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The conversion of a west London former town hall to include residential accommodation features Crittall windows, carefully designed to preserve the building’s original character.

The former Acton Town Hall, in Ealing London Borough, has been partly converted to provide a public library and leisure facilities but the Grade II listed structure also now contains a range of apartments, some in a newly constructed infill site, but others occupying a carefully transformed original interior.

The prestigious building occupying a prominent corner site in the local town centre now provides more than 70 one, two, and three bedroom homes, many retaining period features from the original structure, including lofty 3.6 metre ceiling heights.

The building, which dates from 1909, was designed in an Italianate palazzo style, executed in locally made red bricks with Portland-stone dressings. It features tripartite sash windows on the ground and second floors and casement windows to the first floor. The ground and first-floor windows are set under heavy keystones and those on the first floor also have stone aprons. All the windows are set within stone surrounds.

For the refurbishment and conversion works the windows within the original building were replaced with Crittall Corporate W20 profiles. Timber subframes were installed with all these new windows as a planning requirement to ensure a like-for-like replacement. The subframe profiles were a bespoke item so as to match exactly the size and appearance of the original subframes.

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A comprehensive new catalogue from Saniflo is colourful, easy to follow and showcases a raft of new products including grease traps, submersible pumps, larger lifting stations and a boiler condensate pump. It provides clear and concise guidance regarding which products are best suited to a range of applications – from small homes to large commercial premises – and features useful information about the brand’s history and global presence, the factory in France, noise levels, support, warranty and an overview of the Saniflo proprietary macerating technologies.

To receive a copy of the new Saniflo catalogue, please email marketing@saniflo.co.uk, call 020 8842 0033 or visit the website: www.saniflo.co.uk

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Situated in the heart of Dublin just a short walk or cycle from Trinity College, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland and University College Dublin, Scape Aungier Street is a new state-of-the-art student accommodation complex.

Offering a diverse range of high quality accommodation options, from en suite rooms in shared apartments, through to large and premium studios, the latest Scape development features communal study spaces, large open plan kitchens and gym areas to offer students all of the amenities they require.

As part of the construction process, which was managed by John Paul Construction, 226 Profab Access 4000 Series Riser Doors were specified for installation by AE Doors throughout every part of the building, including the communal areas and individual bedrooms.

The 4000 Series Riser Doors offer the highest standards of fire safety, supplied with comprehensive CERTIFIRE bi-directional certification from third party accredited testing, Warrington Fire.

This means the riser doors are fire tested from both sides to two hours, providing the specifiers, contractors and ultimately the students residing within the building with confidence the critical fire integrity products offer the highest standard and most up to date evidence for fire safety performance.

The 4000 Series is the only riser door in the UK to be independently bi-directionally fire tested and certified by an accredited third party to ensure legal compliance.

The steel riser doors feature a slimline construction that doesn’t compromise on quality or functionality, offering aesthetics without compromise. Providing clean and concealed access to the riser shafts, the unobtrusive doors were specified with a central key cylinder lock and hinges on one side.

This significantly streamlined the installation process for the team at AE Doors and reduced the risk of damage to the doors upon installation, particularly in the student bedrooms and bathrooms where access was restricted.

Pat Woods, Technical Sales at AE Doors, said: “Given the nature of this development we knew the quality and durability of the riser doors was paramount to ensure their longevity and continued efficiency.

“We have supplied and installed Profab Access’ riser doors for over two years and continue to be extremely impressed with the quality of construction, so we knew the 4000 Series would be the ideal choice for this project.

“The products are extremely easy to install and as they are manufactured in the UK, they are available with impressive lead times. This meant we could ensure the development of the project was kept on track, ready for its opening this autumn.”

In the event of a fire, the doors will maintain their frame and integrity for up to two hours, preventing the spread of fire throughout the property for this period of time.

The riser doors are 35dB acoustic rated, smoke sealed and airtight to Part L, whilst also featuring intumescent smoke seals that enable occupants to safely exit the building. By specifying the CERTIFIRE bi-directionally fire tested 4000 Series Riser Doors, the development is actively future proofed as the comprehensive testing certification provides a complete and transparent audit trail of due diligence that evidences the products are not only fit for purpose, but meet the duty of care required to ensure legal compliance.

Mick Hill, Lead Technical Manager at Profab Access, said: “Scape provides students across Ireland, the UK and Australia with contemporary accommodation that offers the highest standards in quality, safety and functionality.

