Multi-million pound luxury Oman development specifies 56 In Ground Power Units for effective outdoor power

Multi-million pound luxury Oman development specifies 56 In Ground Power Units for effective outdoor power

Developers working on the luxurious Al Mouj Muscat beachfront resort in Oman, required a safe power source for their outdoor areas and facilities. Specification conditions were strict for the power units. They had to offer a practical and sustainable power source that was fit for purpose, as well as having minimal impact on the beautiful aesthetics of the resort.

A collaborative approach from Pop Up Power Supplies® and Fabweld Steel Products (FSP) offered a range of In Ground Units which were successfully specified for the luxury development.

Al Mouj Muscat – luxury mixed use development based in Oman

The resort of Al Mouj Muscat can be found on the coast of Oman. It is a thriving community filled with a mix of residential and commercial buildings. The stunning mixed-use development spans 6km along the beach front and offers exceptional living spaces and leisure facilities.

Al Mouj Muscat contains around 6,000 new homes and residential plots, international hotels, an 18 hole PGA championship golf course, a 400 berth marina, a wide range of leisure facilities and many retail units. It epitomises modern living by embracing community spirit.

In Ground Power Units provide safe, sensitive outdoor power supply for Al Mouj Muscat

56 In Ground Units were supplied to the Al Mouj Muscat development. The majority of which were located around The Wave Hotel – a seven story, two hundred bed luxury hotel.

Fabweld Steel Products and Pop Up Power Supplies® worked together to create bespoke power units for the new build hospitality project. The Flip Lid Units were the power unit of choice by the developers of the Al Mouj Muscat project, and a main factor for such a decision was that they can be operated with the lids locked down.

This prevents any public access to the power units which increases safety in public areas. The chances of electrocution are significantly reduced as people can’t access the power source, as only the cables protrude from the power unit. The cables will be covered by cable protectors which also reduces the potential tripping hazard, which is often the case with more traditional outdoor power supplies e.g. external generators.

The In Ground Units provide an effective power source for outdoor events, stalls and kiosks around the hotel perimeter.

In Ground Power Units

The In Ground Power Units provided by Pop Up Power Supplies® and Fabweld Steel Products were bespoke units into which the developers were able to fit their specialist equipment.

The high-grade mild steel casing which protect the bespoke power requirements are hot dip galvanised to BS EN: ISO1461. This makes the power units particularly suitable for urban spaces, leisure facilities, town centres, shopping centres and other outdoor places with high footfall.

George Parker, Director of Pop Up Power Supplies®, commented, “We were delighted to work with Fabweld Steel Products on the Al Mouj Muscat development. Our bespoke power units provided a sustainable, effective power supply that was sensitive to the beautiful surroundings of the luxury development.

It is great to see our pop up power units have worldwide appeal, with locations in the USA, Germany, France, the UAE and more specifying our units.”

Richard Hilton, Managing Director of Fabweld Steel Products, commented, “The Al Mouj Muscat is the Sultanate’s premier lifestyle and leisure destination and demands the highest standard of visual aesthetic for this development.

The beauty of the pop up power units is that they provide a discreet power source and the recessed lid accepts paving or an alternative infill to blend perfectly with the surrounding area.”

Pop up power units for outside spaces

The simplicity of specifying the pop up plug sockets means the units are a favourite with architects, contractors, electrical engineers, developers, and other industry professionals. Our power units are supplied complete, therefore once they have been designed to the suitable specification, they are delivered to site where all the contractor has to do then is to dig the required hole and install the unit.

Fabweld Steel Products (FSP) are a Telford-based manufacturer of fabricated access covers. They regularly collaborate with Pop Up Power Supplies® to provide bespoke outdoor power solutions.

If you would like further information on the range of pop up power units please contact us by either telephone 0208 227 0208, email info@popuppower.co.uk or visit our website popuppower.co.uk

Telephone: 0208 227 0208
Website: popuppower.co.uk

 

The post Multi-million pound luxury Oman development specifies 56 In Ground Power Units for effective outdoor power appeared first on Specifier Review - Architecture - Design - Innovation

Kirsty Hammond

source https://specifierreview.com/2018/08/29/power-units/

Multi-million pound luxury Oman development specifies 56 In Ground Power Units for effective outdoor power

Multi-million pound luxury Oman development specifies 56 In Ground Power Units for effective outdoor power

Developers working on the luxurious Al Mouj Muscat beachfront resort in Oman, required a safe power source for their outdoor areas and facilities. Specification conditions were strict for the power units. They had to offer a practical and sustainable power source that was fit for purpose, as well as having minimal impact on the beautiful aesthetics of the resort.

A collaborative approach from Pop Up Power Supplies® and Fabweld Steel Products (FSP) offered a range of In Ground Units which were successfully specified for the luxury development.

Al Mouj Muscat – luxury mixed use development based in Oman

The resort of Al Mouj Muscat can be found on the coast of Oman. It is a thriving community filled with a mix of residential and commercial buildings. The stunning mixed-use development spans 6km along the beach front and offers exceptional living spaces and leisure facilities.

Al Mouj Muscat contains around 6,000 new homes and residential plots, international hotels, an 18 hole PGA championship golf course, a 400 berth marina, a wide range of leisure facilities and many retail units. It epitomises modern living by embracing community spirit.

In Ground Power Units provide safe, sensitive outdoor power supply for Al Mouj Muscat

56 In Ground Units were supplied to the Al Mouj Muscat development. The majority of which were located around The Wave Hotel – a seven story, two hundred bed luxury hotel.

Fabweld Steel Products and Pop Up Power Supplies® worked together to create bespoke power units for the new build hospitality project. The Flip Lid Units were the power unit of choice by the developers of the Al Mouj Muscat project, and a main factor for such a decision was that they can be operated with the lids locked down.

