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Berkeley Homes has selected REHAU window, patio door and curtain walling systems for its landmark Kidbrooke development in south east London, which when complete will be one of the largest housing-led regeneration projects in Europe.

The first phase of the development of nearly 450 apartments and mews houses at City Point overlooking Sutcliffe Park is now complete where tilt and turn windows, sliding patio doors and REHAU Polytec 50S composite curtain walling have been fabricated and installed.

All of the frames are coloured grey on the exterior to enhance the contemporary styling of the development and are white on the interior to suit the décor requirements of residents.

A particular feature of City Point is that many of the apartments have glazed balconies which are accessed via sliding patio doors fabricated using REHAU’ S717 patio system. These sliding doors have been fitted within frames in the REHAU Polytec 50S composite curtain walling system to benefit from the slim 50mm sight lines.

REHAU has a long and successful relationship with Berkeley Homes based largely on the high specification and quality of its window and door systems and the level of support available from its commercial sales team. At Kidbrooke REHAU’s team carried out design support and completed interface drawings for use by the project architects.

Developed in partnership between Berkeley Homes, Royal Borough of Greenwich and the Mayor of London, Kidbrooke was originally a 109 hectare brownfield site. Over the next 15-20 years, a £1bn regeneration project will deliver a sustainable new community with nearly 4,000 new homes and 170,000 sq ft of commercial and retail space, including sports, healthcare, educational and community facilities, as well as parks and green open spaces.

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Stelrad Radiators award winning new Radical serial feed radiators have been set some difficult conundrums to work with as more and more people are drawn towards this exciting new design radiator to provide energy efficient heating in their homes and commercial buildings. But few had offered the Radical the challenge that a historic home renovation near Woking has provided in recent months!

When Peter White and his partner Tanina – the owners of established property development company Lencrest Homes in Surrey – fell in love with their new Surrey home, one of the major challenges was always going to be heating it! Through his profession, Peter was as well qualified as any to come up with a solution, but he admits even he had to think long and hard about how to approach the 'u-value nightmare' he had taken on.

Peter had been able to trace the oldest parts of the building back to arguably 1480 – it had originally been a medieval hall house – and over the centuries, bits and pieces had been added, even including a seventeenth century bread oven! The last attempts to renovate the property had taken place in the late nineteen seventies and eighties, but from the evidence available to Peter, it had proved to be a job too far for those attempting to turn it into a comfortable home.

The current renovation is very much 'work in progress', but significant steps forward have been taken. The heating system is just about two thirds installed and much of the house is now 'liveable' and becoming the family home Peter envisaged when he first clapped eyes on the property: “We're getting there,” he says. “The plan was to undertake a sympathetic renovation of the property, retaining all the features inside and out. We started from the exciting position that there wasn't a straight wall in the house! We have uncovered some of the original wattle and daub walls – many of which are in perfect condition! The hazel twigs they used five or six hundred years ago are still flexible and as good as new – it's quite amazing. But of course it came with no insulation of any sort, anywhere and a heating system that frankly was totally inadequate, so we needed some help to overcome these very basic issues at the outset! And piping and fixing anything to floors, walls and ceilings was an interesting challenge.”

But where there's a will there's a way and with the heating installation pretty much there now, there is significant light at the end of Peter's tunnel! It's a listed building of course which puts significant restrictions on what can and can't be done but Peter joined the Listed Property Owners Club and with help from them and his own experience, it's all coming together.

He's gone with a modern condensing boiler – a Worcester 440 CDi – with the latest intelligent controls. He considered heat pumps but decided the boiler option made more sense and made installation simpler. He discovered the Stelrad Radical radiator and was particularly drawn towards them for a number of reasons – one the much higher radiant heat obtained from them in comparison to traditional radiators – 50% more, and the fact that they heat up more quickly than traditional radiators as well – up to 23% more quickly. But he was also keen that the condensing boiler really returned the energy efficiency it claimed – and Radical radiators, because of the cooler return flow circulating water to the boiler, ensure that a condensing boiler actually condenses – giving the 93%+ energy efficiency he was looking for: “We considered ground floor underfloor heating but frankly we needed a heating system that heats up quickly and provides almost instant heat around the home and that's something UFH can't provide. In addition, digging up uneven floors with a variety of substrates throughout the house was a 'no-no' as well so UFH simply wasn't right for the job.