“The specification of our 4000 Series bi-directionally fire tested riser doors throughout all areas of the new Aungier Street development is a further reflection of this commitment, ensuring the building features the highest levels of riser shaft fire protection currently available on the Irish and UK markets.”

The 4000 Series Riser Doors were supplied with a high quality powder-coated matt surface, which were finished on-site in a range of bold colours to reflect the contemporary interior design scheme.

Profab Access’ diverse portfolio of riser doors and access panels are supported by a wide range of BIM Level 2 and CAD files to aid the specification process and streamline the initial design stages.

Manufactured at Profab Access’ Atherstone headquarters in accordance with ISO 9001, the 4000 Series Riser Doors can be specified and installed in a range of configurations to meet each project’s specific measurements and requirements.

For further information on Profab Access and its range of access panels, riser doors and steel doors, call +44(0)1827 719051 or visit https://www.profabaccess.com.

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Altitude training specialist, Altipeak™, has selected Condair humidifiers to control the humidity in their innovative new Altipeak™ Mobile Altitude Pod. The six-man, environmentally controlled training chamber can simulate any climate worldwide, enabling athletes to train under the atmospheric conditions they will ultimately be competing in.

Noel O’Brien, founder and CEO of Altipeak™ International Holdings Ltd, commented, “The Altipeak™ Mobile Altitude Pod was initially designed to assist athletes acclimatise for the Tokyo Olympics, where it could potentially be 35°C and up to 90% relative humidity. Our chambers can monitor and control oxygen and CO2 levels, as well as temperature and humidity. In hot and humid conditions, our body’s maximum rate of oxygen consumption can be reduced by over 12%. Being able to train at the appropriate humidity level is a vital part of the preparation process for athletic success.”

Noel continued, “So it was very important to us that the humidity control system in our mobile training chamber was responsive and accurate, as well as being easy to use. We selected the Condair EL steam humidifier, as it offered us the humidity outputs and control level we needed and has a built-in touch screen controller, which makes operation really simple.”

Damien Power, Condair’s Area Sales Manager for Ireland, commented, “It’s a delight to be working with Noel and the team at Altipeak™, providing the humidification systems for their innovative new training pods. We’re very happy to think that our humidifiers are playing their part in helping athletes around the world achieve their peak performance and go for gold, wherever they may be competing.”

The mobile training pods are built using standard 20ft shipping containers, so are easy to transport and deliver anywhere in the world. They have plug and play service connections and even incorporate Amazon Alexa controls, making them ideal for setting up in sports clubs or training grounds. As well as design and manufacture of specialist training chambers, Altipeak™ International also offer simulated altitude training to people of all fitness levels at their two facilities in Dublin. Training at high altitude conditions has several benefits, including increased lung capacity, increased lactic acid threshold and making muscles more efficient at extracting oxygen from the blood.

The Condair EL steam humidifier being used by Altipeak™, can deliver humidity either directly to a room or to an air handling unit or duct. It is available in capacities from 5 to 180kg/hr and incorporates steam cylinders that last up to three times longer that similar competitive models before they need to be replaced, due to advanced water quality management.

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Saniflo UK – a leading designer and manufacturer of pumps, macerators and lifting stations – has helped to increase the versatility of a Norfolk boat house that overlooks the picturesque River Bure. The Sanifos 110 has enabled the installation of a drainage system allowing the creation of a room above the boat storage that can be used as occasional accommodation complete with kitchen and bathroom.

Sitting approximately 4m below and 65m from the drainage level of the on-site sewage treatment plant, discharging black and grey water waste requires a pump capable of lifting waste up and along soil pipes to meet the waste treatment plant. The Sanifos 110 is the ideal size to lift the grey and black waste and discharge the waste via 40mm pipework up to the treatment plant.

Specifier Jordan Andrews, owner of JA Plant Hire, says: “I came across this unit after a recommendation from The English Shepherd Hut Co. Two of their customers had similar requirements and the hut manufacturer proposed the Sanifos as a solution which I subsequently installed. The beauty of this unit is its size and power. It has a high quality, powerful motor at its core enabling the lift and pumping length, but it is housed in a compact unit. This means I was able to dig a much smaller hole of just 1m depth and not even 500mm width to accommodate the unit – which saves times and cost on civils. Because of the damp surroundings a large hole would have been less stable but would also have cost significantly more in labour costs.