This prevents any public access to the power units which increases safety in public areas. The chances of electrocution are significantly reduced as people can’t access the power source, as only the cables protrude from the power unit. The cables will be covered by cable protectors which also reduces the potential tripping hazard, which is often the case with more traditional outdoor power supplies e.g. external generators.

The In Ground Units provide an effective power source for outdoor events, stalls and kiosks around the hotel perimeter.

In Ground Power Units

The In Ground Power Units provided by Pop Up Power Supplies® and Fabweld Steel Products were bespoke units into which the developers were able to fit their specialist equipment.

The high-grade mild steel casing which protect the bespoke power requirements are hot dip galvanised to BS EN: ISO1461. This makes the power units particularly suitable for urban spaces, leisure facilities, town centres, shopping centres and other outdoor places with high footfall.

George Parker, Director of Pop Up Power Supplies®, commented, “We were delighted to work with Fabweld Steel Products on the Al Mouj Muscat development. Our bespoke power units provided a sustainable, effective power supply that was sensitive to the beautiful surroundings of the luxury development.

It is great to see our pop up power units have worldwide appeal, with locations in the USA, Germany, France, the UAE and more specifying our units.”

Richard Hilton, Managing Director of Fabweld Steel Products, commented, “The Al Mouj Muscat is the Sultanate’s premier lifestyle and leisure destination and demands the highest standard of visual aesthetic for this development.

The beauty of the pop up power units is that they provide a discreet power source and the recessed lid accepts paving or an alternative infill to blend perfectly with the surrounding area.”

Pop up power units for outside spaces

The simplicity of specifying the pop up plug sockets means the units are a favourite with architects, contractors, electrical engineers, developers, and other industry professionals. Our power units are supplied complete, therefore once they have been designed to the suitable specification, they are delivered to site where all the contractor has to do then is to dig the required hole and install the unit.

Fabweld Steel Products (FSP) are a Telford-based manufacturer of fabricated access covers. They regularly collaborate with Pop Up Power Supplies® to provide bespoke outdoor power solutions.

If you would like further information on the range of pop up power units please contact us by either telephone 0208 227 0208, email info@popuppower.co.uk or visit our website popuppower.co.uk

Telephone: 0208 227 0208
Website: popuppower.co.uk

 

The post Multi-million pound luxury Oman development specifies 56 In Ground Power Units for effective outdoor power appeared first on Specifier Review - Architecture - Design - Innovation

Kirsty Hammond

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Tottenham Hale redevelopment plan features landscape design by Grant Associates

Tottenham Hale redevelopment plan features landscape design by Grant Associates

An R32 checklist

An R32 checklist

The first Harding Boutique Hotel breaks ground in Ahangama, Sri Lanka

The first Harding Boutique Hotel breaks ground in Ahangama, Sri Lanka

British architect Jonathan Ashmore pays homage to Tropical Modernism with the hotel’s design and architecture.

The first Harding Boutique Hotel is breaking ground in Ahangama, Sri Lanka on the 15th of September. The six-suite luxury boutique hotel, a new venture from a Sri Lankan-Australian entrepreneur Paul Harding, is set to welcome its first guests in autumn 2019.

The property’s architecture and interiors are inspired by Sri Lanka’s vernacular modernist movement and are designed by British architect Jonathan Ashmore, founder of the award-winning design and architecture practice; ANARCHITECT, based in Dubai and London.

Harding and Ashmore connected through a shared admiration for Sri Lanka – its rich landscape, cultural diversity and natural hospitality. Harding’s entrepreneurial vision and ANARCHITECT’s international expertise, contextual acumen and focus on materiality created a unique synergy, resulting in an outstanding new hospitality and leisure destination for Sri Lanka’s southern province. It is ANARCHITECT’s first Sri Lankan project and Jonathan Ashmore’s unique nod to the Tropical Modernism.

“My great uncle was one of the first hoteliers and great pioneers in the country, opening “The Blue Lagoon” – the country’s first hotel designed by Geoffrey Bawa – the father of Sri-Lankan modernism. There must have been something in the family as my love for boutique hotels & hospitality has been with me from a very young age.” says Harding.

“The new property lies amongst dense coconut groves to the East and West, ocean & beach frontage to the South and a dynamic local community to the North. It was important for us that the Boutique hotels design responded on all four elevations in equal measure through a clean, contemporary and modern aesthetic. It is visually calm amongst the organic and wild nature that surrounds it and contextual and environmentally responsive through its materiality and natural openness and permeability.” commented Ashmore.

Harding Boutique Hotel sets an unparalleled benchmark for Sri Lanka’s hospitality sector. It brings a unique piece of contextual modern design to the south coast of the country, footsteps away from the country’s world-famous surf break and pristine beaches, and a thirty-minute drive from the UNESCO World Heritage Site Galle Fort.

The property features well ventilated, wide, open spaces – suites with generous private balconies and uninterrupted views over the Indian Ocean, sea-facing private baths, rain showers, double vanities and king beds wrapped in luxurious Egyptian cotton linens. The rooms are elevated amongst the natural palm groves, seamlessly connected with their surroundings of the breath-taking ocean views and tropical landscape.

The roof terrace and the staircase leading onto it, wrapped in lush foliage, are the hotel’s key architectural features, defining the building and creating a deeper connection to the ocean. The exclusive nature and boutique scale of the hotel inspired ANARCHITECT to create hidden away moments such as intimate seated nooks on the mid-landings of the central open-staircase. These spaces are both contemplative and social, organically inhabited by guests and visitors at their own leisure as they ascend towards the open-air roof terrace with its three-hundred and sixty-degree views over the palm tops.