“The Stelrad Radicals are performing really well – if anything they provide too much heat at times and we are delighted to have to turn them down – that wasn't something we were anticipating! With a variety of construction methods throughout the property, we don't just have to consider room sizes for u-values – we have to consider whether it's a brick wall, a stud wall, or wattle and daub – that makes things a wee bit more complex! But so far – so good – and we're really impressed with the performance of the Stelrad Radical radiators we've chosen. We have a number of projects through the business coming up and I'm planning on using Radicals for these too now, I've been that impressed with them. They're as easy to install as standard rads, they are aesthetically pleasing and it's another sales benefit to our customers to be able to highlight that their radiators have been independently shown to contribute a 10.5% saving on their energy bills – it's win, win all the way.”

To find out more about Stelrad's Radical radiator, head for www.stelrad.com or call for further 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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With its focus on ‘what BIM should be about’ and its commitment to sweeping away ‘BIMwash’, the Crystal Clear BIM Conference on the 17th and 18th June proved to be a great success. Organised and hosted by Amtech, the conference enabled over 260 delegates from across the built environment sector to listen to and engage with a wide range of speakers from government departments through to facilities managers.

In his opening address Amtech CEO Mark Tindall observed the importance of cultural change to the successful implementation of BIM, along with the efficient management of data. He also stressed the importance of interoperability between software platforms to enable information to be shared and updated throughout the life of the asset.

A recurring theme throughout the conference was the need to understand the end user’s requirements, ensuring that aspects of operation and maintenance are considered from the very early design stages. As Roy Evans from the BIM team at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills noted, it’s essential to move away from the ‘bucket of keys’ handover process.

Professor David Philp, Head of BIM at the Cabinet Office, noted that technology is an important enabler for BIM, facilitating the management of growing volumes of data as the built environment enters a ‘digital revolution’.

To demonstrate this a number of projects were referenced to illustrate some of the uses of BIM technology and the role that a true BIM database can play in this. Delegates heard about BIM data being transferred to tablet PCs for ease of use on site and the tracking of materials as they arrive on site through the use of RFID tags. Amtech also provided a demonstration of how laser scanning can be used to create a BIM for an existing building – in this case, the recently completed Crystal Building!

Delegates also heard from Ismena Clout, Chair of the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) on the importance of BIM data to the ongoing operation and maintenance of built assets.

In all, 18 speakers presented different perspectives on BIM and while some views differed all agreed that BIM is primarily about people collaborating, processes working together and technology enabling the efficient sharing of information.

This was a refreshingly different conference with honesty, straight talking and even a little humour!

Amtech will be announcing dates for next years conference very soon and if you can’t wait that long then look out for their free Crystal Clear BIM Workshops being held at major race tracks alongside British Superbikes.

Presentations from the conference can be accessed at www.amtech.co.uk/conference

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The REHAU Polytec 50S curtain walling system is a key architectural element in the £20m Ocean Hotel with Spa at Butlins' Bognor Regis Resort.

The centrepiece is an externally facetted screen fabricated in REHAU Polytec 50S which spans two floors of a double height lobby area at the hotel's southern entrance. It has been installed without the requirement for any secondary steel structure – demonstrating the strength and durability of the composite system.

The PVCu composite curtain walling is used throughout much of the ground floor of the hotel, giving guests extensive views over the south downs and the sea. The external aluminium sections of the REHAU Polytec 50S were powder coated in dark grey.

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Amtech, the market-leading software developer for the UK Building Services Industry, has launched FastTest for iPad, included with all purchases of FastTest 2013 – stand-alone or as part of an Amtech Office suite.

Designed for use with iPad and iPad Mini, it makes the onsite production of Inspection & Testing certificates easier and quicker. As the test results are collected, the data is simply entered into the App on the iPad. Then, when the work is complete, all of the data is synchronised to Amtech’s cloud servers for secure storage.

Back in the office, the data from the cloud storage is simply imported to FastTest on the main computer and the certificates can then be produced for distribution to customers by email or post. The result is that productivity on site is maximised and the paperwork is quickly completed on return to the office. FastTest for iPad also facilitates the management of multiple engineers on site.

