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With a water vapour resistance of 0.03 MN/sg, Klober Permo® air is approved by the NHBC for use without supporting high level ventilation. The BBA-certified, air-open underlay has consistently proved to be the most breathable membrane available and prevents formation of condensation in the roof space during a building’s critical drying out period. Permo air has also been independently tested for wind uplift by the BRE which found it to be suitable for use up to Zone 5 on the recently introduced BS 5534 wind speed map (with laps taped or battened in zones 4 and 5).

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As part of Austin Smith Lord’s design for the full renovation of Liverpool Central Library, the original zinc roof of the Picton Reading Room, built in 1879, had to be replaced. 800m² of VMZINC® QUARTZ-ZINC PLUS^® was installed over much of the original Victorian boarding, a combination of batten cap and standing seam panels being used to satisfy English Heritage requirements for the Unesco World Heritage Site. Details were replicated with the help of the VMZINC heritage service in a design which has provided an energy-efficient, sustainable five storey building to replace those built post-war following Second World War bomb damage.

The roof terrace has been highlighted as ‘star’ of the project, not least because of the spectacular views it provides and the added visual aesthetic it gives of the rotunda roof and the Grade II-listed neo-classical façade.

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The FAKRO EFR Flat Roof Gable System has been designed to provide an easy-to-install pitch in flat roof extensions and annexes. The gable principle transforms the interior by maximising the use of natural light and effectively increasing the ceiling height. Suitable for pitches of up to 15°, four standard FAKRO windows (supplied separately) are used in combination in the gabled, timber structure. A FAKRO B2/2 window combination flashing is used to reduce the gap between adjacent windows to 40mm. All the necessary accessories are provided, the basic system being supplied for widths of 78cm and 114cm and a standard height of 118cm. The maximum roof opening is 228x250cm while the apex provided is 120°.

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Anyone who hasn’t been to Cardiff recently will be pleasantly shocked – particularly if they head towards Penarth and the waterside developments that are springing up around the city. Close to the new International Sports Village which will boast some of the finest sporting venues in the UK when they are completed, you will find Cardiff Pointe – a superb development of homes and apartments, close to the sea, yet just a reasonable stone’s throw from the centre of this revitalised city.

The first two phases of Cardiff Pointe are being built by Kier Group on behalf of Figurehead Homes and are the result of exciting design work undertaken by the project team on the development – led by Cardiff based architects Scott Brownrigg.

Built to a very high specification, a visit to the showhome close to the marketing suite begins to reveal why this development is already attracting huge interest both as a place to live and a place to invest in. The interiors have been carefully thought through to provide light and airy space with quality fixtures and fittings and a design theme that flows through the whole home with strong sharp lines and edges – through the doors selected to the radiators – the Compact with Style designer radiators from Stelrad. The first two phases at Cardiff Pointe will provide 98 units – a mix of three storey townhouses and apartments – and Stelrad is providing around 700 radiators for these homes alone.

The selection of single panel radiators with a single fin, is an interesting one, design driven – to ensure good looking, slimline radiators that sit close to the walls – but this is also in line with the heating requirements of new homes that are superbly insulated and designed to retain heat particularly in the colder months of the year. The sizes of the radiators in each room also highlight the increased energy efficiency and effectiveness of modern radiators – highlighting the issues with the massive elderly radiators that tend to adorn pre-2000 built properties.

Pre-Construction Manager for Kier Living is Shane Jay: “I was aware of the Stelrad range before we finalised the radiator choice and I knew that they would provide the subtle architectural feel we needed, combined with good value, providing affordable designer styling for any room on the development and I was surprised how easily that decision was agreed to and ratified by the team. Everyone around the table could see that the flat fronted designer radiators with the neat horizontal line would blend perfectly with the lines throughout the homes, in every room.”