Tropical Modernism is known for its focus on the local vernacular, the area’s natural resources and cultural connotations. These dictate a certain architectural style combined with the modernist structuralism. High sun altitude, low air movement and heavy off-season rain downpours have all been the key factors when deciding on the hotel’s architecture and design. Materials used throughout the hotel include ribbed local hard-wood, polished concrete and granite stone in local Sri Lankan detail.

Harding Boutique Hotels Ahangama offers a unique combination of design, intimacy and contextualism that captures a new, modern movement in Sri Lankan hospitality. It is created by those who truly believe in offering an international destination rooted in local culture and set within an inspiring piece of modern architecture and interiors.

www.anarchitect.com

The post The first Harding Boutique Hotel breaks ground in Ahangama, Sri Lanka appeared first on Specifier Review - Architecture - Design - Innovation

Kirsty Hammond

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The first Harding Boutique Hotel breaks ground in Ahangama, Sri Lanka

The first Harding Boutique Hotel breaks ground in Ahangama, Sri Lanka

British architect Jonathan Ashmore pays homage to Tropical Modernism with the hotel’s design and architecture.

The first Harding Boutique Hotel is breaking ground in Ahangama, Sri Lanka on the 15th of September. The six-suite luxury boutique hotel, a new venture from a Sri Lankan-Australian entrepreneur Paul Harding, is set to welcome its first guests in autumn 2019.

The property’s architecture and interiors are inspired by Sri Lanka’s vernacular modernist movement and are designed by British architect Jonathan Ashmore, founder of the award-winning design and architecture practice; ANARCHITECT, based in Dubai and London.

Harding and Ashmore connected through a shared admiration for Sri Lanka – its rich landscape, cultural diversity and natural hospitality. Harding’s entrepreneurial vision and ANARCHITECT’s international expertise, contextual acumen and focus on materiality created a unique synergy, resulting in an outstanding new hospitality and leisure destination for Sri Lanka’s southern province. It is ANARCHITECT’s first Sri Lankan project and Jonathan Ashmore’s unique nod to the Tropical Modernism.

“My great uncle was one of the first hoteliers and great pioneers in the country, opening “The Blue Lagoon” – the country’s first hotel designed by Geoffrey Bawa – the father of Sri-Lankan modernism. There must have been something in the family as my love for boutique hotels & hospitality has been with me from a very young age.” says Harding.

“The new property lies amongst dense coconut groves to the East and West, ocean & beach frontage to the South and a dynamic local community to the North. It was important for us that the Boutique hotels design responded on all four elevations in equal measure through a clean, contemporary and modern aesthetic. It is visually calm amongst the organic and wild nature that surrounds it and contextual and environmentally responsive through its materiality and natural openness and permeability.” commented Ashmore.

Harding Boutique Hotel sets an unparalleled benchmark for Sri Lanka’s hospitality sector. It brings a unique piece of contextual modern design to the south coast of the country, footsteps away from the country’s world-famous surf break and pristine beaches, and a thirty-minute drive from the UNESCO World Heritage Site Galle Fort.

The property features well ventilated, wide, open spaces – suites with generous private balconies and uninterrupted views over the Indian Ocean, sea-facing private baths, rain showers, double vanities and king beds wrapped in luxurious Egyptian cotton linens. The rooms are elevated amongst the natural palm groves, seamlessly connected with their surroundings of the breath-taking ocean views and tropical landscape.

The roof terrace and the staircase leading onto it, wrapped in lush foliage, are the hotel’s key architectural features, defining the building and creating a deeper connection to the ocean. The exclusive nature and boutique scale of the hotel inspired ANARCHITECT to create hidden away moments such as intimate seated nooks on the mid-landings of the central open-staircase. These spaces are both contemplative and social, organically inhabited by guests and visitors at their own leisure as they ascend towards the open-air roof terrace with its three-hundred and sixty-degree views over the palm tops.

Tropical Modernism is known for its focus on the local vernacular, the area’s natural resources and cultural connotations. These dictate a certain architectural style combined with the modernist structuralism. High sun altitude, low air movement and heavy off-season rain downpours have all been the key factors when deciding on the hotel’s architecture and design. Materials used throughout the hotel include ribbed local hard-wood, polished concrete and granite stone in local Sri Lankan detail.

Harding Boutique Hotels Ahangama offers a unique combination of design, intimacy and contextualism that captures a new, modern movement in Sri Lankan hospitality. It is created by those who truly believe in offering an international destination rooted in local culture and set within an inspiring piece of modern architecture and interiors.

www.anarchitect.com

The post The first Harding Boutique Hotel breaks ground in Ahangama, Sri Lanka appeared first on Specifier Review - Architecture - Design - Innovation

Kirsty Hammond

source https://specifierreview.com/2018/08/29/tropical-modernism/

Odourless Roofing Solution Maintains Staff and Patient Comfort at St George’s Hospital

Odourless Roofing Solution Maintains Staff and Patient Comfort at St George’s Hospital

Large expanses of flat roofs characterise most modern hospital buildings. Regardless of the system used, the original build quality or the thoroughness of maintenance regimes, all roofs have a finite service life.  Degradation of the waterproofing membrane over time, standing water due to poor drainage and failure of joints or seams can all contribute to water ingress.

Ideally, capital works programmes to address potential roof issues should be planned in advance in line with the predicted service life or manufacturer guarantees associated with the existing roof system.  In this way the roof can be renewed before water ingress becomes a problem or causes secondary issues, such as damp, water damage or electrical faults.