FastTest for iPad makes it easy to create and manage new certificates, or to navigate through existing certificates on the iPad. When carrying out re-tests, the previous certificate can simply be downloaded so that all of the core information is already in place to save even more time.

The status of each report is shown with a single tap and data is easily accessed and entered using a combination of simple drop-downs and the on-screen keyboard. Notes can be added at any time.

Amtech Sales Director, Nick Harper commented: “FastTest for iPad has been developed in conjunction with FastTest users, ensuring that it adds value to their day-to-day Inspection & Testing activities. In fact, this is just the first of a number of new developments that will help our customers maximise their productivity through the use of mobile technologies.”

Amtech has also launched a LinkedIn discussion group for FastTest users, facilitating feedback that will help to continually develop the product and help users make the transition to mobile platforms.

For further information: www.amtech.co.uk/ipad

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From 2008 Queenswood School, an independent day and boarding school situated in Hertfordshire, undertook refurbishment of several of its boarding houses. In 2011 an eight month project saw Stamp House transformed into a brand new Junior Boarding House complete with dormitories, communal bathroom and dining areas.

The Taplanes® Mini-pod, containing a shower and large changing area, were chosen as the perfect solution for their communal bathroom areas. The Mini-pod was fitted complete with inset LED lighting, extraction grid, shower fitments, waste trap and internal shower door in a chrome finish.

The results were an easy to maintain showering area for boarders where they can leave their belongings whilst they shower and then change – allowing Queenswood School to maximise space whilst ensuring total privacy for their boarders.

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With a water vapour transmission of 2736 g/m2/day, Klober Permo® air is 13% more breathable than any other roofing underlay. Being air-open, the NHBC approves its use without supporting high level ventilation, one of only two products to have achieved such a performance standard. This not only prevents formation of condensation in the roof space during a building's critical dry out period, but enables the roofline to be uninterrupted on refurbishments, a particularly critical factor with historic buildings. Hydrophobically treated, Permo air is a 3-layer, UV-stabilised polypropylene fleece with a high performance meltblown layer. Suitable for cold and warm roof applications, it has exceptional nail tear resistance, is fully recyclable and can be used in temperatures from -40°C to +80°C.

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NEW ELECTRIC SHOWER RANGE LAUNCHED BY MX

MX Group has unveiled its new ‘QI’ electric shower range – a ‘quick installation’ range of electric showers that sets new standards for simple installation. Featuring eight entry points for water and electric – these showers are the simplest yet and most effective electric shower installation option in today’s marketplace.

Ideal for new build or retrofit opportunities, these good looking, ‘sleek design’ showers are up to 30% slimmer than other units on the market and combined with its other special features, the QI range from MX is at the leading edge of electric shower technology.

The QI range covers the footprint of most electric showers and with an adjustable lower bracket available on the Inspiration QI model, you can ensure that all existing wall fixings are covered up – making it an ideal replacement product where an old shower has been removed or for shower replacement programmes for social and private landlords.

“This new QI range has been designed equally with the installer and the end user in mind,” says Group Marketing Manager, Sasha Davies. “They come with a two year guarantee and our showers comply with BEAB approval and conform to all British Standards. Where applicable we ensure that materials used are WRAS approved and Phthalate free.”

The new range comprises the Duo QI and the Inspiration QI. The Duo QI is available in 7.5kW, 8.5kW and 9.5kW models and features the 8-way facility for plumbing and electrics, a visual temperature indicator, a safety high temperature cut out, a cold setting and a 3 mode rub clean showerhead. The Inspiration QI comes in 8.5kW, 9.5kW and 10.5kW models, and features a low pressure warning indicator, a safety high temperature cut out, phased shutdown, a 6 mode rub clean showerhead and a fully adjustable riser rail. The new models come with an easily removable filter that can be serviced quickly and easily without the removal of any parts.

“The new range is wired for both left and right wiring terminals and has detachable corners for easy plumbing access,” says MX’s Bernard Robinson. “It’s genuinely been designed with a huge amount of thought to provide the solution to anyone looking for an electric shower – and they’re extremely good looking showers – that will enhance any bathroom in the country.”

Full details of the IQ range can be found on the impressive MX Group web site at www.mx-group.com. You can get more information or brochures by calling 01684 293311 or by emailing sales@mx-group.com.