Stelrad’s Business Development Manager for the south of Wales is David Last: “When Shane and I were talking about the development, looking at the architectural model of Cardiff Pointe we talked about the need for a higher spec for the radiators than in traditional new build. It was clear this was a special development and needed special treatment and when Shane said ‘This is a job for Compact with Style’ – we both knew this was the answer to one of the challenges the development was setting us….and now we can see them on the walls of the homes that have been built they are exactly right. It was a great choice.”

Compact with Style is just one of Stelrad’s designer radiator options, that are increasingly being specified by architects and building designers when standard panel radiators do not meet the higher values demanded of top notch developments up and down the country. To see more about Cardiff Pointe, go to www.cardiffpointe.co.uk. For more information on these stylish radiators, simply head for www.stelrad.com – you’ll be surprised how far radiators have come…..

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At the £16m Yate International Academy 215 windows were installed in the Passivhaus certified REHAU GENEO® window system. These are WER A rated with a Uw-Value of just 1.2W/m²K.

This was in line with the overall specification of the Academy which focuses on sustainable features including a ground source heat pump powered by photovoltaic panels and highly insulated materials throughout.

Alongside the GENEO® windows more than 15 varying sized curtain walling screens were fabricated and installed in the REHAU Polytec 50S composite curtain walling system with a similar low Uw-Value. All of the window and curtain walling components are coloured grey.

REHAU provided their support on the project with drawings and design calculations, particularly in the inclusion of additional reinforcement box sections to meet the wind loading requirements on the site.

The 900 pupil Yate International Academy was built by construction specialists Willmott Dixon on behalf of South Gloucestershire Council to replace the 45-year old buildings of the former King Edmund Community School.

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REHAU GENEO^® windows have been installed throughout a new workshop building at Cambridge Regional College which is expected to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating.

The windows, which are fabricated using REHAU’s Passivhaus certified six chamber GENEO^® profile system, were specified by architects Pick Everard on the basis of their thermal efficiency and slim sight lines.

At Cambridge Regional College, the windows feature 32mm and 28mm double

glazed sealed units achieving a G-value of between 0.41 and 0.56.

Some of the windows are up to 2.5m high x 2.5m wide which would have required

bulky frames and substantial steel reinforcement in conventional PVC-U but, in GENEO^®, the self reinforced frames are just 86mm.

Pick Everard specified the GENEO^® windows in an anthracite grey for the project to match the cladding used on the exterior of the new £3m steel framed building.

The new construction workshop provides nearly 1,000m² of workshop space at the further education college for training school leavers, apprentices and adults in bricklaying. It also contains dedicated areas for plastering training and well equipped classrooms.

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REHAU’s Passivhaus certified GENEO® window system was chosen for a new residential development for North Ayrshire Council which was required to meet a Silver Active Level of sustainability as defined by the Scottish Building Regulations (2012 ed), Section 7.

The specification was laid down by the council for twelve new bungalows built on an exposed site in the town of Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae.

In response, Architects Anderson Bell & Christie adopted a ‘fabric first’ approach focusing on optimising the thermal performance of the insulation, cladding and windows in the buildings, choosing

REHAU GENEO® because the system offers U-Values as low as 0.68 W/m²K.

North Ayrshire Council had stated a preference for a PVC-U window solution because of its proven low maintenance properties and the REHAU GENEO® was judged to be the most contemporary looking high performance window in a PVC finish.

Aesthetically, the architects liked the slim 115mm sightlines of REHAU GENEO® coupled with the fact that it could be foiled externally in a grey finish and left white on the inside.

In total, 150 windows have been installed in twelve bungalows on the development in sizes ranging from 0.6m² to 5.2m², with U-Values as low as 0.68 W/m²K. All windows were triple glazed.

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West Midlands Fire Service have awarded a four year contract to Ductbusters for the maintenance of 39 kitchen extract systems in their operating area.

Ever conscious of the dangers posed by grease laden catering extracts the service is setting the right example by having a regular clean conducted throughout their stations.

Certificates and photographic evidence are being supplied as publically funded organisations need to comply with insurance requirements in the same way as others.

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