St George’s Hospital in Southwest London has taken this planned approach to upgrading its roofs in a phased estates improvement programme. With a staff of more than 8,500, St George’s is the largest NHS hospital in South West London, serving a local population of 1.3 million and delivering specialist provision for large areas of Surrey and Sussex too.

The hospital has sites in both Tooting and Wandsworth and it’s at the Wandsworth site that a second roof refurbishment has just been completed using solvent-free Kemperol 2K-PUR; a cold-applied liquid waterproofing membrane that is odourless and requires no hot works, making it ideal for hospital roof installations.

Odourless Specification

St George’s Hospital’s Wandsworth site combines patient treatment and healthcare with an active research facility and a mortuary in its ‘Jenner Wing.’ It was here that a previous roof refurbishment was carried out in 2014 using the cold–applied liquid system.

Following the success of that scheme a second two-phase roof overlay project has been delivered, involving refurbishment of Jenner Wing’s Block D; a building that forms part of the University of London and combines patient areas on the lower floors, with research and laboratory facilities on the upper floors, along with a basement mortuary.

The total roof area of block D is more than 1700m2 so the project was divided into two phases, with 940m2 of cold-applied liquid membrane installed in phase one, followed by the 819m2 phase two installation. Both phases were installed as an overlay onto the existing asphalt roof.

The building features a significant amount of air handling equipment on the roof to serve the ventilation services for the patient areas, the laboratories and the mortuary, all of which is business critical to each department. Not only did this equipment need to remain operational throughout the roof refurbishment but it was also essential that there were no nuisance odours from the programme of works that could cause disruption to patients, staff or visitors.

It was for these reasons that the solvent-free cold-applied liquid waterproofing system was chosen, in line with the architect’s performance specification.

The system is formulated using castor oil and both the primer and the resin are solvent-free and odourless, with installation in a single process without the need for any potentially hazardous or disruptive hot works.

Flexible Installation

Before each phase could begin, lifting equipment was used to raise the air handling plant on the roof, which was then supported on rubber feet. The loose chippings on the roof were then removed by a mechanical scabbler to prepare the surface for the overlay of the new membrane.  However, in areas below the air handling plant where the machine could not be used, this process had to be carried out by hand.

Around the perimeter of the roof there is a railing that supports the basket used for window cleaning and, inside this, the roof is covered with paving slabs, which had to be removed so that the waterproofing membrane could be installed underneath. With the slabs removed and set aside for re-use where possible, the installation team cleaned the surface using jet washing equipment prior to application of the primer once the roof was dry.

The solvent-free resin was then applied in a single wet-on-wet process. The resin was applied to the substrate and a flexible reinforcement fleece was then laid directly onto the wet resin, immediately followed by more resin on top.  This ensures complete saturation of the reinforcement fleece.  The resin then cured to form a seamless, elastomeric waterproof membrane that cannot delaminate, is UV stable, and bonds directly to the substrate.

Service Life

Both phases of the roof overlay were completed without disruption to patient care or research activities, avoiding any strip out requirements, the nuisance odours associated with solvents and the health and safety considerations of hot works.  The result is a durable, seamless roof with a BBA-accredited service life of 25 years.

http://kemper-system.co.uk

Tel: 01925 445532

 

The post Odourless Roofing Solution Maintains Staff and Patient Comfort at St George’s Hospital appeared first on Specifier Review - Architecture - Design - Innovation

Kirsty Hammond

source https://specifierreview.com/2018/08/24/roof-refurbishment/

Odourless Roofing Solution Maintains Staff and Patient Comfort at St George’s Hospital

Odourless Roofing Solution Maintains Staff and Patient Comfort at St George’s Hospital

Large expanses of flat roofs characterise most modern hospital buildings. Regardless of the system used, the original build quality or the thoroughness of maintenance regimes, all roofs have a finite service life.  Degradation of the waterproofing membrane over time, standing water due to poor drainage and failure of joints or seams can all contribute to water ingress.

Ideally, capital works programmes to address potential roof issues should be planned in advance in line with the predicted service life or manufacturer guarantees associated with the existing roof system.  In this way the roof can be renewed before water ingress becomes a problem or causes secondary issues, such as damp, water damage or electrical faults.

St George’s Hospital in Southwest London has taken this planned approach to upgrading its roofs in a phased estates improvement programme. With a staff of more than 8,500, St George’s is the largest NHS hospital in South West London, serving a local population of 1.3 million and delivering specialist provision for large areas of Surrey and Sussex too.

The hospital has sites in both Tooting and Wandsworth and it’s at the Wandsworth site that a second roof refurbishment has just been completed using solvent-free Kemperol 2K-PUR; a cold-applied liquid waterproofing membrane that is odourless and requires no hot works, making it ideal for hospital roof installations.

Odourless Specification

St George’s Hospital’s Wandsworth site combines patient treatment and healthcare with an active research facility and a mortuary in its ‘Jenner Wing.’ It was here that a previous roof refurbishment was carried out in 2014 using the cold–applied liquid system.

Following the success of that scheme a second two-phase roof overlay project has been delivered, involving refurbishment of Jenner Wing’s Block D; a building that forms part of the University of London and combines patient areas on the lower floors, with research and laboratory facilities on the upper floors, along with a basement mortuary.

The total roof area of block D is more than 1700m2 so the project was divided into two phases, with 940m2 of cold-applied liquid membrane installed in phase one, followed by the 819m2 phase two installation. Both phases were installed as an overlay onto the existing asphalt roof.

The building features a significant amount of air handling equipment on the roof to serve the ventilation services for the patient areas, the laboratories and the mortuary, all of which is business critical to each department. Not only did this equipment need to remain operational throughout the roof refurbishment but it was also essential that there were no nuisance odours from the programme of works that could cause disruption to patients, staff or visitors.

