible. Saniflo has been defying gravity for nearly three decades and as each year has gone by its small-bore technology using macerators and pumps has just got better and better. ...

INSULATION: More than a mirage.
May 15, 2007... In scorching temperatures how does Ski Dubai keep its snow cold enough to ski on? Award winning insulation combined with low energy use say its designers and builders. Claire Churchard finds out more A snowflake's chance in hell was...

REGULATIONS: Boost your Part L footprint.
May 15, 2007... It seems the old 10% rooflight area rule of thumb will have to be re- written, as new research highlights their positive contribution to meeting Part L Research undertaken by De Montfort University, reveals that rooflights with the...

SHORNE WOOD VISITOR CENTRE: Out of the woods at Kentish eco-centre.
May 15, 2007... Impressive structural curved profiles, flooring and external cladding at Shorne Wood Visitor Centre all demonstrate the versatility of a little-used yet attractive and durable timber The striking visitor centre at Shorne Wood, Kent County...

INSULATION: Sustainable insulation.
May 15, 2007... Michael Kennett of Pittsburgh Corning UK makes the case for careful specification of insulation The move towards sustainability in construction is being driven by a number of factors, none of which are entirely new, but which have gained...

INSULATION: Technical service aids compliance.
May 15, 2007... Since the introduction of Envirocare Technical Services at Kingspan Insulated Panels in August 2006, the team has seen 27 projects achieve compliance with ADL2A. The free service helps with compliance, it also finds the optimum combination...

CLADDING: Community shield.
May 15, 2007... Tighter energy efficiency stanadards are driving interest in external cladding systems. Gary Bundy, product manager facades Sto, looks at developments beneficial for insulation and design Last year's revisions to Part L and Energy...

CLADDING: Made to measure.
May 15, 2007... When large sections of a build, like cutain walling, can be made offsite surely it makes sense to get some of the hard work completed offsite, while onsite you just slot the units in place Selecting the Facade Partner Look at the...

CLADDING: Shady deals and a sense of drama.
May 15, 2007... Western Red Cedar Timber fins from Levolux have been specified to achieve optimum indoor temperatures at the new extension to the Jodrell Laboratory at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew. The vertically stacked timber fin shading system...

CLADDING: Cost effective way to raise the bar.
May 15, 2007... A refurbished Victorian church is the setting for the new Smith & Jones pub, The Vanguard,which has been updated and extended with help from Senior Aluminium Systems (SAS). A separate open plan building has been added to the former listed...

ROOFING: Green grows the roof.
May 15, 2007... Paul Caddy, technical manager of Index Green Roof Division, advises on how to make the best of today's environmentally positive, cost efffective and sustainable systems If green roofs were installed on half of the commercial, industrial...

ROOFING: Slates for all seasons.
May 15, 2007... With roofing slates, both natural and man-made options have their benefits, as Ged Ferris of Cembrit Blunn explains Roofing slate can be specified in both natural and the man made varieties, but which is most appropriate to use will depend...

ROOFING: Safety on site.
May 15, 2007... Falling from height is the biggest cause of death in construction. As trussed rafters are, by definition, erected at height, the planning and implementation of a safe working method for handling, hoisting and fixing them is essential. Few...

ROOFING: Natural stone for poetic landmark.
May 15, 2007... Over 13 tonnes of Burlington's Elterwater roofing slate and natural stone has been incorporated within the Wordsworth Trust's award winning and newly-built Jerwood Centre in Grasmere, Cumbria. Adjoining the grade II listed Wordsworth Museum...

TopProduct: Roofing - Guide makes it easy to choose.
May 15, 2007... Ruberoid Building Products has produced a new guide to underslatings for roofers that will make it quick and easy to select the most suitable products for any roofing project. The `Roofers' Guide to Underslating Membranes' is now available...

ROOFING: Get in the zone.
May 15, 2007... The Zonal Fixing Method promoted this year by the NFRC (National Federation of Roofing Contractors) simplifies how a roof is both specified and fixed to meet BS 5534, as well as the post-completion checking procedure, according to Lafarge...

ROOFING: Luxury up top.
May 15, 2007... Ward Topdek has been installed by Central Cladding on a luxury apartment project in Cheltenham. The multi-million pound development of one and two bed apartments incorporates an unusual `C' shaped building which presented a roofing...

ROOFING: Lifeline is a hit.
May 15, 2007... Capital Safety's Sala Evolution horizontal lifeline system has been an immediate hit with both installers and specifiers. Macclesfield based height safety specialists, Mantech, recently installed Evolution on a large scale project at Robert...