“The Sanifos has been covered by a simple manhole cover which is flush with the ground so creates no obstruction. The outlet pipe is sited out of the way by the guttering of the boat house. Access to the unit for maintenance is still very good. The Sanifos has definitely filled a gap in the market for a small pump chamber with this capacity and performance. Delivery was also very quick. From site assessment to delivery was just 7 days. I will most certainly install further Sanifos units for projects of this type. I do a lot of sewage work and it’s great to have a product that is better suited for the smaller jobs.”

Today, the riverfront property Bureside in the Norfolk village of Horning, once home to the manager of the adjacent waterworks, is now a modern home complete with boat house and mooring at the bottom of the garden. The two-storey, cedar clad boat house is strategically positioned to maximise views over the River Bure and comprises boat storage beneath a living area with kitchen and bathroom.

Saniflo regularly delivers unique drainage solutions in some of the U.K.’s most challenging situations, including historic public and private buildings, guaranteeing continuity of usage and allowing for some remarkable conversions that help to preserve our country’s heritage.

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The iconic St David’s Building on the University of Wales Lampeter site is Wales’ oldest University building. Built between 1822 and 1857 the Grade II listed building has witnessed great change over the last two centuries and today houses the campus reception, accommodation, conference facilities, Founders Library, Chapel and a range of multi-purpose meeting spaces.

An upgrade to the building is due to be completed before the University’s bicentennial celebrations in 2022 and will provide the most modern facilities for twenty first century learning and teaching. Local firm J&E Woodwork was appointed to carry out the renovation work. With its own team of carpenters, plumbers, electricians, painters and groundsmen – who all live in close proximity of the University – the company has a brief to upgrade the building whilst being faithful to its architectural heritage.

Amongst the changes is the upgrading of the accommodation units to en-suite rooms. Daffyd Evans is a Director of J&E Woodworks and was looking for an integrated unit that avoided the need for tiling. After some initial research he approached local Builders Merchant, LBS Builders Merchant in Llandeilo for a recommendation. Based on his requested specification the Kinedo range from Saniflo was recommended as a cost-effective, time saving, yet contemporary solution and a demonstration was offered to showcase the speed and simplicity of installation. A technical engineer visited site and built a temporary unit for the J&E Woodworks team to see and, suitably impressed, 25 Kinedo cubicles were ordered including 17 Eden quadrant and 6 corner units; each featuring sliding doors.

On delivery of the initial units, a Saniflo engineer again attended and delivered a training session to the J&E Woodwork installation team. Daffyd was delighted at both the level of service delivered by Saniflo and the exceptional quality of the cubicles;

“The Kinedo Eden units were a perfect fit for the brief I gave LBS and feedback from my site team is that they go together really well and very quickly. The internal glass panels add a real touch of class but importantly the whole unit is easy to maintain and clean which was an important factor for the University. I will certainly be considering Kinedo for future bathroom projects. The service from my merchant and from the team at Saniflo was exceptional.”
Kinedo cubicles are supplied as a complete package and include showerhead, valve, handheld shower, tray, all fixtures and fittings and internal/external panels and doors. The units typically take less than half a day to install and are ready for use immediately as no tiling or silicone is required.

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Condair is offering a new online, CIBSE-approved CPD seminar on dehumidification and drying psychrometrics. The 45-minute long presentation includes training on the principles of operation for both desiccant and condensing dehumidifiers, how to correctly select and size a dehumidification system and the psychrometric processes behind drying.

The seminar has been developed specifically for mechanical engineers and consultants. The training has been CIBSE approved, therefore verified to be unbiased, up-to-date and technically accurate. As the presentation is CIBSE-approved, any attendees will receive CIBSE points towards their continuous professional development (CPD) record.

The presentation can be given online via a virtual meeting platform, such as Teams or Zoom. Condair typically delivers these online training sessions to attendees from a single company, to encourage engagement and interaction from attendees. Anyone wanting to book a session can request a date at www.Condair.co.uk/CPD.

Dave Marshall-George, UK Sales Manager at Condair, commented, “Our CPD seminars are always well received by consultants and this new one on dehumidification gives a comprehensive understanding of both the technology and the psychrometrics involved in a dehumidifier specification project. Consultants can expect to learn how the different technologies compare, when to use desiccant or condensing systems, how to calculate what size is needed, plus the many pre- and post-drying processes needed to provide air at a specific humidity condition.”

Dave continues, “Certificates are supplied to all attendees via email following the presentation, so they can register for the CIBSE points.”

The Condair Group is the world’s leading specialist in humidity control and evaporative cooling, with energy efficient, hygienic and innovative technologies for commercial, industrial and heritage applications.

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