It was for these reasons that the solvent-free cold-applied liquid waterproofing system was chosen, in line with the architect’s performance specification.

The system is formulated using castor oil and both the primer and the resin are solvent-free and odourless, with installation in a single process without the need for any potentially hazardous or disruptive hot works.

Flexible Installation

Before each phase could begin, lifting equipment was used to raise the air handling plant on the roof, which was then supported on rubber feet. The loose chippings on the roof were then removed by a mechanical scabbler to prepare the surface for the overlay of the new membrane.  However, in areas below the air handling plant where the machine could not be used, this process had to be carried out by hand.

Around the perimeter of the roof there is a railing that supports the basket used for window cleaning and, inside this, the roof is covered with paving slabs, which had to be removed so that the waterproofing membrane could be installed underneath. With the slabs removed and set aside for re-use where possible, the installation team cleaned the surface using jet washing equipment prior to application of the primer once the roof was dry.

The solvent-free resin was then applied in a single wet-on-wet process. The resin was applied to the substrate and a flexible reinforcement fleece was then laid directly onto the wet resin, immediately followed by more resin on top.  This ensures complete saturation of the reinforcement fleece.  The resin then cured to form a seamless, elastomeric waterproof membrane that cannot delaminate, is UV stable, and bonds directly to the substrate.

Service Life

Both phases of the roof overlay were completed without disruption to patient care or research activities, avoiding any strip out requirements, the nuisance odours associated with solvents and the health and safety considerations of hot works.  The result is a durable, seamless roof with a BBA-accredited service life of 25 years.

http://kemper-system.co.uk

Tel: 01925 445532

 

The post Odourless Roofing Solution Maintains Staff and Patient Comfort at St George’s Hospital appeared first on Specifier Review - Architecture - Design - Innovation

Kirsty Hammond

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Natural Contrast – The Belsize Park Project

Natural Contrast – The Belsize Park Project

Located in leafy North London, the Belsize Park project from leading architecture firm LBMV Architects explores bold material use, with glass and statement wood panelling explored throughout the property. Combining the key company principles of superior quality, material innovation and distinctive design, Belsize Park achieves elevated contemporary elegance with intuitive storage and a focus on practical features that don’t compromise on style.

Transforming the layout and interior of this 20th century home, the project involved the replacement of an existing rear and side extension, as well as the full reconfiguration of all three floors. The idea of stretching the space to its limits became the defining ideal for all areas of the property, from the open-plan kitchen and living spaces to the master bedroom upstairs. Richly textured wood partition walls are used to zone the separate rooms downstairs, providing long perspectives and creating a controlled focal point with a wealth of natural character. Carefully considered not to overwhelm the overall design, the use of wood is complemented by simple white walls and the introduction of glass, from the wide-frame sliding doors that bring the outside in, to the recessed skylight that floods the space with natural light. Combining utility and comfort, storage solutions are integrated into every aspect of the interior design; with built-in cabinetry and wardrobes throughout ensuring the stunning minimal aesthetic is easily maintained.

http://www.lbmvarchitects.com/

 

The post Natural Contrast – The Belsize Park Project appeared first on Specifier Review - Architecture - Design - Innovation

Kirsty Hammond

from Specifier Review https://ift.tt/2o5lRIZ
via gqrds

Natural Contrast – The Belsize Park Project

Natural Contrast – The Belsize Park Project

Located in leafy North London, the Belsize Park project from leading architecture firm LBMV Architects explores bold material use, with glass and statement wood panelling explored throughout the property. Combining the key company principles of superior quality, material innovation and distinctive design, Belsize Park achieves elevated contemporary elegance with intuitive storage and a focus on practical features that don’t compromise on style.

Transforming the layout and interior of this 20th century home, the project involved the replacement of an existing rear and side extension, as well as the full reconfiguration of all three floors. The idea of stretching the space to its limits became the defining ideal for all areas of the property, from the open-plan kitchen and living spaces to the master bedroom upstairs. Richly textured wood partition walls are used to zone the separate rooms downstairs, providing long perspectives and creating a controlled focal point with a wealth of natural character. Carefully considered not to overwhelm the overall design, the use of wood is complemented by simple white walls and the introduction of glass, from the wide-frame sliding doors that bring the outside in, to the recessed skylight that floods the space with natural light. Combining utility and comfort, storage solutions are integrated into every aspect of the interior design; with built-in cabinetry and wardrobes throughout ensuring the stunning minimal aesthetic is easily maintained.

http://www.lbmvarchitects.com/

 

The post Natural Contrast – The Belsize Park Project appeared first on Specifier Review - Architecture - Design - Innovation

Kirsty Hammond

source https://specifierreview.com/2018/08/24/lbmv-architects-belsize-park/

American Hardwood projects nominated for Wood Awards 2018

American Hardwood projects nominated for Wood Awards 2018

The American Hardwood Export Council is delighted to announce that five projects using American hardwoods have been shortlisted for the Wood Awards 2018.

The shortlist will be showcased at the London Design Fair (Stand: 13.3, Hall: H13), Old Truman Brewery, 20th-23rd September. Winners will be revealed at the annual Wood Awards ceremony at Carpenters’ Hall on 20th November, by ceremony host David Hopkins, Director of the Timber Trade Federation.

Established in 1971, the Wood Awards is the UK’s premier competition for excellence in architecture and product design in the world’s only naturally sustainable material. The Awards are free to enter and aim to encourage and promote outstanding design, craftsmanship and installation using wood. The judging panels visit all the shortlisted projects in person, making this a uniquely rigorous competition.