OFFICE INTERIORS: Healthy harvest.
May 15, 2007... The controlled interface between daylight and artificial light is key to a productive office environment, says Harry Barnitt of Zumtobel Lighting Lighting is crucial to the success of the workplace environment. Research into the effects of...

OFFICE INTERIORS: Flush and frameless.
May 15, 2007... Flush double glazed door Eclipse FDG has been introduced by Avanti Systems for use with its Solare frameless glazed partitioning system. Manufactured by Avanti in a special `clean' unit, the new door has been specifically developed to...

OFFICE INTERIORS: Juice on the loose.
May 15, 2007... Sven Christiansen has launched Juice, a bench desking system that is not only good looking but truly adaptable, reconfigurable and practical. Juice incorporates sliding tops as standard, providing practical, convenient access to cabling and...

FLOORING: the world at your feet.
May 15, 2007... The challenge of installing floorcoverings in the kitchens of the busy Queen Mary Hospital in Sidcup, Kent was met recently by contractors Interclad with the help of F Ball's Stopgap 300 HD, a heavy-duty smoothing underlayment and Styccobond...

LANDSCAPING: Designing drains to cope.
May 15, 2007... John Bailey, commercial director at Brett Landscaping and Building Products, looks at how sustainable drainage systems can make urban developments more eco-friendly These days water seems to be either everywhere or nowhere. One day the...

LANDSCAPING: Bespoke walling is now standard.
May 15, 2007... Bespoke all-in-one walling units made by Blanc de Bierges for an historic cemetery in Leicester have now been incorporated into the company's extensive standard range of products. The walling units were used at the 19th century Welford Road...

REFURBISHMENT: Country revival.
May 15, 2007... To renovate old barns in a conservation area and make them desirable living spaces requires a certain diligence. Three barns in the Mendip hills got special conservation treatment and kept their charms intact At the foot of the Mendip...

TopProduct: Flooring - Brushed finish a natural option.
May 15, 2007... Kahrs has introduced a new, brushed and matt finish to a selection of floors from its European Naturals and Linnea Seven Collections. The stunning new brushed finish, which is complemented by a matt lacquer, creates an exceptionally...

FLOORING: Contract Coral.
May 15, 2007... Armstrong Floor Products will be showcasing its very latest designer carpets and carpet tiles on stand A5 at this years' Design PRIMA. Bursting with texture and style, these Desso products reflect the current trends in interior...

FLOORING: F. Ball operates.
May 15, 2007... Floorcovering installations do not come any more demanding than in the main kitchens of a busy hospital. This was the challenge recently facing flooring contractors, Interclad and was successfully achieved with the help of F. Ball and Co....

FLOORING: Sustainable art.
May 15, 2007... When it came to choosing the flooring required for its new state-of-the- art sustainable building at Lauder College in Fife, the project team knew that Forbo's Marmoleum was the way to go. Marmoleum was installed throughout most of the...

ACCESS FOR ALL: An education in safe access.
May 15, 2007... Access at King Henry VIII School in Abergavenny is safer and easier for pupils thanks to the installation of the attractive Keenect balustrading system from Kee Klamp. Safety and improved access were primary concerns for Monmouthshire...

DOORS & WINDOWS: Architectural interfaces.
May 15, 2007... THE INTERFACE BETWEEN HOUSE AND GARDEN will play an increasingly important role for architects and designers as Britain's summers continue to warm and outdoor leisure becomes an increasingly valuable asset. New E3 folding door systems from...

DOORS & WINDOWS: Fresh finish in the frame.
May 15, 2007... Leaderflush Shapland has introduced PermaSkin - a new finishing concept for door frames that will not only provide improved quality and durability but will also significantly reduce labour time on-site, helping to meet construction industry...

PREVIEW IFSEC: Home controls with security.
May 15, 2007... BPT Security Systems UK has a number of key launches at IFSEC this year, including a new lifestyle system - Nehos - which encompasses home automated controls together with video entry and security. Nehos combines smart home automated...

PREVIEW IFSEC: Reassurance for lone workers.
May 15, 2007... Lone worker specialists, Connexion2, the developer and manufacturer of the award winning Identicom, lone worker protection device is unveiling its all- new, Identicom with Man-Down on stand 4039 at IFSEC. An extension of the award-winning,...

PREVIEW IFSEC: Like no other imaging camera.
May 15, 2007... Unlike other cameras, Flir Systems' thermal imaging cameras require no lighting that may draw unwanted attention to the facility or site they are protecting. They provide vivid, high-contrast images of intruders even when light fog, smoke,...