Rainbow twist for brand identity

Anti-scald shower specialist Intatec has commissioned an urgent overhaul of its logo, after a study by Italian branding guru Dr Nome Sciocco revealed that the colour red may not always be the best choice for businesses involved in hot water.

 During early 2011 research team held a series of workshops and focus groups, looking at the perceptions of Intatec as a company, its products and colour associations.

The focus groups had representatives from architects, plumbers’ merchants and bathroom installers. To keep excellence and control in showering at the forefront, the groups met at venues across the UK renowned for the quality of their bathrooms.

Proving uncharacteristically shy about the source of her inspiration, Dr Sciocco presented  a colour palette that included the original red, some alternative blues, a green and white. She denied these choices had any link with teams taking part in the 6 Nations rugby tournament.

The colour selection was revealed to an excited board meeting by decision expert Professor Hobson, who heads the Acquazzoni Institute. 

For further information about Intatec’s extensive range of domestic and commercial bathroom products, log onto www.intatec.co.uk or call 01889 272 180

New high performance security door sets from Vicaima

 

Where maximum protection against forced entry is required, a new high security door set has been developed for apartment entrances, and is now available from interior timber door specialist Vicaima.

These new high performance doors sets are supplied with a robust 3-point locking system that meets stringent PAS 23/24 accreditation, where the door is tested to withstand attacks from a variety of hand tools such as crowbars and chisels. 

They also protect against the risk of fire, meeting the FD30 (S) fire resistance standard affording at least 30 minutes protection.  Acoustically tested to 31dB and FSC certified, Vicaima’s high security entrance door sets are available in a wide selection of attractive designs and finishes.

Where PAS 23/24 security doors are not required, Vicaima offers a multi-purpose secure door set with a single point locking system, FD30 (S) fire protection, thermal and acoustics, confirming to current Building Regulations.

Vicaima is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of high quality interior timber doors, working with architects and developers to provide door solutions for domestic houses and apartments, public buildings and social housing applications.

The new high performance security door set can be found in Vicaima’s new Entrance Door Sets brochure where full specifications are given together with the design options available.

To request a brochure, or for further information call Vicaima on 01793 532333 or visit http://www.vicaima.com/

Elliptical design demands inventive Schöck thermal break solution

The recently completed Kameha Grand in Bonn is already recognised as one of the world’s exceptional new luxury hotels. 

The unique elliptical section design made serious demands on the requirement for protection against thermal bridging.  The architect discussed the issue with Schöck, the European specialists in thermal bridging solutions and it was agreed that a combination of three product variants would meet the requirement.

The outer concrete arches on the roof and facade of the building cantilever 1.30m on each side and this, combined with the subtle design of the façade, meant that it was not possible to use a standard thermal break solution.  

This was achieved by dividing the projecting element of the framework into a number of sections and using the appropriate Isokorb^® for the required forces. 

 At the ground floor type Q is used, with type D being installed higher up the structure, followed by type K on the top floor. 

For further information about services from Schöck, or to request a free copy of the Specifiers Handbook contact Schöck Ltd on: tel: 0845 241 3390; fax: 0845 241 3391 email:: design@schoeck.co.uk or visit www.schoeck.co.uk

Cantifix Introduces FloorGlaze ™ – stylish yet safe, the world’s largest Fire-Rated Glass Floor!

There’s no better way to allow light to flow between levels of buildings than with glass floors. This is particularly true in hard to reach areas such as basements. Glass floors can also be fitted outside, allowing light to flood through into the room below. However, Building Regulations can dictate that these floors must be fire rated.

Cantifix has created the FloorGlaze range to meet this need. Fully tested and certified to EN standards, it is available with fire ratings of either 30 minutes (F30), or 60 minutes (F60) insulation and integrity. What this means is that in the unfortunate event of a fire in the room below the glass floor, the panel will stay strong enough and cool enough to walk on for the specified time period. A Floorglaze floor will also reduce the spread of fire, limit the movement of flame and smoke, and minimise the risk of fire-induced structural problems.

FloorGlaze comprises of multi-layered panes of toughened and heat-soaked safety glass, resin-laminated together to carry pedestrian and concentrated loads. This is done using DuPont’s Sentryglas plus, which is five times stronger and up to 100 times stiffer than conventional laminating materials. It is the largest fire rated glass floor in the world, available in huge panel sizes, up to 3.03m2. The F30 FloorGlaze can be joined together to provide a virtually unlimited expanse of glass floor!

The FloorGlaze range can be used in hotels, sports centres and arenas, offices, museums, laboratories, hospitals, private homes and anywhere else you can imagine. 

Cantifix has engineered FloorGlaze to achieve a U value of 1.1 W/m2/K, complying with new Part L regulations and giving brilliant thermal performance. It also has an amazing acoustic performance of 50 Db (Rw), ideal for stopping the transfer of noise between floors.

Sandblasting can be applied to the panels to allow a degree of privacy, or to make them less slippery to walk on. This can be done in a variety of patterns, and will create a soft, diffused light below.

FloorGlaze is supplied fully integrated into a single steel frame, making fitting extremely easy and complication-free. The glass is structurally bonded within the frame, and will give years of trouble free operation without the need to dismantle and clean the various panes.

FloorGlaze is available for both installation and supply only. For more information, images or sales enquiries, please call Cantifix on 020 8203 6203, or visit www.floorglaze.com

www.cantifix.co.uk

CAREFUL CONSERVATION WITH AMERICAN BLACK WALNUT

Winner of this year’s RIAI Irish Architecture Award for the best conservation/restoration project, the new library in the small town of Rush in Southern Ireland is an inspiring example of a modern intervention in a 19th century building

The project required a sensitive approach to investigation and planning and the architects decided very early on in the process not to make any changes to the
exterior of the church. And so a modern intervention was designed to hold all the library facilities within the church building, with a commitment to rescuing, as far as possible, the existing materials and to retaining the internal features of what had been a place of worship.

The intervention is formed as an undulating American black walnut plane which fills the nave of the church, running across the floor and up on both sides, creating an inverted ‘U’shape, which can be removed, with two galleries at the top. The rich, dark American hardwood species used for the modern structure creates a strong contrast with the light lime plaster of the old walls, creating a striking reversal of what might be expected in a more conventional juxtaposition of old and new structures.

And in a careful observance of the building’s original function, the architects have created gaps and spaces in the structure to frame features such as the confessional booth, creating further strong visual contrast between the old and the new. Rush Library is the kind of project that lead architect Niall McCullough loves doing. And the choice of American walnut, with its rich colour and texture, was hugely effective in creating the contrast he was looking for between old and new in the interior of a traditional 19th century church.

(www.americanhardwood.org)

MPB STRUCTURES USES SMARTPLY SITEPROTECT TO KEEP WESTFIELD STRATFORD CITY SITE PROTECTED

Westfield Stratford City, the retail gateway to London’s Olympic Park, is set to become the UK’s second largest shopping mall, and the largest urban shopping centre in Europe.

By the time the centre opens in September 2011, family owned MPB Structures, specialising in earthworks, drainage, substructure reinforced concrete works, civil engineering and railway infrastructure, expects to have used well over 50 packs of SmartPly SiteProtect supplied by MeyerTimber.com through a local merchant as the secure hoarding for the entire site.

For more information on SmartPly SiteProtect, visit www.smartply.com/siteprotect.