The Awards are split into two main categories: Buildings and Furniture & Product.  Within the Buildings competition there are five subcategories: Commercial & Leisure, Education & Public Sector, Interiors, Private and Small Project. Within the Furniture & Product competition there are three subcategories: Bespoke, Production and Student Designer.

“We are delighted that designers and architects are recognising American hardwoods as the versatile, sustainable materials that they are,” says David Venables, European Director of AHEC. “Whether they are used in public buildings, private ones or in handmade furniture, the quality of the short-listed candidates is some of the best we have ever seen in the Wood Awards.”

STOREY’S FIELD CENTRE & EDDINGTON NURSERY

Commercial & Leisure

The 100-place nursery is arranged around three sides of a landscaped courtyard. On the fourth side, is the civic scaled community centre including a 180-seat main hall. The principle rooms are lined in oak panelling. The main hall, influenced by the dining halls and chapels of Cambridge colleges, uses an exposed, articulated timber structure. The slender spruce glulam portal frames spring from the oak panelled base and pass in front of a backdrop of ash veneered panelling; the tones of the timber gradually lightening up the height of the space. A structural ceiling of layered ash joists, battens and veneered plywood conceals air extract routes for the hall’s passive ventilation strategy. The hall provides a venue for a range of activities and its acoustics can be adjusted to suit. At the west end, an ash spiral stair is a sculptural element wrapped by a curved veneered ash plywood balustrade. The nursery’s turret roofed classrooms are clad in western red cedar as are the soffits to the covered nursery cloister.

Wood Species: American white ash, European oak, Canadian western red cedar

Location: Cambridge

Architect: MUMA

Client/Owner: University of Cambridge

Structural Engineer: Aecom

Main Contractor: Farrans Construction Ltd

Joinery: C W Fields

Glulam Structure: Just Swiss

Spiral Stair Fabricator: Spiral UK Ltd

Cedar Shingle Supplier: Marley Eternit

Wood Supplier: Brooks Bros, D F Richards

ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC THEATRE & NEW RECITAL HALL

Education & Public Sector

Two exceptional performance spaces have been integrated within the Academy site. The 309-seat cherry-lined Susie Sainsbury Theatre now forms the heart of the Academy. Inspired by the curved shapes of string instruments, it has been acoustically refined to deliver excellent sound qualities. Each acoustic treatment has its own graded detailing to blend the sound in all directions. Above the Theatre, the 100-seat Angela Burgess Recital Hall provides 230m2 of additional space for student rehearsal, public performance and recording. The Theatre is designed intimate and epic whereas the Recital Hall is a tranquil, calming and visually cool. The Recital Hall is entirely lined in pale, lime-washed European oak. Woven into the design are structural elements reminiscent of string instruments. Through an aperture of finely tuned ‘strings’, an oak-lined oculus floods the space with daylight and provides a central focus.

Wood Species: American cherry, European oak

Location: London

Architect: Ian Ritchie Architects Ltd

Client/Owner: Royal Academy of Music

Structural Engineer: WSP

Main Contractor: Geoffrey Osborne Ltd

Joinery: James Johnson & Co. Ltd

Specialist Theatre Electrics & Lighting: Push The Button

Acoustic Engineer: Arup

Wood Supplier: Hardwood Sales, Brooks Bros, Lathams

THE VORTEX, BLOOMBERG

Interiors

The Vortex is a dramatic double-height space at the main entrance of Bloomberg’s new European headquarters. Its three inclined, curving timber shells are a literal and metaphorical twist on classic wood-panelled London lobbies. It is deliberately mysterious, responding to Bloomberg’s objective to create a building that unfolds gradually. The openings between the individual timber shells define the building’s separate entry and exit paths. The structure consists of a double timber wall, constructed as a pre-assembled series of stressed-skin cassettes, where the main joists are orientated to generate the curvature of the surface, while keeping the timber elements straight. The timber skeleton is covered by a double layer of plywood and timber panelling chosen for its warmth and ability to provide excellent acoustic properties. 6,000 unique panels had to be put together, much like a large jigsaw that could only be assembled in a particular sequence. Four shades of veneer were randomised across the surface to avoid concentration of any one shade in a particular area.

Wood Species: American red oak

Location: London

Architect: Foster + Partners

Client/Owner: Bloomberg LP

Structural Engineer: AKT II

Main Contractor: Sir Robert McAlpine

Joinery Company: TMJ

Wood Supplier: Topakustic

GYC#1

Bespoke

GYC#1 is a collectors’ cabinet inspired by David Gates’ interest in industrial and agricultural architecture and infrastructure. GYC#1 is the first piece in the series to be finished completely in black and is closely related to the landscape of the Thames estuary. The final aesthetic of the piece is achieved with various amounts of scorching and pigment. Using a variety of techniques, the wood’s surface is a mixture of smooth and rough textures, creating a range of subtly varying textures unified by the darkened surface. Despite seemingly chaotic, the piece is made using precise traditional techniques.

 

Wood Species: American birds eye maple, British elm, ash and cedar of Lebanon

Designer: David Gates

Client/Owner: Sarah Myerscough Gallery

Vitreous enamel on steel panels: Helen Carnac

Wood Supplier: WL West

OVO FURNITURE RANGE

Production

The range celebrates the age-old tradition of craftsmanship in everyday objects. Durability and careful detailing have been combined with strong materiality to create a range that is tactile and generous. Fitting for both commercial and domestic spaces, the collection includes two variants of dining table, accompanying benches, sideboard, shelving unit, high table, stool and occasional tables. The collection relies on the tactility of wood. The boldness and simplicity of the forms demand perfection in execution of the craft.