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Visitors to the exciting Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, just a stone's throw from Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory, can't fail to be impressed by the museum's 'spaceship like' modern exterior. The museum is dedicated to the 16th century Tudor Navy warship Mary Rose. The hull and a small selection of the 19,000 artefacts recovered with the ship were on display shortly after the raising in 1982. In September 2009 the ship hall was closed to allow the start of construction of a new museum that was opened at the end of May 2013. The conservation of the Mary Rose hull should be complete by 2016.

The construction was challenging with the museum having to be built over a sealed “hotbox”, which housed the hull, without disruption to the vitally important hull conservation spray process. In April 2013 the polyethylene glycol sprays were turned off and the process of controlled air drying began. In 2016 the “hotbox” will be removed and for the first time since 1545 the ship will be revealed dry. The museum displays many thousands of the artefacts recovered from within the ship. The Mary Rose Trust has created a world-leading museum in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard for the Mary Rose and the Tudor Navy, and an international centre for maritime archaeology, education and research.

Every major building such as the Mary Rose museum, depends heavily on the installed specialist machinery and systems that ensure the building environment is maintained within design conservation and visitor comfort parameters. Of major importance, located in dedicated plant rooms, are the pumps.

Engineering on the Mary Rose project were Ramboll UK, whilst the prime building contractor was Warings (Bouygues UK). The pumps selected from the huge Wilo range were supplied via Pipe Center, Southampton.

The pumps are situated in one of the neatest plant rooms you'll see, a benefit of being able to plan a new building such as this from scratch. The plant room incorporates Wilo pumps for the boiler circulation, secondary heating system, secondary hot water system, for chilled water circulation and a secondary chilled water system. The design of the building incorporates a dual duty approach, with two identical pumps operating alongside each other, sharing the load, to ensure guaranteed functionality at all times. The equipment supplied by Wilo for the project also includes two pressurisation units, in line with the design intent to reduce the risk of system failure and subsequent disruption to visitor flow.

“It was an exciting project for Wilo to be involved in,” says Area Sales Manager, Anette Scheepers. “Pumps are vital to all projects but these flagship projects make involvement very rewarding. We were able to provide the pumps specified and deliver them in real time so that the project ran smoothly.”

“We're very proud of the museum and delighted with the huge amount of media coverage we received when it was launched in late May, 2013,” says Sally Tyrrell from the Mary Rose Trust. “Visitor levels have been high and we're very much on the map as a key visitor attraction down on the south coast with people coming from right across the world to see the historic ship and the artefacts on show here. Being one of the major attractions in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard – with HMS Victory and HMS Warrior – the Mary Rose Museum has become an important tourist hub for this part of the world. Our visitors, quite understandably only see the exhibits on display, and are totally unaware of the considerable design and financial investment in the building, which has led to a memorable visitor friendly experience. We are very much aware of the investment and the individual contributions of many companies in making this a wonderful museum – and it's companies like Wilo that have contributed to the success we are now experiencing, even though our thousands of visitors will not see the plant room with the 'heart beat' of the museum's complex systems.”

Wilo pumps are renowned across the world for their reliability and efficiency levels. Here in the UK, Wilo is seeing its market share grow year on year and its involvement in 'stand out' projects like this is increasing as a result. The company has recently been shortlisted in the UK Pump Industry Awards 2014 in the 'manufacturer of the year' and the 'project of the year' categories. Find out more about these excellent pumps at www.wilo.co.uk.

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SILKA elements from Xella are BBA-certified, large format calcium silicate blocks manufactured in sizes of up to 1000 mm x 645 mm and a choice of thicknesses. Their use enables up to four times as many square metres to be laid per day while non-standard, factory-cut sizes eradicate on-site cutting and waste. Suitable for load bearing and non-load bearing walls, SILKA elements offer a practical, cost-effective alternative to blockwork and steel or concrete frame due to their mean compressive strength of 25N/mm2. With a high volume:weight ratio they also provide excellent sound insulation, heat accumulation characteristics and fire resistance. Xella routinely supplies calculations and working drawings for projects in which each cut block is identified according to its designated location. Laid by crane into a thin joint mortar, blocks have a smooth finish suitable to receive a plaster skim or tiles.

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