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The brand new Abbey Sands luxury mixed use development has brought a new glow to the Torquay waterfront – but its residents are also glowing – because of some superb energy efficient designer radiators from leading radiator manufacturer Stelrad – selected to share the heat in the new building.

Designed by Kay Elliott Architects for Wiltshire-based developer Havard Estates, Abbey Sands has been built on the site of the former Palm Court Hotel.   The development consists of twenty seven apartments, a coffee shop and 3 restaurants. Abbey Sands, is a stunning new 4500m² luxury mixed usedevelopment on the English Riviera. The six-storey scheme is situated on a prominent waterfront location in central Torquay with views across the bay towards Berry Head. The design is influenced by the art-deco style of the British seaside, and presents a contemporary interpretation of the ‘Riviera style.’ The development is the result of significant commitment from Havard Estates which has recognised and encouraged the potential of this idyllic site and the design potential for maximising on the landmark nature of this exciting new development. Abbey Sands was recently awarded Best Mixed Use Development in the UK for 2014-2015 at the UK Property Awards.

Plymouth-based ECS – Electrical Contracting Services – was the M & E contractor on the project, and through careful negotiations with the main contractor ECS was able to value engineer the project, maintaining the high standards set by the architects throughout the development.

The first and second floors of this prestigious development will accommodate 5 star, luxury self-catering apartments with sea views across Torbay. On the third and fourth floors there are twelve modern, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments whilst on the top floor are two large luxury penthouses with breath-taking views over the bay.
The interiors, which were also designed by Kay Elliott, feature the very best in contemporary interior design. Detail is key which is where the use of designer radiators to provide the heating for the development comes in. Despite its sunny aspect and warmth in the summer months, the south Devon coast can be very cool in the colder months and a first class heating system was always going to be essential.

Stelrad’s Planar designer radiator is a stylish, understated, completely flat, smooth fronted, slim profile radiator model, that has won a legion of fans in the interior decorating and architectural sectors.  The range includes lengths up to three metres and heights up to 700mm – the largest radiator in the Planar range now delivers 16,726 Btu/hr (Dt50).

Planar is available in five heights – 300mm, 400mm, 500mm, 600mm and 700mm – and multiple length options from 400mm to 3,000mm. It’s available as a single K1 (Type 11) or a double K2 (Type 22) and is now available in an amazing 100 SKUs and 12 vertical options. The Planar vertical range has added significantly to the appeal of this excellent design, allowing it to provide more heat from a narrower radiator footprint, making it a favourite across the UK.

Jan Tribble from architect Kay Elliott says the Planar was the obvious choice for this stunning development: “We pride ourselves on detail and we looked long and hard for the right products to grace Abbey Sands and when we were looking for radiators we wanted something understated, with clean lines and the Planar met those requirements. As well as the aesthetics, we wanted a quality product that offered reliability and quality manufacture – and Stelrad products offer both.”

“We were delighted that the Planar was selected for this project,” says Stelrad’s Marketing Communications Manager, Sarah Baker. “It’s been very popular with architects and interior designers across the UK, looking to add a quality look and feel to a design through the use of a slim profile, flat fronted radiator that blends perfectly into the décor of upmarket apartments, homes and offices. We’re seeing Planar selected increasingly over the use of traditional steel panel radiators to lift new building design to a new level.”

Full details of the Stelrad range of designer radiators can be seen at www.stelrad.com, you can call for brochures and information on 0844 543 6200 or email marketing@stelrad.com . You can follow Stelrad on Twitter @Stelrad or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/StelradLimited.

 

 

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Roofline and rainwater products from Swish Building Products have been specified by Broadaces Housing Association for installation on over 350 homes. Black half-round gutters and round downpipes are being supplied alongside white fascias and soffits through local stockist, Quay plastics, to contractor and installer, Newlife Windows.

This is the first time that the low maintenance building product manufacturer will be supplying the North Yorkshire-based housing association with components from its sustainable rainwater range. Broadacres wished to align the rainwater system with the roofline supplier, the Swish products proved to be the best value, high quality option. The housing association conducts value for money reviews on its technical specifications prior to tendering for all planned maintenance projects.

“Historically these [roofline and rainwater] components have been on a 30 year replacement programme however this may be reviewed going forward due to the increased life expectancy of new generation PVC-U products,” comments Ian Pollitt, quantity surveyor for Broadacres Housing Association. “We also pick up prospective replacement jobs following stock condition surveys carried out by our Technical Services team. In most instances, they new roofline and raintwater systems are replacing existing PVC products but on this year’s replacement programme there are 13 properties with timber fascias.”

Forming part of an annual replacement programme, 191 properties were completed under phase one; a further 161 will be upgraded during phase two which began in October and will continue into the New Year. Fascias and soffits are replaced on all elevations of the properties while rainwater goods are only replaced if required.

“It is a little too early to comment on the success of the programme but, so far so good, we have no cause for complain,” continues Ian. “The systems appear to be performing well and this should become more evident as the weather changes over the coming months.”

Broadacres provides a comprehensive range of services to approximately 5,600 homes in North Yorkshire. Established in 1993, the Association has grown both in terms of the number of properties it manages and its awareness of the needs and aspirations of its customers.

With headquarters in Northallerton, Broadacres currently has stock in Hambleton, Darlington, Spennymoor, Richmondshire, Harrogate, Redcar and Cleveland, Ryedale, Selby and Easy Riding of Yorkshire and Scarborough.

Broadacres provides homes for rent, shared ownership and outright sale, as well as providing a range of support services to different client groups including persons with mental health problems, learning disabilities, older persons, people with physical disabilities, those fleeing domestic violence and the homeless. In addition, it has a home improvement agency to assist with property adaptations and repairs to enable people to continue to live in their homes.

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Newton Waterproofing Systems are now issuing cards to all our Newton Specialist Basement Contractors as a further way of raising the standard within the industry. The Newton Specialist Basement Contractor Certified Card Scheme (NSBC-CCS) ensures that our clients are confident that our contractors have the best training and techniques available for waterproofing new and existing structures.

Contractors are trained in the following areas:

• Internal Waterproofing
  Newton System 500 Cavity Drain Waterproofing and Newton System 100 Cementitious Products
• Deck Waterproofing
  Newton System 200 Deck and Roofing, incorporating Newton System 700 Liquid Applied Floor Coatings and Newton System 900 Liquid Primers & Sealers. Course will include floor preparation.
• External Waterproofing
  Newton System 300 Waterproofing of Concrete Structures and System 400 External Waterproofing focusing on Hydrobond and Hydrobond-LM including spray application
• Pumps and Panels
  Newton ground water, grey water and sewage pumping systems. Control panels and battery back-up systems.

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