Wood Species: American black walnut or oak

Designer: Foster + Partners

Manufacturer: Benchmark

Wood Supplier: PB Hardwoods

DIGI-WEAVE SHOE CABINET

Student Designer

Tom Morgan has created a colourful shoe cabinet influenced by his cordwainer’s background. Initially inspired by the work of Richard Deacon, Tom began by breaking down red oak veneer into smaller strips. The thin strips, dyed various colours and pressed into calico fabric, have been woven together to create a screen that wraps around a solid wood frame with five slatted shelves within.

Wood Species: American red oak

Designer: Tom Morgan

College: Rycotewood Furniture Centre

Wood Supplier: American Hardwood Export Council

 

https://www.americanhardwood.org

 

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Kirsty Hammond

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American Hardwood projects nominated for Wood Awards 2018

American Hardwood projects nominated for Wood Awards 2018

The American Hardwood Export Council is delighted to announce that five projects using American hardwoods have been shortlisted for the Wood Awards 2018.

The shortlist will be showcased at the London Design Fair (Stand: 13.3, Hall: H13), Old Truman Brewery, 20th-23rd September. Winners will be revealed at the annual Wood Awards ceremony at Carpenters’ Hall on 20th November, by ceremony host David Hopkins, Director of the Timber Trade Federation.

Established in 1971, the Wood Awards is the UK’s premier competition for excellence in architecture and product design in the world’s only naturally sustainable material. The Awards are free to enter and aim to encourage and promote outstanding design, craftsmanship and installation using wood. The judging panels visit all the shortlisted projects in person, making this a uniquely rigorous competition.

The Awards are split into two main categories: Buildings and Furniture & Product.  Within the Buildings competition there are five subcategories: Commercial & Leisure, Education & Public Sector, Interiors, Private and Small Project. Within the Furniture & Product competition there are three subcategories: Bespoke, Production and Student Designer.

“We are delighted that designers and architects are recognising American hardwoods as the versatile, sustainable materials that they are,” says David Venables, European Director of AHEC. “Whether they are used in public buildings, private ones or in handmade furniture, the quality of the short-listed candidates is some of the best we have ever seen in the Wood Awards.”

STOREY’S FIELD CENTRE & EDDINGTON NURSERY

Commercial & Leisure

The 100-place nursery is arranged around three sides of a landscaped courtyard. On the fourth side, is the civic scaled community centre including a 180-seat main hall. The principle rooms are lined in oak panelling. The main hall, influenced by the dining halls and chapels of Cambridge colleges, uses an exposed, articulated timber structure. The slender spruce glulam portal frames spring from the oak panelled base and pass in front of a backdrop of ash veneered panelling; the tones of the timber gradually lightening up the height of the space. A structural ceiling of layered ash joists, battens and veneered plywood conceals air extract routes for the hall’s passive ventilation strategy. The hall provides a venue for a range of activities and its acoustics can be adjusted to suit. At the west end, an ash spiral stair is a sculptural element wrapped by a curved veneered ash plywood balustrade. The nursery’s turret roofed classrooms are clad in western red cedar as are the soffits to the covered nursery cloister.

Wood Species: American white ash, European oak, Canadian western red cedar

Location: Cambridge

Architect: MUMA

Client/Owner: University of Cambridge

Structural Engineer: Aecom

Main Contractor: Farrans Construction Ltd

Joinery: C W Fields

Glulam Structure: Just Swiss

Spiral Stair Fabricator: Spiral UK Ltd

Cedar Shingle Supplier: Marley Eternit

Wood Supplier: Brooks Bros, D F Richards

ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC THEATRE & NEW RECITAL HALL

Education & Public Sector

Two exceptional performance spaces have been integrated within the Academy site. The 309-seat cherry-lined Susie Sainsbury Theatre now forms the heart of the Academy. Inspired by the curved shapes of string instruments, it has been acoustically refined to deliver excellent sound qualities. Each acoustic treatment has its own graded detailing to blend the sound in all directions. Above the Theatre, the 100-seat Angela Burgess Recital Hall provides 230m2 of additional space for student rehearsal, public performance and recording. The Theatre is designed intimate and epic whereas the Recital Hall is a tranquil, calming and visually cool. The Recital Hall is entirely lined in pale, lime-washed European oak. Woven into the design are structural elements reminiscent of string instruments. Through an aperture of finely tuned ‘strings’, an oak-lined oculus floods the space with daylight and provides a central focus.

Wood Species: American cherry, European oak

Location: London

Architect: Ian Ritchie Architects Ltd

Client/Owner: Royal Academy of Music

Structural Engineer: WSP

Main Contractor: Geoffrey Osborne Ltd

Joinery: James Johnson & Co. Ltd

Specialist Theatre Electrics & Lighting: Push The Button

Acoustic Engineer: Arup

Wood Supplier: Hardwood Sales, Brooks Bros, Lathams

THE VORTEX, BLOOMBERG

Interiors

The Vortex is a dramatic double-height space at the main entrance of Bloomberg’s new European headquarters. Its three inclined, curving timber shells are a literal and metaphorical twist on classic wood-panelled London lobbies. It is deliberately mysterious, responding to Bloomberg’s objective to create a building that unfolds gradually. The openings between the individual timber shells define the building’s separate entry and exit paths. The structure consists of a double timber wall, constructed as a pre-assembled series of stressed-skin cassettes, where the main joists are orientated to generate the curvature of the surface, while keeping the timber elements straight. The timber skeleton is covered by a double layer of plywood and timber panelling chosen for its warmth and ability to provide excellent acoustic properties. 6,000 unique panels had to be put together, much like a large jigsaw that could only be assembled in a particular sequence. Four shades of veneer were randomised across the surface to avoid concentration of any one shade in a particular area.

Wood Species: American red oak

Location: London

Architect: Foster + Partners

Client/Owner: Bloomberg LP

Structural Engineer: AKT II

Main Contractor: Sir Robert McAlpine

Joinery Company: TMJ

Wood Supplier: Topakustic

GYC#1

Bespoke

GYC#1 is a collectors’ cabinet inspired by David Gates’ interest in industrial and agricultural architecture and infrastructure. GYC#1 is the first piece in the series to be finished completely in black and is closely related to the landscape of the Thames estuary. The final aesthetic of the piece is achieved with various amounts of scorching and pigment. Using a variety of techniques, the wood’s surface is a mixture of smooth and rough textures, creating a range of subtly varying textures unified by the darkened surface. Despite seemingly chaotic, the piece is made using precise traditional techniques.

 

Wood Species: American birds eye maple, British elm, ash and cedar of Lebanon

Designer: David Gates

Client/Owner: Sarah Myerscough Gallery

Vitreous enamel on steel panels: Helen Carnac

Wood Supplier: WL West

OVO FURNITURE RANGE

Production

The range celebrates the age-old tradition of craftsmanship in everyday objects. Durability and careful detailing have been combined with strong materiality to create a range that is tactile and generous. Fitting for both commercial and domestic spaces, the collection includes two variants of dining table, accompanying benches, sideboard, shelving unit, high table, stool and occasional tables. The collection relies on the tactility of wood. The boldness and simplicity of the forms demand perfection in execution of the craft.

Wood Species: American black walnut or oak

Designer: Foster + Partners

Manufacturer: Benchmark

Wood Supplier: PB Hardwoods

DIGI-WEAVE SHOE CABINET

Student Designer

Tom Morgan has created a colourful shoe cabinet influenced by his cordwainer’s background. Initially inspired by the work of Richard Deacon, Tom began by breaking down red oak veneer into smaller strips. The thin strips, dyed various colours and pressed into calico fabric, have been woven together to create a screen that wraps around a solid wood frame with five slatted shelves within.

Wood Species: American red oak

Designer: Tom Morgan

College: Rycotewood Furniture Centre

Wood Supplier: American Hardwood Export Council

 

https://www.americanhardwood.org

 

The post American Hardwood projects nominated for Wood Awards 2018 appeared first on Specifier Review - Architecture - Design - Innovation

Kirsty Hammond

source https://specifierreview.com/2018/08/22/american-hardwood-export-council/

#Ecodan QUHZ #HeatPumps provides cheaper heating bills for residents at Bowling Court. #AirSourceHeatPumps are an ideal solution that will help reduce both running costs and emissions over traditional carbon-intensive #heating https://t.co/S4Kuf6LcQc https://t.co/CxrrqUDGXh

#Ecodan QUHZ #HeatPumps provides cheaper heating bills for residents at Bowling Court.#AirSourceHeatPumps are an ideal solution that will help reduce both running costs and emissions over traditional carbon-intensive #heating #HVAC https://t.co/S4Kuf6LcQc pic.twitter.com/CxrrqUDGXh

— Kirsty Hammond (@KirHammond) August 20, 2018

Source: @KirHammond August 20, 2018 at 12:59PM
More info Your Website/Page Anchor Text Here

Ecodan QUHZ heat pumps provides cheaper heating bills for residents at Bowling Court

Ecodan QUHZ heat pumps provides cheaper heating bills for residents at Bowling Court

Mistubishi Electric’s system provides controllable, cost effective heating and hot water

Mitsubishi Electric’s Ecodan QUHZ air source heat pumps have been installed at the Bowling Court apartment building in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, and residents have been reaping the rewards since instillation was completed earlier this year.

Bowling Court, which is managed by the charity Hightown Housing Association, had previously relied on electric heating, and was looking for a new, low cost system. By selecting the 4kW monobloc Ecodan QUHZ heat pump system and thermal store, the buildings’ tenants are benefitting from low cost heating, efficient hot water production and reliable, renewable heat provision all year round.

Mark Salmon, Procurement Manager at Hightown Housing Association, believes the installation will prove to be a great investment, saying, “The benefits of the Ecodan system, both short and long term, played a big part in our decision to upgrade the heating system at Bowling Court. Its flexibility, easy operation, low noise levels and, perhaps most importantly, low running costs will prove popular with our tenants at Bowling Court”.

This popularity is already evident, with one tenant saying that the Ecodan system has reduced her heating bill from £35 a week to £15.

Kim Faulkner, Managing Director at Faulkners, a Reading-based installation company with years of experience dealing with renewable technologies, praised the Ecodan system. “Air source heat pumps are an ideal solution that will help reduce both running costs and emissions over traditional carbon-intensive heating”, comments Faulkner. “The Ecodan system is particularly suitable for properties like Bowling Court, which is in an off-gas area”.

Finding a system that could reduce fuel costs was particularly important for Hightown Housing Association as they pride themselves in being able to assist those who cannot afford to buy or rent a home at market value. Tenants are able to control their heating and hot water via Wi-Fi with Mitsubishi’s MELCloud application; a built-in energy monitoring system which comes as standard with the Ecodan heat pumps. They are able to monitor their energy consumption, set up schedules and timers, get temperature history reports, receive a live weather feed from the Ecodan’s location and share or restrict access to the application. All this helps tenants to better manage their heat and energy usage, lowering their heating costs.

As well as helping to reduce fuel costs, the Ecodan QUHZ also operates with a very low noise output. This was a key factor in Hightown selecting the QUHZ as it enabled the units to be fitted on the balcony of all properties.

More information on the Ecodan QUHZ can be found here.

 

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Kirsty Hammond

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